A/N - Well... this has a little bit of fluff in it... wI'm not sure if it's classed as fluff. Anyway, I started writing this with the aim of having a nice fluddy chapter but then I switched into a more action-y (is that a word?) chapter. The twist in this is inspirared by the animated movie; Spirit: Stallion on the Cimarron. I LOVE that film! And when I was writing it I couldn't help but slip the scene in. Teehee! The twist does hold relevence to the plot, it just won't seem like it at first. :3 A MASSIVE thank you to all reviewers, especially you, Simbah, who made my day. XD Keep up the reviewing please guys! Enjoy~!
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 15 – A twist and a turn.
I had only ever seen a cougar a couple of times. The first time was long ago when I was young. I was seated on my pa's saddle in front of him as we rode his bay mare around the plains near our ranch. We were coming back from the nearby town and I could remember pa's mare whinnying with fear and rearing up. I would have fallen off if Pa hadn't been seated behind me. The cougar was not after us, but had just killed a deer. The massive feline hissed protectively over its kill, its teeth bared. Pa had regained control over his mare and urged her past the cougar. Luckily, it let us pass with no harm.
The second time I was older and following pa on my old horse, a red roan colt named Sage. We had been trotting along a similar route, heading to the nearby town when the cougar jumped out of nowhere, claws unsheathed and teeth bared. It hissed and roared and took a swipe at our horses. Sage had reared up and thrashed his great hooves in the air before slamming them down and missing the cougar by an inch. My pa's mare whinnied and bolted off, my pa yelling and trying to regain control. I was still stuck on Sage, my tiny hands wrapped in his mane, holding on the best I could while he skirted from side to side, rearing and kicking out. The cougar circled us for a bit before it coiled itself like a snake and snapped forward, sinking its claws and teeth into Sage's shoulder. The colt had thrashed violently and the only thing that kept me on was my entanglement in his reins. I can remember being terrified and had done the first thing I could think of. I reached into an attachment on Sage's saddle, pulled out my pa's old hunting knife and swung blindly at the creature, hoping to scare it off. I heard a howl of pain and looked to see I had cut the cougar across its left eye. The creature released Sage so I spurred him, letting him shoot off away from the danger.
Sage had survived but I was so scared by the encounter that I refused to leave the ranch during the day and the house at night for 5 weeks. Every time I saw the jagged, hairless scars on Sage's shoulder I would be hit with the fear I had felt on that day. However, as I grew my pa taught me important skills, and I no longer feared cougars. So now, whilst Jack and I trotted along the path leading to Benedict Point, I heard the roar of the cougar nearby but calmly lowered my hand towards my Schofield, just in case. Dash's ears snapped towards the sound and I felt him alter his stride slightly. I pulled him back in line and glanced at Jack. "Don't ya jus' hate cougars?" I asked him, smiling. Jack glanced at me before looking back out at the surrounding brush. I caught a glimpse of a tawny tail as it slipped between bushes. "Let's jus' say I aint never had a nice encounter with one before." I giggled and patted Dash on the neck.
"The first time I ever used my huntin' knife in self defence was on a cougar," I told Jack. He turned to me with a surprised look.
"Really?" he asked. I nodded and hummed.
"Mmhm. It was years ago when I was about... 12? My pa and I were out ridin' when this cougar came out of nowhere and latched onto my horse. I did the first thing I could think of – I pulled out my knife and swung it around hoping to catch the cougar." I grinned at the memory, silently proud of my younger self for what I had done. "I caught it right over the left eye, leavin' a mark there. I could always tell when I met her again because of the scar." Jack cocked a brow.
"Her?"
"She's had multiple litters," I answered. Jack nodded and adjusted himself in the saddle.
We made it to Benedict point without any cougar attacks much to my secret relief. The town was more like a settlement, with tents set up for workers and oil drills tipping. Many carts and wagons were passing through on the main road as well as men milling about the place. A few tipped their hats respectively while others watched us curiously. We pulled our horses over nearby the tents and dismounted.
