Hi guys, I'm back with another chapter! Sorry for the delay, I was planning on uploading last week but I got sick and yeah, didn't feel like doing anything. Anyway, I'm here now though and happy to be bringing you all another chapter.

Now, I'm not certain what the gun laws are like in Canada, but this is fiction so please allow me liberty in the use of my character having a gun. I don't want nasty reviews about it (like I have on other online publishing pages) thank you very much so please, only nice reviews. As I've been taught, say something nice or nothing at all.

Also, a huge shoutout to the six people who took the time out of their lives to drop me a review! The feedback is very much appreciated by me as I like knowing what people think of my writing. I've always been a bit unsure of my writing skills as I personally don't think I'm that great but your feedback is keeping me wanting to bring you all more.

Shout out to Toni Peirce im glad there's another jisa shipper out there!

Anyway, enjoy!

Chapter 2

It was almost dusk when the girl returned to the cave, a nice fat deer strapped on the saddle behind her and a couple of rabbits hanging from the horn. Cougar came out to meet her as the girl dismounted the stallion and she knelt beside the lion. 'Did you miss me girl?' Cougar purred, then followed her into the cave as the girl lead the stallion in. Taking off his bridle first, she grabbed a handful of the stolen oats and gave them to him as she gave him a pat. 'You did good today boy, but we've got another trip to make before we can rest for the night.'

Grabbing the deer off the back of the saddle, she threw it aside to skin and butcher when she got back. Tossing Cougar a rabbit, she undid the girth then placed the saddle aside and sat down. Her saddlebag full of berries she had foraged, she grabbed herself a handful and ate them as she let her horse have a break. They were going to ride into town, to see what she could swipe from the charity bins out behind one of the op-shops. She needed warmer clothing, the clothes she was wearing while being practical offered no protection against the elements. She needed something more than a faded tee-shirt and jeans to protect her against the cold.

The girl quietly ate a few more handfuls of berries as she sat there, quietly contemplating then stood up once she had eaten enough. She needed to be on their way if they were going to get out of the forest and onto the road before it got too dark. It was a good thirty miles to town, using the forest shortcuts over the mountains that she knew, but taking the road was almost fifty. Even though, it was safer. She would take the forest trails part of the way, then the road the rest. She wouldn't be going to the town if she didn't need clothing, but it was getting too cold not to have it and once she moved further into the wilderness it would take longer to make the trip. It was better to do it now, when she could be there and back in a night then wait and have the trip take twice as long.

"Okay boy, time to head out again.'

The stallion snorted as he heard her voice and jogged over to her, rubbing her back with his muzzle as she placed the saddlebags on the ground near Cougar. Her pistol strapped on her hip, she gave Cougar a quick pat, then vaulted onto the horses back. 'Alright, lets move out.''

'I thought we were meeting at Maggie's.' Jack said as Lisa pulled up near his truck, her window down as she stopped her car beside his. 'What brings you around?'

'I had an interesting conversation with my manager at Fairfield today.' She replied, opening the door and jumping out beside him. 'Apparently, a couple of days ago we had feed stolen and she only just found out about it now.'

'Don't tell me that you think a ghost is over at your place too.' He groaned, thinking of Mallory's incessant talking all day about a ghost haunting the barn. 'Mallory swears that a ghost took the sixty something pounds of feed last night. Apparently, she's on ghost watch tonight and she's managed to rope Amy and Calab into sitting up with her'

Lisa laughed at the look on his face when he spoke about Mallory. Yes, sometimes Mallory could be a little much but maybe them keeping an eye out wasn't such a bad idea. 'No, I don't believe it was a ghost. It was a person very mortal, and riding a horse.'

'Riding a horse? Are we going back to the days of outlaws or something?'

'No, but there was horse tracks at the back shed that the feed was taken from and a girls tracks too. So, someone was here in the barn last night then too. No wonder the horses were so edgy.'

'Yeh, no wonder.' He grabbed his keys from his pocket, then looked at his watch. 'We might as well get going or the diner will close before we even eat.'

'Is the truck going to start?'

Jack looked at Lisa, who smirked and looked away as they walked over to his car. 'I'll pretend not to hear that.'

