As the cabin burst into view from the trees, Adam couldn't stop his heart from threatening to beat out of his chest. There was significant damage to the outside of the structure and informed him that something horrible had happened but he couldn't see what had caused the destruction. He slid Sport to a halt, dismounting at a run and racing towards the open door. He called Reda's name but there was no response. Fear pounded in his ears, his lifeblood roaring with each heartbeat. Sounds faded and motion became warped, slowing into a drag on his will to run forward. His legs became heavy, as if the grass was pulling at his boots. At last, he reached the door and burst inside. The world completely stopped upon seeing what greeted his eyes and the gun fell from his grasp.
The cabin was wrecked. Furniture was literally torn to shreds, the floorboards ripped up, the windows smashed and there were fireplace stones lying about. On top of the other carnage, the south wall was busted out, allowing a brisk breeze to tear through the structure. It was as if a bear had been let loose inside the four walls and an angry one at that. But what was most unsettling was the state of the room's one occupant.
In a pool of blood that was spreading ever outward, Reda stood, clutching a wad of stained white cloth to her chest. She looked up at him, her crystal-clear eyes wide with what he judged to be shock. Her face was covered in scratches and angry marks. Blood ran from the left side of her nose and there was a bruise forming on her right cheekbone. A tear trickled down her cheek as the cloth slid to the floor and he stared in horror at the bloodied state of her neck and arms. Her mouth opening without a sound, she reached out towards him before her eyes rolled back and her body began to crumple forward.
Crying out her name, Adam leapt into action and caught the young woman before she hit the floor. Slipping his arms under her little frame, he whisked her out off the darkening floor and into his arms. Cradling her head against his shoulder, he dashed outside and laid her down in the warm grass. She tried to speak but only croaked murmuring could be heard. She slumped back against the grass, devoid of strength; her hand settled upon his chest. He felt her fingers tighten into his shirt while her hooded eyes burned into his.
"Reda? You're going to be alright, I am going to take you down the mountain and get a doctor. You are going to be fine," he soothed, supporting her upper body while raising a shaking hand to her face.
"Do not...leave me...please..." Her voice was faint and hoarse, a fear upon her face that wrenched his soul.
"No, no, I won't leave you, my sweet," he whispered, glancing down to see where she was clutching her side. He gently pried her hand away and found blood running freely from a deep gash. He knew what a mauling looked like and his stomach was sickened upon seeing the grisly evidence. He snatched a blue-patterned handkerchief from his pants pocket and pressed it against the largest gaping wound. Swallowing around a sudden lump, he looked back up into her face and found tears trickling down her pale cheeks.
"My darling...my...sweet Adam...oh, there is so little time and I have...so much to tell you. So...much," she whispered, raising a hand to touch his cheek. "I want you...to know that I have...always loved you. I...love...you. I have to...tell...to explain..."
Adam shook his head, putting a fingertip to her lips. "Shhhh, you mustn't waste your strength. You must rest."
"You are...my strength. I can only rest...if you are nearby. Hold me? I beg you..." A smile formed as her eyelids wilted over her blue irises. Her fingers tightened on his shirt and those beautiful eyes rotated up to plead further.
Too overwhelmed to speak, Adam gathered her limp form into his grasp so that she was lying across his lap, his left hand supporting her slender neck. He rested his forehead against hers and she sighed, a harsh rattle present. Her arm raised and a small hand settled on the back of his head, stroking his hair gently. Tears swam before his vision, so great was he moved. He pulled her closer so that her face was nestled into his neck and he felt a sigh brush against his skin. This woman could make him feel more cherished than any other person he had ever met before. She was the one, he knew now without any doubt. Pulling away slightly, he supported her head within both hands. A tear slid down his cheek, splashing upon hers.
"I love you, Reda, I love you too," he choked out, bringing his lips down to brush over hers.
Her smile grew a bit wider, a faraway look appearing in her eyes. He thought she was going to speak but a sigh came forth and those beautiful orbs closed. Her body went limp in his arms. The fine-boned hand slipped from his neck and fell with a dull thud onto the ground. She was gone. While he had been thinking of only himself, she had drifted away from him. A sob caught in his chest and he began to weep, crushing her face into his neck and rocking her body gently. His tears trickled into her hair as his lips were pressed to her forehead.
Footsteps rustled in the grass and a warm hand closed around his left shoulder. Without turning around, he knew who was there. "She's dead, Hoss...I didn't come in time and she's...dead."
His brother came into view and knelt slowly, his face sad and his eyes pained. Adam felt Hoss reach out and cover his shoulders with one arm and reach the other around the girl's frame, holding both bodies within his bear hug. Adam leaned into the comfort, his silent sobs soaking into Hoss' vest. He felt Reda's body gently pried from his grasp and let her go, watching as she was reverently laid down. Then the large, familiar figure of his big brother was wrapped around him, speaking some small comfort into his ears. There they stayed, crouched together next to the body of Reda Smith, the woman who could have been Mrs Adam Cartwright.
An eternity passed but reality did not become any less agonized and Adam had other worries on his mind as well. He pushed himself away and wiped his eyes with an irritated swipe. Turning his attention to Reda, his heart crumpled anew. The dried blood covering her skin was most distressing and needed to be cleaned off. As a man in the deepest daze, he slowly slipped his hands under her shoulders and knees, lifting her into his arms. Hoss helped him to stand with her.
