Those of you who did not get the message on Messenger: Ann, Megs.
Janette has left the group.
It's been over two months since a post has been sent out, maybe even
longer. Sadley, I think it's time to close this group. It's been 20
years that Colleen, Sam and I have been writing together and I have
enjoyed every minute. I am going to continue off and on, on AO3, but I
will not be using anyone's characters but my own. If anyone would like
to be co-writers, please let me know. Ann has offered to be a co-writer,
possibly, I haven't heard from her in a long while. I myself haven't
written anything in a long time either as I am working on stories in
another fandom at the moment. But I plan to get back to Mag 7 as soon as
I am finished. I've had too much RL stuff occupying my mind lately and
my muse has gone into hibernation because of it I believe. I have loved
writing with you all, and I will miss it terribly. Thank you ALL for
being part of this group! I do miss the comradery, so feel free to
message me and say hello whenever you like. But it's time to set the
RPG aside. I will miss you all and your characters.
Take Care.
Linda (Cheyenne/Josiah and Abe.)
|
RP - Molly/Lily/Ian/Vin filler post
As promised here is a small filler post to hopefully get us back on track.
Molly skirted the edge of town on her way back to the hotel. She was
angry enough to want to scorch the earth. Jonah could have caused her
to lose everything never mind her own life. She hadn¡¯t been alone
in that locked wagon and couldn¡¯t understand why Cheyenne would
trust him again after what had happened.
¡°Molly?¡± She heard her name being
called and turned to see Lily Deveraux standing at the backdoor to
the Saloon. Taking a moment to try and school her features Molly
turned around.
¡°Good morning, Ms. Deveraux,¡± she
greeted.
¡°Lily, please,¡± she responded. ¡°Is
everything alright?¡±
¡°Not at all,¡± Molly muttered. ¡°I¡¯m
very sorry, Ms Dev...Lily but I must be getting back to the hotel.¡±
Lily walked up to her.
¡°I¡¯ll walk with you if you don¡¯t
mind?¡±
¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not very good
company at the moment,¡± Molly responded.
¡°I¡¯m sorry for what happened to
you. To you and the Native girl, what¡¯s her name again?¡±
¡°Cheyenne. And how could you
possibly¡¡±
¡°Men talk. Drunk men can pass more
gossip than a sewing circle,¡± Lily said. Molly thought back to the
night they¡¯d returned to town, to Vin sitting in the saloon with a
bottle of whiskey in front of him.
¡°And you believe them?¡± Molly
asked.
¡°In vino veritas,¡± Lily responded
with a shrug. ¡°It means¡¡±
¡°In wine there is truth,¡± Molly
finished.
¡°Trust an Irish girl to know Latin,¡±
Lily smiled.
¡°I really do need to be going,¡±
Molly said. ¡°I can offer scones and coffee if you¡¯re interested.¡±
¡°Lead the way,¡± Lily gestured in
front of her. The pair walked to the hotel just as Ian arrived. He
touched the brim of his hat to Lily.
¡°Ms. Deveraux. Kathleen, I need to
talk to you. It¡¯s about Abe.¡±
¡°So he¡¯s decided on a name then,¡±
Molly didn¡¯t try to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. ¡°I don¡¯t
give a fig what that man has to say. Lily, please, have a seat and
I¡¯ll be right ³Ù³ó±ð°ù±ð.¡±
¡°Margaret. Now,¡± her given first
name on the lips of her brother who¡¯d never once in their lives
called her by it was enough to stop her.
¡°Perhaps I should come back another
time,¡± Lily said. Molly took a breath and turned to her brother.
¡°You'll have to excuse my brother.
He¡¯s a bit out of sorts this morning.¡±
¡°I am putting you on a stage. There¡¯s
one coming in today. I don¡¯t care where it¡¯s heading so long as
it¡¯s away from here,¡± Ian said.
¡°We¡¯ve already had this
discussion,¡± Molly responded.
¡°Wheeler¡¯s coming. He might already
be here. So you¡¯re going.¡±
¡°It¡¯d be safer if she stayed,¡±
Vin¡¯s voice came from the kitchen door. ¡°We can protect her and
Cheyenne better in town.¡±
¡°Then I¡¯d better be sure there¡¯s
plenty of coffee on,¡± Molly brushed past her brother and Vin and
walked into the kitchen. She walked up to the pantry to locate the
other coffee pot and heard footsteps follow her. She knew they
belonged to Vin before she even turned around. His arms came around
her in a tight embrace as he held her to him.
¡°I won¡¯t let anything happen to
you,¡± Vin¡¯s promise was whispered in her ear. She held him
tighter hoping he¡¯d be able to keep his promise.
|
Re: RP Post - Molly & Ian
Thanks this was great.
Janette? ¡°There is no such word as can¡¯t ?in my book but you can try¡±
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On 17 May 2023, at 23:03, Colleen via groups.io <theemmer2000@...> wrote:
?
Ian stood on the edge of the boardwalk nursing a cup of coffee. Molly
remembered her brother as one who couldn¡¯t sit still. Even while
seated his hands had to be busy. He stood still now, the only
movement the occasional lift of the coffee cup to his mouth.
¡°Ian, I have breakfast,¡± Molly said
from the doorway.
¡°I think you should go back to New
York,¡± Ian responded.
¡°Eat your breakfast or don¡¯t it
makes no difference to me but I am not having this discussion,¡±
Molly retorted turning to go back inside. She noticed Cheyenne making
her way toward the hotel. Molly hadn¡¯t seen her since they¡¯d made
it back to town a few days before. Molly stepped back outside and Ian
reached a hand out to her.
¡°Kathleen, at least consider¡¡±
¡°I¡¯ll not repeat myself Ian
Crowley,¡± she shouldered past him and stepped down to the street.
¡°Bonjour,¡± Molly said, reaching
Cheyenne. ¡°I am so happy to see you. Did you want to come inside
and have something to eat? I just took scones out of the oven. Ian¡¯s
favorite though at this moment I¡¯m not inclined to let him have so
much as a crumb¡¡± Molly realized that most of what she was saying
was probably not being understood. She¡¯d heard enough French during
her time in service and worked her mind to come up with. Before she
could speak Cheyenne nodded toward Ian.
¡°Were you looking for my brother?¡±
Molly asked. Cheyenne nodded.
¡°Annie,¡± Mr. Sanchez¡¯s voice came
from down the street as he hurried toward them. ¡°I¡¯d been lookin¡¯
for you everywhere,¡± he said, relief clear in his voice. ¡°Ms.
Crowley,¡± he touched the brim of his hat to her.
¡°Mr. Sanchez,¡± Molly nodded back.
¡°Everything alright?¡± Ian asked,
coming up to them.
¡°It seems Cheyenne was looking for
you,¡± Molly responded.
¡°And Josiah,¡± Cheyenne said softly.
She turned and began walking back up the street toward the Livery.
The trio followed them, Josiah striding inline with her as Ian and
Molly trailed behind.
¡°What does she want with me? I hardly
know her?¡± Ian wondered out loud.
They reached the door to the small
living quarters attached to the livery. Cheyenne spoke in rapid
French to Mr. Sanchez.
¡°What is she saying?¡± Ian asked.
Molly shook her head.
¡°I¡±m not sure but ¡®colere¡¯ is
angry,¡± Molly responded. She¡¯d used the word more than once
glancing back toward Molly and Ian each time.
¡°Why do you think we¡¯d be angry,
darlin¡¯?¡± Ian asked. °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ response was to open the door.
It took a moment for Molly¡¯s eyes to
adjust to the dimness inside the small room. She saw a bed with a
figure laying on it. It took another few seconds for her to
understand the person laying in the bed was Jonah and he was very
much alive.
¡°God almighty,¡± Ian breathed out
next to her. Eva appeared carrying a tray and the disappearance of
food over the last couple of days made sense.
¡°How could you?¡± Molly snapped at
her. ¡°And how could you?¡± Molly spun on Cheyenne. ¡°After what
he did, what he put us through?¡± She couldn¡¯t bring herself to
look at Jonah or Abe or whatever name he was calling himself now
afraid if she did she would either collapse or try to claw his eyes
out. Instead she spun around and hurried from the room.
¡°Kathleen¡¡± Ian made to go after
his sister.
¡°Ian, wait,¡± the voice from the bed
of the man who had been Ian¡¯s best friend for years filled Ian with
an anger he hadn¡¯t felt in a long time. As if sensing the violence
filling him, Sanchez stepped in front of him.
¡°We should hear him out,¡± the
preacher¡¯s voice was calm and controlled.
¡°He nearly got my sister killed,¡±
Ian spat out. ¡°You could have come to me, Jonah!¡± Ian tried
stepping around Sanchez.
¡°He¡¯s comin¡¯ here, Wheeler¡¯s
comin¡¯ here¡¡± the statement seemed to take all the strength
Jonah had and for a second Ian thought he¡¯d passed out. That was
when he noticed how injured the man was. He turned to Eva.
¡°I¡¯ve done what I could, but he
should see a doctor. I tried to encourage informing Mr. Jackson.¡±
¡°Ian you should go see to your
sister. I¡¯ll get Nathan and then we need to tell the others. This
ain¡¯t over,¡± Sanchez said, leveling a look at Cheyenne before
leaving the room.
|
Ian stood on the edge of the boardwalk nursing a cup of coffee. Molly
remembered her brother as one who couldn¡¯t sit still. Even while
seated his hands had to be busy. He stood still now, the only
movement the occasional lift of the coffee cup to his mouth.
¡°Ian, I have breakfast,¡± Molly said
from the doorway.
¡°I think you should go back to New
York,¡± Ian responded.
¡°Eat your breakfast or don¡¯t it
makes no difference to me but I am not having this discussion,¡±
Molly retorted turning to go back inside. She noticed Cheyenne making
her way toward the hotel. Molly hadn¡¯t seen her since they¡¯d made
it back to town a few days before. Molly stepped back outside and Ian
reached a hand out to her.
¡°Kathleen, at least consider¡¡±
¡°I¡¯ll not repeat myself Ian
Crowley,¡± she shouldered past him and stepped down to the street.
¡°Bonjour,¡± Molly said, reaching
Cheyenne. ¡°I am so happy to see you. Did you want to come inside
and have something to eat? I just took scones out of the oven. Ian¡¯s
favorite though at this moment I¡¯m not inclined to let him have so
much as a crumb¡¡± Molly realized that most of what she was saying
was probably not being understood. She¡¯d heard enough French during
her time in service and worked her mind to come up with. Before she
could speak Cheyenne nodded toward Ian.
¡°Were you looking for my brother?¡±
Molly asked. Cheyenne nodded.
¡°Annie,¡± Mr. Sanchez¡¯s voice came
from down the street as he hurried toward them. ¡°I¡¯d been lookin¡¯
for you everywhere,¡± he said, relief clear in his voice. ¡°Ms.
Crowley,¡± he touched the brim of his hat to her.
¡°Mr. Sanchez,¡± Molly nodded back.
¡°Everything alright?¡± Ian asked,
coming up to them.
¡°It seems Cheyenne was looking for
you,¡± Molly responded.
¡°And Josiah,¡± Cheyenne said softly.
She turned and began walking back up the street toward the Livery.
The trio followed them, Josiah striding inline with her as Ian and
Molly trailed behind.
¡°What does she want with me? I hardly
know her?¡± Ian wondered out loud.
They reached the door to the small
living quarters attached to the livery. Cheyenne spoke in rapid
French to Mr. Sanchez.
¡°What is she saying?¡± Ian asked.
Molly shook her head.
¡°I¡±m not sure but ¡®colere¡¯ is
angry,¡± Molly responded. She¡¯d used the word more than once
glancing back toward Molly and Ian each time.
¡°Why do you think we¡¯d be angry,
darlin¡¯?¡± Ian asked. °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ response was to open the door.
It took a moment for Molly¡¯s eyes to
adjust to the dimness inside the small room. She saw a bed with a
figure laying on it. It took another few seconds for her to
understand the person laying in the bed was Jonah and he was very
much alive.
¡°God almighty,¡± Ian breathed out
next to her. Eva appeared carrying a tray and the disappearance of
food over the last couple of days made sense.
¡°How could you?¡± Molly snapped at
her. ¡°And how could you?¡± Molly spun on Cheyenne. ¡°After what
he did, what he put us through?¡± She couldn¡¯t bring herself to
look at Jonah or Abe or whatever name he was calling himself now
afraid if she did she would either collapse or try to claw his eyes
out. Instead she spun around and hurried from the room.
¡°Kathleen¡¡± Ian made to go after
his sister.
¡°Ian, wait,¡± the voice from the bed
of the man who had been Ian¡¯s best friend for years filled Ian with
an anger he hadn¡¯t felt in a long time. As if sensing the violence
filling him, Sanchez stepped in front of him.
¡°We should hear him out,¡± the
preacher¡¯s voice was calm and controlled.
¡°He nearly got my sister killed,¡±
Ian spat out. ¡°You could have come to me, Jonah!¡± Ian tried
stepping around Sanchez.
¡°He¡¯s comin¡¯ here, Wheeler¡¯s
comin¡¯ here¡¡± the statement seemed to take all the strength
Jonah had and for a second Ian thought he¡¯d passed out. That was
when he noticed how injured the man was. He turned to Eva.
¡°I¡¯ve done what I could, but he
should see a doctor. I tried to encourage informing Mr. Jackson.¡±
¡°Ian you should go see to your
sister. I¡¯ll get Nathan and then we need to tell the others. This
ain¡¯t over,¡± Sanchez said, leveling a look at Cheyenne before
leaving the room.
|
Re: RPG Post, Sarah, Josiah, Cheyenne
Thanks for posting this, Linda. Your part is excellent, as always.
I love doing joint posts, and I'd love to write with any of you
magnificent ladies anytime. Just let me know whenever anyone wants to
interact with Sarah.
~Ann
|
RPG Post, Sarah, Josiah, Cheyenne
Ann and I did a combined post and I included Josiah and Cheyenne at the
end.
