An Irish Lady
Chapter: 2
The sun crept across June's face as she laid awake wondering what direction she going from here. Maybe her aunt was no longer after her. You think after all this time she would finally give up, though it wasn't just her aunt after her. It was anyone on her father side of the family who agreed with her aunt. June stood up and put on her slicker and hat. She was soon back in the saddle after tearing down the lean-to. June didn't know where she was, neither did she know where she was going.
"Come on Thunder, let's go." June spoke softly as they started down the path.
The storm had done its best to swap and drown anything in this area, though. June would've gone continued this morning regardless of the weather. Maybe someday she would be able to settle down; this constant traveling was wearing her down. Her stomach started growling and she knew she needed to find food and soon. She couldn't go another day without food it been five days since she had last eaten anything substantial.
A small breeze picked up and with it she could smell food. As she went around the bend she spotted the cabin. Shaking her head seeing how close she had been to a cabin she simply had to laugh. June wasn't about to stick around and have someone spot her. She didn't know who would be spying for her aunt.
It wasn't long before she found a small pond and she saw fish jumping out of it. She dismounted and unsaddled her horse; Thunder would not go wondering off on his own. She looked around for a stick and soon had it sharpened. It made a perfect spear to fish with. That mountain man she ran across a couple years back had taught her alot.
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Nick and his brothers were eating breakfast thinking about the subject of the stranger who had obviously showed up on their range last night. Nick stood up and told them he was going to look at that lean-to after asking Jarrod where he'd spotted it.
Heath watched his brother leave thinking "If looks could kill, stranger you're dead". He didn't know who the person was, but he got the feeling that the stranger meant them no harm.
"What are you thinking about?" Jarrod asked as he looked at Heath.
"I am not sure. I get the feeling that whoever has showed up means no harm to us, otherwise they would have made themselves known by now. It was probably someone passing through, just needed shelter." Heath smirked and sent his older brother a questioning gaze. "However, I am curious about what the person was doing here in the first place." Heath replied.
"I am not sure either, however I know Nick will most likely will find some clues about who it was. We will just have to wait to see what he comes up with." Jarrod said.
Nick was riding his horse along the trail looking down at the ground when he spotted where the lean to had been. Dismounting he walked over to the place; whoever had been here had been a small person with one horse. Whoever the person was the stranger sure was traveling light. There wasn't much else he could see. Whoever they were they had gone to a lot of trouble to leave very few clues.
Nick mounted his horse again and went back to the cabin. Whoever it had been was most likely long gone and his family would not likely see them again. It wasn't long before he was back at the cabin and they were on the way to the small pond where there was some fish.
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June was in the pond with her pant legs rolled up holding her home made spear in hand. She was watching the fish swim around waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Patience was something you had to have when you were fishing. Two fishes came slowly by her, so she threw the spear down catching both of them at once. Smiling she turned to leave the pond and saw three men looking at her. June kept on walking pretending she hadn't seen anyone.
Jarrod couldn't believe his eyes. There was a short little lady looked like a fairy holding a spear with two fishes on. Where did she come from? The small breeze was playing with her hair and he wondered where her family was.
Heath and Nick couldn't believe their eyes either. How did that little lady know how to spear fish like that? Who taught her? They didn't know who she was, nevertheless they headed towards her. One thing for sure was; they were gonna get the answers soon enough.
June watched out of the corner of her eye on the three men as she cleaned the fishes that she caught. She wasn't about to trust any strangers; especially any men. All people did was tell her lies and try to do further harm to her. She waited until they were close before she spoke, "It's not nice to stare." she stated, acting as calmly as she could, though alert and ready to strike if need be; another skill her mountain friend had taught her.
"Who are you and where did you come from? You are on our land." Nick barked at the lady.
June felt the hairs on her neck raise, but continued to clean the fish. Heath noticed her subtle flinch and quietly told Nick to back off. While Nick stopped talking Heath quietly asked, "Can you answer my brother's question?"
"I go by June and as far as where I come from its none of your business, sir." June spoke. "Can you answer me a question, then after I fill my belly, I will be off your land?"
"What?" Nick asked.
June tried not to smirk. She had quickly surmised that the big dark haired one of the bunch was all bark and no bite as far as she was concerned, though she wouldn't want to be a man on the wrong side of him. She slapped her clean fish on the rock nearby and stood up, sheathing her knife."Where is the nearest telegram office? I need to send a message to a friend of mine." June said as she thought; "He needs to know where I am at least for now."
"Stockton. It's just about ten miles southwest of here." Jarrod said. "I'm a lawyer there."
June nodded, "Thank you. I'd liked to cook these up if you don't mind, then I'll head into town."
All three Barkley men, nodded silently, but continued to stare at the independent little sprite of a woman. If they had collaborated on their thoughts they would have marveled at the resemblance to their family's matriarch; Victoria Barkley. The petite woman in front of them had the same tenacity.
June ignored their stares openly, as she started to build her fire, but she kept them in sight from the corner of her eyes, "I told you it was rude to stare," she stated before she turned back to her fire.
Jarrod, Nick and Heath all moved at her chastising retort. They unsaddled their horses and went to do some of their own fishing.
June remembered a time when she was open and friendly to strangers, but that all changed when she was sixteen.