AN: Thanks for reading and now chapter 6 of Fallout: Unforgotten!
The sun was starting its routine of rising above the desert wasteland that is the Mojave, bringing light and warmth to the lands inhabitants. It was a bit comforting to Amata knowing she lives to see another day. Both she and the Courier had walked for the rest of the night putting Nipton far behind them. The Courier eyed Amata's leg as they walked, despite her impromptu bandaging of her wound she would still need to see a doctor, and the way she was favoring her other leg as she walked it would need to be soon.
"How's the leg?" He asked, as they walked down the deserted highway.
"Its fine, but I would want to know how far Novac is from now." Amata asked, stifling a yawn. She was tired and the wound in her leg was only putting a drain on her energy. She would need to rest soon if she was to continue on like this.
"It's still a bit of ways off, we haven't even reached the ranger station yet." The Courier noted as he check their positon on his Pipboy. "Think you'll make it there?" he added.
"Since when did you become the caring type?" Amata asked a bit suspicious of his question.
"I just want to know if you can make the walk there cause I don't want to carry you, you seem a bit on the heavy side." He noted.
"If my leg wasn't messed up I'd kick your ass." Amata replied.
"45th person to tell me that." The Courier noted.
Amata was about to retort when the sound of gunfire interrupted their conversation. They were crossing a bridge and from where the two stood they could see a gunfight going on between two groups.
"Looks like Jackals raiding another caravan." The Courier noted, he was about to continue on his way when Amata stopped him.
"Wait, you're not going to help them?" Amata asked. From where they stood they had a clear line of sight at the caravan's attackers. They could easily tip the scales in favor of the caravan, whose guards weren't faring well.
"It's an unnecessary risk, besides It'll be better to just let them fight it out, whoever is left we simply walk down there put a few bullets in them and take the spoils." He suggested.
"How do you even live with yourself?" Amata scolded as she readied her cowboy repeater and rested on the concrete barrier. "You know what. Don't bother answering that." She added after giving it some thought as she took aim and pulled the trigger. The round exited the barrel with an auditable bang and careened through the air and planted itself into the back of one of the Jackals. The others didn't either notice or they didn't care as they continued focusing on the caravan. A caravan guard caught several rounds in the chest and fell dead. Amata could tell the Jackals smelled blood as they stepped up their attack aggressively. Amata chambered another round with a flick of her wrist and took aim at one that seemed to be issuing orders. She squeezed the trigger and her repeater bucked announcing that the round was well on its way to its intended target. The round slammed into the back of the targets head penetrating the tic-helmet he was wearing and splattering blood on the helms lenses. He dropped with a thud on the ground, Amata could tell that she nailed the leader as the rest of the group seemed to paused in their advance. The remaining caravan guards took the opportunity to turn the tides and started to advance on their attackers. With no apparent leadership to issue orders the remaining jackals scattered and retreated to the desolate hills. The caravan began to regroup as Amata and the Courier made their way down toward them.
"I can't believe we made it out of that mess alive." One of the traders noted.
"Not all of us did." A guard solemnly corrected nodding to the bullet riddled corpse nearby.
"Well it can't get any worse." Another guard muttered.
"Good evening." The Courier greeted announcing his arrival.
"Ah hell, God must really hate us." The guard moaned.
"I wish it was a deathclaw, at least our deaths would be quick." A Trader sighed.
"I take it you killed your fair share of traders." Amata muttered to the Courier.
"10 last time I counted." He answered as he placed his hand on his revolver.
"Well I'm not going down without a fight." One guard growled as he tighten his grip on his 9mm machinegun.
"Whoa wait, we're not here to fight." Amata quickly informed hoping to defuse the situation.
"We aren't?" the Courier whispered.
"NO!" Amata sharply answered.
"You're no fun." The Courier sighed as he moved his hand away from his weapon.
"So who's your friend?" one of the traders asked.
"'Friend?' Please don't group me with him." Amata demanded dismissing the notion entirely.
"So… hostage?" another trader guessed.
"Try annoyed individual who just misfortunately cross paths with him." Amata suggested.
"Did he do 'that' to your leg?" a guard asked bringing attention to Amata's leg wound.
"Surprisingly, he didn't. In fact it's why I decided to help you in your fight with those thieves." Amata answered.
"Well we're grateful for your help, but I'm afraid none of us know much in the way of medicine." A Trader informed.
"No need I see you're transporting medical supplies, from the look of the Red Cross on one of the Brahman, and if you're transporting supplies chances are you are also heading to Novac. Am I right?" Amata deduced.
"Well aren't you the insightful one." One of the guards mused a bit impressed.
"If you can spare a couple of stimpaks or med-X I'd be happy to escort you the rest of the way, no charge." Amata offered.
The traders and the caravan guard gathered in a huddle to 'discuss' Amata's offer.
"We can't have her slowing us down."
"Well its better than having a dead guard."
"She did help us."
"Guys I think you're forgetting the main problem. She's with 'him'." At that notion all the heads turned and looked at the Courier.
"How we know he won't just end up shooting us." On guard asked.
"I promise, he'll behave. Right?" Amata asked turning towards the Courier.
"I don't make promises." The Courier simply answered as he lit a cigarette.
Amata shot him a look that would make a Super mutant think twice.
"What? I don't get anything out of this." He retorted exhaling a puff of smoke.
Amata immediately pulled him to the side.
"For once will it kill you to work with me!?" Amata scowled.
"6th person to ask me that, and to answer your question, maybe it will but I doubt it." He answered taking another pull on his cig.
Fatigue was starting to take its toll and it was wearing Amata's patients thin.
'I can't believe I'm going to do this.' Amata mentally sighed.
"Can you… please help me?" she asked almost gagging on the request.
'I think I'm going to throw up.' She thought.
The Courier stood there. He felt like a metal encased fist hit him in the stomach. A dent in his iron resolve.
"You're the first person to say that." He told her after a long pause. "Alright, but only because you're a first." He added.
Amata couldn't believe her luck. She informed the caravan of his agreement. She wasted no time in administering the stimpaks to her injured leg. It still hurt but she was in the clear. The guards had her positioned on top of one of the brahman till her leg was better so that they wouldn't have to slow down. As they continued the sun was beginning to set. A cascade of orange, blue, and purple blanket the sky above them. Surely a beautiful sight to see but Amata only had one thing on her mind.
'I'm traveling with an unpredictable psychopath, who obviously has no problem killing people out of sheer amusement, if we meet up with 'him' I shudder at the thought at what would happen.'
The sun had set completely as they passed the NCR Ranger station. Amata could see the lights signaling a small town up ahead and a dinosaur head slowly rising from behind a cliff.
"Is that Novac?" she asked.
"You must be new to the Mojave, everyone knows Dinky the T-Rex." A guard noted.
As they were approaching the town a man in a red beret and a merc cruiser outfit came to greet them.
"Well it took you long enough, what the hell… kept… you." He sputtered to a stop as he noticed the Courier.
"How's it going Manny?" the Courier asked with a devilish smile.
"You son of a bitch." Manny yelled.
"58th person to call me that, 4th time for him." The Courier noted.
'I'm starting to notice a pattern here.' Amata noted.
AN: thanks for reading, sorry for the wait. I've been thinking of writing another book. If I do decide to do it. It'll be after I'm done with this. I appreciate the reviews and I always read them to motivate me to continue. I'll see you next chapter.