Back on the trail, Vin had picked up the trail of the wagon once again. As
he trotted through the mist, the clouds suddenly parted and the sunlight
finally shone through on the beaten and soaked earth.
"A good omen," Josiah said solemnly, riding up next to Vin. Vin nodded, looking at Josiah for just a second before returning his attention to the landscape. "Vin, we're all worried about her too," Josiah said, but Vin made no response. "Vin," Josiah said, and the tracker shook his head and breathed in shakily.
"Yes?" he asked, his eyes scanning the horizon and grounds severely, but Josiah knew that half of his mind was elsewhere.
"Vin, it's okay," Josiah said, and Vin's shoulders drooped.
"She's been through so much lately....I just wonder if these last events will be too much for her," Vin said. "She was something different 'round here, y'know? Like, a light in the darkness," Vin said before his voice trailed off. Suddenly a gunshot echoed off the surrounding canyons and Vin and Josiah ducked.
"Over there!" Chris shouted, wheeling his horse around. Vin whirled in the saddle and saw far off a coach galloping away from them. It was hard to see, as it had been far away to begin with.
As Buck, Chris, Ezra and Nathan galloped hard after the coach, Vin remained still in the saddle, aiming his gun. Josiah stayed with him, pulling his gun out also. Quickly Vin pulled the trigger, and he barely saw the dark figure on top of the coach snap backwards and fly off. There was screams and hoof beats in his ears and sweat and dust in his eyes, but somehow Vin managed to take down another man before he galloped after the coach.
To their relief, Chris, Buck, Nathan and Ezra saw the two shooters get knocked down off of the coach, probably by Vin's bullets. The only person left was the driver.
Ezra spurred his horse as it began to pull even with the coach. The driver saw him coming and started to turn the horses away from him. However, the horses were tired and Ezra's mount seemed to eat up the ground. In a flat up gallop, Ezra's horse pulled even with the pair of horses. Dropping the reins, Ezra jumped off his horse and collided with the driver, knocking his off the coach. The two men rolled out of the way of the pounding hooves and rolling wheels upon hitting the ground. Ezra looked at the Spanish man with utter rage in his eyes, and before the man even had a chance to move Ezra delivered a shattering blow to the mans jaw. The Spaniard lay lifeless and limp in his arms, and Ezra dropped him, standing up. Suddenly his heart clutched in fear as he saw the coach flying towards the edge of the canyon.
Buck, Nathan, and Chris also saw this. There was a little girl, a boy, and an older woman looking out of the coach, screaming. Josiah suddenly joined the trio and saw their problem.
"Guys, go get the family. I'm gonna cut these horses free," Chris shouted as he spurred his horse. Buck, Nathan and Josiah followed closely behind him. Buck reached the wagon first, and he held his hand out to the little girl. Although his horse was galloping strongly, Buck had managed to get close enough to the coach that he could touch her hand. Frightened, the little girl pulled away and clutched her mothers skirt. Her mother hugged her and looked at Buck with fear in her eyes.
"It's okay," Buck said in his most soothing voice. "We're friends of Anabelle," he said, and the lady and children smiled at him. Apparently the family was the one that Anabelle had known. "Come on," he said, reaching out for the girl. Dropping the reins, Buck held his arms out. The girl looked at her mother, then hopped into Buck's arms. Buck grabbed her and swerved the horses violently. The girl screamed but Buck clung tightly to her as he galloped away from the coach.
As soon as Buck left, Nathan galloped up and helped the boy off of the coach. There were no problems with that; the boy had been agile and trusting. However, the mother was frightened, and the cliff was getting dangerously close. Suddenly Josiah rode up and said something in a deep voice and language that Nathan didn't understand. The women gasped and smiled. She let go of the coach's open door, and Josiah quickly grabbed her. The movement almost caused him to loose his balance, but he managed to turn the horses. There was less two hundred feet left to the cliff.
Chris quickly pulled closer to the ever tiring but terrified horses, and suddenly jumped on to the backs of the closer one. He landed a bit off, and had to quickly heave himself up by the leather straps to keep from being trampled or kicked. Once he regained his balance, Chris abruptly pulled out a knife sliced through the leather straps that held the horses to any part of the wagon. Once they were free Chris grabbed the bridle of the horse on the left and turned it sharply to the right. The horse wheeled around, and it's companion had to follow. In a cloud of dust, the horses began to gallop away from the cliff with Chris still on one of their backs. With less then 50 feet of solid land left, the coach skidded, flipped over sideways, and shot off the edge of the cliff. Ezra and Vin joined the other men as Nathan checked the family over. Looking at Chris, Ezra smiled for the first time in many many hours. All was safe once again.
*******
One week later....
"Anabelle!" Nathan scolded, grabbing the water bucked away from her. Anabelle just smiled and laughed.
"Oh Nathan, I'm fine. I can carry it," she insisted, but Nathan held the buckets away.