TAG Colleen! you it.
as always I've included the word attachment for easier reading...
Stagecoaches are notoriously uncomfortable modes of transportation, and
it felt so good to finally rest in her own comfortable room, to have a
real bed, a quick wash, and the time and privacy to brush the dirt and
dust of her cross-country journey out of her hair. But the brushing was
more painful than she expected, and re-braiding it made her shoulder
throb even more. She gave up on the braiding and tied it back in a
simple horse tail down her back, then to keep her mind off the pain, the
new schoolteacher of Four Corners decided to take a walk around her new
town, see the places, meet more of the people, find a bite to eat, and
maybe get a good look at where she would be expected to teach.
The memory of her three assailants¡ªwhat had Mr. Wilmington called them,
the Clancy boys¡ªtroubled Sarah, and the fact she had not received a
definite answer about the state of the law troubled her even more, but
the young woman figured that she had better get used to that sort of
thing.
She had not walked far and spoken with very many people before she began
hearing the stories of 'the Seven', the group of which Mr. Wilmington
was a part. Apparently these seven men were the law in Four Corners¡ªno
Constables, no deputy constables, only these men. It seemed like an odd
arrangement to Sarah, but everything looked, felt, and sounded strange
to the young woman, and besides, who was she to judge, being so new in
town and to the ways of these folk.
Most people were friendly enough, though Sarah got tired of hearing the
same old phrase, spoken in varying degrees of astonishment, "You're the
new schoolteacher?"
The next day, her first full day in town, Sarah meant to knuckle down
and really get started, but she was only partly successful. At least,
the startled looks from most of the town's folk are fading, she thought.
If she had to listen to one more, 'So, you're the new schoolteacher?'
exclamation from one more person, she would go mad, and might forget all
the good manners her mother drilled into her. All meant that this Sarah
was twice as determined to show these folks that she was not the useless
bit of fluff that she appeared to be, and her first task was to make
herself look older, more authoritative. Instead of her usual braids, she
pulled her hair up into a tight bun, looked at herself in the mirror,
and laughed so hard that one of the women from the hotel came running to
see what was wrong.
"Do I look as ridiculous as I think I do?" Sarah chortled.
The lady, a stout-looking older woman nodded, her lips pressed tightly
together to prevent herself from laughing.
"Oh, I give up." Sarah reached up and took down her bun, letting her
hair spill naturally down her back.
"So much nicer," the woman cooed. "With that face, that hair, that
figure, and that voice, you'll have no trouble landing a man."
"I didn't come out here to find a man," Sarah objected. "I'm here to
teach."
"Well, guess that explains all the books. you need somethin¡¯ else, Miss,
just holler. You know how to do that."
"Uh, I need someone to help me with some repairs. Who¡¯s the local
handyman around here?"
"Go find the preacher, Miss. He'll help."
I don't need my soul repaired, Sarah thought but kept that to herself.
"Thank you," she called back over her shoulder as she left her room and
headed towards the church.
Josiah paced worriedly in front of the door leading to °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ room.
He hadn¡¯t seen nor heard from her since yesterday when she had raced out
of town after hearing he and Vin¡¯s conversation. Wind was in his stall.
That much he knew; he¡¯d check the livery that evening. He could have
sworn he heard her last night in her room. But again, he¡¯d found comfort
in a bottle of whiskey. He shook his head, this had to stop, it was time
he braved the consequences and had that talk with his--- his daughter.
She had a right to know, to know everything---
As her steps neared the church, Sarah was annoyed with herself to find
her legs dragging. Apparently, she had not put all that nastiness at
home behind her as much as she thought.
It isn't going to be him, so buck up, girl! Sarah scolded herself.
Still, she hesitated for a few seconds before straightening her back,
gathering her courage, and opening the door.
"Hello?" she called, hoping she did not sound as timid as she felt.
Josiah let a sigh escape. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was relieved for the
distraction or exasperated that he¡¯d been interrupted. Turning toward
his visitor Josiah walked toward her.
¡°Good morning.¡± He greeted her as he stepped off the pulpit. ¡°Somethin¡¯
I can help you with ma¡¯am?¡±
As the man approached, Sarah gazed up at him and thought, is this the
preacher? Then, she felt like the biggest hypocrite who ever lived, and
smiled a little embarrassed.
"I'm sorry to bother you, sir," she apologized, for the man's sigh had
not sounded like he expected or wanted visitors.
"But I asked around the hotel for the local handyman, and for some
strange reason, they told me to come find the preacher? Are you he?"
¡°I¡¯m all there is.¡± He said, giving her a partial smile as he reached
her. ¡°What can I do for you?¡±
He's got a nice smile, well, sort of, Sarah thought. But what was she
supposed to make of that answer? Deciding it was none of her business
and not to try and decipher it for now, Sarah returned his partial
smile. Then, she realized that she had not properly introduced herself.
"I'm Sarah Collins," she told this man, whoever he was. "I'm supposed to
be setting up proper school here in Four corners, but the room they seem
to have allotted me is full of ¡ well, um--" The junk from the whole
town, was what she wanted to say, but that did not sound very nice, did
it.
"It's full of these massive planks of wood, and bent broken nails are
scattered about. There is broken glass all over the place, and something
that I dearly hope is paint thrown in the corner." It probably was not
paint. It looked more like blood, but Sarah did not want to think about
that. "This is what I could see from the front door. There is so much
stuff crammed in there I couldn't walk in for a better look, so if you,
or someone, could help move or arrange some of that wood for a start?"
¡°Welcome to Four Corners Miss Collins.¡± He glanced back at °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ
door then returned his gaze to the teacher. ¡°I¡¯d be glad to help you get
the school ready ma¡¯am. I do have some pressing business at the moment.
How about this afternoon? I can meet you there and see what all needs
»å´Ç²Ô±ð?¡±
Sarah noticed how this man stared at the other closed door. She did not
know who or what was behind it, but the subtle message was obvious. Yes,
I definitely came at a bad time. She wished she could help, but she did
not know this man. He had not even given her a name yet. She was equally
grateful that he had not given her the usual surprised horrified look
when she told him about being the schoolteacher. And she wanted an
excuse to leave the church almost as badly as he seemed to want her to
go.
"Thank you. That would be lovely. Whatever time is most convenient for
you, Sir." She smiled up at him again. "So sorry for bothering you," and
she turned to go.
¡°Josiah.¡± He braved a smile speaking up quickly. ¡°Josiah Sanchez, and
it¡¯s no bother Miss. Collins. Just a family matter I need to tend to
first. I hope you understand.¡±
Just as Sarah was about to make a clean escape, he spoke up with a name.
She turned back and appreciated his smile, though she wished it did not
have to be so forced.
"Oh! You're one of the Seven? I've heard about you gentlemen." No wonder
he's so busy, what with law keeping and preaching and handyman and
whatever else he did. "Oh of course, Sir ... I mean, Mr. Sanchez." She
hesitated then added before she could stop herself, "I realize I'm a
total stranger to you, but if there's anything I can do to help? Well,
I'll see you this afternoon. I hope things go well. If I'm not by the
old school room, I'll be at the hotel."
With a last brave smile of her own, she slipped out into the morning
light, closing the door softly behind her.
Oh, I do hope he's alright, Sarah found herself worrying about this man
already. She silently scolded herself for being too tender-hearted and
made her way to the stables, wanting to ask about renting a horse now
and then for a ride. Then, with her right shoulder really throbbing, she
figured she had better ask if there was a doctor in town.
Josiah watched as the young teacher left. Nice girl, he thought to
himself, then turned back toward °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ door.
Deciding to bite the bullet and face whatever was to come, Josiah took
in a heavy breath then blew it out as he started back up behind the
pulpit and knocked on °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ door. ¡°Annie, we need to talk.¡± He
abruptly announced as he opened the door and walked inside.
°ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ room was quiet, a stillness hung in the air as Josiah looked
about. Her bed had not been slept in, the sheets had not been disturbed,
the quilt still neatly covering the small bed in the corner of the room.
The hanging curtain that served to hide the bed from view had not been
disturbed. It was the same as it had been the day before. °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ
bow, quiver of arrows, and her medicine bundle were also still missing.
¡°Cheyenne?¡± Josiah called out knowing the girl was not there but somehow
hoping she would answer. A panic suddenly flooded over him. Turning on
his heels, Josiah rushed from the church and out into the street.
¡°Cheyenne!¡± he called out again as he made his way to the livery. Wind
was still calm, contented in his stall. She had to be here, somewhere,
Wind would not be so docile if she¡¯d been taken or was in some kind of
trouble. The horse sensed her, they had a bond, an unusual bond, but it
was there none the less. The horses contentment at least gave Josiah
some semblance of relief that at least she must be alright, but where
was she?
Making his way from the livery back out onto the street. Josiah scanned
the area trying to decide where to look next.
¡°Hey Josiah.¡± JD greeted the preacher as he made his way to the livery.
¡°JD.¡± the ex-preacher greeted the boy with a nod. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen
Cheyenne, have you?¡±
JD shook his head. ¡°Why? She missing? Oh wait, yeah, I saw her last
night going toward the hotel.¡±
¡°Much obliged.¡± Josiah thanked him as he started off toward the hotel
then stopped, turning back to JD,
¡°Hey, meet me at the old schoolhouse behind the grange this afternoon
will ya?¡±
¡°The old schoolhouse?¡± JD questioned. ¡°What for?¡±
¡°Tell you later.¡± Was Josiah¡¯s answer as he started back toward the
hotel.
Back in Abe¡¯s room****
Cheyenne sat at Abe¡¯s bedside wiping the perspiration from his forehead
with a damp cloth. Eva had left not long ago. Cheyenne appreciated the
food she¡¯d brought, but she wasn¡¯t hungry. Abe¡¯s fever still ravaged
him, and she was worried. Eva had told her it was to be expected as
severe as his wounds were. But Cheyenne could tell Eva was concerned as
well.
Abe stirred and opened his eyes, ¡°Che¡Cheyenne.¡±
¡°I am here.¡± She smiled
¡°Josi¡Josiah, where?¡± His voice was raspy, and his throat was dry.
¡°Wa¡water. Pl¡please.¡±
Cheyenne stood, going to the night table that sat in the opposite corner
of the room. She took the pitcher from the basin and poured water from
it into a cup then returned to Abe¡¯s bedside, helping him to sit up
enough to take a few sips of water.
¡°Thank you.¡±
Cheyenne smiled and set the cup on the small table next to the bed,
¡°Where¡¯s your, god father?¡±
Cheyenne shook her head. ¡°I do not know, he does not know you are here,
no one does except Eva.¡±
Abe grimaced with pain as he tried to readjust in the bed, ¡°You, need
to, get him.¡±
Cheyenne abruptly objected. ¡°No, he cannot find you, I do not want to
talk to him, not ²Ô´Ç·É.¡±
¡°Cheyenne, bring, him.¡± Abe insisted with a strong urgency in his tone
making him sound a bit gruffer than he had intended. ¡°Ian too.¡±
|
? Nettie and Kirsty were about a mile away from reaching the small Town of Four Corners when a speeding horse screeched to a halt blocking their path.
¡°Miss Nettie, it¡¯s Elizabeths time and she¡¯s hollering fit to bust, so was heading towards your place when I spotted you on the trail.¡±
¡°Sounds as if that baby is rushing into the world.? Out you get girl, you can walk to FourCorners from here.? She pointed towards the town in the distance as Kirsty jumped out of the buckboard
She did not mind walking but found the terrain a bit dusty and was glad to find a water pump to the rear of the Livery.? She wiped the dust from her face and hands and tried to tidy herself up a bit before entering the town proper.? She hid her bag containing her personal bits and clothing at the back of one of the stalls in the livery, she¡¯d collect it later..
She could hear people laughing, chattering and getting along with their daily business. She got a few nods but no one asked her business.? She was glad of that.? She spotted a Saloon and instantly thought of Ezra.? She wondered if Saloons were open all day. She did not know much about them.
She? peered? in through the closed main door and thought she had seen movement from within. She shifted across? to one of the large windows, although? it had been frosted the big letters of the word Saloon remained clear.? She had to stand on her tip toes to see through the lettering but she could not see anyone inside, the place seemed empty of people.
Lily Deveraux? approached her new business enterprise to see ? a young woman? peering in through its windows. She prodded the young woman with a gloved finger.
Off balance, Kirsty got a fright and ended up on her bottom next to the skirts of a beautiful woman who looked down at her? with a raised eyebrow of enquiry.? The only thing she could think of to say was to speak the truth.
¡°I¡¯m looking for work, I can clean and cook too.¡± She shot forth? in a rush her Scottish accent thicker than usual. ?She looked up at the woman and put on her bst smile.
.? ?
|
Great post. ?
~Ann
On 4/27/2023 4:37 PM, Sam via groups.io
wrote:
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Eva tried to stiffle her yawn as she poured a cup of
coffee in the kitchen.? Her outing during the night had
left her tired.? After she got a bite to eat, she'd head
over to check on the young man. Thank goodness Cheyenne
had found him or he'd have likely died from his injuries.
Molly entered from the dining room.??
"Morning ma'am."
"Good morning Molly.? Is my uncle up yet?"
"I haven't seen him."? Molly moved to the stove.? "Can
I fix you a plate?" She pointed to the eggs on the
stove.??
"I'd appreciate that." Eva yawned again.
"I heard that Cheyenne needed your help last night."
Molly paused. "Your uncle asked me last night if I knew
what she needed." Eva chewed at her lip for a moment.?
Cheyenne had asked her not to say anything but she still
felt like the young woman should know.
"Do we have anyone in the dining room?"
"Not at the moment."? Eva spilled out how Cheyenne had
found Jonah and brought him back to town. Molly suspected
her own distate about Jonah showed on her face, her
brother often told her that she'd never be able to bluff
at cards. But she had seen how much Cheyenne cared for him
and knew that this must be affecting her.
"I'm going to head over there now and check on him.
