They were back on the horse. River was holding onto Sam as they rode toward the source of the scream. River nearly threw up when they found it.
A young red haired woman in a white dress was being dragged through the desert, tied to a horse. It had to have been running for a black dress because a lot of her skin had was red or bleeding or bruised. Sam acted fast, gun out before River caught the thought. His aim was dead on, breaking the rope. The horse ran even faster, startled, but the girl stopped moving.
"Is she..." Sam dropped from the horse.
"Light thought patterns. She's in a lot of pain..." River slinked off the horse as well, backing up. The girl was in enough pain it hurt for her to be too close. "You need to get her to Collene."
"What about you?" Sam glanced at River as he scooped up the red head.
"The horse can only take two. I can't ride on my own. She's in no condition to. I...can feel her pain." River whispered. Sam paused and nodded slowly.
"I'll see you in town."
River returned to the saloon to hear yelling. Jean was at the bar, putting the alcoholic beverages on the counter. She looked up as River sat next to her.
"Sheriff, Ma, Walker, and Birch are upstairs mending her."
"I figured. Alcohol to clean the wounds?"
"When they run out."
Jean exhaled as she leaned against the counter.
"In all this I don't have time to talk to ma about my weird dreams."
"Dreams?" River looked up.
"Yeah." Jean sighed. "Marble castles. Feathers. Swords. Tears."
River stared at Jean for a moment. Sam said in the next life she was Jo. But she seemed familiar. Comforting. A sensation of flying. River gasped lightly.
"Serenity."
Jean didn't hear her, probably paying attention to Sam coming down the stairs.
"Scarlet's stable."
"Scarlet?" River lifted her head as Sam sat next to her. The yelling had stopped.
"Dr Walker said he wants to do a check up in a fortnight. He's cleaning up his tools and talking with Birch. Collene is cleaning her up and getting her dressed. Her name is Scarlet. She just told us."
"Any idea what happened to her?" Jean asked.
"She said a bandit." Sam replied.
"I'm sure we can find a place for her in town until she's okay. She can probably help ma at the bar when Rowena and I are dancing."
River was caught elsewhere as she turned. Walker was exiting but an odd thought left his mind.
She's a beautiful bleeder.