Whack!
Tabitha rolled over in the white canvas tent she had slept in, pulling the patchwork quilt up over her face. Sleep still had a mean hold on her, and it wasn't going to let go very easily.
Whack!
Tabitha's face scrunched with annoyance; she reached over to her left, where Daiyu normally slept beside her, but found the space empty.
Whack!
Finally giving up, Tabitha opened her eyes. The tent was still mostly dark and warm, the perfect environment to curl up in, but whatever was making that noise outside was making it impossible to sleep.
Another whack! sounded as Tabitha reached for the tent flaps and opened them.
"Urgh…Yu?" Tabitha cleared her throat. "Daiyu, what on Earth are you doin'?"
Outside in the camp, the first fingers of dawn were creeping up through the pale desert sky. Although the Sun hadn't yet risen, Daiyu was fully dressed in a pale blue short-sleeved blouse and a pair of dark trousers. She held an ax in her hands, and around her lay the splintered halves of freshly-chopped firewood.
"Sugar, you know I'm not a morning person," said Tabitha, holding a hand to her forehead. "And we pay Cripps to take care of camp stuff, why you botherin' with that?"
Daiyu's eyes narrowed with skepticism as she looked over at Cripps' tent, which was empty at the moment. She pointed at the tent, set the ax on the ground, then hunched her back and shuffled a couple of paces, using the ax as a makeshift walking stick.
"You think he's too old?" Tabitha asked. "Well I don't think he would argue that, but if he needed help, he woulda asked. Come on back to bed."
Daiyu shook her head, motioning towards the smoldering campfire.
"Mornin', ladies."
Cripps emerged from behind their tent, carrying a couple of freshly-shot desert quails in his hands.
Tabitha yawned. "Mornin'. Cripps. Did she wake you up too?"
"Yeah, she sent me out huntin'," he said, holding up the two quails. "I think she wanted to make you breakfast, Ms. Tabitha, before we move camp."
Daiyu smiled and nodded proudly, taking up the ax. She placed another freshly-cut log on the stump she had been working on and brought the ax down again, cleanly separating the log into two rails. Realizing Daiyu was set in her task, Tabitha gave a relenting sigh of defeat.
"Oh yeah, the Valentine sheriff," Tabitha remembered groggily. "Well…let me get dressed, and I'll help with the cookin'. Cripps, you can start packin' up our stuff."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Daiyu…" Tabitha sighed again. "Keep doin' what you're doin', sugar."
The Chinese girl nodded again, taking one last log and driving the ax home as Tabitha withdrew back into the warm tent.
The two girls sat on a rough, dead log in front of the now-blazing campfire. On makeshift wooden plates, they held their breakfast, roasted quail meat with a couple of quail eggs, served sunny-side-up, their huge yolks practically spilling off the white.
Tabitha plunged her fork into the roasted quail meat she had prepared and took a hearty bite, grease dripping down from her chin. She looked briefly at Daiyu, who took much smaller bites of her own breakfast; Daiyu had more trouble swallowing food than most people due to her throat injury and thus had to eat slowly, chewing her food up completely before swallowing.
As they sat eating their breakfast, Cripps was busy loading the tent they had slept in into a wagon, which they would have to drive all the way to New Hanover. He had declined breakfast, even though Tabitha had offered to split her quail with him.
Tabitha shifted in her seat, swallowing another bite of quail. Daiyu had since thrown a patterned shawl over her short-sleeved blouse to keep warm, the desert not having heated up yet.
"Y'know…how long have we known each other now?" she asked Daiyu. "Six, seven months?"
Daiyu shrugged, slowly chewing her eggs.
Tabitha laughed. "I remember when you first came into my cell at Sisika, you were so shy you couldn't even look at me. At first, I didn't think we could get along either, but…you and me, we were both waitin' to be hanged, to go to whatever eternity the good Lord would find fitting for us, and so I thought: there's no need for us to be miserable on our way to the gallows. Why not make our remainin' time together as joyful and as happy as possible?...I don't know about you, Daiyu, but I wasn't gonna let that place break my spirit."