The sun had finally fallen and submitted to the moon. Jack and I had rented a tent for the night, tying the horses to wooden posts not too far away. The tent was open and fairly large; comfortably fitting two rolled out mats. A small lantern was placed on the floor, the fire inside lighting up the tent and casting our shadows large on the wall. We both sat in silence, having already eaten for the evenin' and now settling down. The sound of crickets and other insects filled the air, filling the silence between us with noise. The quiet murmur of people in the distance could be heard around us as well as the occasional creak of the oil pipes and the snort of horses. Jack and I sat on our respective rolled out mats and watched the window of world we could see in front. A cool breeze blew by, just grazing the tops of the grass and tough prairie bushes. I felt the wind circulate around the tent as it sent a shiver up my spine. I shook and hugged my knees against my chest, burying my face between my legs, just so my eyes were level with the tops of my knees. The small lanterns meagre yellow light did little to warm up the tent.
As I curled up my mind began to wander in the silence. I was mostly curious as to what Bonnie was up to. I felt a sharp sting of pity well up in my stomach and my smile twisted into a frown. Poor Bonnie, my thoughts echoed. She's stuck on that ranch while I'm out here having the time of my life. As much as I love the ranch and the people on it, I'd get bored doin' the same thing day in, day out. I sighed and nuzzled deeper as another wind blew around me. Perhaps one day she'll go out on a little journey with me... I giggled as a devious thought crossed my mind. Perhaps I should take her to meet Jeb. A grin crept upon my lips. I could only imagine Bonnie's disturbed look and the frown that would spread across her lips at the sight of Jeb and Lucy, his sweetheart. Then I thought about her pa, and how he would react. I could imagine the disgusted look on his face and the disapproving shake of his head. I began to imagine scenario after scenario of how people would react to Jeb. Sheriff Clarke? He'd probably insult Jeb in a sophisticated manor, with a fancy word that no one except him had ever heard of. Then I thought of my pa...
My pa was a kind and friendly man; he was happy and cheerful and very inviting. I could imagine him laughing at Jeb before callin' him a blind fool who couldn't tell a horse from a woman. I giggled aloud at this, catching Jack's attention. "What?" he asked, raising a brow. I uncurled myself and grinned at him.
"Nothin'. I was just thinkin' about my pa."
Jack nodded slowly before asking, "What's your pa like?" My grin faded into a loving smile.
"My pa... why he's one of the kindest, nicest, hard-working man I've ever met! I just know you and him will get along!" I explained, using my arms for emphasis, as if I could show Jack just how nice my pa was. "Will?" Jack asked, confused. I lowered my arms and nodded.
"Of course. You're gonna meet my pa at some point! It would be rude of me not to acquaint the two of you." Jack paused in thought before chuckling.
"Well... If ya say so." I grinned playfully.
"Are you implyin' you don't wanna meet my pa?" I grinned mischievously and watched with triumph as Jack flinched.
"No!" he replied, a little quickly. "I do wanna meet ya pa... I didn't mean to come off that way." I couldn't believe it. This was the first time I had ever seen Jack act like this. I couldn't control it. I burst out laughing, my eyes closing with glee. Jack blinked before raising a brow with a displeased look. "What you laughin' at?" he asked. I slowed down my laughing enough to wheeze out the words, "It's just... your face... you looked... so worried!" I erupted into another round of laughter.
Jack sat in silence while he waited for my laughing to cease. Finally it did stop, and I propped myself up with my left arm (I had fallen backwards onto my mat) and clutched my aching chest. "S-sorry," I sighed out, still occasionally shaking with laughs. "But... you just looked so worried! I aint ever seen you like that before!" Jack rolled his eyes but laughed a little.
"I guess it was a little funny," he admitted. "I just didn't want to offend ya about your pa... I know I'd hate it if anyone did about my pa..." Jack trailed off and averted his eyes out of the tent and to the nearly dark world. I watched him carefully as a faraway look came over his face. I fell silent and sat up properly, shivering almost violently as another breeze fluttered past the tent flaps and hitting me. I shook and groaned with a pout. I made a mental note to find a thick jacket for the approaching autumn and winter months. "Here." I looked up from my hands to see a beige cloth in front of my face. I blinked slightly before sitting back and taking in the whole coat. Jack was holding out his jacket to me, much to my surprise. "Huh?" I asked slowly. Jack sighed deeply but had a small smile.
"Here, take my jacket."
"What for?"
