Thanks for the great response to Chapter One - I'm so pleased you enjoyed it! :)
2. The Dusty Trail
The bounty hunter and his two captives had been travelling steadily eastwards, their horses kicking up a trail of dust as they left the foothills of the Sierra Nevada behind them. Now they were surrounded by a vast expanse of emptiness – breathtaking but monotonous – that lulled the girls into a brooding silence and robbed them of their bearings. Their Russian jailer, however, seemed to read the landscape easily, finding paths where there appeared to be none.
'Do you think they're going to be angry at us for running away?' Lisa finally spoke up, her gentle voice obscured by the clip-clop of hooves upon the dry, cracked earth.
'Perhaps upset would be a better word than angry,' Dimitri replied tactfully, feeling a twinge of sympathy for the shy girl who was clearly frightened about returning home to face the consequences of her actions. 'I only dealt with Sheriff Peterson directly, but her concern for both of you seemed genuine. She also assured me that your governess, Madam Kiroy, was very keen to have you restored to her safely, Miss Draymore.'
'I find that hard to believe,' Rose chipped in testily from the prison of Dimitri's arms. 'Madam Kiroy only cares about Lisa because she's paid to – sorry Lis, but you know it's true – and I can already imagine the tongue-whipping Alberta is planning to unleash on me. You're a fool, Rosemarie Hathaway, she'll say. A damn fool. What on God's good earth am I going to do with you, child?' she mimicked the sheriff perfectly, earning a nervous giggle from her friend.
'Well, I'd have to agree with her, then,' Dimitri silenced her with a sharp look of reproval, annoyed that the girl was treating this as a joking matter. 'Do you realise it's only by the grace of God you're alive right now? Most people who go missing in these parts are never seen again.'
Rose's dismissive humph stoked the bounty hunter's ire and he ploughed on angrily, trying to impress upon her the seriousness of their situation.
'Do you have any idea the type of people I've been dealing with for the past few years, girl?' he demanded. 'There are men out here who wouldn't think twice about beating you, stealing everything you owned and leaving you in a ditch to die, or worse, take you with them for whenever they desired the intimate company of a young woman. I've met Indians who'd take one look at that pretty hair of yours and hack off your scalp with a hatchet. And given that you've been travelling in this heat without the proper supplies or knowledge of your environment, I honestly can't believe the pair of you are still on this side of the grave. If you were my little sister, Miss Hathaway, I'd tan your hide to teach you a lesson.'
'I'd like to see you try,' she challenged him at once, her flashing eyes meeting Dimitri's glare in bold defiance.
'Just give me an excuse,' he warned, his voice low and dangerous.
Lacking the ability to quirk an eyebrow, Rose settled on pulling a twisted smirk that told her captor she wasn't afraid of his threats.
The effect that one small look had on Dimitri was immediate and his cheeks coloured in exasperation. How did she manage to get under his skin so easily? 'It's time we gave the horses a break,' he announced suddenly, pulling on the reins to slow his stallion. Leading the way to a protected rocky clearing he's spied off to their right, he dismounted and turned to acknowledge his prisoners. 'If either of you need to do your business this is as good a place as any,' he informed them, retrieving a flask from his coat pocket and taking a nip.
The young ladies looked around them. There wasn't a tree in sight – only a smattering of low boulders surrounded by the occasional tuft of spiky grass. Lisa wrinkled her brow in mild disgust, but they had been travelling for some hours by now and she was grateful for the opportunity to relieve herself. She eased herself down from her horse, her muscles aching from the long ride, and walked a small distance away to give herself some privacy.
Rose, of course, took insult. 'Not likely, cowboy,' she scoffed. 'I'll wait till we find another spot. Alberta might have instructed you to keep a watchful eye over your charges, Mr Belikov, but I don't think forcing us to break water in the presence of a man was exactly what she had in mind.'
Dimitri's face was impassive. 'Suit yourself, but we have another three hours' ride before we lose the light, and I won't be stopping the horses again until we are ready to make camp. At least here you'll see a snake coming before he has a chance to bite you.'
Rose glared at him, then begrudgingly allowed the man to help her down from her perch atop the tall horse, lifting her dusty skirts haughtily as she swept past him to squat behind the largest rock she could find.
The light was fading from the sky when Dimitri finally brought the group to a halt. It wasn't the most favourable spot to make camp, as there was little shelter in this part of the desert, but he found a rocky slope that would protect them from the worst of the cold night air, and set about making their situation as comfortable as he was able. Once the horses had been hobbled to forage on a smattering of low-lying grasses, the man built a small fire at the base of the slope and laid a rope around their campsite to fend off any snakes that might have a mind to join them. Tossing the girls a blanket each to set up their own bedding, he set a pot of beans over the heat and rustled up a few small loaves of cornbread to share for dinner.
