"There you are."
He staggered through the barn doors, a revolver in hand while the other clutched at his side, the shirt wet and stained a dark red.
Natasha gripped the reins tightly as the colt side stepped anxiously and snorted loudly.
William shushed the horse, gripping the reins under its head before turning to the newcomer.
"Easy there, Adrik." William held up both hands and took a couple of steps closer to Adrik.
"I just knew you were up to something with my niece." He sneered before diverting his dagger-like stare to Natasha as he staggered forward a few more steps.
"Stop this now, Mr. Ivanov. Please." William urged in a tone so controlled and gentle, that it surprised Natasha as she watched frozen in place. "This doesn't have to go any further."
This су́ка just killed my associate, Mr. Boyd." Adrik practically laughed as he gestured behind him with the revolver. "She ain't leavin this barn." He pointed the revolver towards William, "And neither are you."
Natasha watched wide-eyed before she looked at William.
She heard a soft, audible sigh before he looked over his shoulder to her.
"Run." He whispered before slapping the hindquarters of the colt she was on.
"N- William NO!" Natasha screamed out as she reached for him before scrambling to hold onto the horse as it bolted out of the barn; gunshots whizzed by as the colt took off into the raging storm.
"Miss?"
"Miss!"
"William!" Natasha cried out.
"Miss- you're okay. Come now, it's alright,"
Natasha's eyes opened to see an unfamiliar man above her. Her hands were gripping his arms; his hands gently keeping her at bay.
She looked around wildly as her eyes adjusted to the light being cast through the window on the opposite wall.
Her breathing was labored as she looked about, noting several small tables holding unfamiliar equipment.
"Where am I?"
"My office," The man responded. "Don't strain yourself now, it's alright."
"Who are you?" Her voice shook as the disorientation began to wear off. "Where is-"
"Doctor Frank Miller." His casual smile confused Natasha as she sat up with his help. "Yer father and yer brother are waitin outside."
"My-" Natasha allowed the Doctor to help her swing her legs off the table bed she was sitting on and her eyes. She stalled in her words; her eyes bored into the brace on her right leg.
No. No no no no no.
Natasha attempted to swallow the lump in her throat as brief glimpses of everything started to come back.
That happened. That night happened.
"Alright, here we are."
Natasha looked up to see Doctor Miller pushing a wheelchair into the room. She stared at the object for a moment before she found herself being helped up by the Doctor.
"I know things are probably a little hazy, miss, but with some time, and plenty of rest, you'll level out."
"I don't-" Natasha squeezed her eyes shut before giving a small shake of her head.
What is happening.
"I gotcha, just sit on back in there… There ya go."
Natasha gripped the arms of the wheelchair as she sat back. Her eyes quickly caught the Doctor as adjusted her leg to rest on the extended sling attached to the chair.
Taking in a slow breath, Natasha leaned back into the chair as the stranger came behind her and began pushing the chair she was sitting in.
She'd never felt so vulnerable in her life.
"W-Where are you taking me?" Natasha did her best to keep her voice from wavering.
"Your father's just outside, miss. Got some medical things I'll need to discuss with him regarding your recovery."
My father… He also mentioned my brother… Both of which are… They can't be here.
Natasha racked her brain in silence, hands gripping the arms of the wheelchair tightly.
The only person who could be acting as my father is-
Natasha's head shot up before she frantically looked up and around to find the doctor.
"I- Wait a minute, mister, I don't wanna-"
"Here we are! Just out here."
The front door to the office was already open and Natasha gripped the arms of the chair harder as she prepared to see her uncle waiting for her as they exited the building.
"Here she is, Mr. Meyers."
Meyers…?
Natasha leaned forward impatiently and cautiously to see who the Doctor was speaking too.
"Thank you, Doctor Miller." The voice sounded unfamiliar but… instinctively she wanted to say she'd heard it before.
As her eyes adjusted to the light, Natasha met the eyes of one of the gunmen from last night.
Throat tightening up, Natasha sat helplessly as she was wheeled up to a wagon waiting just outside the office.
"It's good to see you awake, my dear."
