A/N- Ah! Finally, here is chapter 11, where Jack and Eva finally get to go and explore the wild frontier! Woo! Thank you so much to everyone who has reviwed and whatnot, and thank you so much for being patient with me. I can be such a lazy author at times. -.- And for that, I deeply apologise. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter!
DISCLAIMER: I do not, nor will I ever own Red Dead Redemption or anything related to it. This fanfiction is purely fan made and I only own characters and places that are new. I apologise if any of this material offends any one. I assure you I don't mean to offend in any way, shape or form. This story will contain coarse language and graphic violence.
Chapter 11 – Off to explore the west.
The rest of the four days passed fairly quickly. Each day passed much the same as the one before it, with both Jack and I busy with work around the ranch. Each day I would work under the baking sun then spend the night laying awake, counting down the moments till Bonnie would allow us to leave. And soon that moment came. On the fourth and final day I worked as diligently as I could, determined to prove to Bonnie that I had earned the right to explore the dying west. And so, when night fell and we were all seated around Bonnie's kitchen table for supper, I couldn't help but smile giddily and giggle. Bonnie cocked an eyebrow at my unusual behaviour and asked, "What's up with you?" I giggled again and shrugged.
"I guess I'm just excited for tomorrow," I answered, shooting Jack a grin.
Bonnie was perplexed by this and asked, "Why? What's happenin' tomorrow?" My grin faded to a confused frown.
"What do ya mean? Jack and I are leavin' tomorrow," I answered, cocking my head to the side. A look of realisation dawned across Bonnie's face and she quickly looked down at her soup. "Ah, I forgot about that," she muttered. I weakly smiled at her – she was worrying again. I sighed and laid down my spoon.
"You don't need to worry, Bonnie, I'll be fine," I softly said. She glanced up from her food at me and scanned my face for any signs of lying. I was tellin' the god-honest truth and she seemed to understand that. She sighed and sat upright. "I guess I trust ya, ya silly girl," she said, smirking. I pouted playfully.
"Why you keep callin' me a 'silly girl'?" I asked, crossing my arms across my chest.
"'Cause you are one," Bonnie replied, as if that made all the sense in the world. I playfully scowled and stuck my nose in the air. This is the real Bonnie! Playful and not above insulting me, I thought, smiling on the inside. "Well, if I'm a silly girl, then you're an even sillier woman," I retorted.
Bonnie raised a brow and laughed, "Is that what you think?"
"Sure is."
"Well, Eva White, you are sorely mistaken."
"Is that so? I don't think I am."
"Better to be a silly woman than a silly little girl." I flinched and swear I felt my eyelid twitch. She said that on purpose, I thought, looking over at Bonnie's confident smirk. She knew that would irk me. I opened my mouth to retort but was cut off half way through, "Yeah, well-"
"Look at you two, arguing like a couple 'a halfwits," Bonnie's father sighed. Both of us turned our heads towards him and I pointed at Bonnie.
"She started it!" I declared. Mr MacFarlane sighed but chuckled.
"And here I thought you were mature."
I paled and jumped to my own defence, "I am!" Bonnie laughed at me from across the table and was turned on by Mr MacFarlane.
"And you, my sweet and lovin' daughter, should know better," he scolded. Bonnie's smile dropped and it was my turn to laugh at her.
"Oh, hush you old timer," Bonnie countered. Her father raised a bushy grey brow and looked straight at her.
"What was that?" he asked.
"Old timer, you heard me. Or are ya goin' death at well?" Bonnie smirked. I began to laugh as Mr MacFarlane was roped into arguing with Bonnie. This is so much better when it's like this. I'm certainly gonna miss them when we leave tomorrow.
I smiled as I watched the two fire good-hearted insults at each other. I looked at Jack to see he was watching the two with humour as well. I grinned at him and decided he needed to join in as well. "How about you? Got any insults for us?" I asked, cheekily grinning at him. Jack rolled his eyes and turned to me. "I aint gonna start somethin' I'm not gonna win," he laughed.
I grinned at what he was implying and asked, "So you, the great Jack Marston, are admitting that you can get beat by me?" Jack chuckled and shrugged.