'So how many men have you killed, bounty hunter?' Rose asked their host brazenly, as she polished off a second round of corn bread.
It sounded like an impudent question but Dimitri saw the light of curiosity in her eyes and conceded to respond.
'Not that it's something to brag about, but somewhere in the region of twenty,' he replied with a shrug.
Lisa gasped in horror but Rose seemed unsure. The number far exceeded her expectations.
'I don't believe you,' she frowned at him from across the fire.
Dimitri shook his head and sighed, unable to fathom why this tiny troublemaker seemed determined to cross him on every point. He shifted indecisively, debating his next move, before meeting her challenge. 'I have proof if that's what you need,' he declared stiffly.
'Oh Lord, he's kept the ears,' Lisa whimpered with a sickened expression, burying her face in her hands.
'Let me see, then,' Rose said boldly, crossing the distance between them to view the evidence for herself.
She expected him to reach for one of the saddlebags, but he eyed her carefully then shrugged the leather duster down off his shoulders, removing his hat and shifting his hair aside for her view the back of his neck.
'You'll have to come a little closer,' he instructed softly.
All the bravery melted from Rose's body as she took in the man's bare neck and the tight outline of broad, muscular shoulders that protruded through his shirt. Feeling flustered and confused, she looked away for a moment, then steeled herself and approached with caution.
'What happened to you?' she whispered in astonishment when she was close enough to study the bounty hunter's tanned neck, unconsciously reaching out to trace her fingers over the dark marks that latticed his skin.
Dimitri twitched at the unexpected touch. For all the times he'd studied Rose's surly image in the photograph Sheriff Peterson had given him, he never imagined her hands to be so gentle.
He turned his head slightly to reply. 'Each one of those crosses represents a life I've taken,' he explained, with no trace of joy or pride in his voice.
The tension was written clearly across his face, and Rose thought she saw a shadow of grief hidden there as well.
'I never wanted this job, you understand?' Dimitri confided. 'I never thought I'd become a killer, but I couldn't simply stand by and allow evil men to prosper. These marks ensure I remember every face, every crime, every death.'
Rose stood still and listened, quiet as a mouse – her eyes roaming over the small, black marks, imagining what horrors they represented. 'Why do you want to remember them?' she asked in a small voice.
The man was quiet for a moment before he twisted around to face her, his brown eyes glowing dimly in the firelight like a pair of burning coals. 'Because I have to remind myself that I'm not just a mindless killer like them, that there's a purpose to what I do... Because I need to remember that every outlaw I rid from this earth means some other poor soul can live and travel safely in these parts... Because one day, when I bring my mama and sisters to settle here in the west, I want them to know that I can protect them, and that as long as I'm around they can always feel safe.'
They ate quietly after that, and not long after Rose had finished a generous helping of apple dumplings she let out a giant yawn.
'Time for bed, ladies,' Dimitri instructed in a no-nonsense manner, the earlier moment of openness and vulnerability long forgotten, and he rose to make the final preparations for bed.
The girls didn't need to be asked twice. Stretching out beside one another, they tossed and turned several times under their blankets, trying to find a comfortable position for sleep before they finally settled and stilled... And that is when the Russian approached.
'What do you think you're doing?' Rose snapped, suddenly frightened, as the man knelt by her feet – his massive form blocking out the heat and light of the fire.
'What does it look like?' he shot back, looping a rope securely around his captive's ankle and tethering the other end to his own waist.
The young woman's anger flared. Her first assumption was that the man had come to claim bodily satisfaction. She'd heard of such things happening to women on the road and, although she knew it was wicked to even think of it, she found herself wondering what it would feel like to be ravished by the hulking cowboy. Of course, she would have screamed and resisted had he tried anything, but now he revealed the nature of his true intentions she felt stupid and annoyed.
Kicking out wildly, Rose struggled to loosen the restraint as her friend looked on with wide-eyed concern.
'Just accept it, Miss Hathaway,' Dimitri told her drily, giving the rope an experimental tug. 'I want to get a proper sleep tonight and I can't do that if I'm kept awake waiting for you to attempt another reckless escape. I'll free you in the morning – so long as you don't try anything foolish.'
'You cur!' the girl spat at him. 'Tying me up like an animal?! Sheriff Peterson will hear about this, mark my words!' she cried out indignantly.
The bounty hunter ignored her angry outburst. 'Sheriff Peterson was the one who suggested it,' he smirked at her briefly, giving the rope a final pull and retiring to his own side of the campfire.
