Hello Everyone!
My my, it has been some time. Had some really big life stuff happen but now I am back and rearing to go! Get ready for more updates to this one, and A Widow's Tale!
Cheers and Stay safe!
Sincerely,
Gatekeeper
Chapter 6: The Wind Changes
The wind howled now, pushing against Argus.
He marched on, niggling thoughts in his mind as he struggled across the dusty rocks. It had been a short time after he had parted from Bell, yet he wanted to put as much distance between himself and the NCR base as possible.
The base was... odd. He could not claim to be very familiar with the practices of his enemies, but to abandon an outpost or to make it appear deserted was ill-advised. It invited attack, or at the very least investigation by Raiders or enemies. The thought pressed in on him for a while before a particularly sandy foothold caused him to pause before he continued on.
The girl... Bell. She was odd as well. She had threatened him, wary of everything that he had done. Which, to her credit, was wise. But there was a readiness to take his word that was a little too much for what he knew of NCR Troopers. She hid something, he was sure of it. The question was if it was worth following her to find out.
Which led into the third and most troubling puzzle of all. How to get home. Argus knew that the journey back to the temple was a month's journey by foot, having traveled with a troop of Legionaries from there, not to mention the grueling march it had been to travel from his home to the Temple itself, a trip which he almost hadn't survive. More pressing of all was the sheer preparation he would need to have to take to even make such a journey. It was easier to travel, Argus thought, when one didn't need to carry the supplies themselves. He'd been left to just walk as a child to the Temple, and only needed to carry his soldier's gear into the Mojave, Brahmin and carts behind him which carried precious water, food and extra supplies. Now, however, he'd need to carry everything with him.
The thought was too much to process and Argus sat down, the need to plan far more important than escaping farther from the ignorant base. He turned to face the train tracks toward the station, the spear propped at his side as a support for when he needed to continue on. The small speck that was Bell, still waiting near her position at the door of the outpost, caught his attention.
A small speck that turned to come towards him.
He let out a sigh, and waited. "Might as well see what she needs now."
Bell was feeling antsy, watching Argus pick a trail up the cliff. She hated that feeling.
"I don't owe him anything. He kept his promise and I kept mine, so everything is fine, right?
...right?"
She huffed. "I already let him speak his mind, okay? He's gone and I'm back now." she growled.
"Back alone, a day late and a squad short. Can't wait to report this to Sergeant Jim, right?"
Her growl turned into a groan as she tried to repress the face of the somewhat obnoxious, if meticulous, officer that she now reported to.
Coyote's face popped into her mind, brown eyes flecked with the golden firelight. "I don't care if he's a Legionnaire, and I don't care if you're NCR. Doesn't matter, little missie. What you owe him isn't up to me to decide, whether it's your life, your money or maybe…"
She slid down the junk wall as she cupped her face in her hands, letting out a deep sigh.
Her dad slid an extra bill to the boy who had helped with her bandages, before turning his attention towards Bell. She watched him, puzzled. "Why did you do that Dad? I already said thanks. Isn't that enough?"
Dad shrugged, the easy grin that fell on his face a stark contrast to the fear he had when he first arrived. "Maybe in a perfect world, Baby Bell. But goodness gets double, otherwise people will take the easy way. Especially when a great deal have a hard enough time as it is."
He ruffled her hair, messing her ponytail everywhere. She tried to act annoyed but she was just happy Dad was here, finally.
Bell sighed and curled inwards. She didn't want to. Her body still ached and she knew it was only a matter of time before the other squad came back from whatever idiotic thing they were up to and she could just... go back to being a soldier.
She also knew it was a matter of time before the tell-tale red of Argus' shirt would become just another symbol of the enemy, and not someone who had saved her life.
She stood up. Argus was settled into the rock face a little down the train-tracks and up the cliff about half-way.
She began to walk towards him, muttering under her breath. "I hope this pays off."
He had watched in mild amusement as she had stumbled up the rock cliff, trying not to think about how he might have fared without his spear.
"Argus!" Bell called out, still a ways away. "Come here!"
That had quickly started to change into curiosity. "Why is she coming back to me?"
Argus decided that he had better find out quickly, and be heading on his way afterwards. Even if their trip had been brief, he got the notion that she would not appreciate being turned away.
Besides, it was easier to dodge when you could see where the bullets were coming from.
He stood up, picking up his spear and pack before heading down to see her.
They met closer to the ground of the canyon, still far enough away from the base.
"What?" Argus said, maintaining his grip on his spear.
Bell rolled her eyes. "Look, I gotta be honest. I don't buy your spiel about owing me a promise. And... well, you saved my life. I guess I'm still a little confused and seeing as how I might never meet you again, I figured I needed to do this now."
Argus cocked his head to the side. " And what is 'this'?"
"This," she replied, waving a hand about before slapping it down to her side. "is me trying to say...ah... thanks, I guess. For getting me out of there. And if could just give it to me straight about what this has all been about, that would be nice too."
Argus blinked. "...alright." he said, rubbing one side of his ribs lightly. "Your commander caught me by surprise and was about to shoot me when the Deathclaw came over the dune. He spared my life in exchange for your safety, and so I carried you out of there."
Bell looked at him blankly for a bit. "... And that's it?" she asked skeptically.
Argus nodded.
Bell pinched her nose and then threw it out to the side, like she had picked a thought and banished it. "Okay, alright then. I got one last question and then I'll leave you be."
Argus nodded again, ready.
"Are... are you heading back to the Legion?"
Argus was not ready.
"How do I answer that? Do I answer that? I guess I should. She's been honest in all we have done so I see no reason to lie.
...But why is it so difficult?"
Argus turned away. "I..." he started.
He took a deep breath before looking Bell in the eye.
"I'm not going back. I will be killed for desertion." he said.
Bell looked at him curiously, waiting before asking another question.
"Then... what will you do?" she asked quietly
Argus wasn't ready for that one, either.
"I... I don't know." he said, equally as quiet.
They stood there in silence, before Bell shuffled forward and touched his arm.
He almost ripped it away on reflex, before focusing on her.
Her hand softly gripped around his forearm, gently tugging him towards her.
"Follow me, we're getting you to the base." she said confidently.
Argus tensed up, spitting out a question. "What? Why? I'm going to be shot on sight!"
Bell nodded, turning to head down the cliff. "Dressed like that, yes. But not if you're a civvie."
"What's a 'civvie?'" Argus demanded, his training becoming louder and louder to leave as fast as possible.
Bell sighed. "You know, a civilian." When Argus didn't respond she rolled her eyes. "I guess a woman would be a better comparison." she muttered.
Argus let out a hum of understanding and started to follow her, before stopping. "Why are you doing this? The deal has been completed." he stated.
Bell shrugged. "Dad always said 'Goodness gets double.' and if you're not going back to the Legion the least I can do is make sure you're not shot for looking like one. Now are you coming or what?"
Argus nodded before following her down the cliff.
The wind now pushed gently at his back, guiding him back down the cliff. Argus didn't notice.