The statement quickly pulled her attention to the man the Doctor had addressed, and she squinted as she looked up to meet the owner of the voice.
It was the light-haired one from that night.
Despite how wary she now was, or wanted to be for that matter, his expression was kind, or at least seemed to ask her trust as he gave her the smallest wink- she was almost sure she imagined it.
"She's still quite out of it, I'm afraid. Give it a couple hours and she'll be more aware." Doctor Miller gave a chuckle.
"Not to worry, we're more than prepared to accommodate her, Doctor Miller. Thank you again." She heard conversation going on behind her as the gunman and the Doctor continued to chat.
She heard vague details about her recovery and medicine as she looked around.
Her eyes caught another man leaning against the wagon with a cigarette in his mouth. His arms were crossed, and his head tipped down.
He looked familiar too, she just couldn't place him.
"Alright miss."
Natasha jumped and looked up and around to see Doctor Miller once more.
"Your father's got everything he needs. You give it a few weeks and I'm sure you'll be back on your feet in no time." He gave her a small pat on the hand and Natasha gave a small nod, thoughts elsewhere.
"Let's get you up, then, dear." Natasha looked up to see this- Mr. Meyers held out a hand and she hesitated a moment before finally accepting the hand he was holding out. She tried not to flinch and tense up as she was helped into the back of the wagon, and towards the back where a few blankets were laid out for her to sit on.
Okay- just, stay calm. You'll figure out all this nonsense soon.
She shook her head lightly to grasp her situation further, but her mind still felt sluggish and just… off.
Doctor Miller had said she was… out of it. Some kind of drug no doubt.
"Whenever she's feeling pain- you give her some of that one… This will help with the swelling."
"Thank you, Doctor. Thank you."
Natasha looked up to see the man getting into the wagon before taking a seat on a small box to her right.
Within a couple of minutes, they were moving, and it didn't take long for them to leave the small town and proceed into the countryside.
Natasha kept her eyes away from the man next to her for as long as she could. She didn't know what to say; nor how to act around these- strangers.
"How are you feeling, dear?"
The question didn't get too much of a reaction out of her as she took a couple of seconds to quietly contemplate his words.
Why is he asking exactly…
She finally turned to meet the man's eyes, trying to act somewhat confident or at least unafraid; it just came out looking like an almost angered expression.
"I dunno, Mister." She finally responded and gave a little jut of her chin. "Hu-urts, I suppose." Her voice shook without her permission as she furthered her response before looking away.
"Hosea."
Natasha looked back up to see a gentle smile on the man's face, "Excuse me?"
"Hosea Matthews." He declared before giving a small dip of his head and a tip of his hat as his fingers found the rim. "We spoke last night, I'm not sure how much you remember."
"M'sorry, sir I don't remember much." She shakes her head, briefly closing her eyes.
Matthews… I could've sworn the Doctor said Meyers…
"It's all quite… hazy." She trailed off; voice unsure as she tried to think back. Her mind was muddled. She barely remembered being put on one of their horses and brought into town. The last thing she truly remembered was being helped out of the woods by the man she now knew was currently driving the wagon.
"S'alright dear. Doc told us you were in and out for the last several days." Hosea responded, "Might take a bit of time for things to clear up for you."
"Excuse me?" Natasha met the man's eyes once more with a bewildered expression, not expecting the phrasing. "Days? How many days?"
"Well today makes the fourth day, but you were there for three nights." Hosea explained.
Three days? It feels like last night-...
She didn't really have anywhere to be, but the gap of darkness in her mind now made her body tighten up and retreat into the back wall of the wagon.
"No need to worry, dear." He reassured her. "We've got a spot set up for you back at camp. Until you figure things out, you're welcome to stay as long as you'd like."
"I…" Natasha thought over things for a moment before clearing her throat. "I'm sorry for the confusion Mr. Matthews but I'm meeting my sister out west. I have somewhere to be."
The sister rooze was one she always fell back on. Other times the excuse that she was meeting a male figure was enough to ward off anyone looking to be too friendly. If he didn't take the bait, she'd have to add onto the story to make it more convincing.
Chancing a look at the man, Natasha briefly met his eyes only to see a gentle confusion written in his expression.