"You're cold." It was a statement; a fact. I slowly and hesitantly took the jacket from him. I then held it before looking to him, as if asking permission. He just busied himself with pulling off his boots and settling into a comfortable position. I looked back at the jacket. Was he seriously offering me his jacket because I was cold? My face softened at the thought and I happily laid back, getting comfortable and laying the coat over me like a blanket.
The noises outside seemed to have died down as well as the light. The moon was the only thing providing us with light as it illuminated everything in a milky glow. Horses had fallen silent along with the chatter of men. Slowly, the small settlement at Benedict Point succumbed to the night as its inhabitants fell asleep. I lay awake, blinking up at the top of the tent. The glowing, white orb that was the moon could bee seen through the tough canvas of the tent. I shifted slightly before sighing. Something was keeping me awake. A small, squirming excitement was working itself up inside me as I thought about tomorrow. Would we finally get to Mexico? I clasped my hands over my mouth and I giggled with excitement. I heard Jack shift and jumped when his voice broke the silence. "What're you giggling about now?" I could hear the humour in his tone.
"I was just thinking," I answered vaguely. I couldn't see much of Jack, only the faint outline of him. I blinked, straining to see in the dark but gave up and turned back to the roof of the tent. "Thinking about...?" I shrugged, though I was sure he couldn't see it.
"About the same thing I always think about – what we're gonna do next." Jack chuckled and I grinned.
"What about you?" Jack 'hmed' and I heard him shift slightly. "You were awake so you had to be thinkin', right?" Jack was silent for a moment before he answered.
"I was jus' thinkin' 'bout things. I can think clearer out here." I nodded in the darkness.
"Thinkin' about what?" Jack was silent for a moment and I mistook this for hesitation. "Sorry, I don't mean to pry," I added, feeling suddenly guilty.
Jack chuckled, "It's OK. That's what makes you, you, right?"
I smiled softly. "Right."
"Jack paused before saying, "I think about things such as where my life's going."
"Where do you think it is going?" I asked, curious beyond belief. Jack chuckled again.
"I don't know... Perhaps I'll have a family and work on my ranch. Maybe even get a hon in the city." I smiled and closed my eyes, imagining Jack with a family, going off to work in a nice suit. Except, instead of having a faceless wife beside him, I see me, grinning and dusting off his suit before he goes away. And it's our child runnin' 'round, playing with a puppy we had recently bought. I blushed and giggled, feelin' like I was 14 and at school again. I coughed to cover up and asked, "What about the immediate future?"
Jack shrugged and said, "I don't know. Travel 'round with you I suppose."
"Ya say that with such enthusiasm," I teased.
Jack laughed and replied, "Sorry, I was thinkin' about all the times I'll have to save your butt."
I sat up. "Hey!" Jack just laughed and swatted at some bugs that must have been hovering near his face.
"I was joking," he laughed. I scowled and crossed my arms, looking out at the quivering bushes. Another cool breeze blew through the tent.
"I hope so."
"What about you?" I cocked my head to the side in confusion.
"What about me?"
"What do you think about – besides what we're gonna do?" I nodded in understanding and tilted my head upwards.
"Hm... Well, I think about a lot of things... Like, I wonder what Bonnie's doing. And about Marshall Arrington, and Jonah and Eli. And then..." I paused, breathed deep then exhaled. "I wonder how my pa's fairing. And everyone back home." My eyes stared up at the endless night sky, eyes reflecting like a mirror. My hands clenched my jeans. "I miss them," I admitted.
Jack was silent before shifting into a sitting position. "I'm sure they're fine," he said smiling. "And if your pa's anything like you then I'm sure he can look after himself." I giggled as I thought of my beloved pa. He sure was a character alright. "Yeah, though he can be more trouble than he's worth sometimes."
"Like you then," Jack laughed. I looked at Jack's silhouette and raised a brow.
"What was that, Jack Marston?" I asked, sending him a glare. Even if he couldn't see it I was sure he could feel it. Jack laughed and jus' laid back down, not answering.
"Why don't you try gettin' some sleep," he said, settling down on his mat. I nodded hesitantly, suddenly feelin' wide away.
"OK." I laid down on my back and pulled Jack's jacket over me, drawing the collar close to my chine. I soon drifted off into a world of dreams.
