Chapter 2
John Marston
"Hero of the Old West"
Ellie thought she was dead, until she felt the hot dirt on the palm of her hand as well did she feel the dirt on the right side of her face, she was starting to see a fade of light, she tried to open her eyes but tight shut, it was when she hears a bird, a sound of a hawk, that was when she opened her eyes, this rules out that she wasn't dead yet, using both of her arms to pick herself up.
"Joel?" she spoke, it was when she got to her knees she felt the sudden heatwave of the sun, "God, when did it suddenly get so hot," Ellie said, she took off her pink jacket, from underneath she was still wearing the red shirt with black sleeves.
Ellie thought Joel must of gotten her out of the house in time, but it was then she looked around her surroundings that definitely wierded her out, she was in a desert, there were cactuses from afar and up close, shrubs, there was even an armadillo the was walking pass by Ellie, just a minute ago she and Joel were in a town, surrounded trees, and it was winter.
"Joel!?" Ellie called out again, but there were no response, until she heard gunfire, Ellie quickly hid behind the small hills, she listened carefully, what she heard was a 2 men on a their horses, they were riding fast and were shooting at something, they rode past by Ellie, when they were far enough, she stopped hiding, there was no way that was Joel, there were 5 more men she came with, and besides, Joel would know where Ellie would be, but why would he hide her here.
Ellie thought for a moment, that is when she heard something she didn't want to hear, a growling sound but not from an infected, she turned around and see two wolves slowly walking to her.
"Oh you got to be kidding me," Ellie said to herself, from the two wolves she see then comes in to see 2 more wolves, Ellie slowly backs off of the 4 wolves, it was when one of the wolf made a loud bark, that Ellie decided to make a run for it, she ran as fast as she could, while the wolves are following their prey behind her.
This is not the good place Joel would leave her to.
"Where the hell am I," Ellie thought, she made a quick turn where the wolves got off trail, she goes out for her pistol, only to realize she didn't have one.
"What!? where-" she looked to where she fell and see her bow and the pistol 10 feet away from her, she made a break for it with the savage wolves following her, it was one of the wolves her caught her leg and started to sink its teeth into her ankle.
"OW, GET OFF!" Ellie shouted, she kicked the wolf on its face, backing it away, this gives her the opportunity, she stumbled a little but got enough strength to reach for her pistol, she fell but holds the pistol, seeing the 4 wolves coming at her, she aims the pistol at one of the wolves.
"I can do this, I can do this," Ellie said to herself.
Before she can fire, the wolf in front who was about to jump on her when it was shot from above Ellie's head.
"What the-" Ellie hold still with her gun drawn, the 2 wolves were drawn back until both of them got shot two times from the distance, it was the the last wolf that decided to retreat, but Ellie could still hear the gunfiring at the last wolf, all the wolves Ellie saw were dead, she gave a big sigh of relief when the sound of a horse coming close gave her guard up.
The horse she saw suddenly jumped over her head in which Ellie ducked, the horse was a blond color horse with blonde mane, and it was being ridden by a man wearing blue leather coat with a white shirt underneath, he had a rifle and a carbine behind his back as well as having his pistol handled with his left hand, wearing leather boots and dark pants, and last he wears a brown cowboy hat, he really does look like a cowboy Ellie thought.
When the cowboy looked towards Ellie, Ellie sees he has a trimed beard with the 2 scars marked on the man's right side cheek, she stared at the man's brown eyes.
Now at the Cowboy's perspective, he was riding along the roads when he saw the girl in trouble, he did had the decision whether to leave or not, but when it comes to a little kid, there's no questions ask, the man got off of his horse, putting away his pistol.
"Well Hi there, little miss," he said in a texas accent, he walks over to Ellie, "You lost or some-" he stopped when Ellie aimed her pistol at him.
"Stay back," she warned, the man recognized the southern accent she had, but never seen the red headed girl before, when she aimed her pistol at him, he stepped back with both of his hands up.
"Whoa now, didn't your parents said anything about not playing with guns," said the man, he was getting a little nervous.
"Did you brought me here?" questioned Ellie, the cowboy looked confused.
"What? Look miss, I just saw you in trouble and thought I-" the cowboy was interrupted when Ellie finished for him.
"And thought you could just come and rescue me," finished Ellie.
"Well, yea," the cowboy stared at her, he sees her wearing an outfit he never seen before, she could be from a city, he thought.
"If you didn't brought me here, then where am I," Ellie asked, the cowboy was astound, he never met a kid with an attitude like that, but he can still see that the girl was scared and confused just as much as he is.
"Your in America little lady," he said with his hands still up, Ellie looked at the cowboy with an annoyed look.
"You don't think I know that," said Ellie, she then felt a sharp pain on the right of her ankle, she looked down a little to see that it was bleeding from the bite of the wolf that got her, the cowboy saw the injury she had.
"Your not looking too good, look why don't you put down the gun and I can take you to a doctor," suggested the cowboy, lowering his hands down a little and trying to look harmless, Ellie stopped looking at her injuries and pointed her pistol at him again.
"I said stay back," Ellie warned again, this time she wasn't afraid to fire at him.
"I'm not moving, I promise you miss," said the Cowboy, Ellie wondered what to do with him, she gave a thought that she could force him to take him back to the nearest town that she was in.