Hopefully his fever broke during the night." Eva packed a
few biscuits and some bacon in a basket. "Did you meet our
new guest yesterday? Ms. Devereaux, she'll be staying with
us for a few days until her room at the saloon is ready."
"I heard her say that she's bought the saloon?" Molly
had only spoken a few words to the women when she brought
her a pitcher of water the night before.? She'd known a
couple of women who owned businesses back East but they
were washer women and dressmakers, never owning something
like a saloon.
"Yes, I can't remember where she said she's from but I
suppose we'll get to know her." Eva bid Molly goodbye and
headed out the backdoor.? Molly continued her work in the
kitchen. There was supper and dinner to start prepping for
even at this early hour. Once folks were up and out of
their rooms, she'd have to get the linens to the laundry.
She checked the dining room every few minutes for a
patron.
"Molly?" Eva's uncle called from the dining room. She
wiped her hands on her apron before pushing open the
swinging door.? He stood next to a table where Ms.
Deveraux sat. "Can you get our guest some coffee and
breakfast?" Molly nodded and returned a moment later with
the coffee.
"Good morning, ma'am." Molly poured a cup of coffee.?
"I have eggs and bacon prepared in the kitchen.? I can
bring those for you or prepare something else." Molly had
been in service most of her life and knew when she was
being sized up. Lily Deveraux studied her for a minute.
"That sounds lovely, though I feel as though I'm not
all that hungry this morning.? Traveling tends to do that
to me. Though if you had a biscuit, I'd take that. Maybe
with some honey?"
"Of course, ma'am." Molly disappeared into the kitchen
and brought back a pair of biscuits, butter, and a
container of honey.
"Thank you, cherie." Molly wondered about Ms.
Deveraux's accent but knew it wasn't her place to ask.
"Where are you from?"
"Five Points, ma'am, New York City."
"My travels have never taken me there.? Do you miss
it?"
"I-I suppose there are things I miss. But my brother is
here."
"Family is a wonderful thing." Lily took a bite from
one of the biscuits.? "Delicious. I take it you are the
cook as well around here?" Molly nodded. Lily laughed. "If
they're not careful I might try to steal you away. Now,
I'm sure I am keeping you from your duties. Thank you for
the breakfast."
Eva came out of the alley next the livery. She'd been
to check on Jonah and Cheyenne.? The young man was still
alive, though still feverish.? The iodine she'd applied
during the night seemed to be helping the wounds and they
didn't look as red or swollen. The boy still had quite the
recovery ahead of him.? A hand reached out and grabbed her
arm.? She prepared to swing until she saw it was Buck.
"Buck! You scared me."?
"Where were you coming from?¡± He glanced back at the
alley.
¡°±õ³Ù¡¯²õ a beautiful morning isn¡¯t it? Perhaps we could
take a walk later.¡± Eva looped her arm with his.? Maybe
she could dodge his question.? For now she¡¯d keep
°ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ secret about Jonah. ¡°Have you met Ms.
Deveraux?¡±
¡°New saloon owner? Yep, when she came in on the stage.
Chris don¡¯t think much of a woman owning the saloon.? But
I think Ezra likes the idea.? Probably going to try and
gamble it away from her.¡± He joked. ¡°But you didn¡¯t-,¡± Eva
cut him off before he could finish his sentence.
¡°Maybe we could take a ride later? I could have Molly
pack us a ±è¾±³¦²Ô¾±³¦.¡±
¡°Sounds like a right fine idea.¡±
|
Loved it Sam!
L
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On 2023-04-27 2:37 pm, Sam via groups.io wrote: Eva tried to stiffle her yawn as she poured a cup of coffee in the
kitchen. Her outing during the night had left her tired. After she
got a bite to eat, she'd head over to check on the young man. Thank
goodness Cheyenne had found him or he'd have likely died from his
injuries. Molly entered from the dining room.
"Morning ma'am."
"Good morning Molly. Is my uncle up yet?"
"I haven't seen him." Molly moved to the stove. "Can I fix you a
plate?" She pointed to the eggs on the stove.
"I'd appreciate that." Eva yawned again.
"I heard that Cheyenne needed your help last night." Molly paused.
"Your uncle asked me last night if I knew what she needed." Eva chewed
at her lip for a moment. Cheyenne had asked her not to say anything
but she still felt like the young woman should know.
"Do we have anyone in the dining room?"
"Not at the moment." Eva spilled out how Cheyenne had found Jonah and
brought him back to town. Molly suspected her own distate about Jonah
showed on her face, her brother often told her that she'd never be
able to bluff at cards. But she had seen how much Cheyenne cared for
him and knew that this must be affecting her.
"I'm going to head over there now and check on him. Hopefully his
fever broke during the night." Eva packed a few biscuits and some
bacon in a basket. "Did you meet our new guest yesterday? Ms.
Devereaux, she'll be staying with us for a few days until her room at
the saloon is ready."
"I heard her say that she's bought the saloon?" Molly had only spoken
a few words to the women when she brought her a pitcher of water the
night before. She'd known a couple of women who owned businesses back
East but they were washer women and dressmakers, never owning
something like a saloon.
"Yes, I can't remember where she said she's from but I suppose we'll
get to know her." Eva bid Molly goodbye and headed out the backdoor.
Molly continued her work in the kitchen. There was supper and dinner
to start prepping for even at this early hour. Once folks were up and
out of their rooms, she'd have to get the linens to the laundry. She
checked the dining room every few minutes for a patron.
"Molly?" Eva's uncle called from the dining room. She wiped her hands
on her apron before pushing open the swinging door. He stood next to
a table where Ms. Deveraux sat. "Can you get our guest some coffee and
breakfast?" Molly nodded and returned a moment later with the coffee.
"Good morning, ma'am." Molly poured a cup of coffee. "I have eggs and
bacon prepared in the kitchen. I can bring those for you or prepare
something else." Molly had been in service most of her life and knew
when she was being sized up. Lily Deveraux studied her for a minute.
"That sounds lovely, though I feel as though I'm not all that hungry
this morning. Traveling tends to do that to me. Though if you had a
biscuit, I'd take that. Maybe with some honey?"
"Of course, ma'am." Molly disappeared into the kitchen and brought
back a pair of biscuits, butter, and a container of honey.
"Thank you, cherie." Molly wondered about Ms. Deveraux's accent but
knew it wasn't her place to ask. "Where are you from?"
"Five Points, ma'am, New York City."
"My travels have never taken me there. Do you miss it?"
"I-I suppose there are things I miss. But my brother is here."
"Family is a wonderful thing." Lily took a bite from one of the
biscuits. "Delicious. I take it you are the cook as well around
here?" Molly nodded. Lily laughed. "If they're not careful I might try
to steal you away. Now, I'm sure I am keeping you from your duties.
Thank you for the breakfast."
Eva came out of the alley next the livery. She'd been to check on
Jonah and Cheyenne. The young man was still alive, though still
feverish. The iodine she'd applied during the night seemed to be
helping the wounds and they didn't look as red or swollen. The boy
still had quite the recovery ahead of him. A hand reached out and
grabbed her arm. She prepared to swing until she saw it was Buck.
"Buck! You scared me."
"Where were you coming from?¡± He glanced back at the alley.
¡°±õ³Ù¡¯²õ a beautiful morning isn¡¯t it? Perhaps we could take a walk
later.¡± Eva looped her arm with his. Maybe she could dodge his
question. For now she¡¯d keep °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ secret about Jonah.
¡°Have you met Ms. Deveraux?¡±
¡°New saloon owner? Yep, when she came in on the stage. Chris don¡¯t
think much of a woman owning the saloon. But I think Ezra likes the
idea. Probably going to try and gamble it away from her.¡± He joked.
¡°But you didn¡¯t-,¡± Eva cut him off before he could finish his
sentence.
¡°Maybe we could take a ride later? I could have Molly pack us a
±è¾±³¦²Ô¾±³¦.¡±
¡°Sounds like a right fine idea.¡±
Links:
------
[1] /g/ladiesofthemagnificentseven/message/99
[2] /mt/98545743/319692
[3] /g/ladiesofthemagnificentseven/post
[4] /g/ladiesofthemagnificentseven/editsub/319692
[5]
/g/ladiesofthemagnificentseven/leave/2215157/319692/253443216/xyzzy
|
Eva tried to stiffle her yawn as she poured a cup of coffee in the kitchen.? Her outing during the night had left her tired.? After she got a bite to eat, she'd head over to check on the young man. Thank goodness Cheyenne had found him or he'd have likely died from his injuries. Molly entered from the dining room.??
"Morning ma'am."
"Good morning Molly.? Is my uncle up yet?"
"I haven't seen him."? Molly moved to the stove.? "Can I fix you a plate?" She pointed to the eggs on the stove.??
"I'd appreciate that." Eva yawned again.
"I heard that Cheyenne needed your help last night." Molly paused. "Your uncle asked me last night if I knew what she needed." Eva chewed at her lip for a moment.? Cheyenne had asked her not to say anything but she still felt like the young woman should know.
"Do we have anyone in the dining room?"
"Not at the moment."? Eva spilled out how Cheyenne had found Jonah and brought him back to town. Molly suspected her own distate about Jonah showed on her face, her brother often told her that she'd never be able to bluff at cards. But she had seen how much Cheyenne cared for him and knew that this must be affecting her.
"I'm going to head over there now and check on him. Hopefully his fever broke during the night." Eva packed a few biscuits and some bacon in a basket. "Did you meet our new guest yesterday? Ms. Devereaux, she'll be staying with us for a few days until her room at the saloon is ready."
"I heard her say that she's bought the saloon?" Molly had only spoken a few words to the women when she brought her a pitcher of water the night before.? She'd known a couple of women who owned businesses back East but they were washer women and dressmakers, never owning something like a saloon.
"Yes, I can't remember where she said she's from but I suppose we'll get to know her." Eva bid Molly goodbye and headed out the backdoor.? Molly continued her work in the kitchen. There was supper and dinner to start prepping for even at this early hour. Once folks were up and out of their rooms, she'd have to get the linens to the laundry. She checked the dining room every few minutes for a patron.
"Molly?" Eva's uncle called from the dining room. She wiped her hands on her apron before pushing open the swinging door.? He stood next to a table where Ms. Deveraux sat. "Can you get our guest some coffee and breakfast?" Molly nodded and returned a moment later with the coffee.
"Good morning, ma'am." Molly poured a cup of coffee.? "I have eggs and bacon prepared in the kitchen.? I can bring those for you or prepare something else." Molly had been in service most of her life and knew when she was being sized up. Lily Deveraux studied her for a minute.
"That sounds lovely, though I feel as though I'm not all that hungry this morning.? Traveling tends to do that to me. Though if you had a biscuit, I'd take that. Maybe with some honey?"
"Of course, ma'am." Molly disappeared into the kitchen and brought back a pair of biscuits, butter, and a container of honey.
"Thank you, cherie." Molly wondered about Ms. Deveraux's accent but knew it wasn't her place to ask. "Where are you from?"
"Five Points, ma'am, New York City."
"My travels have never taken me there.? Do you miss it?"
"I-I suppose there are things I miss. But my brother is here."
"Family is a wonderful thing." Lily took a bite from one of the biscuits.? "Delicious. I take it you are the cook as well around here?" Molly nodded. Lily laughed. "If they're not careful I might try to steal you away. Now, I'm sure I am keeping you from your duties. Thank you for the breakfast."
Eva came out of the alley next the livery. She'd been to check on Jonah and Cheyenne.? The young man was still alive, though still feverish.? The iodine she'd applied during the night seemed to be helping the wounds and they didn't look as red or swollen. The boy still had quite the recovery ahead of him.? A hand reached out and grabbed her arm.? She prepared to swing until she saw it was Buck.
"Buck! You scared me."?
"Where were you coming from?¡± He glanced back at the alley.
¡°±õ³Ù¡¯²õ a beautiful morning isn¡¯t it? Perhaps we could take a walk later.¡± Eva looped her arm with his.? Maybe she could dodge his question.? For now she¡¯d keep °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ secret about Jonah. ¡°Have you met Ms. Deveraux?¡±
¡°New saloon owner? Yep, when she came in on the stage. Chris don¡¯t think much of a woman owning the saloon.? But I think Ezra likes the idea.? Probably going to try and gamble it away from her.¡± He joked. ¡°But you didn¡¯t-,¡± Eva cut him off before he could finish his sentence.
¡°Maybe we could take a ride later? I could have Molly pack us a ±è¾±³¦²Ô¾±³¦.¡±
¡°Sounds like a right fine idea.¡±
|
Re: RP story Cheyenne, Josiah, Abe
Thank You both! you made my day!
Linda
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Show quoted text
On 2023-04-27 2:47 am, ann wrote: I second this. I just re-read this for the fifth, maybe sixth, time.
Wonderful post, Linda!!!
~Ann
On 3/26/2023 6:50 AM, Janette Scott wrote:
Wow Linda that was a very detailed post with lots of angst too. A
lot to take in on one read ad will re read it again . Very well
done.
Janette
¡°There is no such word as can¡¯t in my book but you can try¡±
On 26 Mar 2023, at 09:35, Linda <bluedolphin@...> wrote: ?Ok and here we go another minor novel LOL. Just had a lot I
wanted to
get out
I have attached the word version as well for easier reading.....
Inside the church Josiah watched as Molly left the way she¡¯d
come. He
wondered if she had meant something by her last remark about there
being
good men. ¡°Most but not all?¡± Certainly, he agreed there were
other good
men out there. Few and far between. Vin was one of the best. Deep
down
he wished if Cheyenne were going to fall for someone it would have
been
Vin, but then any of the seven men he rode with would have been
better
than whoever this Jonah or Abe was. Maybe, or maybe it was just
the fact
that he did not believe that anyone was good enough for his
daughter.
His daughter, Josiah shook his head and chastised himself.