The next morning I jolted awake. I blinked with confusion, my body feeling stiff before I relaxed as I found the source of the noise. One of the oil drills had made a particularly loud squeak or bang or something. Either way, I was now awake and had little chance of getting back to sleep. The sun outside was bright, casting a cool shadow over the tent. I looked over at Jack. He was still asleep on his back. I smiled slightly and quietly got up, slipped off his jacket and left it on my mat and slipped out of the tent.
Outside the air was cool but was steadily warming up. I stretched out my stiff limbs, shaking the sleep out of them. I looked around; already men were up and working. I then looked towards our horses. Both were grazing quietly. I smiled and walked over, whistling to catch Dash's attention. His ears perked moments before his head shot up. Laying his big, black eyes on me, Dash whinnied in greeting. I grinned even wider as he bobbed his head. "Mornin' boy," I cooed. He snorted into my hand and let me fuss behind his ears. Dash's velvety lips nibbled at my sleeve before he nodded to his back, signifying he wanted to go for a ride. I grinned and untied him, more than happy to sit on his back and explore the wilderness around Plainview for a bit. Dash pawed excitedly at the ground and eagerly trotted forward, me laughing and following behind. "Hey! Wait!" I managed to catch up with him and slipped into the saddle. Dash whinnied back to Jack's stallion who whinnied back, ears perked as he watched us disappear.
The area around Plainview was wild and untamed, with plenty of foliage. Rocks sprouted from the earth like looming obstacles, and helped to provide a intimidating but beautifully untamed landscape. I let Dash go at his own speed, letting him trot from patch to patch of green. His ears were constantly swivelling in the sockets, listening intently. His eyes were bright with curiosity. It made me happy to see him like that. I patted his neck as he lowered his head to nibble at the grass. I smiled at him and ran my fingers through his mane, untangling any knots. In the corner of my eye I spotted two horseback riders emerge from behind a rock. The two horses snorted and pulled at the reins. I looked over at them, curious but wary. They just sat on their horses, watch me carefully. It unnerved me. Dash caught the horses' scents and heard their ragged breathes and shot his head up, ears snapped in their direction and eyes staring unblinkingly at them. I observed Dash's reaction and then looked at the men again. They spurred their horses into a walk and advanced my way. Quickly gathering the reins, I urged Dash into a gentle trot. He complied, all the time keeping his ears aimed backwards towards the strangers. They spurred their horses again and trotted along behind Dash and I. Feeling a steady grow of uneasiness, I switched Dash into a canter. Then men copied.
We continued like this, the men following behind, never speeding up, only following like a shadow. I grew uneasy as the seconds passed. My mind was whirling with horrible worse case scenarios and finally my nerve broke and I urged Dash into a gallop. The men suddenly shot forward, yipping and smacking their horses. They nearly caught up with me but I felt Dash speed up of his own accord. Hooves thudded hard against the rocky ground, occasional hoof shaped scoops being ploughed out of the ground when we hit softer going. The men were still trailing, one suddenly yelling out, "Where ya goin', girly?" The rumbling cackle that followed after shot fear through me. My heart began beating as panic spread through my veins like a vile poison. "Dash, run. Please run!" I whispered into my horse's ear as I looked back over my shoulder. The men had crazed grins on their faces, like they had finally found a prey worth chasing. I spurred Dash harder, willing him to go faster. "Go boy!" I cried, glancing back behind over my shoulder. The men were hot on my tail. I gritted my teeth and spurred my horse's sides. "C'mon boy, hyah!" Dash whinnied and laid his ears back, giving it his all.
We galloped through the brush, not caring about sticking to the paths. The two men followed us, shouting out and cheering, like I was some fleeing animal for them to hunt. Their horses did well to keep up with us. Dash was finding the rough ground surprising. It had been a while since we strayed from the carefully carved paths. I noticed a dusty trail beside us and steered Dash towards it. I knew that once he hit it we would accelerate. "C'mon boy, you can do it!" I encouraged. Dash's ears flicked back, listening to my voice. It soothed him and encouraged him to try harder. We hit the path and Dash shot forward. He accelerated quickly, leaving the men behind us. Their horses sped up too but Dash was too quick. "Good boy!" I cried, grinning and patting him on the neck. He snorted in return and kept galloping at full speed.