"Leave me alone to take care of her, brother," Adam whispered hoarsely, his gaze fixed on Reda's serene face. "Please go home, I will follow when I am ready."
Those were all the words that he could bear to speak. He walked away, holding his love's body tightly. He hastened past the cabin, down a grassy slope and to the trickling stream below. The morning sunshine was spilling through the treetops, blowing her disheveled hair about her face as she was laid down ever so gently. Adam removed his coat and bundled it under her head. Retrieving a spare black handkerchief from his pants pocket, he leaned over the stream's bank and submerged the cloth in the cool, running water.
With the utmost care, he cleaned away the blood from her injured face, neck, arms and hands. A brief thought passed through his consciousness that there seemed to be less scratches than before but he had no wish to muse further. He did what he could for the mangled flesh on her side but the sight of the wounds alone made him retch. Gently, he straightened her torn clothes to some semblance of propriety, trying to mimic the way he had seen her wear the foreign garment before. But, unlike her original style of the scarf section being draped down her back, he saved that short length of the final wrap to shroud her face. But he couldn't do this final act. A frost seized his limbs, preventing him from doing anything but stare at her quiet beauty.
For an unknown amount of time, most likely hours as the shadows had shifted, he remained sitting by her side, numb through to his core. He ended up on his back next to her, staring up at the swaying treetops and the sunlight that was turning the leaves every kind of gold. A patch of that golden warmth eventually traveled over the forest floor until it caressed his chilled body. As his muscles warmed through, he shivered and closed his eyes. The numbness in his brain gradually spread down to his feet and he drifted off, unable to reconcile with the grief plaguing his broken heart.
I* * * * *I
The fog hung thick in the air, rolling lazily about around the young woman's feet as she walked. Angelina was dressed in the tattered robes she had been wearing when death had beckoned and the fatal wound in her side was still on display, as was normal. Her situation did not surprise her. In fact, she welcomed the only peace that could be found in her existence. Each time that she would succumb to death, the entire number being all of forty-six separate incidents, she would end up here in this peaceful place, free from pain and worry.
She peered over the cliff's edge at the crashing waves below and a smile broke out. Hearing the call of an eagle and seeing the moon traveling over the star-studded sky, she felt a familiar thrill and wondered what would be next. A huge wave came rolling in from the horizon and crashed against the rocks below, sending its thick spray upwards. The fog grew thicker as a result, obscuring the entire scene and when it fell away, she was in a desert. A frown settled on her features as she began to walk into the barren scene.
A dry wind blew sand about the dunes and the hot sun beat down without mercy. A group of nomads' tents had been set up nearby. Camels dozed outside the perimeter while men walked about, their black eyes peeking out of wrapped turbans, and women sat outside their doorways, preparing the noonday meal and chatting amongst themselves. Children ran about happily, kicking a leather ball back and forth between their bare feet. Of particular interest in this environment, two little girls played in the cool shadow of the largest, middle tent.
Knowing from past experience that she wouldn't be visible, Angelina approached the two girls. The eldest possessed a bright smile and rosy cheeks while the younger was smaller and more frail, her cheeks sunken. The young woman watched the memory unravel before her tear-filled eyes as the youngest faltered in her play and fell. The eldest cried out her sister's name and ran to her, helping her to sit against the tent's side while the other children took no notice. The smallest girl was held close by her sister who spoke kindly, wiping away her tears and encouraging her to rejoin the game.
Angelina could not bear to watch any longer and looked out into the sweltering desert to see a sandstorm whipping its way closer. Welcoming the escape, she walked towards it and turned her palms outward. The sand engulfed her, dissipating into a shadowed forest. Sunshine was streaming through the treetops and the rustle of birds' wings could be heard as they flew to and fro in the branches. She once more felt content and unencumbered as she spun slowly, taking in the quiet. She began to walk through the grass, making her way through the trees. The gnarled roots were cushioned by colorful wildflowers, their cheerful heads bobbing in the breeze. She paused to bend down and pick a large daisy from its cousins. Holding the sweet flower to her nose, she walked on but stopped short upon seeing a cabin that came into view.
Sighing, she knew her time to be short. Upon entering the clearing, she looked about at the destroyed cabin and frowned at the dead mountain lion. Continuing on, she found a more curious sight. Two figures lay by the stream a far off and drew her towards them. Her heart rose in her throat upon seeing the dark man lying next to her empty shell. She ran forward, falling to her knees next to her love.
Guilt consumed her as she reached out to touch his tear-streaked cheeks and kiss the side of his nose. He couldn't feel her, she knew that to be true and was glad. Running a hand over his powerful shoulder, she ran her fingers down his arm to catch his hand in her grasp. However, she found it to be already holding the hand of her lifeless corpse. Tears swimming before her vision, she fixed her eyes on his countenance.
The poor man was exhausted, that much was clear. Even in light slumber, his face was creased and strained, as if a great weight had settled upon his heart. She longed to see the dimples in his cheeks and the white shine of his perfect teeth again. Oh, to feel the heat of his kiss, so passionate yet vulnerable, as if he was always expecting to be forsaken. She thought again of that lonely memory she had seen in his mind and wondered about his past. A sudden need to shelter him came over her and she lay on the other side of him, wrapping her hand around his waist and pressing her lips to his neck. A smile tickled about her mouth as she laid her head on his chest and drifted off into sleep.