Cheyenne had
no idea he was her real father, no one did. He had hidden it for
so
long, satisfied with being her godfather, nothing more than a
favorite
uncle. How did he have the right to say who was or was not good
enough
for her now. Cheyenne had lost her parents at a young age, he did
not
have the strength to raise her himself, or to be her father even
then,
so he¡¯d taken her to be raised by her mother¡¯s people. And
then there
was that. Her true mother, she didn¡¯t even know she existed,
something
else he must atone for. He stood and went to his room and opened
the
bureau drawer taking the whiskey bottle from inside. The bottle
was all
but empty. He popped the cork and guzzled what was left then
tossed it
aside. Deciding to head for the saloon and get another, he made
his way
to the front doors and walked out.
Cheyenne opened the back door from her living area to the outside
behind
the church. Her prayer bundle in hand she made her way to an open
area.
She gathered enough wood to make a small fire. After she¡¯d
started the
fire, She laid a buckskin blanket on the ground then knelt on it
sitting
back on her feet. Setting her bundle down she retrieved a small
wooden
bowl, a braid of sweet grass, tobacco, and sage from it. Taking a
burning twig from the small fire she lit the tobacco and sage
blowing
gently on the ends until the red embers glowed and smoke rose from
the
ashes. As she set them both in the bowl, she watched the smoke
rise
before taking the braid of sweet grass, and doing the same,
lighting the
end of the braid until the embers glowed then blew gentle breaths
to
bring the smoke. Instead of setting the sweet grass in the bowl,
she
waved the smoke first to her heart, then her head, over her body,
and
finally back to her heart. As she did so she prayed in her Lakota
language.
Oh, Great Spirit,
whose voice I hear in the winds, and whose breath gives life to
all the
world, hear me.
I am small and weak.
I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes, ever behold the red and
purple
sunset.
Make my hands respect the things you have made, and my ears sharp
to
hear your voice.
Make me wise so that I may understand.
She set the sweetgrass into the bowl, then lifting her hands she
looked
up to the darkened sky.
Oh Wakan Tonka hear my words,
one who has my heart is lost.
Light his way, protect him,
help him to find the road back to the one who cares.
Before she was finished Cheyenne pulled from her pack three
feathers
bound together with a strip of beaded rawhide. She picked up the
bowl
and stood. The sage, sweet grass and tobacco still smoldering. She
fanned the smoke with the feather fan, first to the north, then
the
south, east and west.
Josiah wasn¡¯t sure just what had drawn his attention to the back
of the
church, whether it was the flickering light from the small fire or
the
small voice he¡¯d heard in the silence of the night, either way
he found
himself standing at the corner of the building watching as
Cheyenne
prayed. He took a step back concealing himself behind the building
as
she finished, gathered her things and headed back to her room.
Josiah
leaned back against the wall. His heart breaking for his forlorn
daughter. ¡°I need a drink.¡± He spoke out loud as he pulled
himself from
his spot and once again headed for the saloon.
JD sat with Nathan, Chris and some of the others as they engaged
themselves in a game of cards. Chris watched the door as Josiah
strode
purposely through them and headed straight for the bar demanding
whiskey.
¡°Looks like Josiah¡¯s in another one of his moods.¡± JD piped
up glancing
over at the preacher.
Nathan looked over at his friend at the bar, then back to his
cards.
¡°Looks more like he¡¯s got troubles.¡±
JD scoffed.¡± You¡¯d think his troubles would be over now that
that Indian
blacksmith ain¡¯t around.¡±
¡°Ain¡¯t nothin to mock at JD. That boy did us all a favor
riskin his own
life and holdin back that gang while we got the girls out of
³Ù³ó±ð°ù±ð.¡±
¡°Way I heard it, it was his fault anyway.¡±
Nathan only nodded, JD¡¯s assumption was hard to dismiss, but
then none
of them really knew the whole story, And Nathan was not about to
pass
judgment. He glanced back to see the preacher take the full
whiskey
bottle he¡¯d just purchased and a single glass over to a secluded
table
in the corner of the saloon.
The next morning found Josiah back at the church sprawled out on
his
bed. He woke with a headache from hell itself and an empty whiskey
bottle on the floor. Sluggishly pulling himself upright he
carefully
swung his legs over the bedside leaning his elbows on his knees he
held
his aching head in his hands reprimanding himself for being so
stupid
with his daughter only a few feet from where he must have stumbled
in
last night.
The aroma of hot coffee freshly made bread, and bacon frying eased
its
way into his room. Maybe a good breakfast would sooth his
irritable
stomach.
Running his hands through his curly greying locks Josiah did his
best to
look presentable as he stood and dressed. A bath would help, he
could
still smell the whiskey on his breath and smoke from the saloon on
his
clothes. He made a metal note to pay a visit to the bath house
after
breakfast.
Lifting his suspenders over his shoulders, Josiah opened the door
and
walked toward °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ room. The familiar smells are what
caught his
attention as he stepped up onto the pulpit. Out of the corner of
his eye
to his right where the small table sat against the wall he saw the
plate
of food, Eggs, Bacon and fresh fry bread along with the coffee had
been
placed there with his eating utensil. Josiah ran a hand over his
face
flustered as he looked toward °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ door. It was clear she
still
did not want to talk.
With a defeated sigh, Josiah picked up his plate and coffee and
headed
for the front doors. Once he made his way- outside he sat on the
front
steps and began to eat his breakfast.
¡°Somethin sure smells good.¡±
Josiah looked up to see Vin making his way over to him.
¡°Mornin Vin.¡± He greeted the Ex-bounty hunter.
¡°Josiah.¡± Vin Nodded as he walked up and sat down on the step
below.
¡°Rough night?¡±
The preacher gave a short nod as he looked down the street to
where the
stage had just pulled up. ¡°Chris expectin some one?¡± he
motioned toward
the stage where Buck and Chris sauntered over to meet it.
¡°Don¡¯t rightly know, heard the new saloon owner might be in
today, could
be him.¡±
Josiah nodded. ¡°Must be.¡± He said setting his half-eaten plate
of food
down next to him.
The preacher¡¯s solemn mood didn¡¯t escape Vin¡¯s notice.
¡°How¡¯s your
²µ´Ç»å»å²¹³Ü²µ³ó³Ù±ð°ù?¡±
Josiah shook his head. ¡°Not speaking to me. I dunno Vin, maybe
it was a
mistake bringing her here, Don¡¯t know what Strong Wolf was
thinkin,
wantin me to be a father to her now, after all this time.¡±
¡°A father?¡± Vin looked at him curiously.
Josiah nodded. ¡°Somethin I ain¡¯t told anyone yet. °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ
my
daughter Vin, not my goddaughter, it¡¯s a long story. She has my
eyes.
Thing is she don¡¯t know it.¡±
Vin looked out into the street. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be. She doesn¡¯t
know you¡¯re
her real Pa?¡±
Josiah shook his head as Vin looked over at him.
¡°I didn¡¯t even know myself for a long time, not until I got a
letter
from my friend Pierre¡¯ wanten me to come visit, said he had
something
important to tell me, turns out that something important was
Cheyenne.
Her mother died in childbirth, Pierre and his wife took the baby.
By the
time I found out about her. She was almost 5. ¡°
Vin shook his head and glanced back down the street toward where
Chris
and Buck stood talking to a young woman from the stage. ¡°Got to
be a
hard thing to live with.¡±
Josiah nodded in agreement as a sound at their backs brought both
his
and Vin¡¯s attention to the church doors behind them. Cheyenne
stood
medicine pouch over her shoulder, quiver of arrows slung over her
back,
and bow in hand. Anger and confusion emanating from her eyes as
she
glared at the man she knew only as her godfather. It was obvious
from
the shocked expression on her face that she had heard the
conversation.
¡°Cheyenne.¡± Josiah greeted her hoping she had not heard what
he had just
revealed to Vin even though it was completely apparent that she
had.
¡°How long have you been standing there?¡±
Tears seeped from her eyes, barely able to get the words out even
as
she spoke in her native Lakota dialect.
¡°Long enough to hear you say that the life I have lived, has all
been a
±ô¾±±ð?¡±
Stunned at her words Josiah quickly got to his feet. ¡°Annie, no,
±õ..¡±
Cheyenne held up her hand for him to stop as he took a step toward
her.
¡°Let me explain, we need to talk.¡± Josiah all but begged as he
took
another step.
¡°NO!¡± Cheyenne shouted, holding her hand out in front of her
again to
stop him from coming closer.
¡°No more talk!¡± she yelled as she hurried past him.
Vin reached out and took hold of the distressed girl¡¯s arm.
¡°Maybe you
should hear him out.¡±
Cheyenne jerked her way free of Vin with a stern look warning him
to
stay clear before she turned and raced toward the livery.
¡°Sorry Josiah.¡± Vin apologized for butting in and grabbing the
escaping
girl.
Josiah put an appreciative hand on the tracker¡¯s shoulder.
¡°±õ³Ù¡¯²õ
alright, she finds comfort with her horse when she¡¯s upset.
I¡¯ll go to
her. it¡¯s time we got things straight. Guess maybe that¡¯s what
her
grandfather wanted in the first place.¡±
Josiah¡¯s words had no sooner left his mouth when Cheyenne
emerged from
the livery leading her black and white paint. In one swift
movement she
took hold of the ³ó´Ç°ù²õ±ð¡¯²õ main and swung onto its back. With only
a word
the horse broke into a run and raced out of town.
¡°Cheyenne! Wait!¡± Josiah¡¯s call fell upon deaf ears as the
girl showed
no sign of stopping.
Josiah quickly ran for the livery as Vin stood by watching
helplessly.
It was none of his affair, he knew that, but Josiah was his
friend. He
wanted to help. He knew Josiah would never catch her. °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ
horse
was too fast, and she had a head start. Heading to the livery
himself
Vin caught up with the preacher just as he was tightening the
sinch on
his saddle.
¡°Ain¡¯t none of my business Josiah, but maybe it¡¯s best you
let her be
for a while, you¡¯ll never catch her. Sides, maybe she wants to
be a
lone, sort a get her head straight before she talks to you.¡±
Josiah leaned his head against his saddle, clearly torn. ¡°Maybe
your
°ù¾±²µ³ó³Ù.¡±
Vin put a hand on his friend¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m goin out on
patrol, I¡¯ll
keep my eyes open.¡±
¡°I appreciate that Vin.¡±
***
Sometime later Wind finally came to a stop several miles from
town, in a
small hidden clearing near the river. They were surrounded by tall
trees
and lush foliage on either side. Cheyenne slipped from the
horses¡¯ back
letting him drink his fill and graze on the sweet-smelling grasses
beneath their feet, as she walked to the river¡¯s edge and stood
looking
out across the blue water, her mind deep in thought and tears
still
staining her cheeks. Why would Josiah keep such a secret? Why
would her
parents? Her grandparents? Who else knew? If her mother was not
her
mother, who was her mother? Had Josiah said she was dead?
°ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ
mind was a jumble of questions. Had the life she knew all been a
lie?
She was angry, confused and hurt. Her thoughts so tangled, her
senses
dulled, she did not hear the footsteps coming up behind her until
Wind
let out a loud warning neigh, that brought Cheyenne spinning
around to
see Vin walking toward her, leading Peso behind him.
¡°Mind if I water my horse?¡± he asked.
Cheyenne stepped away from the riverbank to give him room. ¡°You
followed
me¡± she scowled.
Vin shook his head calmly. ¡°Nope, just wanted to water my horse,
but it
aint safe a woman alone out here. Best get back to town.¡±
¡°I have always gone into the woods alone since I was a child.¡±
She
frowned.
¡°Maybe so.¡± Vin took the canteen from his saddle and crouched
down near
the water to fill it. ¡°But these aint the woods you¡¯re used
³Ù´Ç.¡±
¡°You are here because of Josiah, he sent you.¡± Cheyenne
growled.
Vin looked up at her. ¡°Nope, out on patrol is all.¡± He
answered calmly.
¡°You lie, he sent you.¡±
Vin finished with his canteen and stood, walking over to his horse
he
wrapped the strap over his saddle horn. ¡°Never been good at
±ô¾±±ð¡¯²Ô.¡±
Cheyenne glared at him before turning back to the river.
Vin shook his head and stepped into the stirrup as he lifted
himself
into the saddle. ¡°You sure are a stubborn one aren¡¯t you. You
Know, If¡¯n
you had a mind, Molly¡¯s at the hotel. I¡¯m sure she¡¯d be more
than happy
to talk with you if ya had a need.¡±
Cheyenne shook her head no. ¡°She would not understand.¡±
¡°Won¡¯t know til ya try.¡± He took hold of the reigns and
turned Peso in
the opposite direction. ¡°In the meantime, best get back to town.
It aint
safe for you to be out here alone. Josiah¡¯s on the worry.¡±
¡°I can take care of myself,¡± She smirked. ¡°I have hunting to
do and
medicine to gather.¡±
Vin shook his head frustrated. ¡°Suit yourself.¡± With that he
nudged his
heel into his ³ó´Ç°ù²õ±ð¡¯²õ side, causing the animal to move forward
as Vin
headed back the way he¡¯d come.
Cheyenne turned and watched as he rode off. She wiped away the
tears
from her cheeks before she stepped away from the river¡¯s edge.
Whistling
a musical note that made Wind¡¯s ears perk, taking the paint from
enjoying the tasty grass he looked up and began to follow, as
Cheyenne
began to search the surrounding area for the roots and wild herbs
she
used in her medicine bundle and prayer ceremonies.
It was late afternoon by the time she had finished. Finally
satisfied
with what she had gathered she took the bow from her back and
retrieved
an arrow from the quiver as she began to search for prey. Before
long a
wild rabbit caught her sight. She crouched and quietly knocked the
arrow into her bow, aiming expertly at the critter¡¯s head so as
not to
ruin the skin, a trick her brothers had taught her. Just as she
was
about to let the arrow fly, a noise from the bushes startled her
as well
as the rabbit sending him scampering off. Wind let out a warning
whinny
and Cheyenne spun in the direction of the bushes aiming her
weapon.
