Please see Chapter 1 for warnings and disclaimers.
Chapter 8
The girls walked out of the cave as the first rays of the rising sun shimmered over the cold lake waters. Rhianna turned to Naomi to look at the girl in the light. A year or two must have passed in their world between when she had come back and when Naomi was sent back. She had let her hair return to its natural color and the deep mahogany framed a pale face, no longer childishly round. Her cheekbones were more defined and her complexion showed mild signs of adolescence. The other girl was still shorter than herself, but then Naomi had always been small, like True, so she might be as old as thirteen, though most would probably still place her a couple of years younger.
Rhianna's brow furrowed. Naomi's appearance left much to be desired. Her face and hair were smeared with dried blood and dirt and her clothes were even worse. Nathan would have a conniption if he saw her and insist on taking her directly to his clinic. Having healed the worst of the damage, Rhianna knew that really wasn't necessary.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Naomi demanded.
"True, if the guys see her like this," Rhianna let her comment hang in the air unfinished, confident that her cousin would follow her train of thought.
True looked at her clan member and then down at herself. Yeah, pretty obvious there had been a huge brawl. That wouldn't go over well with anyone. With a sly grin she gave Naomi a hefty push sending the girl into the lake. Of course oceans, lakes, and rivers were Naomi's preferred environment so other than the shock of the frigid water she was fine.
Rhianna gave a hearty laugh and suggested that True give her own hands and face a wash and try dusting some of the dirt from her clothes. "I will go get a change for Naomi," the eldest of the trio said, heading back into the cave. "Keep an eye on her True, don't let her escape."
"Pul-eze! Give me some credit!" True answered.
Despite her affinity for all things aquatic, Naomi was more than happy to depart the lake and get into some dry clothes. It wasn't freezing outside but it wasn't far from it either. Not to mention True and taken extreme delight in using her powers to dunk and hold Naomi under the dark waters of the lake more than a few times. Of course this little game backfired because she was laughing so hard she fell in herself and had to change and get dried off. Luckily True had easily been able to produce a flame to help dry herself some.
"We need to get you two back to town before you catch your death of cold." In addition to dry clothes, Rhianna had draped a blanket over each girl. "They will notice our absence soon, if they have not already. It would be for the best if –" Rhianna broke off and looked toward the trees with a heavy sigh. It was too late; the peacekeepers had found them. Despite all her stealth, Vin had been able to pick up Naomi's trail. All seven had come in case they had needed to surround the evasive little troublemaker that they knew so little about. Having dealt with True, they understood how difficult a child from a different world could be.
"Oh, shit!" True said upon seeing her cousin's face. There had been no doubt when they left town to capture Naomi that the two girls would be in trouble, but somehow walking victoriously into town with the fugitive in custody painted a better picture.
Naomi was perplexed to observe the other girls' anxiety and quite frankly it was somewhat unsettling. She pulled her blanket more tightly around her, wishing she had a weapon. Though she noticed her clan members were not preparing for a fight, the newcomer still felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise.
"Come on, it will be better if we go and meet them."
"Ya, sure 'bout thet?" True asked skeptically.
Rhianna just glared at her cousin and led the way. With a resigned sigh, True gave Naomi a shove to get her moving to follow Rhianna.
"Knock it off, True," Naomi snapped.
"Oh, I'll knock somethin off all right!"
"Enough! Both of you," Rhianna interjected irritably, "We have larger concerns at the moment."
"I don't know what has the two of you quaking in your boots, but I'm certainly not concerned," Naomi blustered.
"Well, ya aughta be," True scoffed, "Cause after thet prank ya pulled on Chris, what I done ta ya's gonna seem like a cake walk."
"Your seven nursemaids? That's your big worry?" Naomi laughed outright. "I'm not afraid of them. They hold no authority over me."
"Yeah, we'll just see how thet works out for ya," True answered derisively.
Rhianna stopped short and Naomi nearly ran into her. "Good morning, Vin," she said looking into the brush.
The longhaired sharpshooter stepped into the clearing, his blue eyes flashing with fury at seeing Rhianna and True out in the woods, realizing they had probably been out here all night.
"What the hell are ya doin' out here?" he demanded.