"I suppose," he said. I laughed and was about to cheer before he cut me off. "However, a more accurate assumption would be that I don't want to have to put up with your bosh." I was sure my jaw dropped and my eyes widened. Curse that Jack Marston!
I immediately scowled and began to fire words back at him, "What do you mean bosh? I don't talk no nonsense!" Jack chuckled and shook his head.
"Whatever you say Eva, whatever you say."
"I mean it! You're the only one who speaks bosh!" Jack only laughed at me, getting me riled up. What's that fool laughin' at? I'll show him! "You're jus' between hay and grass!" I insulted, knowing it would probably strike a chord in Jack. Sure enough, his laughter halted and he turned towards me. I smirked triumphantly and stuck my tongue out at him. "Was it something I said?" I said, smirking and playing dumb. Jack's face scrunched into a scowl and he pointed a finger at me.
"I aint no boy, I'm a man. I aint stuck in between neither!" I giggled and waved him off.
"Whatever you say Jack, whatever you say." Jack growled and leaned forward.
"I'll show you! You'll be takin' back those words Eva," he stated. I rolled my eyes and giggled.
"I probably will be, but you do know I mean nothin' by it. Just some harmless teasin'," I said, giving him an innocent look.
Jack smiled back and nodded, "I know, I was just teasin' back. Though I do mean it when I say I'm a man."
"I know you do, I aint stupid." Jack pretended to look thoughtful.
"I don't know," he muttered. I scowled and stuck my tongue out at him. "Now, now Eva, that aint very lady like," he teased.
"Oh, shut your yap."
Our playful arguing lasted long into the night, the house seemingly coming alive with laughter and good-natured teasing. At some point I remember slumping off to bed, tired but excited for the next day. What was New Austin like? What about Mexico? West Elizabeth? My drained mind swam with these thoughts and as I fell asleep they continued to buzz in my thoughts, invading my dreams.
The next morning I awoke somewhat early and was already dressed and packed, ready to leave before Bonnie had even made breakfast. I had stuffed as much ammo as I could into my satchel, along with my prized treasure map, all of my money, some bandages and a canteen of water. My bag looked close to over flowing. I emerged outside to fetch Dash, noting the warm, rising sun and the familiar smells of a working ranch. I smiled to myself and quickly prepared my horse, leading him back over to the house and tying him to the picket fence. Bonnie came out from the house a few seconds later, carrying some saddle bags and a rolled up mat for sleepin' on. It was then that I realised that I would need these key items and mentally sighed. I was a renowned bad packer and often forgot the most essential items while worrying about the less important ones. "Here," Bonnie said, handing me the rolled up mat. "If ya goin' away I might as well help you do it properly." I watched in silence as Bonnie attached the saddle bags on to Dash's saddle then handed her the rolled mat when she asked for it.
"Thank you," I said suddenly, breaking our silence. Bonnie paused momentarily in her work and glanced at me. "Thank you for everything Bonnie," I began, "You've been so good to me. You've looked after me on my pa's request, you let me go off for a bit, and now you're practically settin' me free in America." I gave her a warm smile, meaning everything I had just said. "I know it's a lot, askin' you for all this, and I sure as heck know that there's a chance that I might not even come back-"
"Don't talk like that!"
"But I promise you, I will try my darn hardest to stay alive and in one piece. I aint gonna go findin' no trouble on purpose, promise! So, thank you, for everything. I'm gonna miss you..." Bonnie and I stood in silence after I finished speaking, when all of a sudden I was enveloped into a tight hug. "Ya silly girl! I'm gonna miss you too!" Bonnie cried. I smiled contently, hugging her back. As I inhaled my nose was filled with the familiar smell of Bonnie's stew which made my mouth water and my stomach growl. I was snapped out of my growing hunger by Bonnie's stern voice. "And too right ya aint gonna go findin' any trouble! Or I'll personally hunt you down myself!" I laughed at this and we pulled back, breaking the hug. "I'd like to see that!" I exclaimed, grinning widely at her. Bonnie scowled and tugged on my bun, sending a shot of pain through my scalp and making me yelp like a dog. "Ow! What was that for?" I asked, pouting. Bonnie only shrugged and turned back to Dash's saddle. I sighed and petted Dash's velvety nose, waiting now for Jack to appear.