"Okay listen, your going to do exactly what I say or-" her voice was interruped by a gun shot that sounded behind her, when she turned, it was the cowboy that spoke on what were those gunfires.
"Bandits," he said, when he saw the girl with her back turned away from him with her pistol down, he goes to her and grabbed the pistol.
"Hey!" she said in surprise, it was then the cowboy grabbed Ellie by the arm.
"Come on, we can't stay here any longer!" said the cowboy, but Ellie tries to break free.
"Let me go!" she cried, he tries to get her on his horse.
"Miss, I'm not going to hurt you!" he said, it was then he was almost shot by a bandit that came near them, the horse led out a cry of fear.
"Okay, your coming with me now," he said to Ellie, he then picks her up and placed her on the back of the horse.
"What are you-" Ellie was interrupted by the cowboy.
"Trying to save your life," answered the cowboy, he got on the horse and started to ride.
"COME ON!" he said to the horse, like following orders, the horse turned and started to head away from the bandits.
"Hold on, miss," said the cowboy, without a choice, Ellie held around the cowboy and hold on as the horse started to run faster, she looked behind her and see 6 bandits on their horses shooting at them.
"Get em, and leave none of them alive!" one of the bandits cried out, they all made a cheer and continue to shoot at Ellie and the cowboy.
The cowboy pulled out his pistol while riding the horse at the same time and aimed at the bandits.
"Your going to regret this friend!" he cried out, he shot his pistol and got two of the bandits.
"Kill him, kill him!" ordered the leader of the bandits, the cowboy was about to make another shot when Ellie took the cowboy's pistol.
"Are you crazy!" said the cowboy, "I can shoot them, you just ride us out of here," said Ellie.
"But do you even know-" Ellie shot her pistol and got one bandit before the cowboy could finish, she then shoots another one.
"That's pretty good shooting, miss," complimented the cowboy, Ellie didn't respond, she just kept shooting.
"You little brat!" said the bandit, who was shot also and fell out of his horse, when she thought she would shoot the last bandit, more bandits suddenly came out of nowhere.
"Holy...where do they even come from?" asked Ellie.
"You got me," answered the cowboy, he sees two more bandits shooting at his side, he pulls out his winchester repeater and shot two of the bandits and fell out of their horses, there were 5 more bandits following them, but Ellie shot three of them with a very decent shot along with the cowboy.
"Damn it, retreat!" said the leader of the bandit, what was left of the bandits retreated and ride away the opposite direction of Ellie and the cowboy.
"Whew, glad thats over," admitted Ellie, she put away her pistol.
"That was pretty good shooting yourself," she added, the cowboy had his back to her but he led out a smile.
"Yea, I was starting to worried you would of killed me with that kind of shot of yours, who taught you how to shoot people," asked the cowboy.
"Just someone who knows there are the bad kind of people out in the world, that's all you need to know," answered Ellie.
"Well aren't you mysterious, what's your name anyway?" he asked, Ellie kept in silence, although he did saved her life, she wasn't going to just get acquaintance with him.
"Alright then, I'll go first, the name is John Marston," answered John, since the girl he just helped wasn't going to give her name, he might as well just asked something else about her.
"What were you doing out in the wilderness on your own," questioned John.
Ellie didn't know how to answer that, either that this is a dream or she could be dead, but she might as well tell him, with a little stretch in the truth.
"I uh...I was out hunting with my dad, we were looking for food and we got attacked by those bandits, we have to take cover and that's when we got separated," said Ellie, all lies in her words.
"And he just lost you? Doesn't seem that dad of yours has a watchful eye on you," said John in disbelief.
"Well that's how it happened, anyway, I got hit in the head and I passed out, when I woke up, I was alone, had my backpack and everything, and that's when you found me," the last part was somewhat true, but John can tell she has something she's not telling, but he decided not to push it since she did almost got herself killed.
"What were you doing out here," questioned Ellie.
"Well, I got a message from an old friend of mine that I helped a while back, he said he's been dealing with these bandits and they kept getting away, so he asked me to come and help him out again, I guess fate must of had another plan when I stumbled upon you," said John.
"Yea, I'll bet," said Ellie, "I'll tell you what, I'll take you to a doctor in Armadillo, when he patches you up I'll help you find your dad after I finish helping my friend, what do you say?" asked John.
Ellie couldn't believe a stranger would help her out, she still doesn't believe it, "What's in it for me?" she asked, John looked confused.
"Well..nothing really, except maybe if you don't shoot me from behind, that's what I'm asking," John laughed a little, but Ellie still kept in silence, it's been a while since a complete stranger help out, like with Henry and Sam, Ellie looked at her ankle which was now bleeding.
"Alright, I guess I could use your help," answered Ellie.
"Okay then, we'll be at Armadillo soon," said John, he started to ride the horse faster, "Let's go!" John said.
The cowboy doesn't seem to be that bad, but Ellie will always keep her guard up, what she's hoping that John can be trusted, but people can always trust the wrong people, Ellie doesn't really know how a cowboy can help her find Joel, but at least it's doing something, what she needs to know is how she even got here, this could either help Ellie, or become the biggest mistake she will