After hitching, the big bay Belgium to the wagon Gayle began to lead the horse towards the cabin. Wyatt giggled happily while holding the hyper puppy. The herd of animals began to graze on the tall grass. Gayle hoped that no one lived in the cabin because this seemed to be the perfect place to raise her young son. A large field that stretched as far as the eye could see and a large pond or lake behind the home and Gayle was sure she saw a barn there for a second. Stopping the bay Gayle told Wyatt to stay in the wagon before walking towards the entrance the cabin.
The door to the cabin had fallen off its hinges and now just leaned against the house. Once inside Gayle had no worries about anyone already living in the cabin, dust and dirt clung to everything. There were several holes in the roof leaving but a couple of days work and that would be fixed. Gayle walked back out side and smiled at her son asking if he would like to go look at the barn with her. Wyatt quickly got off the wagon and ran to his mother still holding his puppy. As much as Gayle hated to admit it she was glad Em had given the little boy a puppy out of the old woman's border collies.
Wyatt followed closely behind his mother looking at the place he would now be calling home. He began humming a tune his mother would sing every so often when she needed a little reassurance. This place was nothing like the other side had side had been as soon as the twister had set him and his mother down Wyatt felt a peace unlike any he had felt at any of the places he had his mother had lived even with Aunty Em. From the way his mother moved she was happier to she hadn't pulled her gun one time yet. The barn was in slightly better shape than the house it had a few stalls a loafing area that could be closed and a pen behind the barn for pigs and a door that lead to a chicken coup. Who ever had built the place had seemed to think of everything including a stall that had a few toys shoved into a corner. "Well, Wyatt what do you think?" The three year old looked at his mother in wonder he got to help decide. "We get to live here for good?" They had moved constantly since Wyatt's birth only staying in one place a month at a time till Em's and they stayed there only two and a half. "We get to stay here for good right?" The mother of twenty some annuals smiled at the boy. "Yes we get to live here for good." Wyatt set the puppy down ran to his mother to have her pick him up and hold him close.
For the next several months, Gayle spent her time between being a farmer, repairing the barn and house, as well as trying to be a good mother to Wyatt. Gayle had been in the area set aside to raise food for the small family when Wyatt had run to her saying someone was coming, Gayle quickly dropped the set the basket she had been carrying pushed Wyatt towards the corn stocks before pulling her gun from its holster at her hip.
Riding into the field that her animals currently grazed in were four men it only took her two seconds to realize these men meant to harm her and her son. Four bullets later, all four horses were rider less. Gayle approached each man ready to fire again if the need be only to find each bullet had done its job. Gayle heard Wyatt coming; he could not see this he should never have to see a man killed or one that had been killed. "Wyatt go to the barn I'll be up in a minute." The boy quickly turned and ran to the barn knowing better than to question his mother. Gayle walked to each man's horse grabbing the rains as she went. With all four horses in hand, she began to walk towards the barn with the big Belgium stallion also following.
Once in the barn Gayle tied all for horses up and began to unsaddle the horses checking them for owner marks after finding none she lead each horse to a stall. "Wyatt, those men were bad men they have no respect for human life." Wyatt looked at his mother close to tears. "If you ever see men wearing coats like they had on its best if you come get me then hide and not come out unless I tell you to." Wyatt nodded as his mother began to harness the big bay.
An hour later found Gayle and Wyatt sitting in the wagon with the four dead bodies hidden under a canvas tarp and a shovel lay on top. Gayle didn't want to bury the men on her property so they were looking for a place to when the smell of flowers reached them.
It is said if you ever smell the field of the papay you will never forget the sweet fragrance that only can be found with in the fields. "Wyatt when I stop the wagon I want you to close your eyes and to not open them till I say so ok." Wyatt nodded his head. Gayle stepped into the back of the wagon after Wyatt closed his eyes. The Shovel was moved to the side and the tarp was thrown off the bodies. Ten minutes later Gayle climbed back onto the buck board gathering the lines back into her hand and pulled Wyatt to her side. "One day you will understand why I have had to do the thing I have done but I hope it will be a long time from now." Wyatt held onto the duster that Em had given his mother.
Wyatt and his mother had been living in the small cabin for a year before they actually saw any one that had not been dressed in the coat that Gayle knew meant harm. Wyatt had been in the field where the animals grazed Playing with Nono when two men came riding into the field. The men looked like they had seen better days, there clothes were covered in dirt and blood. The horses were covered in dirt and dried sweat and looked like they wouldn't be able to go much further. The now four year old began to back away when he saw his mother riding one of the quarter horses Em had given them. Gayle slid the horse to a stop right in front of the men. "How can I help you?" The tone that Wyatt's mother used made it sound as if she was telling them to turn and leave. The men slowly dismounted and you could hear the two horses sigh in relief
"We are just looking for a place to rest our horses." Gayle frowned at the pair before dismounting her own horse. "Please follow me." Gayle unbuckled the halter on her horse and it trotted off happy to be able to return to grazing. "Wyatt go to the house." Wyatt looked at the two men before running towards the cabin Nono bouncing right behind him. "We haven't seen to many friendly faces. I have a pair of fresh horses if you would like to trade those two." The men stopped and looked at each other. "Why would you help us?" Gayle stopped and pointed to the small glint on one man's coat. "Your tin men, the least I can do is help you return to your job." Gayle continued walking towards the barn the two men slowly following.