After a while Bonnie disappeared then re-appeared carrying a small sack of apples, some other food items and a bundle of various objects to put in the bags. "You go get some clean clothes while I put these in," Bonnie orders. I nodded yes then jogged back into the house. Running up the stairs, I tripped forward, collected myself then jumped into my room and began to open draws, grabbing all the clean clothes I could. Clothes collected, I turned to run from the room, but paused, staring at the few books that lined my bookshelves. Hmm... I might as well take one jus' in case. I quickly read all of the titles then decided on 'Sunsets and horses', a tale about a man's struggle to find love in the wild west. I plucked the book from the shelf then made my way down the stairs and out the house.
Once outside, I noticed Jack had appeared, packed and ready to go. "Oh- mornin' Jack!" I greeted cheerfully, peering over my bundle of clothes. Jack yawned morning back and Bonnie sighed. "Eva, jus' how many clothes do you have there?" she asked, shaking her head. I paused for a second, attempting to count the actual number of clothes before realising it was pointless (and that I had clearly brought too many), and shrugging. "A lot...?" I answered, grinning weakly. Bonnie rolled her eyes before taking half the clothes and then putting them away in another bag. In the mean time I turned to Jack with an excited smile. "You ready to go?" I asked. Jack chuckled and nodded. "I am, and, by the way you're smilin', I'd say you are as well."
"Of course I am! I can't wait!" I said with growing enthusiasm. Jack could only laugh at me and shake his head.
Finally, once Bonnie had scolded me for being a bad, unprepared packer and everything was ready, Jack and I got ready to mount our horses and said one last goodbye to Bonnie. "Have fun you two, and remember don't get-"
"Into trouble, got it," I interrupted, grinning at the woman. Bonnie sighed and laid a hand on my shoulder.
"Listen Eva... Please... don't..." Bonnie stared awkwardly to the side, not knowing fully what to say. I peered at the woman, watching her carefully. "Jus'... be careful, okay?" I stared at her and saw all of the worry etched into her face, like names into a tree. I smiled as reassuringly as I could.
"Of course we will. I don't wanna die jus' yet, so don't worry about me doin' anything reckless."
"Reckless ought ta' be your middle name," Bonnie muttered, frowning. I smiled sheepishly at her and shrugged.
"But that's what makes me, me, right?" Bonnie laughed lightly, nodding in agreement.
"I guess that's true..., Ya silly girl."
"What's with the silly girl?" I asked, frowning slightly, but was cut off by Bonnie wrapping me up in another hug. "B-Bonnie?"
"You better come back alive!" Bonnie scolded firmly, but I could hear the sadness underneath the scolding and firm tones. I gasped at Bonnie but eventually hugged her back, smiling to myself. "I promise. Haven't I said that enough recently?" Bonnie pulled away and shoved me towards Dash.
"No, now get on your horse and get goin' before I change my mind." I smiled at her from over my shoulder, before mounting Dash and straightening up in the saddle.
"Well, I guess we'll be goin' then."
"Make sure you send a letter at least once a week!" Bonnie reminded, as we began to walk away in the direction of Armadillo.
"We will," I called back over my shoulder. She stood by the entrance to the house awkwardly, kicking the dirt as if not knowing what to do. Suddenly, her head shot up and she shouted out to me, "And don't go huntin' down outlaws!"
"We won't."
"And stay clear of places like Tumbleweed!"
"We will."
"And don't separate from each other!"
"We won't. Goodbye Bonnie! See ya'll soon! Tell everyone I said thank you and that I'll miss them!" Bonnie and I waved at each other until she had faded into a little figure in the distance. We were clear of the ranch and now on our own little adventure. A feeling of excitement and wonder welled up inside me and I stared dead ahead of us, gazing out at the scenery that was just waiting to be explored by us. What wonders would we find? What kinds of people would we meet? This land was just waiting for me to explore it. And I was sure - surer than I had ever been - that I was gonna have one hell of a time doing it.
Jack and I had made steady progress towards Armadillo and just as we were coming down out of Hennigan's Stead and headin' straight for Armadillo, Jack pulled out a yellowed map from his satchel and handed it to me. "Here," he said, passing it over the gap between our trotting horses, "You look at that and decide where we're gonna be headin' first." I stared blankly down at the piece of folded paper before grinning.
