Disclaimer : The usual. I don't own any of this except for my character Isabeau. Her name is pronounced "Is-a-bow" by the way (it's French).
Author's Notes.
Apologies for the lack of updates. I have my U.S. Government final coming up and my teacher is telling us to study now, and I still have to work on my Community Service Project. Christmas break wasn't as relaxing as I thought I would be.
Also, I'm working on the 10th chapter of this at the moment. The reason I'm not posting them up right away is because of mistakes and screw ups. For instance, in the first chapter, I wrote Isabeau's parents were hung – INCORRECT. Her parents were NOT hung, they were merely shot...I make that sound likes that's normal.
02. Spirit in the New World
Isabeau moaned as her head pound badly.
"Hey, fellas, I think he's coming around."
"Jax…where's Jax?" Isabeau's first thought was her horse. He was her only companion, and if these men had carried her off somewhere, Jax would be out of her reach. When none of the men answered, she could feel their confusion.
"Who's Jax, son?"
"My horse," Isabeau said.
"I think we got him. We guessed he was your horse by the way you had been reaching for him."
"Question is," the voice of the younger man piped in, "Why would someone your age would have to pick pocket when they own their own horse."
Isabeau grew severely perturbed. She sat up slowly and opened her eyes, glaring at him. "More like why the hell are you shooting at a 'kid' you keep on calling me…especially since I'm also your age!" she hissed, the pain in her leg finally reached her brain. She gripped it and took a deep breath. She drew out her knife.
The gang pulled out their weapons and watched her intensely.
"For pete's sake! You already shot me! And since you lack the decency to remove the bullet, I'll have to do it myself."
"Wait!" A man with temple-length, curly black hair approached her with a whisky bottle in hand.
"Hold it, Charley." The Indian took hold of Charley's arm. "Watch…him, Charley. Don't let the kid take the bullet out yet." He looked at two of the older, calmer of the men, and walked out of ear's way, waiting for the two to follow.
Charley held his gun up to Isabeau, but did not set it. She put her knife away and tried to listen as well as she could to the three men.
"What's going on Chavez?" Doc sighed.
"This 'boy', as you call 'him', is not what 'he' seems."
Dick lifted his eyebrow. "You suspect he's up to no good?"
"No, Chavez is right. Something's not right about the kid."
"It's a woman."
Dick muffled a snicker, but quickly realized Chavez wasn't joking. He looked back over to the kid on the ground. "I wish I could tell, but if it's a girl, she's so dirty I can't tell."
"Hehh, give Dirty Steve a run for his money." Doc put his gun away. "Should we unmask her?"
"Gender confusion is not fun for people to decipher. We ought to." Dick put his gun away as well.
The three turned and walked toward her. She was beginning to feel dizzy as she felt a little blood trickle down her leg.
"What's your name?" the man with the black cowboy hat asked.
"Beau," it was her nickname after all. The man with the blond hair circled behind her, but she kept her eyes on the other five.
Her hat was gone. She looked back and saw the blond-haired man holding her hat up high. "Hey! Give that back!" She felt her brown curls fall down her back.
"It's a woman!"
She looked back and saw the younger man and the dirty man's jaws drop. "You're a woman!"
"No duh, shithead."
The man with the black hat bent down in front of her and removed his hat. "Why pretend."
"'Cause it's one of the few ways a woman can protect herself." Oddly, she felt like a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Now that they knew she was a woman, perhaps they would treat her with a little more respect.
The man smiled. "My name is Richard Brewer, but I go by Dick. The man behind you with your hat is Josiah Scurlock, but he goes by Doc."
Isabeau turned behind herself. Doc smiled, "Howdy." "Hello, may I have my hat back please?" Doc gave her hat back, "Thanks."
"I'm Charley Bowdre. This is Steve Stephens, but he goes by Dirty Steve." The name named Charley smiled as he did the introduction.
Isabeau looked over at Dirty Steve at the perfect moment to see him spit chew from his mouth. Well, that's attractive.
"That Jose Chavez y Chavez, goes by Chavez. And last but not least the infamous outlaw, William Bonney a.k.a. Billy the Kid." Doc smirked.
Isabeau looked back over at the alleged outlaw. "YOU'RE Billy the Kid? They said you had a way with women."
The others smiled and looked away, but Billy was not amused. "Funny words coming from someone who doesn't want to be a woman."
"I would be one full time if it weren't for men like you." She looked over at Charley. "Could I have that whisky? I've gotta get this bullet out somehow."
Doc pulled off his gloves. "Chavez, can I use your knife?" Chavez grabbed the smaller of his knives and handed it to Doc.
Isabeau had a difficult time flipping over onto her stomach (after all, the bullet hit the back of her thigh). She felt Doc cut a large hole in the back and pour some whisky on it. "Gaahh!" It burned like fire. She drew in a deep breath as she felt a small knife touch her leg barely, but the whisky made if feel like he was stabbing her.
"I don't see it."
Doc took a piece of cloth and bound her leg as tightly as he could. Once done, she rolled over, feeling the effects of the blood loss.
"It seems it grazed your skin, but took a chunk out. You're going to have to stay off that leg for a few days," Doc stated.
"How am I going to do that? You fellas are on the run, I need to tend to Jax; there's no possible way I can't use my legs." She laid down on her back and wiped her face. On top of it all, she badly needed a bath. She knew she smelt, and she looked like she was caked with mud almost. She yawned, she was so sleepy.
"I suggest you sleep. We won't harm you, you're in good hands." Dick said with truth spreading every inch around his voice.
She closed her eyes. "Thank you." And she fell asleep again.