"The same thing you are. Looking for our errant clan member," Rhianna replied evenly as if neither she nor True had done anything wrong, "And we were successful. Naomi Molegan of Clan MaCallen, meet Vin Tanner, True's braar ny fuill (brother by blood)."
Naomi looked askance at her clan member, wondering if the older girl was moonstruck. "You mean jarroo-vraar (a blood brother)?"
True snorted but it was Rhianna who answered. "No. Vin adopted True as his sister when she arrived, but an attempt at Annym Boandey revealed that he is conastit ny fuill, boandey ny fuill (connected by blood, bonded by blood)." Rhianna was making an issue of the connection for two reasons. One for True's sake, so that despite her anger with Vin she would remember that he was her brother. Secondly, so Naomi would understand how important these men were to them.
"He's Clan?" Noami asked in awe.
"Perhaps," Rhianna shrugged. "Only the spirits and Creator truly know or understand it."
"What I understand, is that you knew full well where she was and didn't tell us," Chris growled stepping out from behind the trees. Rhianna wasn't surprised by his presence. Ezra was there as well and Josiah was approaching. The others were not far either. They had left their horses behind and fanned out in an attempt to find Naomi.
"No. We did not know, but as True and I discussed the situation, certain potentialities did arise."
"And you thought it prudent to explore those potentialities on your own, in the woods, in the middle of the night?" Ezra asked wryly.
"Aw for hell's sakes!" True exclaimed. "She wronged me most of all I had every right ta be the one ta bring her down."
"So ya done sneaked out an' risked yer neck so's ya could get a little revenge?" Vin demanded hotly.
True turned an icy glare on Vin, "I still ain't talkin' ta you."
For a moment the woods were completely silent. Not a leaf rustled nor a twig snapped. Even the birds it seemed hushed their morning song to attend to the human interaction below and though it only lasted a few seconds, the tension was obvious to everyone. Vin looked away, his blue eyes filled with uncertainty and hurt. Then the moment was over.
"Well, you're sure as hell gonna talk to me," Chris stated stepping forward to face off with True, who met his frightening glower for all of four seconds before looking down at her boots, which were still a bit wet from her trip into the lake. Rhianna had raided Naomi's stash of clothes to provide True with a change but there was no other footwear.
"And this, Naomi, is my Uncle," Rhianna emphasized the word to highlight the supposed relationship that had been assumed, while trying to draw attention away from True, "Chris Larabee."
Chris's deathly glare shifted to the darker haired child in the middle. "You're the one responsible for all the trouble we've had, then?"
"Trouble? Why I surely don't know what you're talking about," Naomi answered impudently barely containing her grin.
Stepping closer to the child, so that his roughly six-foot frame towered over her he growled, "Well, little girl, I guarantee you're gonna."
Naomi swallowed, all signs of humor erased from her face. Though she had seen him at a distance, the girl had never been this close to any of the peacekeepers. The black-clad gunman before her was one of the most intimidating, if not all out terrifying, men she had ever met.
Seeing the flash of fear cross the child's face, Chris had to hide a grin. "You took a shot at me," he said, his voice deathly quiet as he leaned even closer to Naomi.
"That, that, that was just to, ah, get you to chase after me. I missed by a mile. I wasn't trying to hurt you," Naomi stammered taking a step back.
"We'll talk more about that later," Chris replied. "How'd ya get wet?"
"Naomi and True fell in the lake," Rhianna answered. "We really should get them back to town before they get hypothermic."
"She's right Chris," Nathan agreed having arrived a few moments before. All seven men were there now. "In fact, your place is closer. They need to warm up before they take sick."
"That would also provide us with some privacy to find out more about our troublesome newcomer," Josiah pointed out.
"Horses are just about half a mile back," Chris said to the girls, nodding his head in agreement.
"Ours are at Schaffer's Meadow," Rhianna offered.
Chris turned to scowl at the girl, letting her know that he had in no way forgotten her indiscretions. "You can ride with me to the cabin," he said gruffly. "JD, you go on and get their horses and bring 'em to my place. True,"
"I ain't ridin' with him," the girl broke in, pointing her thumb towards Vin, a determined pout on her face.