"OK!" I agreed happily, before unfolding the map and scrutinizing every inch of it. It was yellowed and the corners frayed and slightly torn, giving it an ancient look. The map was of the New Austin area, as well as a chunk of Mexico and West Elizabeth. It was fairly detailed, showing major towns or settlements as well at the railroad track, San Luis River, Sea of Colorado, Flat Iron Lake and the Redemption Mountains. I also noticed red marks near several locations. I cocked my head but decided to ask Jack about it later. I scanned over the map then pinpointed where we currently were. Once I found that – just inside Cholla springs – I then followed the multiple lines of paths that connected together like a spider's web, and mulled over in my head which one to take. "Well?" Jack asked, "Have you decided where to go yet?" I stared at the map a second longer before choosing my destination. "Why don't we go all the way to Rathskeller Fork? That'll take us straight through the middle of Cholla springs, allowin' us to explore a little on the way," I suggested. Jack nodded and shifted in the saddle a little.
"OK, that sounds good. Let's keep on going through Armadillo then we'll go along past Odd Fellow's rest, through Ridgewood farm then make our way to Rathskeller." I nodded and grinned eagerly, even giggling slightly. "Ah! I'm so excited! I wonder what we'll find!" I asked myself, though I heard Jack chuckling beside me.
"I expect we'll find loads Eva, now how about you calm down before you tire yourself out?" I pouted and huffed, folding up the map and slipping it away in my satchel.
"I can't help it! You're jus' a stick in mud," I declared, turning away from Jack. Beside me, he chuckled and raised his eyebrows.
"I'm a what?" he asked.
"Stick in the mud. You heard me," I repeated, sticking my tongue out childishly. Jack shook his head and opened his mouth to reply. I stuck my hand up and prevented him from doing so. "Save it Marston," I replied, smirking at him. Jack closed his mouth but grinned and spurred his horse.
"Whatever, jus' get a move on!" he shouted back, cantering off towards Armadillo.
"H-hey, wait!" I cried, spurring Dash and following quickly.
We were through Armadillo and now on the long winding road towards Ridgewood farm. We were currently approaching Odd Fellow's rest, a graveyard that looked intimidating and abandoned. We had slowed to a walk, the sun approaching midday, and we were happily chatting away about trivial things. "Say, how about we stop for a rest and read some gravestones?" I suggested, interested in what kind of people were buried here. Jack raised a brow at me. "You wanna read some gravestones?" he asked. I nodded and smiled at him. He sighed but smiled, "Well that's fine by me, let's leave the horses under that there tree." Jack pointed at a black tree with few leaves growing at the back of the cemetery. It went well with the creepy tone of the cemetery and reminded me of the tree at Hanging Rock. We trotted over and halted our horses under the tree before quickly dismounting. I landed on my feet and began to stretch my stiff legs. We had been sitting for a fair while and my behind was beginning to numb. While Jack was petting his horse on the neck I moved over to a nearby gravestone and read the name. One said:
No Known Name
Died on the 4th of November, 1868
"Rest in Peace"
I stared at the grave a few seconds longer, re-reading over the engraved words before I shrugged. At least they gave them a grave, even if their name wasn't known. I moved along to another grave, reading the engravings quickly.
Here lies Dorothy Hewitt
1858 – 1883
"If you are reading this I must be dead"
I giggled in slight humour, despite the fact that someone was dead and buried underneath my feet. It's nice to see someone attempt to lighten the mood, I thought, smiling down at the grave before glancing up. Jack was walking around the other set of graves, doing the same as me and reading over the name and cause of death. I looked back down at the grave before moving on to another, and another. Some of them were normal graves (as normal as a grave can be) of people wishing their deceased loved ones luck in the next life, or of the traditional "Rest in Peace". However, some had a more humorous grave. One, which I found particularly funny, was:
In Memory of Ira Somers
1860 – 1889
"His memory and Syphilis will live on"
I had spent a while laughing at this, then cringing when I fully realised what Syphilis was. Another one was:
Lambert Henning
Died on April 11th, 1908
"He stepped onto the track to see if the train was coming. It was."