Daiyu looked deep in thought as she cut up another bite-size piece of egg, stuck her fork through it, and put it in her mouth, chewing it slowly. She looked somewhat startled when Tabitha placed a hand on her shoulder.
"It was so hard at first for us to communicate, and I still have trouble understandin' what you mean sometimes, but…I'm glad I gave you a chance, Daiyu. Heck, without you, I'd probably still be breakin' rocks and dyin' of malaria over there. Now, the life we live right now ain't easy, but it's a lot better than that, don't you think?"
Daiyu nodded readily, still chewing the same bite of egg. She finally swallowed, washing the eggs down her throat with some coffee.
"I mean, at least out here, we have our freedom," Tabitha continued as she took another bite of quail. "To do what we want, when we want. Like right now, with the Valentine sheriff – we don't have to move our whole camp and help the feller out, we're just doin' it because we want to. Because helpin' folk feels good. In fact, we should be on the lookout for other folk that might need our help. Could be lucrative."
Daiyu's face scrunched with confusion. She put a hand to her ear, their signal for Tabitha to clarify what she'd said.
"'Lucrative' means it could make us money." Tabitha smiled. "I know that couple yesterday wasn't rich, but we just have to find someone that is. Someone who's rich and who isn't goin' to stiff us. We do that, and maybe we won't have to keep livin' so rough. Maybe when the heat on our backs dies down, you and me could buy some land somewhere and settle down, take Cripps with us." Tabitha laughed suddenly. "That'd be somethin', wouldn't it? But I suppose that's just a dream for a couple of no-good outlaws like us…I don't know; Daiyu, were you ever able to settle down before you met me?"
Daiyu shook her head, taking a very cautious bite of quail meat.
"No? Well, I was briefly, with my second husband. The first one was an outlaw and a killer, but he treated me fair, along with the rest of his gang. After he died of cholera, I married my second husband because I wanted to settle down, live a normal life…Turns out, I was made the fool. He may have followed the laws, but behind closed doors, he was the meanest son of a bitch this side of the Lannahechee River. I've shown you all the scars I still have from my time with him. But with you…I wouldn't mind settlin' down with you because you're more of a gentle spirit, a kindred soul. I know you wouldn't beat on a defenseless woman like that."
Tabitha finished the rest of her breakfast, putting her plate to the side.
"But for now, we'll just have to do with what we have…You finish the rest of your breakfast, sugar, I'll go help Cripps."
Daiyu's eyes were flecked with concern as they followed her friend, who assisted Cripps in loading a heavy crate full of guns and ammo onto the wagon. She chewed the quail meat hesitantly before swallowing, wincing as it fell down her esophagus.
She raised a hand to the scar on her neck, feeling its raised texture jutting out of the pale skin. Some days, she tried to make a sound, perhaps hoping that her voice would miraculously return, but all that came out was air. The air was high-pitched normally, whistling through her larynx without causing her vocal cords to vibrate.
Daiyu took one last sip of coffee, then set to work smothering the fire she had worked so hard to create. She shivered, hugging the shawl about her thin shoulders as she poured a bucket of water onto the flaming logs, then kicked dirt onto them to fully suffocate her fire.
Tabitha flicked the reins, urging the two pack horses to drive faster. Daiyu sat beside her with a rifle in her hand, scanning the brush around them for any highway robbers lying in wait, while Cripps sat in the back recuperating from the hard work he had done, drinking from a canteen of water and eating Daiyu's unfinished breakfast. The girls' regular horses followed behind at a steady riderless gallop, having been trained well enough to follow their owners.
Daiyu took a moment to oil her Lancaster repeater. She withdrew an old tattered cloth from her satchel and squirted some gun oil on it, then ran the cloth from stock to barrel, focusing especially on the metal parts to prevent rust. The gun had a golden finish and a mahogany wood barrel, a nice steal from one of the horse thieves she had had the displeasure of killing for Clay Davies.