It was the coldest hour before dawn. The stars had fled, leaving the sky as black as pitch, and in that deathly silence Dimitri woke to the sound of muffled crying. There was a gentle pressure at his waist as the rope that connected him to Rose pulled tight, and he propped himself up onto one elbow, his forehead lined with concern.
'Papa?' the raw pain in the voice sent a shiver through him.
He stood silently and moved over to stir the embers of last night's fire - feeding it with the remaining handful of tinder and fanning the tiny licks of flame to cast a light over the pair of girls huddled together on their pile of bedding.
There was a movement as Rose shifted closer to wrap her friend in a tight embrace, but the action didn't seem to provide any comfort.
Lisa began to mumble incoherently, choking out the words through heaving sobs. 'Papa? Open your eyes - please Papa! Mama won't wake up. What should I do?'
'Ssh,' the other girl crooned gently, 'It's okay, Lis. You're okay.'
Dimitri crept closer, crouching down beside the trembling Miss Draymore and placing the back of his hand to her forehead. 'What ails your friend, Miss Hathaway?' he asked, deeply concerned. 'I feel no fever, yet she shudders and cries out like her mind is burning.'
The look in Rose's eyes was pained – almost desperate – as she held a hand up to silence him. 'Don't talk,' she whispered, and moments later the pitiful cries started up again.
'Rose? Wake up, Rose! Please don't leave me,' Lisa wept to the phantom in her sleep.
The real Rose clasped her friend even tighter, shifting her own blanket across to cover them both as best she could and stroking the other girl's arms as if to warm her. 'I'm right here, Lis. I'm alright. We're both okay. Just rest now,' she assured her gently, stroking the wisps of pale hair back from Lisa's contorted face.
Dimitri couldn't remain silent any longer. 'Miss Rose. What is happening? Is it some kind of fit? Is there something I can do to help?'
Rose glanced up briefly to meet his worried gaze. 'Nothing,' she shook her head sadly. 'If she wakes during the nightmare she'll think it is real. I just have to keep her quiet and warm until it passes.'
The aching hurt and compassion in the young woman's expression nearly broke the bounty hunter's heart. Dimitri Belikov was not accustomed to feeling helpless, and he moved a few steps away to give the girls some privacy, pacing restlessly as his mind searched for something, anything he might do to fix the problem.
'Andrew! I'm so glad you're okay,' Lisa babbled, then there was a short pause followed by a strangled, shrieking wail. 'No, no, no!'
Dimitri was at her side in a moment. 'Hush, little girl,' he breathed, dropping to his knees and reaching out a broad, calloused hand to pet Lisa's hair. 'Be still, now,' he urged her, and Rose looked up in surprise and bewilderment as the hardened killer began to sing.
There were no words to his song, just a deep, soothing humming that brought tears to Rose's eyes and calmed the troubled sleeper into a deep, restful slumber.
'How did you do that?' Rose whispered, when her friend's breathing had settled to an even rhythm.
The man shrugged self-consciously but his expression was tender. 'My little sister had nightmares after our father left,' he explained quietly. 'She could be unreasonable, moody, even violent at times, so my mama would call on me to help. She always said that the voice of a gentle man could soothe the most troubled heart.' Satisfied that Lisa was sleeping peacefully, he stood up before Rose had a chance to respond and moved off to tinker with something by the fire.
Rose watched him with new eyes. How could a bounty hunter who'd killed more than twenty men show such concern for a girl he had no interest in, save the price on her head? He'd kidnapped them against their will, demonstrated little regard for their modesty on the road, and tied her up like an animal – and yet…
Dimitri approached with a tin cup, handed it to her wordlessly and sat down beside her to stare into the fire. The smell of strong coffee with a hint of something sharp and burnt – whiskey probably – wafted up from the mug, and Rose accepted the drink gratefully, closing her eyes in appreciation.
'Aren't you going to have one?' she asked shyly, seeing that the man's hands were empty.
He shook his head in reply. 'No. I'm almost out. Coffee's expensive at the moment. I'll need to conserve my supply so we have enough to last out the ride back to Saints Town.'
Rose paused mid-sip, feeling guilty that she was dipping into the man's meagre supplies, and wondering how many other things he'd sacrificed on this journey to find her. Lowering the cup from her mouth, she held it out to the Russian, whose attention was still lost in the leaping flames of the campfire.
'Share?' she offered, and he turned to look at her with a soft smile, accepting the coffee and taking a sip.
'So… the nightmare. What was it about?' he asked quietly, handing the tin cup back to his companion. 'That is, if you don't mind telling me.'
