A Place to Belong
Candy Canaday and Little Joe Cartwright rode along in silence. They were still a few days' ride from the Ponderosa, and the journey was beginning to wear on them. The sun was just thinking about setting as they reached a crest in the rocky hills they had been traveling through for most of the day.
"Just look at that, Candy," Joe said, gently pulling up on Cochise's reins, to halt him, taking in the gorgeous sunset over the valley and small hills below. Candy stopped as well, but didn't answer Joe, choosing, instead to gaze out, almost unseeing, towards the direction of the Ponderosa.
"Candy? You listening?" Joe turned a critical eye towards his companion. Candy looked worn…almost haggard. Joe was exhausted as well, but there was something…unnatural and unsettling about his friend. He reached out and laid his hand on Candy's shoulder. "Everything ok," he asked gruffly. (It wouldn't do to seem touchy-feely, after all.)
Candy started at the touch and shied away, looking embarrassed at being caught daydreaming. "What? Oh, yeah, Joe. I'm fine. Just tired and ready for a warm bed, ya know?" He tried to show off his trademark grin, but it just didn't quite make it to his face. Something distracted him, and he turned in his saddle, immediately alert.
"Did ya hear that, Joe," he whispered fiercely…taking in all sides of them almost at once.
Joe was about to call him on his deceit when he noticed Candy's demeanor change drastically. He had not heard anything, but he had been concentrating on Candy, and it was obvious that Candy was alert and at the ready. Both men had their hands on their pistols and were wheeling around, trying to discern where the noise had come from.
Just when Joe was about to ask Candy if he was SURE he'd heard something, a terrified warning shout came from his friend.
A blur of brownish-yellow came at him and Cochise bucked. Unprepared, he fell from the horse and landed hard, winded. A shot went off, but Joe was still disoriented. The next sound would haunt his nightmares and daydreams for years…a strangled scream came from off to his left. Gasping for breath, he looked up, only to see a blur of red and yellow as Candy tangled with an extremely large mountain lion. Fumbling with his pistol, Joe cursed his lack of clarity. He must have hit his head on the way down.
Finally freeing his gun, he aimed at the tangle of fur and…friend. He couldn't shoot! He could hit Candy! But just in that instant, his eyes locked with those of his friend's and he nodded and took aim, getting off 4 shots directly into the side of the beast. The animal screamed and tore again with his teeth and claws before his movements became slower and then finally stilled, coming to rest heavily on top of Candy.
Joe approached the duo on all fours, pistol still in hand. He gauged the animal warily, before making his way to its side and discerning that it was, indeed, dead. Suddenly, reality hit and time started again. With sudden clarity, he realized how close to the edge of the rocky terrain the three of them were and without another thought, pushed the lion off the side, not even watching as it bounded on rocks until coming to a stop 100 or so feet below. He had eyes only for his wounded friend. Coming around to Candy's side, Joe looked down upon the very bloody and eerily still form of one, Candy Canaday.
A/N: Ok, so, if you would believe this, I dreamed this last night. It's been rolling around in my head all day and I realized I just had to write it out. I hope you enjoy it. Because I dreamed the entire story, I know where it is going, so I hope to be able to update quickly and finish it up this week. Review, please, and let me know what you think! Thanks!