Howdy, everybody! The Virginia City Scribes are back and we're so excited to share our next story with you! We can't wait to hear what you think in a review and hope you enjoy the ride. Before we start, we'd like to say thank you to Seeleg Lester for writing the episode My Brother's Keeper that inspired us to write our story.
Chapter 1:
A thin sheen of perspiration shone on Hoss Cartwright's face as he saddled his horse and stroked the stallion's flank affectionately. He turned toward the main house at the sound of two familiar, jovial voices. He smiled as he caught sight of his younger brother, Joe, with his unruly wavy hair and their adopted adolescent brother, Jamie. Together, the two companions walked up to Hoss, grinning and laughing at a joke shared between them.
"What're ya two laughin' at?" Hoss mockingly chastised. "Dadburnit, where's Griff? We shoulda already made cross country by now. Wonder what's keepin' him?"
Joe's features turned serious. "Candy's with him. He'll be along in a minute."
It had been almost three months since the events that almost cost the young ranch hand his life. An awkward silence fell over the three brothers before Jamie broke it with small talk on whether or not he'd able to shoot any wolves should they come across any on their trip.
"That all depends on if you're gonna be shootin' straight!" Hoss laughed.
"Sure I can! Joe, you've seen me shoot them buzzards. Tell him, Joe, go on!" Jamie persisted enthusiastically.
"Yeah sure I have but you gotta be careful now. Wolves are a little more than just buzzards," Joe cautioned lightly.
"Yeah, I know that." Jamie's deflated response earned him a jovial slap on the back by Hoss that almost knocked him off his horse. Straightening his hat, the youngster sighed and allowed a victorious image of himself shooting down a big, ferocious wolf to enter his mind.
The tall, lanky young man hastily shoved a change of clothes into his travel sack when a light knock on the door took his attention away from the task at hand. Tucking his journal under his pillow after at last deciding not to bring it with him, he craned his neck to greet his visitor though he already knew who it could be.
"Almost ready, buddy?" Candy asked, a hint of brotherly concern played in his eyes as he walked into the bunkhouse and approached Griff.
"Yeah, I'm all set." Griff pulled the drawstring shut then swung the sack over one shoulder. A slight twinge of pain in his midsection reminded him of the nightmares he had worked hard to forget and put behind him.
"You sure you're up to it? The trip?" Candy questioned as he studied the youth. Griff nodded and smiled. He started toward the door when Candy reached out and took his arm. "Just remember that you still need to take it easy. Don't overdo it, okay?"
Griff refrained from rolling his eyes. "I'm not an invalid, Candy. Will you quit worrying? I haven't been off the ranch since... you know, a guy could go stir crazy being cooped up in one place for too long."
Candy snorted. "I wouldn't go as far to say that you've been cooped up. You're on a ranch."
Griff sighed. "You know what I mean. Besides, it's not like I'd be doing chores or breaking horses. Think of this as more of a vacation."
"Right," Candy nodded, hiding his worry. "Sure. It will be a vacation for me, too."
Pausing from making sure he had everything in his bag, Griff gave Candy a quizzical look. "How so?"
"It'll give me a break from you!" the foreman laughed, giving his young friend an encouraging slap on the back as they walked out to meet Joe, Hoss and Jamie.
After the four men said goodbye to the rest of the family and accepted a basket of food packed by Hop Sing, they commenced their journey and galloped towards the Pluckman Ravine. A light breeze whisked across the land to send off the hunting party.
Shifting in his saddle, Griff threw his head back to marvel at the warm sun and fresh air. "Will you take a look at that sky?" he admired. "There ain't no better day we could've picked for this hunting trip!"
"I hope that wolf is enjoying the day as much as you, because it's gonna be his last," Joe remarked. He scanned the area for any sign of grey fur or paw-prints in the dusty dirt. "We've already lost too many head of cattle to that animal."
"Of course we'll get that wolf! Hoss is the best tracker this side of the Mississippi!" Griff reasoned.
When he heard his name mentioned , Hoss perked up and joined the conversation. "Aww, you're mighty kind, Griff," he smiled, casting a proud look to Joe. "And mighty smart."
Joe rolled his eyes, but he knew that Griff was right.
Not wanting to be left out, Jamie kicked his horse to wedge himself between Griff and Joe. "Yeah!" he awkwardly interjected. "A-And besides the wolf, maybe we'll cross paths with a puma! I ain't never seen one up close before."
"We've got one predator on the loose already, and you're hoping to see another?" Griff playfully mocked, unsure of how to interact with the sixteen-year-old.
In the last seven months that Griff had come to live on the Ponderosa as part of his probation, he had very little interaction with the youngest, adopted Cartwright son. It was not as if Griff disliked Jamie. Griff simply did not know how to be alone with him. Having grown up quickly in prison, Griff thought of the Cartwrights, Candy, and the rest of the hands as his peers more so than he did Jamie, even if he was only three years older than the sandy-haired teenager.
"Not hoping," Jamie quickly denied, silently berating himself for sounding so childish in front of the three men. All he wanted was to be accepted as an adult who could be trusted to do whatever needed to be done for the good of the ranch, not a kid or even worse, a burden who could not pull his weight. "Just saying it's possible. It's always good to be prepared for the unexpected. That's what Pa and Adam always tell me. Hoss and Joe, too. Ain't that right?"
Hoss and Joe nodded in assent. Griff did not know how to respond, so he turned his attention back to the sky.
Thanks for reading! Please note that while this story can absolutely be read as a standalone, it does follow and will reference our first story A Hard Lesson Learnt. If you are interested, please check out AHLL (found on this website.) As stated previously, though, this story is a standalone and can be read as such. See you next chapter! :)
