This is probably the most ambitious fic I've written so far. There's quite a bit of history in it and I've had to do some research in things like geography and climate.
Since I can't put links in here, I've put them on my profile page. There's a rather nice map of the Pony Express route, an advert for the Express and a picture from Seneca, which appears in the story.
I hope you like it and that it makes sense.
CHAPTER 1
"I, Castiel Lyndon, do hearby swear, before the Great and Living God, that during my engagement, and while an employee of Russell, Majors and Waddell, I will, under no circumstances, use profane language, that I will drink no intoxicating liqours, that I will not quarrel or fight with any other employee of the firm, and that in every respect I will conduct myself honestly, be faithful to my duties, and so direct all my acts as to win the confidence of my employers, so help me God."
Castiel lowered his right hand from his chest and looked at Mr. Russell.
"Alright boys. You are now officially riders of the Pony Express. I expect you to adhere to your oath and the good name of the Pony Express." He handed each of the three boys a bible. Castiel had never read the bible before, he never went to church either and flicking through the book later, he couldn't really make sense of the words. He could read, no doubt about that, but he only knew normal words. It was Mr. Majors who insisted that all the riders were given a bible when they had taken their oath. Castiel had heard that Mr. Majors frequently read his own bible and that he didn't drink or swear. He expected the same behaviour from the riders, but they were rugged men and they couldn't keep away from a drink now and again. The only thing Mr. Majors could be certain of was their loyalty to the company.
The three boys who had just been hired smiled, feeling proud at the moment and expectant of the adventures they would encounter.
It was September 1860, and four days ago, Castiel had seen an advertisement saying: "Wanted: Young, skinny, wiry fellows not over eighteen. Must be expert riders, willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred."
Castiel was 16, he had no family, had been able to ride since he was five and was quite small of build. As for the risk of death... Well, he would do his best to live, but since he had no family it would hardly matter if anything happened to him. And a steady job as a rider was the best prospect he had had in a while. He would earn $100 a month, more money than he had ever had at one time.
He was in St. Joseph, Missouri, the first stop on the Pony Express route. From here, he would be one of the riders to take the trip to Seneca and there he would wait for the mail coming from San Francisco and bring it back to St. Joseph. He would change horses on the way; it was a distance of about 80 miles. The whole trip to San Francisco took ten days, faster than any stage coach carrying mail.
After the oath-taking at Patee House, the offices of the Pony Express, the boys went to the stables. Next to it was the house that would accomodate them while they worked for the Pony Express.
Castiel didn't have to wait long before he got to go on his first ride. The very next morning he was told to get a horse and go to Patee House, to collect the mochila that held the letters. He quickly attached his water pouch and mounted the horse and after he had collected the letters he rode off. He had to take the ferry boat across the Missouri River to Elwood. Horses were changed about every 10 miles and as soon as he got into the flow of it, it all went smoothly. He arrived at Seneca in an honourable time of about 6 1/2 hours and passed the mochila to the new rider.
As he dismounted, a tanned muscly guy came to take the horse from him.
"You're new," he said.
"Castiel Lyndon. Cas," he said, removing his hat and wiping the sweat off his forehead.
"I'm Dean Winchester. I work here."
Castiel noded and smiled at him. Then he drank the last of his water and went to the sleeping quarters to get cleaned up. The Pony Express sleeping quarters were located at the Smith Hotel.
Lunch was soon on the table and Castiel was glad to fill his empty stomach. He was no stranger to going hungry and he felt gratitude towards the chance he had been given. After lunch he took a nap and in the evening he went outside to get some fresh air before he turned in for the night. He saw Dean sitting on a bench outside the stable and went to join him.
"Are you from around here?" he asked and sat down.
Dean looked up at him and said: "No. I'm from Lawrence."
"Oh. How did you end up here?"
"I wanted to be a rider but I was too heavy. I was offered this job instead and ride if there's an emergency and no other riders are available."
"Did you leave Lawrence after the battle?"
Dean's face went dark and he said: "No."
Castiel felt he had crossed a line and said: "Sorry, I didn't mean to bring back any bad memories."
"It's alright," Dean said and stared at the ground. Shortly after, Castiel decided to turn in and said good night.
"Mmm..," Dean said, not really noticing him.
