The painful feeling of my head knocking against the hard surface of the wooden cart that I am currently being transported in startles me to consciousness. With a groan I sit up, taking in my surroundings. All I see is trees and farmlands.
After Waverly had fled, to my relief, the bandits immediately set off with me towards Monument. Fish's mother, who I had now learned was called Gwen, had ordered for us to make haste to get to our destination as fast as our feet would carry us.
Of course, the journey would take at least six to seven days on foot. This frustrated Gwen, who was starving for money and fame. She couldn't wait that long for her appetite to be sated. Which is why, when Levi spotted a lonesome wagon coming our way, Gwen conspired to get us a faster means of transportation.
Realizing her plan, I protested vehemently. This only resulted in Levi putting a rag in my mouth and tying me to a tree. I had to watch helplessly as Gwen fooled the poor old man driving the wagon into stopping, thinking he was assisting a lonesome woman with some directions. He was not at all prepared for the club to the head provided by Levi.
At Gwen's instruction Levi pulled out his knife to end the man's life. I fought against my bindings with all my might, the need to save the man filling my body with adrenaline. I was no match for the rope however, and I feared that I was about to watch an innocent man die.
Luckily, the sound of hooves approaching rapidly from behind us caused the bandits to change tact. Levi deposited the man's unconscious body behind some trees, out of sight, as fast as he could. Then he joined Gwen at the front of the wagon, taking the reins.
Fish grabbed me and shoved me rapidly onto the back of the wagon. Then we high tailed it out of there before someone could notice the crime that had been committed.
The ride had been uncomfortable to say the least. I could feel every bump in the road as the wagon moved along the rocky path. The fact that my hands were still tied tightly behind my back and that I had a rag in my mouth didn't help my mood. I eventually fell asleep listening to the drone of Gwen's voice as she discussed with Levi everything she would do once she got the ransom money.
Now awake again, I try to gauge our current whereabouts. There are only farmlands surrounding us as far as the eye can see, with only the odd house here and there. If I had to guess, I would have to say we are probably about two days horse ride from Physicia, but I cannot be sure.
I feel my nose start to itch and release a frustrated sigh at not being able to lift my hands to scratch it. Fish looks over at me with amusement in his eyes before continuing his task of whittling a stick with his knife.
I contemplate jumping off the wagon and making a break for it. But I realize it would be a futile exercise, since we are currently far from actual civilization. I would not get very far without a horse, and the bandits would simply catch and overpower me again when I tired from running.
Even if I somehow did manage to evade the bandits, someone else would probably recognize me and try to trade me for money and fame. Until I could face my mother and manage to remove the ransom on my head, it would never stop. I would be a risk to anyone traveling with me. I would be a risk to Waverly. Despite my situation and tumultuous thoughts, I allow myself a small smile at the thought of the brunette.
It surprised me how fast she had changed from being a complete stranger to becoming so significant to me. We haven't even known each other more than a week and I would happily lay down my life for her without a second thought.
I still cannot fathom how much my life had changed, how much I had changed, since Waverly came into my life so unexpectedly. She simply popped into my neck of the woods one day and foiled all my plans of not forming any relationships and living as a recluse for the rest of my life. I could never thank that hare enough for bringing us together.
Waverly is just…she is just so different to anything else I had experienced in my life. She is fiery and passionate, never allowing anything from stopping her to reach her goals.
Despite being such a force of nature, she also has a wonderfully gentle side. I have noticed that she only shows that side of herself when her mind is focused on people she cares deeply for. Like when she speaks to Jeremy, or reminisces about her life growing up on the farm or when she tells me about Wynonna, or when she pets Jack fondly. I have also seen that same look directed at me right before she was about to kiss me…The thought makes my heart do cartwheels.
Her fearlessness is another part of Waverly that I am in awe of. Never had I met anyone as brave as she was in the face of danger. Waverly Earp looks the likes of Bobo del Rey in the eye without so much as a flinch. The only times I have seen her truly afraid was when Levi was about to kill her and when I offered to exchange myself for her freedom.
The memory of the pure heartbreak on her face when I told her to flee and leave me in the hands of bandits fills my heart with an aching heaviness. The guilt of having caused her pain flows through my veins like molasses, slowly leading to my demise. I really hope I get the chance to fix it, to see her smile at me again.
But what I did had to be done. I had to protect her and would not change anything that happened if it meant she was safe. Because despite denying it for a long time, I am utterly in love with Waverly Earp.
I did not expect to fall in love, let alone so quickly. But I was a goner as soon as I laid eyes of the embodiment of perfection. I realized that I was in love with Waverly the day I told her about my true self and my past. She had not judged me or treated me any differently after everything I had told her. She accepted me without question and encouraged me to see my own goodness and strength. She made me feel like I was capable of anything and made me realize that she was what I had hoped for and needed my whole life.
Waverly Earp made me realize that I am not some worthless person like my mother made me feel and that what I do makes a difference, that people need me. Waverly Earp is the light that this dark world needs so much more of. Which is exactly why I need to keep her safe, so the rest of the world can have the opportunity to experience that light.
The wagon hits another large rock and it reverberates through my bones. But this time I welcome it, remembering why and for who I was doing this. With the set of my jaw, I sit upright and watch as the trees go by as we get closer to Monument.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxX
We travel for another day and a half before the landscape starts to resemble the familiar woods on the outskirts of Physicia. The amount of traffic on the road has increased tremendously, with carts and pilgrims passing us every few miles on their way to seek fortune and adventure.