'Mmmhmmm.' Lisa smirked again as he opened the door for her and she climbed into the truck. Waiting for Jack to hop in, she glanced at her phone then back at him as got in and started the engine. 'So, how exactly is Mallory planning on catching this 'ghost?'

'I have absolutely no idea.' He reversed the truck out, then they headed down the drive towards the road to Hudson. 'But let's not worry about that. Right now, we are supposed to be enjoying ourselves and not talking about ghosts. Goodness knows I've had enough of that already from a certain you know who already.'

'Okay, got it. Enjoy ourselves, and not talk about ghosts. I think I can handle it.' She saw Jack roll his eyes and chuckled. 'Alright then, lets see if this radio wants to work tonight.'

The girl pulled her hat further down over her face and hunched over her stallions neck as a car drove towards them and she pulled him off to the side of the road to let them pass. Patting his neck to quieten him down after the car had passed, she nudged him into a gallop again towards town. The moon was up, illuminating the countryside in a silver glow as the girl urged the stallion on.

Looking at the passing countryside, she slowed him to a walk to cross the tarmac as they came near a crossroads and she turned him down the road marked as 'Hudson, 5 miles' with the arrow pointed in that direction. Urging him on again with her seat, the stallion shook his head then jumped straight back into a gallop as the grass flew from his hooves off the shoulder near the tarmac. Leaning down, the girl patted his neck then sat back up to enjoy the ride. They were making good time and she could guess that it was nearly nine from where the moon was in the sky. The horse wasn't even tired, even after a long day of traipsing through rough country looking for game and he was as fresh as ever. He didn't even have a sweat on him.

The stallion was a mix of mustang and thoroughbred, the thoroughbred in him giving him the height and speed with the mustang giving him his spirit and endurance. She patted his neck fondly again as she thought of the first day she had really seen him, other then a quick glimpse that she'd seen of him as a foal. A gorgeous two year old colt, just kicked out from his herd that ran through the Rockies near Pike River. He had been wild and unpredictable, but over time she had made friends with him and now the horse was content to be with her wherever she went. He was fast and spirited, with intelligence unlike any other horse she had ever come across and when he jumped it was like he fairly flew. His only downside was the fact that he still had his wild tendencies. The tendency to be vicious and unpredictable around other people. It didn't matter who it was, he would lash out at them the same. But maybe that was a good thing.

A small tinge of sadness passed over her face as she thought of the man who had brought her and him together. She had been living with him and his wife for a very good long time and it was him that had taught her how to ride, to ride like the wind without need for saddle or bridle. The man who had taught her how to break in wild horses, how to treat them. The man that rescued this colt when he was a foal from being sent on a meat truck and had returned him to the wild. The man she had thought the world of.

Her stallion slowed again as another car came towards them, and she stopped him so that he wouldn't spook as it passed. She watched the car as it approached, then prepared him to run as it slowed slightly. If it was going to stop, she was going to make a run for it. She couldn't risk being caught or found. The car continued on though and they continued on their way. Her stallion was a little skittish, throwing his head up and bucking as he jumped forward into a gallop again but she knew it was only from what he had been through. The people that had captured him had abused him, and he associated cars and any vehicle with that experience. He had emotional scars, and physical scars hidden under his long fur coat from that. In more ways than one, the girl could relate to that.

Ahead, down below them as the horse galloped up the rise she could see the lights of the town beneath them. It was a small town, she had been her once before when she was five but she hoped that her memory would serve her well. It would need to, if she was going to get in and get out with what she wanted. Urging him forward again, she continued looking down at the town as he followed the road. Her conscience kicked her again as they got closer, and she was reminded again of all the stuff she had already stolen. It was like it was a list that was forever going to be inscribed in her mind. Feed from the ranch last night, more feed from another stable the night before that, ammunition and blankets from what looked like a deserted cabin in the mountains, the list went on and here she was about to add to it. She didn't like it, didn't like that she had to steal but there was no other way that she could get what she needed. She couldn't buy it, didn't have the means to buy it and it was better if she just sneaked around in the shadows. That way no one would know that she even existed.