"You shouldn't even be out of bed yet," he said, feeling her forehead. "Well, at least it feels like the temperature's gone," he said. "Why don't you go get some breakfast with the guys. I'll feed Ace," Nathan offered. Anabelle nodded in agreement, and Nathan patted her shoulder as she walked by.
When she walked into the boarding room, she was greeted by six smiling faces. "Hi Ana!" Ezra called, standing up to hug his daughter. "You're feeling of good health this morning, I hope?" he said, looking into her eyes. Anabelle nodded.
"I'm fine, father. Nathan took good care of me," she said, and Buck snickered.
"Just Nathan?" he asked slyly, elbowing JD. JD turned bright red and lowered his hat over his eyes. Anabelle laughed and walked over to JD.
"Well, everyone took good care of me. Not just Nathan....or JD," she added, putting his arms around her neck. The others smiled, especially Ezra. It was good for him to see his daughter so happy and in love, and he knew that JD would take good care of her.
"How are the Karlens?" Vin asked, and Anabelle smiled, looking at him.
"They're all well. They returned home yesterday, since they were a little shaken up by the whole ordeal," Anabelle said. there was a moment of silence as all eyes turned to her. "I've been meaning to thank you men. For everything. For saving me, for saving my friends, and for helping me find my father," she said, taking Ezra's hand as he walked over. She smiled up at him, and Ezra kissed her forehead.
"Well now, it was mostly Vin," Nathan admitted, and Josiah and Chris nodded their heads in agreement.
"I see," Anabelle said, breaking from her fathers embrace and walking over to where Vin stood. She looked into his eyes, and then leaned up and kisses his cheek. "Thank you Vin," she said sincerely. "I don't know how to repay you," she said and Vin blushed.
"Ah, it was nothing, Anabelle," he said shyly, and Anabelle smiled.
"Come on, a free breakfast for Anabelle. All you can eat, we'll pay!" Buck said, and the other men nodded in agreement. Anabelle laughed.
"All right, thank you," she said. JD got up and pulled out a chair next to him. Anabelle said down daintily, hold her head high. "Why thank you young man," she said haughtily, in a fake royal voice. Then she cracked up laughed as he pulled the chair back then pushed it towards the table. She grabbed his had and hid it under the table before he managed to wrestle it away from her. Ezra laughed at they young couple's antics, and the other men joined in. Soon the room was filled with laughter and happy voices and clinking glasses. As the seven men sat round Anabelle, she smiled and laughed with them, her eyes clearing and her spirit soaring to heights only reached in the calm after the storm. She was once again whole, new, stronger. Once again, Anabelle was part of a family.
"A good omen," Josiah said solemnly, riding up next to Vin. Vin nodded, looking at Josiah for just a second before returning his attention to the landscape. "Vin, we're all worried about her too," Josiah said, but Vin made no response. "Vin," Josiah said, and the tracker shook his head and breathed in shakily.
"Yes?" he asked, his eyes scanning the horizon and grounds severely, but Josiah knew that half of his mind was elsewhere.
"Vin, it's okay," Josiah said, and Vin's shoulders drooped.
"She's been through so much lately....I just wonder if these last events will be too much for her," Vin said. "She was something different 'round here, y'know? Like, a light in the darkness," Vin said before his voice trailed off. Suddenly a gunshot echoed off the surrounding canyons and Vin and Josiah ducked.
"Over there!" Chris shouted, wheeling his horse around. Vin whirled in the saddle and saw far off a coach galloping away from them. It was hard to see, as it had been far away to begin with.
As Buck, Chris, Ezra and Nathan galloped hard after the coach, Vin remained still in the saddle, aiming his gun. Josiah stayed with him, pulling his gun out also. Quickly Vin pulled the trigger, and he barely saw the dark figure on top of the coach snap backwards and fly off. There was screams and hoof beats in his ears and sweat and dust in his eyes, but somehow Vin managed to take down another man before he galloped after the coach.
To their relief, Chris, Buck, Nathan and Ezra saw the two shooters get knocked down off of the coach, probably by Vin's bullets. The only person left was the driver.
Ezra spurred his horse as it began to pull even with the coach. The driver saw him coming and started to turn the horses away from him. However, the horses were tired and Ezra's mount seemed to eat up the ground. In a flat up gallop, Ezra's horse pulled even with the pair of horses. Dropping the reins, Ezra jumped off his horse and collided with the driver, knocking his off the coach. The two men rolled out of the way of the pounding hooves and rolling wheels upon hitting the ground. Ezra looked at the Spanish man with utter rage in his eyes, and before the man even had a chance to move Ezra delivered a shattering blow to the mans jaw. The Spaniard lay lifeless and limp in his arms, and Ezra dropped him, standing up. Suddenly his heart clutched in fear as he saw the coach flying towards the edge of the canyon.
Buck, Nathan, and Chris also saw this. There was a little girl, a boy, and an older woman looking out of the coach, screaming. Josiah suddenly joined the trio and saw their problem.