"You really like that gun, don't you?" asked Tabitha.
Daiyu nodded, not removing her eyes from the repeater.
"Well, it's served us well in battle so far…Cripps?"
"Yes, ma'am?" Cripps poked his head up out of the back.
"Could you clean some of those weapons in the trunk back there when you get a minute, make sure they still work?"
"Certainly, boss."
"Thanks, baby."
Soon, the wagon came to a river, a small crossing but one that always carried a risk for wagons carrying cargo.
"Comin' up on the Upper Montana River," said Tabitha. "I'll try not to break a wheel off, like I did last time."
Looking beside her, Tabitha noticed Daiyu laughing at the memory, an inaudible snicker that caused her shoulders to shake. Tabitha smiled, playfully slapping her friend on the arm.
"Oh come off, Daiyu, you woulda done it too!"
"In your defense, Miss Tabitha, the wagon is pretty old," said Cripps. "We might wanna think about investing in a new one soon."
"Well, once we get to Valentine, we'll see how much we'll have to spend on ammo first. We'll just have to hope the sheriff pays well."
Slowing the horses to a walk, Tabitha gently guided the wagon into the silt-laden river, keeping the wheels clear of sandbars and soft patches that might get the wagon stuck.
The old wagon shuddered a bit against the current, but seemed to be holding strong as they neared the opposite bank. Daiyu watched her friend's progress, keeping her fingers crossed.
"Okay, almost there," said Tabitha. "We might just…"
"Hey, down there! Is that 'em?"
A voice echoed through the canyon cut by the river. Atop a cliff overlooking the northern bank, a man appeared atop a horse, pointing down at the wagon.
"Yeah, those are the two bitches who attacked the farm, took our horses!"
"Oh shit…." whispered Tabitha.
"Kill 'em and take the horses back!"
The man raised his rifle, but fell down before he could fire a shot, courtesy of a bullet fired by Daiyu that hit him in the chest.
The road ahead was narrow, flanked by two sides of the small canyon, and carried a horde of outlaws with their guns drawn.
"I knew that son of a bitch Clay Davies was trouble!" yelled Tabitha. "Hold on!"
Tabitha turned the wagon so that its side was facing toward the riders. As the pack horses whinnied and reared up at the sound of gunfire, Tabitha and Daiyu scrambled off the wagon, retreating into the shallow river and behind a decent-sized boulder jutting out of the riverbed. Cripps emerged from the bed of the wagon just as the horses galloped away, taking the entire carriage with them. Daiyu provided covering fire for Cripps as he also backed away toward the river; in the process, the old man managed to kill one of the guards before scrambling to join the girls in the river.
Tabitha's and Daiyu's horses, what the robbers were presumably after, ran away from the gunfire, keeping to the opposite side of the river. As long as the three held their position, the robbers wouldn't be able to steal their mounts.
"Shit, there's a lot of 'em!" yelled Tabitha.
"Keep firing, you two!" answered Cripps. "We'll get through this!"
Muddy water came up to the trio's knees and seeped into their boots. Daiyu raised herself out of cover and fired a couple of quick shots, hitting and killing another enemy with shots to the chest.
"Dammit! Fifty dollars to whoever kills the Chinese girl!" yelled one of the thieves.
"Over my dead body, you bastards!" snarled Tabitha, firing a couple of shots with her dual-wield revolvers. "I'll draw 'em off you, Daiyu, keep me covered!"
Looking at each other and nodding affirmatively, Daiyu and Cripps broke cover and fired their guns simultaneously. Their combined firepower forced the remaining men into cover, allowing Tabitha to run up while simultaneously firing her revolvers, killing another two enemies.
"More of 'em coming in on a wagon!" shouted Cripps.