Pulling the stallion over closer to the edge of a dark building as she entered the town, she looked around with satisfaction. The town was mostly quiet, with all the shops closed and no one in the streets. No one to see her, no one to stop her and most importantly no one to ask questions. Guiding him around the corner, he trotted past a place she remembered. Maggie's Diner. She had been there, once, when they had come into the town. There would be food in the bins around the back, for sure. All food places like that threw out a lot of food, and most of it was edible too.

Slowing him to a walk, she slunk back in the shadows as she saw a few people inside the diner but she needn't have worried. They didn't see her. 'Okay boy, easy does it. Lets go over there.' A few bins against the wall in the alleyway next to the diner caught her eye, with a charity bin beside it. Even better, she could get food and clothing at the same time. 'Stand still mister, I don't want you running off around town.' She told him as she dismounted then made her way to the bins. Her stomach protesting loudly, she forced herself to look for clothes first. If someone did come out and see her going through the bins, then at least she would have some clothes to make off with. Carefully, she slipped out her knife from her pocket and began to pick the lock…

'Well, I must say I thoroughly enjoyed that.' Lisa remarked to Jack as they walked out of the diner, arm in arm. 'It is getting late though, we should be heading back.'

'Yes, and you still have to drive back to your place don't forget.' He opened the door for her and they stepped out into the chilly night air. 'Ah, you can smell winter coming.'

Lisa was about to reply when something in the shadows caught her eyes. She looked at it for a moment, then grabbed Jack's arm as it moved. Her voice barely above a whisper, she motioned down the alleyway. 'What's a horse doing in the middle of town at night?'

Jack turned to look where Lisa had motioned and saw a girl standing next to the bins, rummaging through them. 'I think we might have just found our ghost.' He watched as the girl began to greedily eat something she had found in the bin and he looked down at Lisa. 'Looks like she could use that horse feed she stole.'

'I'm guessing that's what she's been eating for awhile.' Even in the shadows she could see how skinny the girl was as she stuffed what she had found in the bin in her mouth. The girl looked to be barely ten from her size, but it was hard to tell just how old she actually was. 'Should we buy her a meal or something Jack? She's obviously homeless and she looks like she's starving.'

'She's been through the donation box for the op-shop.' He remarked, seeing the door to the side of it opened. 'Obviously getting those clothes she's wearing.'

'We should do something Jack.' A light turned on, illuminating the alleyway but the girl didn't seem to notice as she dug through the garbage. In the light, Lisa could see she had brownish blonde hair, but she looked taller then she had at first glance. The girl pulled out a bag of stale bread, hastily eating two of the pieces, then offering the rest to the horse behind her. As they stood, watching her from a distance, she could see how malnourished and uncared for the girl looked. 'She looks awful Jack. We should get her a meal or something and try and find out where she comes from.'

'I agree, but she's wearing a gun Lisa.' He had noticed the pistol on her hip. 'I don't think she's wearing that for show. I think she could be dangerous, it might be better if we call the police and let them know about her.'

'She's not harming anyone.' The girl was oblivious to the fact that they were watching her stuff rotten food in her pockets. 'Maybe she needs it for protection from someone. Maybe that's why she's out here. She's probably running from someone.'

'You might be right Lisa, but she still is armed and could be dangerous.' He looked at Lisa, then back at the girl. 'I'll try and talk to her, but I want you to stay back. We don't know how she's going to react.'

'Alright, I'll stay here. Be careful Jack.' She squeezed his hand as she let go, watching as he slowly approached the girl.

Jack walked closer, then stopped a decent distance away from the girl. She was still rummaging through the bin, pocketing food that looked edible and not realising he was there at all. 'Would you like a decent dinner?'

The girl's head snapped around as she heard the voice, then saw the man standing there. Fear flashed through her eyes as she froze, then her stallion exploded into action. Snorting, rearing, pawing the ground he reared up and struck the air with his front hooves as he formed a protective barrier between the girl and the man in front of him.

'Woah, easy boy, easy.' Jack put his hands up to make himself look bigger as the stallion reared and roared at him. 'Easy boy'

'Stay back Jack!' Lisa screamed as the horse snaked his neck, looking like he was about to charge at them. 'Get back!'

Aaaaannnnnnddddd, I'll leave it right there. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and till next time, Adios!