"You'll do whatever I tell you to or I will take my belt to you right here, right now," Chris snapped, having had enough of True's disrespectful attitude.
"If I might interject," Ezra said, stepping forward, "I would very much like for True to ride with me so that we might converse."
Chris turned his surprised gaze onto the card sharp. What he saw was a steely resolve and he had to wonder about the conversation Ezra wanted to have with True. Somehow he didn't think the former conman had in mind to indulge the girl and the leader of the group figured he could use the help.
"Ride with Ezra and behave yourself," he ordered curtly.
"How about if this little lady rides with me," Buck suggested, taking a step toward Naomi.
"Don't you touch me!"
Buck slowed and held his hands open, palms out. "I'm not going to hurt you, child."
"But you kick up a fuss, and I just might," Chris warned.
Naomi swallowed and took a voluntary step toward Buck. He was tall, the second tallest of the seven men, and somewhat imposing but infinitely less threatening than Chris Larabee. She had observed the group from a distance and knew Buck was probably the most affable of the peacekeepers. At this juncture that seemed promising to the girl so she allowed Buck to lead her back to the horses, though she secretly wished she had been assigned to ride with JD.
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True stood with her arms crossed and waited while Ezra fiddled with the stirrups on his horse. It was a ruse, and she knew it. She had no idea why, but Ezra was waiting for the others to head off towards Chris's. He'd told Chris he wanted to "converse," so she supposed that's what this was all about, but she was cold and tired and just wanted to get going.
"Can't we talk 'bout whatever it is later, Ez?" she finally said.
Ezra turned to his young charge, eying her speculatively, "No, I believe this conversation is overdue as it is." The card sharp watched his compatriots ride off, gave his horse an affectionate pat and then took hold of True's arm, leading her a short distance before taking a seat on a large boulder. He then pulled the incredulous girl across his lap.
"What the hell!" True exclaimed. She was more than familiar with this position but couldn't figure out why Ezra of all people was about to spank her.
A hefty smack landed square in the middle of her backside over her rather baggy trousers. Naomi's pants were a bit big for her. "You, young lady will watch your language," Ezra warned bringing his hand down again with even more force. "Your utter lack of respect has grown quite tiresome."
"OW! Ouch! Holy shit Ezra! What'd I do?"
"If I have to warn you about your language again, I will find an implement to better impress upon you my extreme displeasure." After three more swats he answered her question, "As to what you have done to earn this bit of chastisement, I am addressing your impertinence and deplorable treatment of Vin."
"Ouch! But he - OW! He wouldn't – OUCH! LISTEN TA ME!"
Ezra finished the spanking with six more smacks and stood True up between his legs. "Yes, and I am very sorry for that unfortunate occurrence. I will admit that he was wrong. He made a mistake, as all caregivers are wont to do at times. I fully understand your hurt and frustration, even your anger."
"Then why'd ya just spank me?" True sniffed wiping a tear from her eye.
"Because those feelings do not give you license to be contemptuous or cruel. Believe me when I say, you are not only hurting Vin, but yourself with your uncharitable words. The road you are choosing leads nowhere good. If I have learned anything since coming to Four Corners, it is the invaluable importance of family. I understand if you need time to forgive Vin, but I will not tolerate your blatant disrespect for a man that has done more for you than probably anyone currently living. He loves you very much."
"Then how come he wouldn't believe me?"
"He made a mistake, Princess," Ezra replied, his voice softening as he enveloped the teary-eyed girl in a hug and gently pulled her onto his lap. True threw her arms around the card player, craving the solace that he offered. Too much had happened in the last twenty-four hours and her brain was tired of trying to process all of it. She hadn't slept, she'd been in a big fight, she was freezing cold, and hungry to boot. It felt good to curl up in Ezra's lap and feel his strong arms around her.
"He saw the physical evidence and knew your proclivity for pranks and made an erroneous conclusion. Yes, he should have at least heard what you had to say. He was wrong, but we all make mistakes at one time or another. So far as parenting goes, far worse mistakes have been made."
"Ya talkin' 'bout yer Ma?" True asked softly.
"Among others," Ezra nodded.
True wanted to ask more. She always wondered why Ezra put up with Maude's treatment. Unfortunately, she was just too tired to pursue this line of questioning. Actually, she could fall asleep right here.