Daiyu had seen the aforementioned wagon before Cripps had and was already aiming at it. She landed an expertly-placed headshot on the driver, followed by an identical headshot on the passenger in the gunner's seat. Two more horse thieves emerged from the back of the wagon, but were quickly gunned down by Tabitha's dual revolvers.
Obviously enjoying herself, Tabitha twirled both revolvers on her fingers, laughing victoriously.
"You fools seriously thought you could jump us?!" she yelled, firing another shot. "No such luck, I'm afraid!"
Bolstered by their success thus far, Tabitha moved up again to a rocky outcropping, prompting Daiyu and Cripps to move out of the river.
In breaking cover, Daiyu noticed a man on the ridge above, trying to sneak up on Tabitha. She promptly raised the repeater, clicked the lever and squeezed the trigger, bringing the man down before he could shoot her friend.
Daiyu ducked down and took a second to reload, shoving several cartridges into the magazine in rapid succession.
"Only a couple of 'em left, Ms. Daiyu!" said Cripps. "I say we go at 'em, what do you think?"
Peeking out above the rock she was in cover behind, Daiyu nodded affirmatively, vaulting over the boulder and leading a charge toward the enemy front, despite knowing they were actively gunning for her.
Intimidated by this, the two remaining enemies fell back. Their good judgement was impeded by their fear, which allowed them to be taken down by two more quick headshots, one from Daiyu's repeater and the other from Tabitha's revolver.
By this point, the canyon was filled with gunsmoke and the echoing sounds of rifle fire. Daiyu breathed hard, a film of sweat clinging to her forehead as she let the repeater drop.
Tabitha cackled with glee on seeing all the enemies they had killed.
"Looks like we did it, everyone!" she gloated, shaking her hips in a victory dance. "Not bad for two women and an old man, am I right?"
"Not bad at all, Miss Tabitha..."
Cripps, winded himself, hunched over, holding his knees and taking several deep breaths.
"You take a rest if you want, Cripps," said Tabitha. "I'm gonna loot up these bodies real quick. Daiyu, see if you can find our wagon."
Daiyu nodded affirmatively, whistling for her horse. The white stallion trotted across the river to meet her and she leapt onto its back, quickly spurring it forward up the slope.
Noticing the wheel marks in the dirt road, it didn't take Daiyu long to find the old utility wagon with all of her and Tabitha's earthly possessions inside. Nothing seemed to have been touched; the horse thieves were probably only after Daiyu's stallion and Tabitha's mare, both of which had been stolen from one of the gang's holdouts in West Elizabeth.
As unfortunate as being ambushed on the road was, the girls were at least lucky enough to have come out of the attack unscathed.
Daiyu dismounted her stallion and walked briskly over to the wagon. The draft horses were still a little skittish, but Daiyu was able to calm the animals with gentle shushes and pats to the head. She then climbed onto the wagon, coaxing the horses to turn back onto the road.
Tabitha and Cripps met Daiyu at the crossroads just north of the riverbank. Tabitha climbed into the seat, proudly holding up a wad of cash in her hands.
"Guess who found a nice money clip in that wagon of theirs?" Tabitha grinned proudly. "This girl, baby!"
"No need to worry about payin' the gunsmith now," Cripps laughed as he climbed in the back.
"Yes, fortune has definitely favored us today." Tabitha handed Daiyu her half of the money. "You should use this to treat yourself a little, Yu. Some nice clothes, or even a haircut. You deserve somethin' nice, after how hard you've been workin'."
"You're easily the hardest worker in the camp, Ms. Daiyu," Cripps agreed.
Daiyu smiled and blushed a bit, pocketing the money in her satchel.
"You wanna drive the rest of the way?" asked Tabitha, offering Daiyu the reins. "I'll direct you."
Daiyu thought about it a moment, then shrugged, taking the reins in her hands and giving them a hard flick.
The horses trotted forward out of the canyon filled with dead bodies and still smelling of gunpowder, heading north toward the livestock town of Valentine.