On the path in front was a large rock, approaching fast; Repentance rock. I grinned and looked back over my shoulder. The men appeared to be slowing. In my mind a small logical part of me began to question, Why are they slowing? But another, more dominant, part just thought, Who cares? They're gone! I faced forward and ignored the grating feeling in the back of my conscience. I gave Dash one last spur, intent of leaving them far behind in the dust. I felt Dash move beneath me, his muscles tightening before he sped up, reaching his very limit. He paused only a brief second as we turned the corner by Repentance rock as he corrected his footing before he shot forward in the correct path. We were now curving the rock and I felt relief spread through me. Dash and I were flying round the bend; my hair falling free from its bun and whipping behind me in the wind. I grinned and chuckled confidently.
We flew past dun rock and my grin grew with my success. It dropped, however, when I saw a hovering loop of rope. It faded from my face and the world seemed to move in slow motion. I reacted too slowly' pulling back on the reins, begging Dash to stop or alter his course. Dash whinnied and it seemed to echo about me, bounding off the rocks as his hooves thudded against the ground. The loop slipped neatly over me, tightening around my midsection. It tugged and I come tumbling off Dash. I flew through the air, stirrups flying up as my feet slipped from them. My hands shot out and clawed desperately for the reins and I watched in horror as Dash threw his head back but carried on galloping, foaming at the sides. My eyes screwed shut as I drew closer to the ground.
I landed hard on the ground, smacking my back and knocking the wind out of me. The sounds of pain and shock were lodged in my throat as I rolled along the ground from the momentum of my fall. I came to a stop, landing awkwardly on my left arm. "Ow..." I muttered as I sat up on my knees. I hissed as my wrist smarted painfully. I heard a deep chuckled and looked up. A grubby man sat on a bay whose whites were showing and was constantly hoping from foot to foot, his tail swishing restlessly. The man looked down at me, an amused and psychotic glint in his muddy eyes. "What the..." I whispered to myself. My heart thumped so hard I feared it would burst from my chest. I looked down at the rope around me with disgust before I followed the length of it to the man's saddle. "Thought ya got away, didn't ya?" he taunted, the psychotic glint in his eyes becoming more pronounced. I gritted my teeth as I felt anger rear its ugly head. "Damn you," I hissed through clenched teeth before leaping forward, like a striking snake. The man raised a brow but kept the psychotic grin in place.
I wasn't sure what I was doing. I was a young dog, not knowing what to do with the prey once I got it. But my mind was screaming, 'attack!' I was stopped by another loop of rope closing round my leg and yanking me to the ground. I flinched as it felt like my leg nearly came out of its socket. I bit back the urge to scream as I further twisted my arm painfully. I heard jeers and laughs from behind so I twisted my head round to see the two men who had been chasing me. Their horse's were chewing at the bit and foaming. One was holding the rope that was wrapped around my ankle and the other was just sauntering over after dismounting, a cocky grin in place. "This the girl?" he asked. The first man crouched in front of me, lifting up my chin with a grubby finger.
"Looks it," he said, scrutinising my face. "You Evelyn White?"
"What's it to ya?" I snapped coldly. The man's face appeared shocked before he erupted into heartless laughter. I felt my cheeks burn with complete and utter embarrassment. "Ha, ha! Yeah, that's her alright." He stood back up, his sharpened spurs glinting in the sun. "Hogtie her."
On his word the other two men suddenly grabbed my ankles and tied them together painfully tight. "Let go of me!" I yelled, kicking with all my might, like a wild horse. "What do ya want with me?" They grabbed my arms at the elbow and yanked me to my knees while they tied my wrists together. My hairs had fallen completely from its bun and the slightly curled ends fell in front of my face, awkwardly landing in front of my glaring eyes and heavy breathes. "Oh don't look so angry. You'll ruin that pretty face of yours." The man chuckled before moving forward and slinging me over his shoulder like a sack of grain. "Let me go!" I screamed over and over, trying to break free. I couldn't. "Let me go! What do ya want with me?" Then n men just ignored me and slipped me onto his horse across its jittering withers. Damn it! What's happening? What's goin' on? I began to panic, my body trembling with a terrible mix of adrenalin and fear. The men mounted their horses and cantered forward, none of them speaking.
Only one thought echoed through my head: Jack, help me! Please!