In his thoughts he was miles away in Lawrence, where he had lived with his parents before they were killed when the town had been attacked by Sheriff Samuel Jones and his men. It was May 1856, a week after Dean's 14th birthday. He and his parents had moved to the town two years before, shortly after it had been founded, having travelled from Arrow Rock in Missouri, where Dean had been born 12 years previously. Their reason for moving was their beliefs in abolition and in Missouri, slavery was still accepted. Lawrence, however, was founded in an attempt to make Kansas part of the United States as a free state, rather than a slave state.
Castiel was shaken awake early in the morning. He was very tired because he had stayed up late playing cards the night before but he was told he had to get ready for the ride back. They had heard the rider coming and Castiel was the one to make the trip to St. Joseph. When Castiel finally managed to open his eyes and focus on the person shaking him, he saw it was Dean.
"Come on," Dean said and left.
Castiel jumped out of his bed and landed heavily on the floor. He felt like a ton of bricks and tried to wipe the sleep from his eyes. He quickly got dressed and went downstairs. He just had time to fill his water sack before the rider came and Castiel was given the mochila. He threw it on his horse and Dean, who was holding the horse, gave him a leg up. Then he was off. To his luck, the sky was beginning to lighten slightly. He didn't know the route that well, and he was afraid he would end up in a ditch or in the river. But he made it to St. Joseph in one piece. When he had dropped off the mail at Petee House, he went to the stables to hand over his horse and get something to eat.
He had stayed at Seneca for one day and had gotten to know a few people there. He had seen Dean around doing odd jobs and when he had asked him what his job was specifically, he had said he did a little of everything. He could shoe a horse if it was needed and he took care of them before and after the ride. He was also in charge of the supplies. In fact, he was going to make an order right then, so Castiel decided to go with him. Another rider was up for the next exchange, so he could make a quick trip. Seneca was quite nice. The main street was wide and had houses on both sides. There were wagons and horses and a general bustle. Castiel spottet the saloon. He had been in saloons before when he was younger; he had been so small that people hadn't really noticed him. Now he wondered if he should make a quick trip, you know, just to see what it looked like on the inside.
"Don't forget you took an oath," he heard Dean's voice say to the right of him.
"I won't," he said, still looking at the saloon but trying to follow Dean as well. He bumped into someone and turned around.
"I'm sorry," he said, as he saw it was a young girl with hair the colour of wheat.
"No harm done," she said and smiled at him, while walking off down the street. She looked to be well off, and was probably out of his league.
Castiel stood and stared after her, then he heard Dean's voice again: "Hey, Cas, I have to go and order feed for the horses."
Castiel finally turned and saw Dean looking at him with a furrowed brow. When he turned around and started walking off towards a big building on a side street, Castiel hurried after him. He didn't fancy losing Dean on his first trip to town. Also, he felt like a silly child, the way he stared at everything. And the way he had looked at that girl. Like he had never been up close to a woman before. It was kind of embarrassing.
When Dean had ordered the feed, they went to the general store to get a few personal supplies. Then they returned to the hotel. As they walked home, Dean was quiet.
"Are you alright?" Castiel asked.
"Sure."
"You just seem very quiet."
Dean was quiet for a moment longer then he said: "Cas, I'm going to give you a piece of advice. Remember the oath you took, don't get sidetracked while out and about and don't get involved with women."
Castiel laughed a little. "Alright," he said, a little amused.
Dean continued: "If you want to keep your job you'll take the responsibility seriously. There are plenty of other young men willing to take your place."
Castiel stopped smiling. His good mood was disappearing. "And you're such a saint, are you?" he couldn't help saying.
"I'm no saint, but I know what my job is and it's not spending time in the saloon or making eyes at strange women."
That made Castiel smile again. "So are you saying you've never made a pass at a woman? Or had a drink?"
"No, I've had drinks, and I know they can lead to a lot of bad things."
They had arrived back and Dean went to the office to scribble something down.
Castiel thought he hadn't said anything about making a pass at women. He smiled. Could it be that Dean was a virgin? Castiel himself had been with a few women. Prostitutes, of course, when he had had enough money and the urge for sex had been greater than the urge to eat. It didn't really rock his boat, though. Maybe it would be different with a woman he was comitted to.