¡°Cheyenne.¡± A hoarse but familiar voice spoke her name as a
man slowly
stumbled out from behind the dense foliage and brush. His
long-unbraided
hair, a tangled mess of stray strands falling into his eyes, his
face
swollen and bruised, blood trickled from the cuts above his eye
and his
split lip, the red substance stained his shirt from his shoulder
to his
waist. He held a hand up against the wound in his side while blood
seeped through his fingers. He limped from the wound in his leg,
barely
able to stand. He fell against a nearby tree and leaned against it
to
steady himself.
¡°Jonah!¡± Cheyenne gasped. She quickly lowered her weapon and
rushed over
to him helping to steady him. He put his arm around her letting
her keep
him upright.
¡°I c-ca- came- to- war-warn¡¡± Too weak to speak, or stand
any longer,
Abe sank to the ground. Even though his weight was no match for
the
petite girl, Cheyenne did her best to break his fall keeping his
head
from hitting the hard surface.
While Abe lay there passed out Cheyenne immediately began to
assess his
wounds. He had two gunshot wounds, one to his shoulder, she was
certain
the bullet was still lodged somewhere inside. The one in his leg
looked
as though the bullet had passed through. Still, it was a bad wound
and
needed to be tended to without delay. Ripping his shirt away from
the
wound in his side Cheyenne was finally able to see the damage, he
had a
good 4-inch gash in his side, From the look of it, she guessed
he¡¯d been
in a knife fight, she¡¯d seen these types of wounds before and
had on one
or more occasions helped to tend to her brothers with the same
kind of
injury. She quickly retrieved her medicine bundle and began to do
what
she could to stop the bleeding. Using a needle made from sharpened
bone
and what sinew she had, Cheyenne crudely closed the knife wound.
Using
crushed yarrow on his wounds helped to stop the bleeding. But even
as
she mixed herbs into a cup of water she had retrieved from the
river and
did her best to get the wounded man to drink, Cheyenne knew he
needed
more than what she could do for him. She needed help, he needed
white
medicine. The bullet was still in his shoulder, and she worried
about
infection.
The sun was slowly sinking into the west. She had to take him back
to
town and find someone who would help, someone who knew white
medicine.
But who could she trust?
Calling wind over, Cheyenne gave him a hand signal and spoke in
her
native tongue, The black and white paint seemed to understand and
carefully laid on the ground. Cheyenne worked quickly as she
gathered
her things and then pulled Abe over to her horse. She wasn¡¯t
sure how,
but she managed to get him on the horse and lay his head on the
³ó´Ç°ù²õ±ð¡¯²õ
neck while she climbed on behind him. Motioning with her heel the
horse
got back to his feet, with in moments they were heading back to
Four
Corners.
By the time they reached town it was near dark. Cheyenne reigned
Wind to
a stop behind the blacksmiths and dismounted. She scanned the area
searching for a place to hide Abe. She knew she could not get him
to her
room without being seen, nor to the hotel, deciding his room at
the
blacksmiths was best for the time being, she led Wind close to the
back
door before she motioned for the horse to lie down. Carefully she
slipped Abe from the horse. ¡°You must help me, Jonah.¡± She
whispered
trying to wake the unconscious young man. Sluggishly Abe woke just
enough to stay on his feet and walk through the back door of the
blacksmiths leaning heavily on Cheyenne. ¡°Abe¡± he mumbled
barely
audible. ¡°My, name, is Abe.¡±
Finally reaching his room Cheyenne helped Abe to lie down. She
felt his
head. Beads of sweat trickled down his temples. He was feverish
and
mumbling in both English and Lakota. °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ name crossed his
lips
more than once as she pulled his moccasins from his feet then
removed
his tattered and bloody shirt tossing it on the ground. She
removed his
trousers leaving him clad in only his long johns. Covering him
with the
blanket she reached over and felt his forehead and cheeks. He was
burning up.
Frightened that he would die, Cheyenne suddenly bolted from the
room
closing the door behind her and raced for Nathans. Reaching the
³ó±ð²¹±ô±ð°ù¡¯²õ
door, she banged on it frantically calling out for him. When there
was
no answer Cheyenne turned, looking down at the quiet street. The
fires
along the boardwalk lit up the streets and the lamps in front of
the
hotel burned bright. ¡°Eva.¡± Cheyenne suddenly remembered. Eva
knew
medicine. Cheyenne ran from Nathans to the hotel hoping she had
not
been seen. She burst through the hotel doors panicked when she did
not
see the girl at the desk. Instead a short stocky older man sat
behind
the desk looking up at her.
¡°Eva?¡± Cheyenne asked her Panic clearly apparent in her tone.
The man just looked at her confused. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Miss Eva has
turned in
for the evening.¡±
¡°Eva!¡± Cheyenne shouted this time more forcefully.
The man hesitated before he answered. ¡°She¡¯s in her room, up
the stairs
to your left.¡± He pointed.
Cheyenne turned on her heels and raced up the stairs. Finding the
door
she hoped was Eva¡¯s, she banged on it desperately. ¡°Eva?¡±
The door slowly opened. ¡°Cheyenne? What is it? Is something
·É°ù´Ç²Ô²µ?¡±
Cheyenne nodded and took hold of the girls¡¯ hand. ¡°You come,
help, s¡¯il
vous plait.¡± She pleaded.
¡°What¡¯s ·É°ù´Ç²Ô²µ?¡± Eva asked again confused.
Cheyenne rattled off both in French and Lakota. Then finally in
her
broken English.
¡°Jonah, please, you help, sick, bad hurt, You come.¡± She
pulled at the
girl urging her to follow but Eva hesitated.
¡°Where¡¯s Nathan?¡±
°ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ eyes teared as she shrugged. ¡°Please you come fast,
he die.¡±
Eva smiled, a worried look crossed her face as she nodded and
squeezed
the girl¡¯s hand. ¡°Alright, let me get my bag.¡±
**
Two hours passed before Eva had finished, first taking the bullet
from
Abes¡¯ shoulder then addressing the rest of his wounds.
¡°The bullet in his leg went clear through, whatever you used to
help
stop the bleeding worked. Getting that gash sewn up like you did
helped
as well. I just reinforced it. Good job Cheyenne, But he¡¯s not
out of
the woods yet. He¡¯s lost a lot of blood and the infection has
caused the
fever. He¡¯ll need to be watched closely.¡± She stood going over
to the
water basin and began washing her hands. ¡°I¡¯ve done all I can
for ²Ô´Ç·É.¡±
Cheyenne looked up from where she sat on the bed next to Abe.
¡°A¡¯ho¡Thank, you¡±
Eva smiled as she took a towel and dried her hands. ¡°He should
sleep
through the night. You come get me if he gets any worse you
³Ü²Ô»å±ð°ù²õ³Ù²¹²Ô»å?¡±
Cheyenne nodded that she did, then a seriousness crossed her
delicate
features. ¡°No tell, you no tell Josiah, no tell town, please?¡±
Eva looked at her. ¡°Cheyenne I can¡¯t¡¡±
¡°Please,¡± Cheyenne begged. ¡°No tell.¡±
Eva let out a sigh and hesitated before she reluctantly agreed.
¡°Alright, for ²Ô´Ç·É.¡± With that she put a comforting hand on
°ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ
shoulder, reminding her once more to come for her if he got any
worse
before she made her way out.
Links:
------
[1] /g/ladiesofthemagnificentseven/message/97
[2] /mt/97858065/319692
[3] /g/ladiesofthemagnificentseven/post
[4] /g/ladiesofthemagnificentseven/editsub/319692
[5]
/g/ladiesofthemagnificentseven/leave/2215157/319692/253443216/xyzzy
|
Re: RP story Cheyenne, Josiah, Abe
I second this. I just re-read this for the fifth, maybe sixth,?
time. Wonderful post, Linda!!!
~Ann
On 3/26/2023 6:50 AM, Janette Scott
wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Wow Linda that was a very detailed post with lots of angst too. ?A
lot to take in on one read ad will re read it again . Very well
done.
Janette?
¡°There is no such word as can¡¯t ?in my book but
you can try¡±
?Ok and here we go another minor novel LOL.
Just had a lot I wanted to
get out
I have attached the word version as well for easier
reading.....
Inside the church Josiah watched as Molly left the way she¡¯d
come. He
wondered if she had meant something by her last remark about
there being
good men. ¡°Most but not all?¡± Certainly, he agreed there
were other good
men out there. Few and far between. Vin was one of the best.
Deep down
he wished if Cheyenne were going to fall for someone it
would have been
Vin, but then any of the seven men he rode with would have
been better
than whoever this Jonah or Abe was. Maybe, or maybe it was
just the fact
that he did not believe that anyone was good enough for his
daughter.
His daughter, Josiah shook his head and chastised himself.
Cheyenne had
no idea he was her real father, no one did. He had hidden it
for so
long, satisfied with being her godfather, nothing more than
a favorite
uncle. How did he have the right to say who was or was not
good enough
for her now. Cheyenne had lost her parents at a young age,
he did not
have the strength to raise her himself, or to be her father
even then,
so he¡¯d taken her to be raised by her mother¡¯s people. And
then there
was that. Her true mother, she didn¡¯t even know she existed,
something
else he must atone for. He stood and went to his room and
opened the
bureau drawer taking the whiskey bottle from inside. The
bottle was all
but empty. He popped the cork and guzzled what was left then
tossed it
aside. Deciding to head for the saloon and get another, he
made his way
to the front doors and walked out.
Cheyenne opened the back door from her living area to the
outside behind
the church. Her prayer bundle in hand she made her way to an
open area.
She gathered enough wood to make a small fire. After she¡¯d
started the
fire, She laid a buckskin blanket on the ground then knelt
on it sitting
back on her feet. Setting her bundle down she retrieved a
small wooden
bowl, a braid of sweet grass, tobacco, and sage from it.
Taking a
burning twig from the small fire she lit the tobacco and
sage blowing
gently on the ends until the red embers glowed and smoke
rose from the
ashes. As she set them both in the bowl, she watched the
smoke rise
before taking the braid of sweet grass, and doing the same,
lighting the
end of the braid until the embers glowed then blew gentle
breaths to
bring the smoke. Instead of setting the sweet grass in the
bowl, she
waved the smoke first to her heart, then her head, over her
body, and
finally back to her heart. As she did so she prayed in her
Lakota
language.
Oh, Great Spirit,
whose voice I hear in the winds, and whose breath gives life
to all the
world, hear me.
I am small and weak.
I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes, ever behold the red
and purple
sunset.
Make my hands respect the things you have made, and my ears
sharp to
hear your voice.
Make me wise so that I may understand.
She set the sweetgrass into the bowl, then lifting her hands
she looked
up to the darkened sky.
Oh Wakan Tonka hear my words,
one who has my heart is lost.
Light his way, protect him,
help him to find the road back to the one who cares.
Before she was finished Cheyenne pulled from her pack three
feathers
bound together with a strip of beaded rawhide. She picked up
the bowl
and stood. The sage, sweet grass and tobacco still
smoldering. She
fanned the smoke with the feather fan, first to the north,
then the
south, east and west.
Josiah wasn¡¯t sure just what had drawn his attention to the
back of the
church, whether it was the flickering light from the small
fire or the
small voice he¡¯d heard in the silence of the night, either
way he found
himself standing at the corner of the building watching as
Cheyenne
prayed. He took a step back concealing himself behind the
building as
she finished, gathered her things and headed back to her
room. Josiah
leaned back against the wall. His heart breaking for his
forlorn
daughter. ¡°I need a drink.¡± He spoke out loud as he pulled
himself from
his spot and once again headed for the saloon.
JD sat with Nathan, Chris and some of the others as they
engaged
themselves in a game of cards. Chris watched the door as
Josiah strode
purposely through them and headed straight for the bar
demanding
whiskey.
¡°Looks like Josiah¡¯s in another one of his moods.¡± JD piped
up glancing
over at the preacher.
Nathan looked over at his friend at the bar, then back to
his cards.
¡°Looks more like he¡¯s got troubles.¡±
JD scoffed.¡± You¡¯d think his troubles would be over now that
that Indian
blacksmith ain¡¯t around.¡±
¡°Ain¡¯t nothin to mock at JD. That boy did us all a favor
riskin his own
life and holdin back that gang while we got the girls out of
³Ù³ó±ð°ù±ð.¡±
¡°Way I heard it, it was his fault anyway.¡±
Nathan only nodded, JD¡¯s assumption was hard to dismiss, but
then none
of them really knew the whole story, And Nathan was not
about to pass
judgment. He glanced back to see the preacher take the full
whiskey
bottle he¡¯d just purchased and a single glass over to a
secluded table
in the corner of the saloon.
The next morning found Josiah back at the church sprawled
out on his
bed. He woke with a headache from hell itself and an empty
whiskey
bottle on the floor. Sluggishly pulling himself upright he
carefully
swung his legs over the bedside leaning his elbows on his
knees he held
his aching head in his hands reprimanding himself for being
so stupid
with his daughter only a few feet from where he must have
stumbled in
last night.
The aroma of hot coffee freshly made bread, and bacon frying
eased its
way into his room. Maybe a good breakfast would sooth his
irritable
stomach.
Running his hands through his curly greying locks Josiah did
his best to
look presentable as he stood and dressed. A bath would help,
he could
still smell the whiskey on his breath and smoke from the
saloon on his
clothes. He made a metal note to pay a visit to the bath
house after
breakfast.
Lifting his suspenders over his shoulders, Josiah opened the
door and
walked toward °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ room. The familiar smells are what
caught his
attention as he stepped up onto the pulpit. Out of the
corner of his eye
to his right where the small table sat against the wall he
saw the plate
of food, Eggs, Bacon and fresh fry bread along with the
coffee had been
placed there with his eating utensil. Josiah ran a hand over
his face
flustered as he looked toward °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ door. It was clear
she still
did not want to talk.
With a defeated sigh, Josiah picked up his plate and coffee
and headed
for the front doors. Once he made his way- outside he sat on
the front
steps and began to eat his breakfast.
¡°Somethin sure smells good.¡±
Josiah looked up to see Vin making his way over to him.
¡°Mornin Vin.¡± He greeted the Ex-bounty hunter.