"Hm." The response to her explanation was short and unrevealing as Hosea seemed to contemplate her words for a moment, his gaze out the back of the wagon on the road they'd traversed before he turned to her once more.
His silence made her hesitant. His expression seemed to look past the lie she'd just vocalized.
"You don't remember any of our conversation at all, I take it then?"
"W-... I don't understand, mister."
"When we spoke last night; you said you didn't have anywhere to go. You were just heading west."
"Y-Yes to see my sister."
"I asked if you had kin we could take you to, but you told me you didn't have anyone still alive." He explained, a slight furrow to his brow.
Natasha stared at the man with her mouth slightly ajar.
Feeling betrayed by herself, she sat in silence for a time.
"I… I don't remember telling you any of this, mister." She finally states.
He gave a little nod out of the corner of her eye before readjusting his seat.
"S'alright, dear. You were quite out of it." His tone and expression appeared genuine, but it still did little to make her feel more at ease. "Even then it will be quite difficult for you to trek out on your own at the moment. An injury like this, you'll be off your feet for at least a couple of weeks."
Natasha swallowed the lump in her throat and let her head hit the back of the wagon.
Now these people knew she was alone. They had to know by now about the bulletin. But she had no means of running away if they confronted her, much less walk on her own… She was stuck for now. The figurality aside, she felt like she was glued to where she was sitting; brain and body were not connected as her mind screamed run, but her body refused to listen.
"Where are you taking me?" She finally asked, glancing at Mr. Matthews. Her voice shook, she quickly noticed, and the man seemed to notice to some extent as he gave a small smile.
"We have a small camp just a ways east of here." Hosea responded. "It's just a few of us."
Natasha lets her eyes fall away and out the back of the wagon on the open road. She'd met three of them, though the third was fuzzy in her mind. He had darker hair; that was all she could remember aside from his voice.
This is exactly where she went wrong last time. Two men who seemed decent enough taking her back to their camp-
"I-I don't think-" The words spilled out before she could prep them. "I don't w-want to go. I'm not going." She struggled to try and push herself up, much to the surprise of the man next to her.
"Miss- Where-"
"I want to get off." She states louder, voice shaking.
"Calm down, dear. It's okay. Arthur- stop a moment!"
The wagon lurched before coming to a steady halt and a nicker from one of the horses caused Natasha to look around herself quickly.
"Just take a moment, dear. Here- drink some of this."
Natasha's gaze snapped over to Hosea as he picked up a small bottle from a crate next to him.
"Doc gave me this; said you should use it for pain relief in the next few days. I also have a bottle of something. Either way it'll help you relax-"
"You trying to get me inebriated?" Her voice dropped and her brow knit tightly as she felt her nails dig into the wood of the wagon board below her.
Her eyes locked on his gun belt and attached the holster on the side furthest from her. She could see the peak of gun metal before her gaze jumped up to him.
Hosea eyed her quietly for a few seconds before he glanced past her to the man driving.
"We don't mean you any harm, Miss. Now- we're not perfect men. Not by any means… But what we are - is different from that gang we found you with. We aren't them."
Silence followed his explanation as he watched her expression and eye line; her gaze shifting from his face, to his belt, and then back.
"Here," Hosea went about unbuckling the gun belt around his waist before reaching over to drop it on the far side of the wagon on her left. "You can hold onto that, if it makes you feel better."
The belt rested along the boards of the wagon next to her and Natasha eyed it quietly for a time before swallowing the lump in her throat. The air still felt thick, and the sounds of the wilderness weren't loud enough to mask the tension still hanging in the air.
After a minute of contemplation, Natasha looked up towards the man seated adjacent to her before she slowly lowered herself back down, hands having been suspending herself not an inch or two off the wagon.
Not that she would've been able to get up on her own anyhow, but the action was enough for the Hosea fellow to give a small nod up to the man behind her to continue on.
There was a small lurch forward, and the wagon began moving again. Natasha kept her eyes in her lap and away from anything else for a long while as they trekked through the wilderness on a small dirt road.
Questions still ate away at her. She couldn't go with these people blind, but she dreaded how her voice might shake if she tried speaking up once more.