"Come on darlin'," Ezra said, coming to his feet and lifting the girl into his arms. "We need to get you to Chris's."
M7***M7***M7***M7***M7***M7
"So you are saying she chose to enact her revenge because she felt abandoned by you and True?" Ezra drawled.
Rhianna nodded. "Well, that along with a fair amount of rivalry from our pasts thrown in."
Vin had ridden ahead to get a fire started so the cabin would be warm for their arrival. Upon arriving Nathan had immediately set about making some tea and the moment Buck walked in with a drowsy Naomi, she had been tucked into the cabin's one bed and covered with blankets. She had protested the vile tasting tea, but Chris had taken the cup from Nathan and the girl acquiesced when the gunfighter had threatened to warm her up by setting a fire in her backside. Naomi fell asleep almost immediately after that.
When Ezra arrived with a sleeping True, Vin had already prepared a pallet for her in front of the fire. She snuggled right into the makeshift bed without waking, unconsciously comforted by Vin's scent on the blanket that he'd taken from the bedroll he used when he came out to visit. Though the girl was angry with her brother, she still associated him with comfort and protection. The tracker fondly ran a hand through her mussed hair as she slept and True had grabbed it and held tight as if it were some kind of lifeline.
Only Rhianna had been left awake to provide explanations. After her own dose of Nathan's tea, despite protestations that she had not gotten wet, the blond shared what she knew of Naomi's presence as well as a few stories from the girls' past so that the seven might better understand the situation. Though the small dwelling was rather cramped with the three girls and seven men, they sat and listened attentively.
"She's been through a rough time," Nathan commented. "Somethin' like that could really unbalance a person, 'specially a child."
"I understand what you are saying, Nathan, and you are right it could, but it has not. Naomi is not out of her mind or in any way insane. She is grief stricken, anxious, and angry. In some ways, the pranks provided her with an element of 'normalcy' you might say. Getting caught up in a bit of juvenile misbehaving and pitting herself against True, very much like old times."
"You're sure she isn't a threat to herself or anyone else?" Josiah asked softly, and Rhianna knew that the former preacher was thinking of his own sister.
"Not in the way you mean. Naomi might not be much easier to handle than True and she has the ability to be dangerous like anyone from our world, but she is for all intents and purposes a child searching for a new home."
"Let's move on for a minute to you sneaking out and what happened when you found her," Chris demanded.
"Naomi is our clan member. We needed to find her first. After some discussion we realized that with Naomi's affinity for water, she would have a camp near the lake. I used my abilities to monitor the town and True spoke with the animals." Rhianna shrugged. "We took a chance and were correct."
"You and me are going to have our own private discussion about that once we get back to town," Chris informed the girl with furious glare. "But for now keep going."
"There is not much more to tell. We were able to find Naomi and we apprehended her."
"And what about the fight?"
Rhianna knew from the look on Chris's face that despite the two younger girls' impromptu bath, there was no doubt as to what had transpired at the lake cave. "Naomi still wore the pendant, she would not have come willingly. Besides she was spoiling for a fight."
"I'm sure True obliged her," Vin added with a wry grin, his hand still in True's sleeping grasp.
Rhianna shrugged. "They are both okay and the scuffle allowed each of them to vent some anger."
"Scuffle?" this query came from Josiah.
"It is all relative, really," the girl replied with a yawn. She only required about four hours of sleep a night but having had none she found herself succumbing to fatigue.
"What'd she have against, Casey, though?" JD asked. The youngest peacekeeper had found his own lids growing heavy during Rhianna's tale but had roused somewhat with the conversation.
"I thought that would have been rather obvious," Rhianna said with a smile. "After all you are the only individual to remain unscathed in respect to Naomi's pranks."
JD looked confused while Buck chuckled. "Heck, kid the little gal's sweet on you."
The young Bostonian turned beat red, "Aw shut up, Buck!"
"So what're we gonna do with the little rascal, anyway?" Buck asked paying no mind to his best friend.
"I warn you she will be loathe to stay," Rhianna informed the men.
"So were you, as I recall," Chris reminded his charge with a grin.
TBC…