Immediately the mental image of some poor old fool stepping onto a train tracks, only for a train to approach from behind and... Well... I made sure to shake my head clear of the thoughts before anything got too graphic. I had even called Jack over and shown him a few, and together we laughed at others misfortunate deaths. As I was reading away, I happened across a grave whose owner sounded very familiar.
In memory of Louisa Warthington
Wife of Ray Warthington
1868 – 1905
"Rest in peace my love, now we will both get some."
My eyes widened and I cocked my head to the sight slightly, confused. I thought his wife was Helen... unless he remarried? I stared at the gravestone a moment longer before calling for Jack. "Hey, Jack... Do you know if Ray Warthington ever remarried?" I asked, turning my eyes away from the stone to the man beside me. He joined my side and looked at the grave before shrugging. "I haven't a clue... But judgin' by this I'd say he did. It aint often you get the name Warthington," he said, staring at the grave a second longer before moving away toward our horses who were dozing off under the tree and nibbling at the short, coarse grass. I turned back to the grave for a final time, re-readin' the words before deciding that Jack was most likely right, and moving after him back to our steeds.
Dash pawed at the ground with his great hooves and snorted, touching his muzzle to the saddle on his back. This was his own little way of telling me he was ready to go, and growing impatient. I smiled at my horse before patting his neck and mounting him. I grabbed the reins and, once I was seated properly and ready to go, I turned to Jack. I watched as he fished about in a saddle bag for something. "What're you lookin' for?" I asked, curiously cocking my head to the side slightly. Jack rooted about in the bag before producing a water canteen. "This," he said, holding the bottle up in the air like a long, sought after prize. "I jus' wanna take a quick drink before we get goin'." I nodded and grinned at him.
"That makes sense, since it is pretty hot."
So, I waited patiently for Jack to take a quick, refreshing drink before we set out again. The afternoon was still as hot as midday, and the rippling heat was something I was accustom too. Even so, I could feel my body be affected by waves of heat, and was thankful my hair was tied up in its usual bun, leaving my neck free to breathe. I was also thankful for the little shade that the tree provided, even though it had little leaves on its darkened branches. I was also sure that the horses appreciated it too, for they had not strayed from the shelter whilst Jack and I examined the gravestones. Jack quickly unscrewed the lid to the canteen before bringing the container to his lips and tipping it back, gulping down the refreshing and life saving liquid. I watched, out of the corner of my eyes, as his adam's apple bobbed up and down with every swallow. As a child I had always been confused by the feature and my pa would frequently tell me that men were grown off apple trees – hence the adams apple – and that women were grown from cauliflowers, found curled up between the leaves. Looking back on it, I would always chuckle at how gullible I was, and, how weird my pa was for conjurin' up such bosh. Coming back out of my memories I looked back at Jack to see he had finished drinkin'. He swallowed his last mouthful before pouring some clear water into his hand and rubbing it under his chin and round the back of his neck. I couldn't help my wandering eyes trail after a water droplet as it escaped down Jack's neck, trailing down further past his collar bone and disappearing past his shirt collar and onto his firm chest-
Shaking my head almost violently I felt my cheeks heat to a temperature that could rival the Mexican desert. I faced fully away from Jack and mentally screamed at myself. What's wrong with you? Get a hold of ya self! That's dangerous territory you're tredin' on! Have some decency, Eva! "Ya ready to get goin'?" I blinked and spun around, back to Jack. He had now mounted his golden stallion and was waiting for me to answer. I nodded stiffly and made no attempt to speak, not trusting my own voice. Jack cocked a brown and scrutinised me. "Are you okay? You're face is all red," Jack asked, leaning forward in the saddle and lookin' closer at my face. My blush deepened and I nodded stiffly, again. "Y-yeah, I'm fine! I'm jus' a little hot, that's all," I replied, clearing my throat and straightening up in the saddle. Jack watched me for a few more seconds before nodding and sitting back into his own saddle. "Well, as long as ya don't go gettin' heatstroke," he chuckled. I nodded again and tilted my head down towards the horn. Jack and I turned our horses towards the exit of the cemetery and spurred our rides into a trot. "Let's get goin'!" Jack declared, and we did jus' that.