Bonanza Fan-Fiction
Two Roads - One choice
I got this idea due to the episode titled The Savage and from sci-shows
I've seen
=I do not own the rights to Bonanza or to any particular sci-fi show
Scene 1
"You owe me, Willow, big time. Many times over." Celeste crossed her arms and kept her dark blue eyes on the stranger out cold on the ground. "Get the arrow out of him."
"Why? He just make trouble for my people." Willow was not happy to have the favors she owed this mountain woman called in all at once.
"He wasn't even headed to your people when one of your braves shot him. Now get that arrow of his leg, or I'll go after the brave." Willow watched as Celeste seemed to grow a foot in height and ten times in power.
"I take arrow out, I put medicine on, but then he on your hands." Willow shot her a dirty look that said 'And don't ask anymore favors out of me." Celeste chose to ignore the look knowing full well she wouldn't have to ask -Willow had a knack for getting into fixes she couldn't get out of without help.
When the man began to groan Celeste relaxed her firm stance and wet his mouth with a damp cloth before giving him a thick one to bite on so Willow could get the arrow out. The strawberry-blonde woman kept her eyes on the man's face as to avoid looking at the object being taken out of his leg. Crazy, she could handle a fight, live in the hills, moving whenever the mood hit , take care of wounds, but ask her to do the actual operation and you were on your own.
Willow worked on the dark-headed stranger quickly and efficiently. It was only when the Indian Woman put a bandage around the man's leg did she stand up. "There done. You give other medicine as needed." With that Willow slipped away.
"Who …are..you?" Adam managed to speak and instantly felt the woman giving him water.
"Celeste.' She then left off talking and got him propped up. "You look horrible."
"Thanks, I love you to." That only made Celeste laugh as she walked to the nearby stream and got his canteen full of water.
"Here." Celeste handed him back the item.
"Who was that woman taking the arrow out of my leg?" Adam asked as Celeste washed down a wound he'd received on the forehead from falling against a rock.
"Willow, a local Paiute. She owed me for oh, about, I'd say twelve big favors." She grinned when his eyes went wide. "No biggie, trust me - they all involved her mother. Teenage stuff."
"She didn't want to help." Adam glanced the way the gal had left. It's dirt path among the sagebrush would have still shown -had the gal not been trained how to cover them.
"Not really, but I can get pretty persuasive when needs be. Lift your head." Adam did so as she wrapped a band around his head to keep the bandage in place.
"Why did you call the favors up? No one would have blamed you if I was left to die." Adam asked curious as to what her motives were.
"I couldn't let a Cartwright die, now could I?" Instantly Celeste kicked herself as soon as she spoke and stood up and picked up the bag of herbs Willow had left.
"How did you know I was a Cartwright? Have we met before?" Adam's face grew puzzled -surely- he'd remember that face.
"Your family's reputation precedes you. And.." she couldn't help but grin as she turned around. Some of the girls you boys have dated have talked. And from the descriptions they've given my guess is your Adam."
"I hope they didn't say anything bad." Adam wasn't sure what to think. He wasn't aware of any of the gals he'd gone out with still around. And what other women in the are knew this lady. The man's face showed his thoughts and Celeste told him she'd only been in the area for about four years and the women who had talked weren't around here anymore. Giving a few of their names she saw Adam relax. Whew, that was close, watch your mouth Celeste. You didn't come here because of the Cartwrights, nor have you stayed because of their family.
"Let's get you well and then you can get back to your business." Celeste didn't get any argument off Adam as he'd fallen back into a state of unconciousness.
0000000
Adam lay next to the campfire still half out of it as Celeste watched him from a distance eating her own supper of beans and fry bread. She'd have preferred a good steak, but - at this point - that wasn't an option. "He's not here." She spoke without turning her head.
"Dang, girl, you'd think you're skin was red." John Lightfeather sat down and picked up a plate of his own.
"And you'd think yours was white." She wasn't surprised when he threatened to bury a tomahawk in her back. In turn, he grinned when Celeste told him to be her guest but that he'd have a musket ball in his chest before he took one step.
"My luck, that's exactly what would happen." John set his plate down due the fact he really wasn't that hungry. "So you haven't managed to find Kendall yet?"
"You think I'd still be hanging around here if I had? That man hides better than any Apache." When John glared at her she shot her own back . "You know it's true so quit your pout."
"What you say is true, but it still doesn't sit well with me." John fumed.
"And you think I like it any better? Four years of combing these mountains with no blasted luck." She pointed a fork towards her dinner guest. "Are you sure he's still here?"
"Has to be. Every report I've gotten shows no sign of his exit." Just then Adam began to moan.
"You'd best get out of here unless you want to explain to Adam how come you are wearing brand new white-men cothing - not from this century - speak excellent English, but no Apache. Not to mention what an Apache is doing up in this neck of the words instead of further south." Celeste wasn't surprised John stood up to leave but threw in his own chastisement.
"You weren't supposed to interfere with these people's lives -especially not his." John nodded towards the man laying on the ground.
"Hey, I haven't told him what to do. I just ordered Willow to take the arrow out." Celeste ignored his look.
"Be careful, or that one will bring your wall down." That earned John the right to have a fork thrown his way before he ducked around a rock.
Adam opened up his eyes and looked around to see who had been talking besides the one calling herself Celeste. There was no one in sight. No man, woman, or child and Celeste was quietly eating her meal. Who's voice had been the deeper one? Who had she been talking to. With no one else in sight he figured had to have been hearing things, after all he did feel more than a tad hot.
He watched the woman stand up and walk over. She wore men's clothing. Dark black boots, dark blue pants and a white shirt. A light-brown leather belt lay in it's proper place and a matching headband resided around her head.
"What's a white woman doing out in these hills?" Adam asked as she checked his leg.
"I believe it's a strange thing called….living." Her light tone and wink earned her a smile. "It's something I think you'd like prefer to keep doing yourself."
"That I would." Adam managed to sit up and found himself being ordered to stay put as the one calling herself Celeste began tending to his leg.
"Man be glad I wasn't alone when I found you." Celeste spoke as she put medicine on the wound and bond it back up. "I'd have tossed my cookies."
"Tossed your cookies?" Adam was with it enough to figure out what she meant, but still wanted to hear her say it.
"Thrown up?" Her raised eyebrow made him chuckle.
"Thought that's what you meant." He would have razzed her more but he found himself breaking out in sweat.
You weren't supposed to interfere with these people's lives. Be careful or that one will bring your wall down. Celeste grumbled to herself about John being a know-it-all who just needed to focus on Kendall as she was doing.
"I'm tired of traipsing this place. If I'd though of it before I'd have been looking at the details from the right angle I'd have figured things out by now. His equipment has got to be broken, or he'd have made a jump by now. He's not left this area which means he doesn't dare make all the moves he has before knowing that would make him a wanted man, and heaven help one suggest he get an honest job. So -ten to one- if I simply stay put he'll come to me, and then I'll nab him. So, what if Adam Cartwright came along needing help? At least I'll have something to keep me busy until Kendall makes his move.