She risked glances as the minutes ticked by. The Hosea fellow seemed occupied with a book he was holding; she didn't bother craning to look behind her at the man driving.
Swallowing her nerves, Natasha tried to clear her throat as silently as possible before speaking up.
"How um… How long have you been there? At this camp."
The question pulled Hosea from his book, and he met her gaze with a gentle expression that, this time, almost put her at ease. She wanted so desperately for these people to be okay people. But if they weren't she'd feel like the biggest fool.
"Not long, only a few days. We were in the middle of moving when we came across you."
"And- before that?" Natasha tried.
The man's brow twitched with thought as his gaze dropped before rising once more, "Oh, I'm not too sure, erm- Arthur? How long were we at Adderhead?"
"Month or two maybe." The comment comes rather quickly, it was obvious the man driving was listening rather attentively to their conversation.
Natasha found herself swallowing yet again; the responses repeating over in her head.
"So you all are of the… transitory type?"
"You could say that I suppose." Hosea nods. "Depending on- how things go, we might be here for a few months."
Accepting her lack of control was starting to lay some sense of ease in her mind. She had her wits, and her mind. While her physical condition would be inhibiting, she could still scream, God willing, if things went south with this lot.
You have a fire in you, wee yin. No one has, or ever will, take it from you.
With the acceptance of her condition, came a sudden flow of confidence. She wanted to ask who these people were; what they did for a living or what possessed them to drop in on her and those men. If this- Hosea- had tried to make anything clear, it was that he was trying to bring her ease, whether there was underlying malicious intent was the question.
William was right. No matter her condition- she had her head, and she had her voice; she needed to use them.
"How did you all find me?"
"Heard you screamin." Arthur responded gruffly.
Natasha looked up, craning to see the man driving as he was sitting almost directly behind her.
"So what, you're all just a bunch of good Samaritans?" Her voice barely shook as she pressed. Your average group of citizens don't ride up on a group of men and start shooting.
The question made the driver fellow - Arthur - laugh out loud, cutting off Hosea before he could speak up, and startling Natasha as she quickly turned at the response.
"Don't believe the law thinks of us that way." The younger man added in an amused tone.
"What Arthur means to say, dear, is that um," Hosea narrowed his eyes a fraction, looking out ahead over the road. "We're a bit disagreeing with the government at the moment." Hosea explained. "We had a business east of here that got shut down. There's only a few of us right now."
"I see," Natasha nodded, processing his words for a moment in silence before looking down at her leg.
She wanted to press further; ask what kind of business they had, why it was shut down and why they all were such good marksmen. She'd heard so many stories about the west from William; how it was a wild land without laws where outlaws roamed and held control over the grand frontier.
It was the exact reason William told her to head west. She'd be safe from the law out here, but the only problem was the law was no longer what she needed to worry about, rather the other lawless sorts the west attracted.
The west is not for the faint of heart; it takes a lot to survive out there, William had told her. Much less create a civilized life surrounded by the uncivil. But I believe- I know, you have what it takes.
At least that was what he had told her. He had such faith in her, and part of her couldn't even remember what it was she could've done to - so fiercely - convince him of that.
So much of those times in her childhood were muddled and buried by being back with her uncle, Adrik.
She had street smarts, as William had called them, from an earlier time in her childhood when she ran away for a year when she was barely ten. But those memories were scarred, and her uncle had done enough to bury them deep.
William kept on her, however. He had done his damnedest to make sure she didn't forget it all. She needed those skills now more than ever. She had been tossed out of the frying pan and into the fire out here, and she knew deep down it would only get rougher the further west she went. She'd need to learn to better defend herself at some point.
Now the question of why these men carried guns didn't seem so urgent. If threats like the people she was saved from were as common as the papers made it out to be, then the average citizen would be crazy not to carry some form of protection.
The afternoon sun was hot, but as the hours ticked by, and it began to get lower and lower in the sky, temperature dropped and rested at a nice enough degree that a light covering of clothing would suffice. The sun was setting behind them as they trekked on through the wilderness and Natasha tried her best to focus on the natural scenery. It was still odd to her; seeing no sign of civilization in sight aside from occasional powerlines.