¡°Josiah.¡± Vin Nodded as he walked up and sat down on the
step below.
¡°Rough night?¡±
The preacher gave a short nod as he looked down the street
to where the
stage had just pulled up. ¡°Chris expectin some one?¡± he
motioned toward
the stage where Buck and Chris sauntered over to meet it.
¡°Don¡¯t rightly know, heard the new saloon owner might be in
today, could
be him.¡±
Josiah nodded. ¡°Must be.¡± He said setting his half-eaten
plate of food
down next to him.
The preacher¡¯s solemn mood didn¡¯t escape Vin¡¯s notice.
¡°How¡¯s your
²µ´Ç»å»å²¹³Ü²µ³ó³Ù±ð°ù?¡±
Josiah shook his head. ¡°Not speaking to me. I dunno Vin,
maybe it was a
mistake bringing her here, Don¡¯t know what Strong Wolf was
thinkin,
wantin me to be a father to her now, after all this time.¡±
¡°A father?¡± Vin looked at him curiously.
Josiah nodded. ¡°Somethin I ain¡¯t told anyone yet. °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ
my
daughter Vin, not my goddaughter, it¡¯s a long story. She has
my eyes.
Thing is she don¡¯t know it.¡±
Vin looked out into the street. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be. She doesn¡¯t
know you¡¯re
her real Pa?¡±
Josiah shook his head as Vin looked over at him.
¡°I didn¡¯t even know myself for a long time, not until I got
a letter
from my friend Pierre¡¯ wanten me to come visit, said he had
something
important to tell me, turns out that something important was
Cheyenne.
Her mother died in childbirth, Pierre and his wife took the
baby. By the
time I found out about her. She was almost 5. ¡°
Vin shook his head and glanced back down the street toward
where Chris
and Buck stood talking to a young woman from the stage. ¡°Got
to be a
hard thing to live with.¡±
Josiah nodded in agreement as a sound at their backs brought
both his
and Vin¡¯s attention to the church doors behind them.
Cheyenne stood
medicine pouch over her shoulder, quiver of arrows slung
over her back,
and bow in hand. Anger and confusion emanating from her eyes
as she
glared at the man she knew only as her godfather. It was
obvious from
the shocked expression on her face that she had heard the
conversation.
¡°Cheyenne.¡± Josiah greeted her hoping she had not heard what
he had just
revealed to Vin even though it was completely apparent that
she had.
¡°How long have you been standing there?¡±
Tears seeped from her eyes, barely able to get the words out
even as
she spoke in her native Lakota dialect.
¡°Long enough to hear you say that the life I have lived, has
all been a
±ô¾±±ð?¡±
Stunned at her words Josiah quickly got to his feet. ¡°Annie,
no, ±õ..¡±
Cheyenne held up her hand for him to stop as he took a step
toward her.
¡°Let me explain, we need to talk.¡± Josiah all but begged as
he took
another step.
¡°NO!¡± Cheyenne shouted, holding her hand out in front of her
again to
stop him from coming closer.
¡°No more talk!¡± she yelled as she hurried past him.
Vin reached out and took hold of the distressed girl¡¯s arm.
¡°Maybe you
should hear him out.¡±
Cheyenne jerked her way free of Vin with a stern look
warning him to
stay clear before she turned and raced toward the livery.
¡°Sorry Josiah.¡± Vin apologized for butting in and grabbing
the escaping
girl.
Josiah put an appreciative hand on the tracker¡¯s shoulder.
¡°±õ³Ù¡¯²õ
alright, she finds comfort with her horse when she¡¯s upset.
I¡¯ll go to
her. it¡¯s time we got things straight. Guess maybe that¡¯s
what her
grandfather wanted in the first place.¡±
Josiah¡¯s words had no sooner left his mouth when Cheyenne
emerged from
the livery leading her black and white paint. In one swift
movement she
took hold of the ³ó´Ç°ù²õ±ð¡¯²õ main and swung onto its back. With
only a word
the horse broke into a run and raced out of town.
¡°Cheyenne! Wait!¡± Josiah¡¯s call fell upon deaf ears as the
girl showed
no sign of stopping.
Josiah quickly ran for the livery as Vin stood by watching
helplessly.
It was none of his affair, he knew that, but Josiah was his
friend. He
wanted to help. He knew Josiah would never catch her.
°ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ horse
was too fast, and she had a head start. Heading to the
livery himself
Vin caught up with the preacher just as he was tightening
the sinch on
his saddle.
¡°Ain¡¯t none of my business Josiah, but maybe it¡¯s best you
let her be
for a while, you¡¯ll never catch her. Sides, maybe she wants
to be a
lone, sort a get her head straight before she talks to you.¡±
Josiah leaned his head against his saddle, clearly torn.
¡°Maybe your
°ù¾±²µ³ó³Ù.¡±
Vin put a hand on his friend¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m goin out on
patrol, I¡¯ll
keep my eyes open.¡±
¡°I appreciate that Vin.¡±
***
Sometime later Wind finally came to a stop several miles
from town, in a
small hidden clearing near the river. They were surrounded
by tall trees
and lush foliage on either side. Cheyenne slipped from the
horses¡¯ back
letting him drink his fill and graze on the sweet-smelling
grasses
beneath their feet, as she walked to the river¡¯s edge and
stood looking
out across the blue water, her mind deep in thought and
tears still
staining her cheeks. Why would Josiah keep such a secret?
Why would her
parents? Her grandparents? Who else knew? If her mother was
not her
mother, who was her mother? Had Josiah said she was dead?
°ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ
mind was a jumble of questions. Had the life she knew all
been a lie?
She was angry, confused and hurt. Her thoughts so tangled,
her senses
dulled, she did not hear the footsteps coming up behind her
until Wind
let out a loud warning neigh, that brought Cheyenne spinning
around to
see Vin walking toward her, leading Peso behind him.
¡°Mind if I water my horse?¡± he asked.
Cheyenne stepped away from the riverbank to give him room.
¡°You followed
me¡± she scowled.
Vin shook his head calmly. ¡°Nope, just wanted to water my
horse, but it
aint safe a woman alone out here. Best get back to town.¡±
¡°I have always gone into the woods alone since I was a
child.¡± She
frowned.
¡°Maybe so.¡± Vin took the canteen from his saddle and
crouched down near
the water to fill it. ¡°But these aint the woods you¡¯re used
³Ù´Ç.¡±
¡°You are here because of Josiah, he sent you.¡± Cheyenne
growled.
Vin looked up at her. ¡°Nope, out on patrol is all.¡± He
answered calmly.
¡°You lie, he sent you.¡±
Vin finished with his canteen and stood, walking over to his
horse he
wrapped the strap over his saddle horn. ¡°Never been good at
±ô¾±±ð¡¯²Ô.¡±
Cheyenne glared at him before turning back to the river.
Vin shook his head and stepped into the stirrup as he lifted
himself
into the saddle. ¡°You sure are a stubborn one aren¡¯t you.
You Know, If¡¯n
you had a mind, Molly¡¯s at the hotel. I¡¯m sure she¡¯d be more
than happy
to talk with you if ya had a need.¡±
Cheyenne shook her head no. ¡°She would not understand.¡±
¡°Won¡¯t know til ya try.¡± He took hold of the reigns and
turned Peso in
the opposite direction. ¡°In the meantime, best get back to
town. It aint
safe for you to be out here alone. Josiah¡¯s on the worry.¡±
¡°I can take care of myself,¡± She smirked. ¡°I have hunting to
do and
medicine to gather.¡±
Vin shook his head frustrated. ¡°Suit yourself.¡± With that he
nudged his
heel into his ³ó´Ç°ù²õ±ð¡¯²õ side, causing the animal to move
forward as Vin
headed back the way he¡¯d come.
Cheyenne turned and watched as he rode off. She wiped away
the tears
from her cheeks before she stepped away from the river¡¯s
edge. Whistling
a musical note that made Wind¡¯s ears perk, taking the paint
from
enjoying the tasty grass he looked up and began to follow,
as Cheyenne
began to search the surrounding area for the roots and wild
herbs she
used in her medicine bundle and prayer ceremonies.
It was late afternoon by the time she had finished. Finally
satisfied
with what she had gathered she took the bow from her back
and retrieved
an arrow from the quiver as she began to search for prey.
Before long a
wild rabbit caught her sight. She crouched and quietly
knocked the
arrow into her bow, aiming expertly at the critter¡¯s head so
as not to
ruin the skin, a trick her brothers had taught her. Just as
she was
about to let the arrow fly, a noise from the bushes startled
her as well
as the rabbit sending him scampering off. Wind let out a
warning whinny
and Cheyenne spun in the direction of the bushes aiming her
weapon.
¡°Cheyenne.¡± A hoarse but familiar voice spoke her name as a
man slowly
stumbled out from behind the dense foliage and brush. His
long-unbraided
hair, a tangled mess of stray strands falling into his eyes,
his face
swollen and bruised, blood trickled from the cuts above his
eye and his
split lip, the red substance stained his shirt from his
shoulder to his
waist. He held a hand up against the wound in his side while
blood
seeped through his fingers. He limped from the wound in his
leg, barely
able to stand. He fell against a nearby tree and leaned
against it to
steady himself.
¡°Jonah!¡± Cheyenne gasped. She quickly lowered her weapon and
rushed over
to him helping to steady him. He put his arm around her
letting her keep
him upright.
¡°I c-ca- came- to- war-warn¡¡± Too weak to speak, or stand
any longer,
Abe sank to the ground. Even though his weight was no match
for the
petite girl, Cheyenne did her best to break his fall keeping
his head
from hitting the hard surface.
While Abe lay there passed out Cheyenne immediately began to
assess his
wounds. He had two gunshot wounds, one to his shoulder, she
was certain
the bullet was still lodged somewhere inside. The one in his
leg looked
as though the bullet had passed through. Still, it was a bad
wound and
needed to be tended to without delay. Ripping his shirt away
from the
wound in his side Cheyenne was finally able to see the
damage, he had a
good 4-inch gash in his side, From the look of it, she
guessed he¡¯d been
in a knife fight, she¡¯d seen these types of wounds before
and had on one
or more occasions helped to tend to her brothers with the
same kind of
injury. She quickly retrieved her medicine bundle and began
to do what
she could to stop the bleeding. Using a needle made from
sharpened bone
and what sinew she had, Cheyenne crudely closed the knife
wound. Using
crushed yarrow on his wounds helped to stop the bleeding.
But even as
she mixed herbs into a cup of water she had retrieved from
the river and
did her best to get the wounded man to drink, Cheyenne knew
he needed
more than what she could do for him. She needed help, he
needed white
medicine. The bullet was still in his shoulder, and she
worried about
infection.
The sun was slowly sinking into the west. She had to take
him back to
town and find someone who would help, someone who knew white
medicine.
But who could she trust?
Calling wind over, Cheyenne gave him a hand signal and spoke
in her
native tongue, The black and white paint seemed to
understand and
carefully laid on the ground. Cheyenne worked quickly as she
gathered
her things and then pulled Abe over to her horse. She wasn¡¯t
sure how,
but she managed to get him on the horse and lay his head on
the ³ó´Ç°ù²õ±ð¡¯²õ
neck while she climbed on behind him. Motioning with her
heel the horse
got back to his feet, with in moments they were heading back
to Four
Corners.
By the time they reached town it was near dark. Cheyenne
reigned Wind to
a stop behind the blacksmiths and dismounted. She scanned
the area
searching for a place to hide Abe. She knew she could not
get him to her
room without being seen, nor to the hotel, deciding his room
at the
blacksmiths was best for the time being, she led Wind close
to the back
door before she motioned for the horse to lie down.
Carefully she
slipped Abe from the horse. ¡°You must help me, Jonah.¡± She
whispered
trying to wake the unconscious young man. Sluggishly Abe
woke just
enough to stay on his feet and walk through the back door of
the
blacksmiths leaning heavily on Cheyenne. ¡°Abe¡± he mumbled
barely
audible. ¡°My, name, is Abe.¡±
Finally reaching his room Cheyenne helped Abe to lie down.
She felt his
head. Beads of sweat trickled down his temples. He was
feverish and
mumbling in both English and Lakota. °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ name crossed
his lips
more than once as she pulled his moccasins from his feet
then removed
his tattered and bloody shirt tossing it on the ground. She
removed his
trousers leaving him clad in only his long johns. Covering
him with the
blanket she reached over and felt his forehead and cheeks.
He was
burning up.
Frightened that he would die, Cheyenne suddenly bolted from
the room
closing the door behind her and raced for Nathans. Reaching
the ³ó±ð²¹±ô±ð°ù¡¯²õ
door, she banged on it frantically calling out for him. When
there was
no answer Cheyenne turned, looking down at the quiet street.
The fires
along the boardwalk lit up the streets and the lamps in
front of the
hotel burned bright. ¡°Eva.¡± Cheyenne suddenly remembered.
Eva knew
medicine. Cheyenne ran from Nathans to the hotel hoping she
had not
been seen. She burst through the hotel doors panicked when
she did not
see the girl at the desk. Instead a short stocky older man
sat behind
the desk looking up at her.
¡°Eva?¡± Cheyenne asked her Panic clearly apparent in her
tone.
The man just looked at her confused. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Miss Eva has
turned in
for the evening.¡±
¡°Eva!¡± Cheyenne shouted this time more forcefully.
The man hesitated before he answered. ¡°She¡¯s in her room, up
the stairs
to your left.¡± He pointed.
Cheyenne turned on her heels and raced up the stairs.
Finding the door
she hoped was Eva¡¯s, she banged on it desperately. ¡°Eva?¡±
The door slowly opened. ¡°Cheyenne? What is it? Is something
·É°ù´Ç²Ô²µ?¡±
Cheyenne nodded and took hold of the girls¡¯ hand. ¡°You come,
help, s¡¯il
vous plait.¡± She pleaded.
¡°What¡¯s ·É°ù´Ç²Ô²µ?¡± Eva asked again confused.
Cheyenne rattled off both in French and Lakota. Then finally
in her
broken English.