"Guys, go get the family. I'm gonna cut these horses free," Chris shouted as he spurred his horse. Buck, Nathan and Josiah followed closely behind him. Buck reached the wagon first, and he held his hand out to the little girl. Although his horse was galloping strongly, Buck had managed to get close enough to the coach that he could touch her hand. Frightened, the little girl pulled away and clutched her mothers skirt. Her mother hugged her and looked at Buck with fear in her eyes.
"It's okay," Buck said in his most soothing voice. "We're friends of Anabelle," he said, and the lady and children smiled at him. Apparently the family was the one that Anabelle had known. "Come on," he said, reaching out for the girl. Dropping the reins, Buck held his arms out. The girl looked at her mother, then hopped into Buck's arms. Buck grabbed her and swerved the horses violently. The girl screamed but Buck clung tightly to her as he galloped away from the coach.
As soon as Buck left, Nathan galloped up and helped the boy off of the coach. There were no problems with that; the boy had been agile and trusting. However, the mother was frightened, and the cliff was getting dangerously close. Suddenly Josiah rode up and said something in a deep voice and language that Nathan didn't understand. The women gasped and smiled. She let go of the coach's open door, and Josiah quickly grabbed her. The movement almost caused him to loose his balance, but he managed to turn the horses. There was less two hundred feet left to the cliff.
Chris quickly pulled closer to the ever tiring but terrified horses, and suddenly jumped on to the backs of the closer one. He landed a bit off, and had to quickly heave himself up by the leather straps to keep from being trampled or kicked. Once he regained his balance, Chris abruptly pulled out a knife sliced through the leather straps that held the horses to any part of the wagon. Once they were free Chris grabbed the bridle of the horse on the left and turned it sharply to the right. The horse wheeled around, and it's companion had to follow. In a cloud of dust, the horses began to gallop away from the cliff with Chris still on one of their backs. With less then 50 feet of solid land left, the coach skidded, flipped over sideways, and shot off the edge of the cliff. Ezra and Vin joined the other men as Nathan checked the family over. Looking at Chris, Ezra smiled for the first time in many many hours. All was safe once again.
*******
One week later....
"Anabelle!" Nathan scolded, grabbing the water bucked away from her. Anabelle just smiled and laughed.
"Oh Nathan, I'm fine. I can carry it," she insisted, but Nathan held the buckets away.
"You shouldn't even be out of bed yet," he said, feeling her forehead. "Well, at least it feels like the temperature's gone," he said. "Why don't you go get some breakfast with the guys. I'll feed Ace," Nathan offered. Anabelle nodded in agreement, and Nathan patted her shoulder as she walked by.
When she walked into the boarding room, she was greeted by six smiling faces. "Hi Ana!" Ezra called, standing up to hug his daughter. "You're feeling of good health this morning, I hope?" he said, looking into her eyes. Anabelle nodded.
"I'm fine, father. Nathan took good care of me," she said, and Buck snickered.
"Just Nathan?" he asked slyly, elbowing JD. JD turned bright red and lowered his hat over his eyes. Anabelle laughed and walked over to JD.
"Well, everyone took good care of me. Not just Nathan....or JD," she added, putting his arms around her neck. The others smiled, especially Ezra. It was good for him to see his daughter so happy and in love, and he knew that JD would take good care of her.
"How are the Karlens?" Vin asked, and Anabelle smiled, looking at him.
"They're all well. They returned home yesterday, since they were a little shaken up by the whole ordeal," Anabelle said. there was a moment of silence as all eyes turned to her. "I've been meaning to thank you men. For everything. For saving me, for saving my friends, and for helping me find my father," she said, taking Ezra's hand as he walked over. She smiled up at him, and Ezra kissed her forehead.
"Well now, it was mostly Vin," Nathan admitted, and Josiah and Chris nodded their heads in agreement.
"I see," Anabelle said, breaking from her fathers embrace and walking over to where Vin stood. She looked into his eyes, and then leaned up and kisses his cheek. "Thank you Vin," she said sincerely. "I don't know how to repay you," she said and Vin blushed.
"Ah, it was nothing, Anabelle," he said shyly, and Anabelle smiled.
"Come on, a free breakfast for Anabelle. All you can eat, we'll pay!" Buck said, and the other men nodded in agreement. Anabelle laughed.
"All right, thank you," she said. JD got up and pulled out a chair next to him. Anabelle said down daintily, hold her head high. "Why thank you young man," she said haughtily, in a fake royal voice. Then she cracked up laughed as he pulled the chair back then pushed it towards the table. She grabbed his had and hid it under the table before he managed to wrestle it away from her. Ezra laughed at they young couple's antics, and the other men joined in. Soon the room was filled with laughter and happy voices and clinking glasses. As the seven men sat round Anabelle, she smiled and laughed with them, her eyes clearing and her spirit soaring to heights only reached in the calm after the storm. She was once again whole, new, stronger. Once again, Anabelle was part of a family.