As darkness closed in, and the sun rested with just a sliver in sight over the horizon, Arthur spoke up.
"Comin up on it now." The statement pulled Natasha from her thoughts as she looked up and around. She couldn't see much, aside from an increased grouping of trees surrounding them. It seemed they were heading into a relatively shaded area surrounded by trees. They were now off the main road.
Swallowing her nerves, she gripped the blanket she was sitting on in her fists as the wagon lurched and came to a stop. The low thrum of chatter was barely audible from somewhere ahead of them, behind her, as well as the crackle of a fire.
"Ah, there you are!" She heard the exclamation from ahead and recognized the voice as one from the night she'd been rescued by these people. "We were beginning to worry!"
Hosea got to his feet and looked over the front of the wagon with a small chuckle before he held a handout to Natasha to take.
She heard a thud as the Arthur fellow jumped off the wagon and a scuffle of footsteps from multiple people before turning her full attention to Hosea. Taking his hand, he stabilized her arm and helped her to her feet.
"How's our guest?"
"She's alright, Dutch." Hosea responded, giving her a small nod. "She will, however, need a little help getting around 'next couple weeks." Hosea walked her to the back of the wagon and Natasha looked up to see Arthur waiting on the ground at the back.
She glanced at Hosea for a brief time before looking down towards the younger man as he held an arm up towards her.
"Well, that's no trouble at all." The voice was closer now and Natasha turned to the left to see a man walking over as he stood a little ways away from Arthur. It only took a couple of seconds for her to realize it was the third man from the other night. "You'll be alright here, young lady, not to worry."
"Miss," Natasha turned back to look at Arthur before hesitantly putting a hand on his shoulder. Without much warning he took hold around her waist with a gentleness she wasn't expecting before lowering her to the ground.
Keeping a hand on Arthur's shoulder, she stabilized herself until Hosea lowered the pair of crutches that had been sitting in the back of the wagon with them.
"Thank you," It came out quieter than she originally intended as she exchanged a quick glance with the two who'd brought her to the camp.
"We never did catch your name, dear." The statement came from Hosea as he jumped down from the back of the wagon.
Looking at the light-haired man, Natasha hesitated a moment before glancing about at the others in front of her. The number of men was a bit uncomfortable given how outnumber she was and how incapacitated she was. Their appearance alone was intimidating enough but their height and size didn't help as her eyes barely met the shoulders of any of them.
"H-How did you manage at the doctor's office, sir?" Natasha avoided his original request, as subtle as it was.
Her response drew a few chuckles, especially from Hosea and the one called Dutch.
"We used aliases." Hosea responds humorously.
"Aliases? Plural?" She didn't miss a beat, and the retort came out more aggressive and cautious than she wished it had.
So the Doctor did say Meyers. She hadn't imagined that. It was an alias.
The fellow that Hose had called Dutch chuckled once more before taking a couple steps forward, causing Natasha to turn more so to face him on her crutches.
"Quite the cautious one, aren't you?" The dark-haired man observed her for a brief time with a gently knit brow. He seemed curious, even empathetic.
"Forgive me if I come off ungrateful, sir."
"Dutch Van Der Linde." He offered.
"Well, that… Isn't my intent, Mr. Van Der Linde. You all are the first group of business owners I've come across who partake in such… uncivilized activities as-"
"Saving damsels in distress?" He tried with a chuckle. "You were in trouble, correct? Wouldn't you consider it to be civilized to step in and assist?"
"W-Well yes, but I-"
"If you don't mind my sayin, but you don't sound like you're from these parts, dear."
Natasha finally let herself fall quiet as she thought his words over.
"No, sir. I was raised- east of here. People out this way aren't as easy to read."
The statement pulled more chuckles from the two who appeared in charge to some extent. The Arthur fellow had remained quiet where he stood next to her, but she could feel his eyes jumping back and forth between her and Mr. Van Der Linde as they spoke.
"Well, I apologize if our entrance the other night gave you the wrong idea-"
"Wouldn't exactly call her wrong," The mutter was so quiet Natasha barely heard it leave Arthur's lips as he looked away from her and she had to do a subtle double take.