¡°Jonah, please, you help, sick, bad hurt, You come.¡± She
pulled at the
girl urging her to follow but Eva hesitated.
¡°Where¡¯s Nathan?¡±
°ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ eyes teared as she shrugged. ¡°Please you come
fast, he die.¡±
Eva smiled, a worried look crossed her face as she nodded
and squeezed
the girl¡¯s hand. ¡°Alright, let me get my bag.¡±
**
Two hours passed before Eva had finished, first taking the
bullet from
Abes¡¯ shoulder then addressing the rest of his wounds.
¡°The bullet in his leg went clear through, whatever you used
to help
stop the bleeding worked. Getting that gash sewn up like you
did helped
as well. I just reinforced it. Good job Cheyenne, But he¡¯s
not out of
the woods yet. He¡¯s lost a lot of blood and the infection
has caused the
fever. He¡¯ll need to be watched closely.¡± She stood going
over to the
water basin and began washing her hands. ¡°I¡¯ve done all I
can for ²Ô´Ç·É.¡±
Cheyenne looked up from where she sat on the bed next to
Abe.
¡°A¡¯ho¡Thank, you¡±
Eva smiled as she took a towel and dried her hands. ¡°He
should sleep
through the night. You come get me if he gets any worse you
³Ü²Ô»å±ð°ù²õ³Ù²¹²Ô»å?¡±
Cheyenne nodded that she did, then a seriousness crossed her
delicate
features. ¡°No tell, you no tell Josiah, no tell town,
please?¡±
Eva looked at her. ¡°Cheyenne I can¡¯t¡¡±
¡°Please,¡± Cheyenne begged. ¡°No tell.¡±
Eva let out a sigh and hesitated before she reluctantly
agreed.
¡°Alright, for ²Ô´Ç·É.¡± With that she put a comforting hand on
°ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ
shoulder, reminding her once more to come for her if he got
any worse
before she made her way out.
|
Molly looked down at the folded piece of paper Vin handed her. She
understood better than most how dangerous a man with secrets could
be. Brighty had almost lost her life because of such a man. The
moment Vin handed her this paper he secured the knowledge she¡¯d had
from the first time they¡¯d met that she could trust him absolutely.
Whatever this paper said wouldn¡¯t change that.
Molly stood and stepped in front of
him. After a moment he looked up at her. The light in the alley was
dim, only coming from the small fire he had in front of his wagon.
Molly held her hand out to him and he took it.
¡°I don¡¯t blame you for being
taken,¡± Molly said quietly.
¡°If Wheeler wasn¡¯t comin¡¯ after
me¡there might be others Molly. And if your brother were to find
out¡¡±
Molly crouched down next to him.
¡°And if wishes were horses than
beggers would ride. Come with me,¡± she stood and tugged on his
hand. He stood and she led him over to the campfire.
¡°When Mrs. Pressman first asked me to
make this trip with her I told her no. And then there was Brighty and
I made up my mind to see her to a safe place. I had no idea how hard
it would be to let go. Even knowing it was for the best it was all
I could do. But do you know what made that moment easy to bear?¡±
She turned to face him. ¡°You. You lent me your strength in that
moment and in all the moments that have followed. Not ever coming
here and not ever having met you would have changed me and I¡¯d
never have known it. So whatever this is, doesn¡¯t matter. I thought
it did, but it doesn¡¯t.¡±
¡°±õ³Ù¡¯²õ a bounty,¡± Vin said. ¡°For
something I didn¡¯t do.¡±
¡°I believe you,¡± Molly responded.
She turned and tossed the paper onto the fire and together they
watched the flames catch it and turn it to ash. She turned to him and
put her arms around him. He did the same holding her close. Anyone
could happen by to see them but she found she didn¡¯t care. She¡¯d
wanted to be in his arms since they¡¯d come for them at Wheeler¡¯s
camp.
¡°±õ³Ù¡¯²õ late,¡± he murmured in her
hair. He was the first to break their embrace. ¡°I could walk you
up?¡± he offered.
¡°I¡¯d better not. Besides you need
to rest too.¡± He gave her a soft kiss, the kind that had her nearly
forgetting all good sense. She walked to the kitchen door knowing he
was watching to make sure she¡¯d gotten safely inside. Tomorrow was
a new day.
|
Re: RP story Cheyenne, Josiah, Abe
Wow Linda that was a very detailed post with lots of angst too. ?A lot to take in on one read ad will re read it again . Very well done.
Janette? ¡°There is no such word as can¡¯t ?in my book but you can try¡±
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On 26 Mar 2023, at 09:35, Linda <bluedolphin@...> wrote:
?Ok and here we go another minor novel LOL. Just had a lot I wanted to
get out
I have attached the word version as well for easier reading.....
Inside the church Josiah watched as Molly left the way she¡¯d come. He
wondered if she had meant something by her last remark about there being
good men. ¡°Most but not all?¡± Certainly, he agreed there were other good
men out there. Few and far between. Vin was one of the best. Deep down
he wished if Cheyenne were going to fall for someone it would have been
Vin, but then any of the seven men he rode with would have been better
than whoever this Jonah or Abe was. Maybe, or maybe it was just the fact
that he did not believe that anyone was good enough for his daughter.
His daughter, Josiah shook his head and chastised himself. Cheyenne had
no idea he was her real father, no one did. He had hidden it for so
long, satisfied with being her godfather, nothing more than a favorite
uncle. How did he have the right to say who was or was not good enough
for her now. Cheyenne had lost her parents at a young age, he did not
have the strength to raise her himself, or to be her father even then,
so he¡¯d taken her to be raised by her mother¡¯s people. And then there
was that. Her true mother, she didn¡¯t even know she existed, something
else he must atone for. He stood and went to his room and opened the
bureau drawer taking the whiskey bottle from inside. The bottle was all
but empty. He popped the cork and guzzled what was left then tossed it
aside. Deciding to head for the saloon and get another, he made his way
to the front doors and walked out.
Cheyenne opened the back door from her living area to the outside behind
the church. Her prayer bundle in hand she made her way to an open area.
She gathered enough wood to make a small fire. After she¡¯d started the
fire, She laid a buckskin blanket on the ground then knelt on it sitting
back on her feet. Setting her bundle down she retrieved a small wooden
bowl, a braid of sweet grass, tobacco, and sage from it. Taking a
burning twig from the small fire she lit the tobacco and sage blowing
gently on the ends until the red embers glowed and smoke rose from the
ashes. As she set them both in the bowl, she watched the smoke rise
before taking the braid of sweet grass, and doing the same, lighting the
end of the braid until the embers glowed then blew gentle breaths to
bring the smoke. Instead of setting the sweet grass in the bowl, she
waved the smoke first to her heart, then her head, over her body, and
finally back to her heart. As she did so she prayed in her Lakota
language.
Oh, Great Spirit,
whose voice I hear in the winds, and whose breath gives life to all the
world, hear me.
I am small and weak.
I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes, ever behold the red and purple
sunset.
Make my hands respect the things you have made, and my ears sharp to
hear your voice.
Make me wise so that I may understand.
She set the sweetgrass into the bowl, then lifting her hands she looked
up to the darkened sky.
Oh Wakan Tonka hear my words,
one who has my heart is lost.
Light his way, protect him,
help him to find the road back to the one who cares.
Before she was finished Cheyenne pulled from her pack three feathers
bound together with a strip of beaded rawhide. She picked up the bowl
and stood. The sage, sweet grass and tobacco still smoldering. She
fanned the smoke with the feather fan, first to the north, then the
south, east and west.
Josiah wasn¡¯t sure just what had drawn his attention to the back of the
church, whether it was the flickering light from the small fire or the
small voice he¡¯d heard in the silence of the night, either way he found
himself standing at the corner of the building watching as Cheyenne
prayed. He took a step back concealing himself behind the building as
she finished, gathered her things and headed back to her room. Josiah
leaned back against the wall. His heart breaking for his forlorn
daughter. ¡°I need a drink.¡± He spoke out loud as he pulled himself from
his spot and once again headed for the saloon.
JD sat with Nathan, Chris and some of the others as they engaged
themselves in a game of cards. Chris watched the door as Josiah strode
purposely through them and headed straight for the bar demanding
whiskey.
¡°Looks like Josiah¡¯s in another one of his moods.¡± JD piped up glancing
over at the preacher.
Nathan looked over at his friend at the bar, then back to his cards.
¡°Looks more like he¡¯s got troubles.¡±
JD scoffed.¡± You¡¯d think his troubles would be over now that that Indian
blacksmith ain¡¯t around.¡±
¡°Ain¡¯t nothin to mock at JD. That boy did us all a favor riskin his own
life and holdin back that gang while we got the girls out of ³Ù³ó±ð°ù±ð.¡±
¡°Way I heard it, it was his fault anyway.¡±
Nathan only nodded, JD¡¯s assumption was hard to dismiss, but then none
of them really knew the whole story, And Nathan was not about to pass
judgment. He glanced back to see the preacher take the full whiskey
bottle he¡¯d just purchased and a single glass over to a secluded table
in the corner of the saloon.
The next morning found Josiah back at the church sprawled out on his
bed. He woke with a headache from hell itself and an empty whiskey
bottle on the floor. Sluggishly pulling himself upright he carefully
swung his legs over the bedside leaning his elbows on his knees he held
his aching head in his hands reprimanding himself for being so stupid
with his daughter only a few feet from where he must have stumbled in
last night.
The aroma of hot coffee freshly made bread, and bacon frying eased its
way into his room. Maybe a good breakfast would sooth his irritable
stomach.
Running his hands through his curly greying locks Josiah did his best to
look presentable as he stood and dressed. A bath would help, he could
still smell the whiskey on his breath and smoke from the saloon on his
clothes. He made a metal note to pay a visit to the bath house after
breakfast.
Lifting his suspenders over his shoulders, Josiah opened the door and
walked toward °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ room. The familiar smells are what caught his
attention as he stepped up onto the pulpit. Out of the corner of his eye
to his right where the small table sat against the wall he saw the plate
of food, Eggs, Bacon and fresh fry bread along with the coffee had been
placed there with his eating utensil. Josiah ran a hand over his face
flustered as he looked toward °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ door. It was clear she still
did not want to talk.
With a defeated sigh, Josiah picked up his plate and coffee and headed
for the front doors. Once he made his way- outside he sat on the front
steps and began to eat his breakfast.
¡°Somethin sure smells good.¡±
Josiah looked up to see Vin making his way over to him.
¡°Mornin Vin.¡± He greeted the Ex-bounty hunter.
¡°Josiah.¡± Vin Nodded as he walked up and sat down on the step below.
¡°Rough night?¡±
The preacher gave a short nod as he looked down the street to where the
stage had just pulled up. ¡°Chris expectin some one?¡± he motioned toward
the stage where Buck and Chris sauntered over to meet it.
¡°Don¡¯t rightly know, heard the new saloon owner might be in today, could
be him.¡±
Josiah nodded. ¡°Must be.¡± He said setting his half-eaten plate of food
down next to him.
The preacher¡¯s solemn mood didn¡¯t escape Vin¡¯s notice. ¡°How¡¯s your
²µ´Ç»å»å²¹³Ü²µ³ó³Ù±ð°ù?¡±
Josiah shook his head. ¡°Not speaking to me. I dunno Vin, maybe it was a
mistake bringing her here, Don¡¯t know what Strong Wolf was thinkin,
wantin me to be a father to her now, after all this time.¡±
¡°A father?¡± Vin looked at him curiously.
Josiah nodded. ¡°Somethin I ain¡¯t told anyone yet. °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ my
daughter Vin, not my goddaughter, it¡¯s a long story. She has my eyes.
Thing is she don¡¯t know it.¡±
Vin looked out into the street. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be. She doesn¡¯t know you¡¯re
her real Pa?¡±
Josiah shook his head as Vin looked over at him.
¡°I didn¡¯t even know myself for a long time, not until I got a letter
from my friend Pierre¡¯ wanten me to come visit, said he had something
important to tell me, turns out that something important was Cheyenne.
Her mother died in childbirth, Pierre and his wife took the baby. By the
time I found out about her. She was almost 5. ¡°
Vin shook his head and glanced back down the street toward where Chris
and Buck stood talking to a young woman from the stage. ¡°Got to be a
hard thing to live with.¡±
Josiah nodded in agreement as a sound at their backs brought both his
and Vin¡¯s attention to the church doors behind them. Cheyenne stood
medicine pouch over her shoulder, quiver of arrows slung over her back,
and bow in hand. Anger and confusion emanating from her eyes as she
glared at the man she knew only as her godfather. It was obvious from
the shocked expression on her face that she had heard the conversation.
¡°Cheyenne.¡± Josiah greeted her hoping she had not heard what he had just
revealed to Vin even though it was completely apparent that she had.
¡°How long have you been standing there?¡±
Tears seeped from her eyes, barely able to get the words out even as
she spoke in her native Lakota dialect.
¡°Long enough to hear you say that the life I have lived, has all been a
±ô¾±±ð?¡±
Stunned at her words Josiah quickly got to his feet. ¡°Annie, no, ±õ..¡±
Cheyenne held up her hand for him to stop as he took a step toward her.
¡°Let me explain, we need to talk.¡± Josiah all but begged as he took
another step.
¡°NO!¡± Cheyenne shouted, holding her hand out in front of her again to
stop him from coming closer.
¡°No more talk!¡± she yelled as she hurried past him.
Vin reached out and took hold of the distressed girl¡¯s arm. ¡°Maybe you
should hear him out.¡±
Cheyenne jerked her way free of Vin with a stern look warning him to
stay clear before she turned and raced toward the livery.
¡°Sorry Josiah.¡± Vin apologized for butting in and grabbing the escaping
girl.