Rose searched his face for a second then glanced over at her sleeping friend, the sadness returning to her expression. 'I'm surprised Alberta didn't tell you,' she began. 'The bad dreams started a little over a year ago, when Lisa's family were killed.'
'I'm very sorry to hear that,' Dimitri frowned.
'It was horrific,' Rose continued, staring into the fire. 'Lisa's father was a doctor. One Sunday he was called to tend to a sickly child two towns over. He'd normally do house calls alone on horseback, but he'd promised to take me and Lisa on a picnic, so he offered to bring everybody along in the wagon. After he'd attended to his patient we all spent the afternoon on the prairie; Dr and Mrs Draymore, Lisa's brother Andrew and his friend Steven, Lisa and me. We were on our way home when one of the horses shied, frightened by an animal on the roadside, I think. Dr Draymore tried his best to calm the beast, but it pulled us off the road.'
She paused then, her voice tight with sorrow as she remembered.
'As soon as we left the track, the front wheel shattered. The poor horses reared at the sudden change in weight, and the whole wagon tipped over,' her hands gripped the mug so hard that her knuckles turned white. 'The horses screamed as they fell, dragging us with them down a deep, rocky gully by the side of the road, and all I remember after that is the feeling of sheer terror as the whole wagon warped and crumpled around us as though it were made from paper.'
There was a movement at her side. Dimitri reached out to her; peeling the tin cup from her clawed fingers and placing it on the ground between them, brushing his hand over hers briefly in comfort.
Rose didn't even feel his touch. She was somewhere else. Somewhere she'd rather never return. 'The next thing I knew, I was lying in half a foot of muddy water and Lisa was stitching a gaping wound in my leg. I passed out, of course, but not before I saw the bodies. Everyone else died, Mr Belikov,' she looked at him suddenly, her face drawn with grief. 'Even the horses. Andrew was the worst of all, though. He was sitting up on the grass like he was at a church picnic, with his eyes still open, except he was propped up by the spoke of one of the wagon wheels that had driven through his chest.'
A single tear rolled down the girl's cheek and she brushed it away hurriedly, returning her gaze to the fire. 'I'm sorry. I shouldn't be snivelling about it. I was the lucky one – I survived with hardly a scratch. Lisa lost her whole family in one day, and it only got worse from there. After she fixed my leg, Lis walked ten miles into the night to summon help from the next town. Her actions saved my life, but instead of getting a reward for her bravery she ended up catching a chill that turned to a bilious fever and lasted almost a week. We were sure she was going to die, but by some miracle she made a full recovery. Except for the nightmares. I'm not sure they will ever go away.' Rose fell quiet then, and a sudden ripple of tension across her face made it clear that she was holding back tears.
'You should never be sorry for how you feel, Miss Roza,' the big Russian spoke up gently, the broken notes of his accent pulling her eyes back to him. 'I can see you are a strong person – stronger than me perhaps, but you can still grieve for what you've lost. Grief is not a weakness. It is a reminder that you are alive.'
Rose's eyes dropped to her lap and she took a few calming breaths before looking up at the man with a tight lipped nod. 'Thank you for saying that,' she replied tiredly, shifting to stretch her aching muscles. She hadn't realised how cold it had gotten. 'I think I might try to get a little sleep now,' she said, glancing up at the starless sky. It must have been close to dawn.
'Yes,' Dimitri replied simply, standing to drain the remains of their coffee before returning the mug to its place by the fire.
The young woman settled back down beside her sleeping friend, pulling a corner of the blanket over herself but not wanting to deprive Lisa of its warmth. The bounty hunter turned to glance at her once more, and his expression softened at the huddled form; shivering slightly from the cold yet making no word of complaint. He removed his leather duster then walked over to his charge, meeting her gaze silently as he draped the coat over her, tucking it close around her shoulders. She blinked sleepily and gave him a ghost of a smile then rolled onto her side, cuddling her face into the worn collar and closing her eyes.
Dimitri watched her a moment longer then returned to his place on the other side of the fire, folding his arms to keep his hands warm and facing his body eastwards to watch the slow and stately arrival of a new day.
.
Author's Note:
Rose & Dimitri get a bit vulnerable with one another in this chapter. Aww. They need hugs!
Lots of parallels to VA here; Dimitri's attitude to his job/family, molnija; the Dragomir/Draymore crash & Lisa's nightmares. Did you like how I managed to get Lisa to heal Rose without any spirit magic?!
Some modified characters that are mentioned in this chapter;
- Andrew Draymore (Andre Dragomir)
- Madam Kiroy (Headmistress Kirova)
- Sheriff Alberta Peterson (Alberta Petrov - captain of the school guard)