"Arthur can be a bit eager to jump into action-"
"Hey-"
"But I assure you, dear, you're safe here."
"Stop interrogating that girl, Dutch!" A woman's voice snapped from clear across camp, causing Natasha to turn briefly, unable to pinpoint the source of the voice from around the wagon.
"That would be Susan," Dutch chuckled before gesturing around the wagon for her to come further into camp.
She quickly turned her eyes back to him for a moment before she glanced towards Arthur once more.
Bringing her eyes forward again, she took in a quiet breath before aligning the crutches correctly to hobble forward.
"Susan's set up a spot for you just over here." Dutch gestured ahead towards one of two wagons. Two women were talking quietly and turned to face them in response to Dutch's statement. They looked- friendly enough.
Seeing a female presence eased some of the tension in her shoulders as she hobbled across their camp on the crutches.
"... Anna," The word left her lips before she could really consider the ramifications.
"Excuse me?" Dutch stopped to face her, a look of questioning on his face.
Natasha stopped, adjusting her crutches to keep her balance, "My name." Natasha offered with a very brief smile and a nod. "It's Anna."
"Well, that will be easy to remember, then!" He gave a laugh before putting a light hand on her upper arm briefly to direct her forward once more.
"Anna, Susan Grimshaw." He gestured to the first woman who walked forward. She had an almost commanding presence about her as she stepped forward, but despite that, her expression held warmth.
Natasha juggled her crutches a bit to hold a hand out to her, receiving a small chuckle in return.
"Don't strain yourself, dear." Susan smiled before taking hold of the arm she held out, giving it a small shake with her other hand.
"Ma'am," Natasha's greeting came off a bit timid, but she tried to shake the nerves off as the other woman stepped forward.
"And this is my dear Annabelle." Dutch gestured to the other woman as she walked up with a small chuckle.
She appeared a bit younger than Susan, her dark hair a bit redder than Susan's. Both intimidated her, just as the men did, but she hadn't had a female presence around in quite a few years. The dynamic would be one she'd have to get used to.
"Hey darlin," Annabelle smiled and brought a hand to her other arm in a brief, comforting manner.
"Now we've got you already set up over here, dear." Susan took control of the situation before Natasha could really make the distinction that she was being directed away from the men. "Are 'ya hungry?"
"O-Oh um," Natasha looked around quickly, seeing while Hosea and Dutch were still close by, they were talking amongst themselves.
"I don't want to impos-"
"Annabelle, would you grab her a bowl, please?" Miss Grimshaw didn't wait for Natasha to finish.
"A'course,"
There was a lot of stimulation; a bit too much, but Natasha did her best to swallow her nerves and try to act as friendly and appreciative as possible.
"Now- let's get you settled in." Susan gently directed Natasha to a box settled next to a small, arranged sleeping area under a cover attached off of a wagon. It was a nice enough little area; protection from the elements and what appeared to be company in good people. As long as this continued to be what it looked like, she couldn't ask for more in her current condition.
Natasha winced as she awkwardly settled down to a seated position and let the crutches fall to the ground next to her. She breathed out in relief at being off of her feet. Despite only standing for a few minutes, it had, surprisingly, exhausted her.
That knowledge placed a subtle nausea in the pit of her stomach as she brought her hands to her lap.
Her body was… damaged right now. That Hosea fellow, as well as the doctor, had mentioned that for weeks she'd need assistance getting around. Weeks and then- maybe she'd be able to continue her journey west.
Not now. That's a problem for tomorrow.
Natasha closed her eyes and forced a slow, even breath in and out before looking up to see the woman, Annabelle, coming towards her with a bowl.
"Oatmeal," She chuckled before holding it out to her.
"Thank you," Natasha took it gratefully, the warmth of the metal dish enveloping her hands as she brought it to her lap.
"It isn't much, but it's warm." Another chuckle followed the woman as she briefly touched Natasha's shoulder and sat next to her on another overturned box.
Natasha couldn't help but smile as she met Annabelle's eyes.
"It's perfect."
Author Note: Feedback is always appreciated if you're enjoying it :)