When a cart full of fresh fruit and vegetables passes us, my stomach groans in protest to its very empty state. You see, bandits don't really care to feed their prisoners. I received no more than a bowl of acorn broth each night. Sometimes Fish would show me sympathy and offer me half of his apple when Gwen wasn't looking. I figured that it was their way of weakening me as insurance that I would not have the strength to fight or run from them. They clearly did not realize the power of will I had. Lucky for them, my need to keep Waverly safe outweighs my need to escape.
Sleep is another thing I miss. In the evenings I would lay awake for long periods of time once my hosts had gone to dreamland, the shivering from lack of warmth keeping my mind from succumbing to sleep.
So there, I was. Sitting at the back of a crappy wagon, bruised from every bump in the road, hungry and fatigued. But then I think of Waverly and I feel like anything is possible, that I could easily scale a mountain or run the length between Purgatory and Monument twice if I wanted.
I am brought from my blissful thoughts when the wagon starts slowing down. Taking a peek across Levi's shoulder, I spot a woman approaching us in the road with her hand raised in the signal for stop. Her head Is obscured by a hood so I cannot make out her face clearly. Gwen wears a scowl on her face, clearly not wanting to slow down when we are so close to Monument. But Levi pulls on the reins anyway, bringing the wagon to a stop. As the woman approaches, Fish pins me down out of sight.
"Good day to you, travellers." I hear the woman greet in an accent. Something in her voice sounds oddly familiar, but I cannot quite place it.
"Good day. Not to be rude, Ma'am, but we are in kind of a hurry. What is it that you require from us?" Gwen replies and I can hear she is trying really hard to keep the annoyance from her tone.
"Thanks for hearing me out and my request should not take too much of your time. I am a merchant travelling to sell my wares in Purgatory. But my cart broke down just up the road from here. I have managed to fix the spoke in my wheel that had been the culprit, but the wheel is too heavy for me to lift onto the axel by myself. Would you be so kind as to offer me a hand?" She asks, her voice full of hope that these strangers would show her kindness. I almost scoff at her naivety…if only she knew.
"Oh, you are a merchant? Out of interest, what kind of wares do you trade in?" Gwen asks and I can practically hear the greed dripping from every word. My hear sinks into my stomach. This poor woman was about to become another victim of these assholes.
"I trade the most aromatic spices and fine cloth from the eastern lands. I even have some beautifully crafted weapons for sale." The woman replies proudly. Her wares sounded very valuable, making it an opportunity I know Gwen would not resist.
"Well, isn't that just some mighty fine goods! Levi and I shall gladly give you a hand with that wheel." Gwen practically purrs and the fakeness of her words cause my skin to crawl with disgust.
"Oh, you are so very kind! Thank you. Please follow me, the cart is right up the road." The woman says and then I hear the three of them move away from the cart. Fish keeps me pinned down and indicates for me to remain quiet by holding a finger to his lips. I scowl at him in annoyance. Like I could make any noise with the damn rag still in my mouth.
To get my mind off the fact that I was lying there unable to help that woman from the terrible fate that was about to befall her, I think of Waverly again. In my mind, we are back at the stream near my house. Hazel eyes look at me curiously, carrying light and warmth in them. But there is another emotion there, one that I truly hope is love.
The summer breeze rustles the leaves surrounding us and frees one of Waverly's honey brown locks from her bun. I move forward, gently tucking the rogue hair behind her ear. Waverly watches my every move in anticipation. When her eyes meet mine, the gentleness from before has been replaced with a passionate fire. Her eyes drop to my lips longingly. I move to close the gap between us when…
Fish lets out a shout of surprise when someone grips him from behind, holding a knife to his throat. "Be quiet now, son." His captor orders in a southern drawl I recognize instantly. I sit up rapidly to have a look at the newcomer, hope flowing wildly in my chest. I am rewarded with the sight of a familiar wide brimmed hat and moustache staring back at me.
Doc winks at me before he flips his blade and knocks out Fish with the hilt. I look at the dentist in delighted bewilderment. He just smiles and quickly gets on the back of the wagon. He removes the rag from my mouth and makes quick work of the bindings around my wrists. I take a moment to soothingly rub the bruises that had been formed by the rope. Then I get up and embrace Doc, conveying to him how grateful I was to see him.
"How did you…?" I start but he stops me. "There will be plenty of time to inform you of how we got to this point, right now I need you to come with me quickly." He instructs and jumps off the wagon. Without further argument, I follow him.
Doc leads me on a zig zag path through the woods. Eventually we make it to what appears to be a makeshift campsite, with three horses tied to a tree. Doc unties two of the horses, handing one's reins to me.
As he gets onto his own steed, the sound of twigs breaking and leaves rustling draws my attention to the left side of the tiny campsite. I watch as the woman who had stopped the cart appears from the tree line. She removes her hood and I am shocked to find that the woman is in fact Beth.
She looks at me sheepishly. "It's a long story, but we will fill you in on the way. Oh, and I thought you might want this back." She lifts her hands to present me with my bow. I take the weapon from her gratefully, running my hands over the wood. "Calamity! Beth, thank you so much. But how…?"
"Not to be a bother, ladies. But we really need to get going." Doc says from behind us, stifling my second attempt at getting answers. Beth nods at the dentist and makes her way onto the third horse. I hurriedly put my bow onto my back and mount the horse Doc had handed me the reins for.
Then the three of us were off, with Doc leading the way. We move in a rapid trot, our journey now in the opposite direction of Monument. Besides the myriad of questions I have, I embrace finally being free again. I kick my horse into moving even faster, following my two saviours into the unknown. Blind faith and hope guide me every step of the way.