The large doors slid open showing the clean barn. Six horses nickered at seeing the trio, Gayle patted the closest horse on the nose before continuing on towards the end of the barn. "Attach the horses to the leads, remove your tack while I them some water." The two quickly did as asked but stopped at the sight of ten saddles carefully arranged on a half wall. "Mack look long coats." Mack pulled his gun. "Damn I should have know she was to willing to help." At that moment Gayle walked in carrying a bucket of water. "Stop right there." Gayle looked at the men and growled when she saw a gun pointed at her. "Is this the way Tin Men treat people trying to help them."
"No this is how we treat enemies of the house of Gale." Gayle looked at the pair as if they had lost there mind. "Now if you would set that bucket on the ground and put your hands in the air." Gayle Set the bucket on the ground and slowly raised her hands to just above her head. "Joe check her for weapons." Joe nodded and slowly walked towards Gayle. As he pulled began to remove Gayle's gun the sound of some one running towards the barn startled the two. "Hide!" Joe hit Gayle across the face knocking her to the ground. "Long Coat scum." The Joe went to kick Gayle only to be knocked off his feet and have a gun pointed at his head. "Now then I think we got off on then lets start over. I am Mrs. Cain and this is my property. Now I have no idea why you think that I am a Long coat or would even help them. But if either of you raise a hand or gun on me or my son again I will no hesitate to shot you is that understood."
"If you don't help long coats what is with the saddles." Gayle glanced at the row of saddles. "Call them trophies if you will. I have been repairing them as well as altering them so that they can be given to people that need a new saddle." Mack raised his gun to the air releasing the hammer to show trust. "Now then the two horses right there take them if you need fresh tack as well take your pick from those saddles but you have ten minutes to get saddled and get off my property." Gayle shoved Joe forward keeping her gun cocked. The two men quickly saddled the two horses before mounting and riding off at a full gallop.
Gayle exited the barn and began to call for her son it only took a moment before Wyatt came running to her looking terrified. "Mama, who were those men and why did they hurt you?" Gayle smiled sadly at her little boy. Gayle set down on the ground and pulled Wyatt into her lap holding him close to her. "They were tin men. Tin men are supposed to protect but they thought we were people that help the long coats." Wyatt looked up at his mother his blue eyes shining as tears slowly leaked out. "What are long coats?" Gayle sighed she had hoped that he would have been older when she explained this. She hugged Wyatt closer and tucked his head under her chin.
"Long ago there were two wicked witches one of the east and one of the west. One day a house fell out of the sky and landed on one of the wicked witches. To everyone's surprise out stepped a young girl named Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto." Wyatt giggled. "Oh so you remember this story." Wyatt responded with a uh-huh. "Well Dorothy was given the silver shoes that the wicked witch wore and told to be able to go home she had to travel down the golden brick road. On the way she meet three people a scarecrow, a tin man, and a cowardly lion. She was eventually told to defeat the other wicked witch before she could return home." Wyatt giggled happily and chimed into the story. "And Dorthy melted the witch with a bucket of water." Gayle laughed at the joy that Wyatt had saying the witch melted from something as simple as water. "That's right. Well there is more to the story. Years later Dorothy returned to live in the OZ. It wasn't till Dorothy's daughter was fixing to take the throne when a horrible wrinkled hag appeared screaming that she was going to get revenge on the house of Gale for killing her mother. For nearly twenty years the witch and her followers caused problems till Dorothy's granddaughter sealed the evil being into a cave as well as the witch's flying bats. The witch's followers continued to cause problems but were unable to as much damage with out there leader so they went into hiding. Every now and then, the group that received the name long coat because of the long coats that they have worn since Dorothy, decide to try and take over."
Gayle looked out at the horses grazing peacefully a muscular white stallion caught her eye. "Before you were born the long coats tried to steal the crown again. Your father actually helped defend the house of Gale." Wyatt was shocked his mother had never said any thing about his father before. "What was daddy like?" Gayle sucked in a breath. "A lot like you. He was a very man with eyes so blue the sky was jealous and he had blond hair that shone like a golden halo." Gayle smiled tilting her head to where she could see her son's blond hair. "He hated long coats with a passion. He was also a Tin Man." Wyatt tilted his head back to look up at his mother. "A Tin Man." Gayle smiled at her four year old. "A real good Tin Man."
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I would like to thank all of my readers and a special thank you to Sirianna-Black for being my very first reviewer