Josiah put an appreciative hand on the tracker¡¯s shoulder. ¡°±õ³Ù¡¯²õ
alright, she finds comfort with her horse when she¡¯s upset. I¡¯ll go to
her. it¡¯s time we got things straight. Guess maybe that¡¯s what her
grandfather wanted in the first place.¡±
Josiah¡¯s words had no sooner left his mouth when Cheyenne emerged from
the livery leading her black and white paint. In one swift movement she
took hold of the ³ó´Ç°ù²õ±ð¡¯²õ main and swung onto its back. With only a word
the horse broke into a run and raced out of town.
¡°Cheyenne! Wait!¡± Josiah¡¯s call fell upon deaf ears as the girl showed
no sign of stopping.
Josiah quickly ran for the livery as Vin stood by watching helplessly.
It was none of his affair, he knew that, but Josiah was his friend. He
wanted to help. He knew Josiah would never catch her. °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ horse
was too fast, and she had a head start. Heading to the livery himself
Vin caught up with the preacher just as he was tightening the sinch on
his saddle.
¡°Ain¡¯t none of my business Josiah, but maybe it¡¯s best you let her be
for a while, you¡¯ll never catch her. Sides, maybe she wants to be a
lone, sort a get her head straight before she talks to you.¡±
Josiah leaned his head against his saddle, clearly torn. ¡°Maybe your
°ù¾±²µ³ó³Ù.¡±
Vin put a hand on his friend¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m goin out on patrol, I¡¯ll
keep my eyes open.¡±
¡°I appreciate that Vin.¡±
***
Sometime later Wind finally came to a stop several miles from town, in a
small hidden clearing near the river. They were surrounded by tall trees
and lush foliage on either side. Cheyenne slipped from the horses¡¯ back
letting him drink his fill and graze on the sweet-smelling grasses
beneath their feet, as she walked to the river¡¯s edge and stood looking
out across the blue water, her mind deep in thought and tears still
staining her cheeks. Why would Josiah keep such a secret? Why would her
parents? Her grandparents? Who else knew? If her mother was not her
mother, who was her mother? Had Josiah said she was dead? °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ
mind was a jumble of questions. Had the life she knew all been a lie?
She was angry, confused and hurt. Her thoughts so tangled, her senses
dulled, she did not hear the footsteps coming up behind her until Wind
let out a loud warning neigh, that brought Cheyenne spinning around to
see Vin walking toward her, leading Peso behind him.
¡°Mind if I water my horse?¡± he asked.
Cheyenne stepped away from the riverbank to give him room. ¡°You followed
me¡± she scowled.
Vin shook his head calmly. ¡°Nope, just wanted to water my horse, but it
aint safe a woman alone out here. Best get back to town.¡±
¡°I have always gone into the woods alone since I was a child.¡± She
frowned.
¡°Maybe so.¡± Vin took the canteen from his saddle and crouched down near
the water to fill it. ¡°But these aint the woods you¡¯re used ³Ù´Ç.¡±
¡°You are here because of Josiah, he sent you.¡± Cheyenne growled.
Vin looked up at her. ¡°Nope, out on patrol is all.¡± He answered calmly.
¡°You lie, he sent you.¡±
Vin finished with his canteen and stood, walking over to his horse he
wrapped the strap over his saddle horn. ¡°Never been good at ±ô¾±±ð¡¯²Ô.¡±
Cheyenne glared at him before turning back to the river.
Vin shook his head and stepped into the stirrup as he lifted himself
into the saddle. ¡°You sure are a stubborn one aren¡¯t you. You Know, If¡¯n
you had a mind, Molly¡¯s at the hotel. I¡¯m sure she¡¯d be more than happy
to talk with you if ya had a need.¡±
Cheyenne shook her head no. ¡°She would not understand.¡±
¡°Won¡¯t know til ya try.¡± He took hold of the reigns and turned Peso in
the opposite direction. ¡°In the meantime, best get back to town. It aint
safe for you to be out here alone. Josiah¡¯s on the worry.¡±
¡°I can take care of myself,¡± She smirked. ¡°I have hunting to do and
medicine to gather.¡±
Vin shook his head frustrated. ¡°Suit yourself.¡± With that he nudged his
heel into his ³ó´Ç°ù²õ±ð¡¯²õ side, causing the animal to move forward as Vin
headed back the way he¡¯d come.
Cheyenne turned and watched as he rode off. She wiped away the tears
from her cheeks before she stepped away from the river¡¯s edge. Whistling
a musical note that made Wind¡¯s ears perk, taking the paint from
enjoying the tasty grass he looked up and began to follow, as Cheyenne
began to search the surrounding area for the roots and wild herbs she
used in her medicine bundle and prayer ceremonies.
It was late afternoon by the time she had finished. Finally satisfied
with what she had gathered she took the bow from her back and retrieved
an arrow from the quiver as she began to search for prey. Before long a
wild rabbit caught her sight. She crouched and quietly knocked the
arrow into her bow, aiming expertly at the critter¡¯s head so as not to
ruin the skin, a trick her brothers had taught her. Just as she was
about to let the arrow fly, a noise from the bushes startled her as well
as the rabbit sending him scampering off. Wind let out a warning whinny
and Cheyenne spun in the direction of the bushes aiming her weapon.
¡°Cheyenne.¡± A hoarse but familiar voice spoke her name as a man slowly
stumbled out from behind the dense foliage and brush. His long-unbraided
hair, a tangled mess of stray strands falling into his eyes, his face
swollen and bruised, blood trickled from the cuts above his eye and his
split lip, the red substance stained his shirt from his shoulder to his
waist. He held a hand up against the wound in his side while blood
seeped through his fingers. He limped from the wound in his leg, barely
able to stand. He fell against a nearby tree and leaned against it to
steady himself.
¡°Jonah!¡± Cheyenne gasped. She quickly lowered her weapon and rushed over
to him helping to steady him. He put his arm around her letting her keep
him upright.
¡°I c-ca- came- to- war-warn¡¡± Too weak to speak, or stand any longer,
Abe sank to the ground. Even though his weight was no match for the
petite girl, Cheyenne did her best to break his fall keeping his head
from hitting the hard surface.
While Abe lay there passed out Cheyenne immediately began to assess his
wounds. He had two gunshot wounds, one to his shoulder, she was certain
the bullet was still lodged somewhere inside. The one in his leg looked
as though the bullet had passed through. Still, it was a bad wound and
needed to be tended to without delay. Ripping his shirt away from the
wound in his side Cheyenne was finally able to see the damage, he had a
good 4-inch gash in his side, From the look of it, she guessed he¡¯d been
in a knife fight, she¡¯d seen these types of wounds before and had on one
or more occasions helped to tend to her brothers with the same kind of
injury. She quickly retrieved her medicine bundle and began to do what
she could to stop the bleeding. Using a needle made from sharpened bone
and what sinew she had, Cheyenne crudely closed the knife wound. Using
crushed yarrow on his wounds helped to stop the bleeding. But even as
she mixed herbs into a cup of water she had retrieved from the river and
did her best to get the wounded man to drink, Cheyenne knew he needed
more than what she could do for him. She needed help, he needed white
medicine. The bullet was still in his shoulder, and she worried about
infection.
The sun was slowly sinking into the west. She had to take him back to
town and find someone who would help, someone who knew white medicine.
But who could she trust?
Calling wind over, Cheyenne gave him a hand signal and spoke in her
native tongue, The black and white paint seemed to understand and
carefully laid on the ground. Cheyenne worked quickly as she gathered
her things and then pulled Abe over to her horse. She wasn¡¯t sure how,
but she managed to get him on the horse and lay his head on the ³ó´Ç°ù²õ±ð¡¯²õ
neck while she climbed on behind him. Motioning with her heel the horse
got back to his feet, with in moments they were heading back to Four
Corners.
By the time they reached town it was near dark. Cheyenne reigned Wind to
a stop behind the blacksmiths and dismounted. She scanned the area
searching for a place to hide Abe. She knew she could not get him to her
room without being seen, nor to the hotel, deciding his room at the
blacksmiths was best for the time being, she led Wind close to the back
door before she motioned for the horse to lie down. Carefully she
slipped Abe from the horse. ¡°You must help me, Jonah.¡± She whispered
trying to wake the unconscious young man. Sluggishly Abe woke just
enough to stay on his feet and walk through the back door of the
blacksmiths leaning heavily on Cheyenne. ¡°Abe¡± he mumbled barely
audible. ¡°My, name, is Abe.¡±
Finally reaching his room Cheyenne helped Abe to lie down. She felt his
head. Beads of sweat trickled down his temples. He was feverish and
mumbling in both English and Lakota. °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ name crossed his lips
more than once as she pulled his moccasins from his feet then removed
his tattered and bloody shirt tossing it on the ground. She removed his
trousers leaving him clad in only his long johns. Covering him with the
blanket she reached over and felt his forehead and cheeks. He was
burning up.
Frightened that he would die, Cheyenne suddenly bolted from the room
closing the door behind her and raced for Nathans. Reaching the ³ó±ð²¹±ô±ð°ù¡¯²õ
door, she banged on it frantically calling out for him. When there was
no answer Cheyenne turned, looking down at the quiet street. The fires
along the boardwalk lit up the streets and the lamps in front of the
hotel burned bright. ¡°Eva.¡± Cheyenne suddenly remembered. Eva knew
medicine. Cheyenne ran from Nathans to the hotel hoping she had not
been seen. She burst through the hotel doors panicked when she did not
see the girl at the desk. Instead a short stocky older man sat behind
the desk looking up at her.
¡°Eva?¡± Cheyenne asked her Panic clearly apparent in her tone.
The man just looked at her confused. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Miss Eva has turned in
for the evening.¡±
¡°Eva!¡± Cheyenne shouted this time more forcefully.
The man hesitated before he answered. ¡°She¡¯s in her room, up the stairs
to your left.¡± He pointed.
Cheyenne turned on her heels and raced up the stairs. Finding the door
she hoped was Eva¡¯s, she banged on it desperately. ¡°Eva?¡±
The door slowly opened. ¡°Cheyenne? What is it? Is something ·É°ù´Ç²Ô²µ?¡±
Cheyenne nodded and took hold of the girls¡¯ hand. ¡°You come, help, s¡¯il
vous plait.¡± She pleaded.
¡°What¡¯s ·É°ù´Ç²Ô²µ?¡± Eva asked again confused.
Cheyenne rattled off both in French and Lakota. Then finally in her
broken English.
¡°Jonah, please, you help, sick, bad hurt, You come.¡± She pulled at the
girl urging her to follow but Eva hesitated.
¡°Where¡¯s Nathan?¡±
°ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ eyes teared as she shrugged. ¡°Please you come fast, he die.¡±
Eva smiled, a worried look crossed her face as she nodded and squeezed
the girl¡¯s hand. ¡°Alright, let me get my bag.¡±
**
Two hours passed before Eva had finished, first taking the bullet from
Abes¡¯ shoulder then addressing the rest of his wounds.
¡°The bullet in his leg went clear through, whatever you used to help
stop the bleeding worked. Getting that gash sewn up like you did helped
as well. I just reinforced it. Good job Cheyenne, But he¡¯s not out of
the woods yet. He¡¯s lost a lot of blood and the infection has caused the
fever. He¡¯ll need to be watched closely.¡± She stood going over to the
water basin and began washing her hands. ¡°I¡¯ve done all I can for ²Ô´Ç·É.¡±
Cheyenne looked up from where she sat on the bed next to Abe.
¡°A¡¯ho¡Thank, you¡±
Eva smiled as she took a towel and dried her hands. ¡°He should sleep
through the night. You come get me if he gets any worse you ³Ü²Ô»å±ð°ù²õ³Ù²¹²Ô»å?¡±
Cheyenne nodded that she did, then a seriousness crossed her delicate
features. ¡°No tell, you no tell Josiah, no tell town, please?¡±
Eva looked at her. ¡°Cheyenne I can¡¯t¡¡±
¡°Please,¡± Cheyenne begged. ¡°No tell.¡±
Eva let out a sigh and hesitated before she reluctantly agreed.
¡°Alright, for ²Ô´Ç·É.¡± With that she put a comforting hand on °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ
shoulder, reminding her once more to come for her if he got any worse
before she made her way out.
|
RP story Cheyenne, Josiah, Abe
Ok and here we go another minor novel LOL. Just had a lot I wanted to
get out
I have attached the word version as well for easier reading.....
Inside the church Josiah watched as Molly left the way she¡¯d come. He
wondered if she had meant something by her last remark about there being
good men. ¡°Most but not all?¡± Certainly, he agreed there were other good
men out there. Few and far between. Vin was one of the best. Deep down
he wished if Cheyenne were going to fall for someone it would have been
Vin, but then any of the seven men he rode with would have been better
than whoever this Jonah or Abe was. Maybe, or maybe it was just the fact
that he did not believe that anyone was good enough for his daughter.
His daughter, Josiah shook his head and chastised himself. Cheyenne had
no idea he was her real father, no one did. He had hidden it for so
long, satisfied with being her godfather, nothing more than a favorite
uncle. How did he have the right to say who was or was not good enough
for her now. Cheyenne had lost her parents at a young age, he did not
have the strength to raise her himself, or to be her father even then,
so he¡¯d taken her to be raised by her mother¡¯s people. And then there
was that. Her true mother, she didn¡¯t even know she existed, something
else he must atone for. He stood and went to his room and opened the
bureau drawer taking the whiskey bottle from inside. The bottle was all
but empty. He popped the cork and guzzled what was left then tossed it
aside. Deciding to head for the saloon and get another, he made his way
to the front doors and walked out.
Cheyenne opened the back door from her living area to the outside behind
the church. Her prayer bundle in hand she made her way to an open area.
She gathered enough wood to make a small fire. After she¡¯d started the
fire, She laid a buckskin blanket on the ground then knelt on it sitting
back on her feet. Setting her bundle down she retrieved a small wooden
bowl, a braid of sweet grass, tobacco, and sage from it. Taking a
burning twig from the small fire she lit the tobacco and sage blowing
gently on the ends until the red embers glowed and smoke rose from the
ashes. As she set them both in the bowl, she watched the smoke rise
before taking the braid of sweet grass, and doing the same, lighting the
end of the braid until the embers glowed then blew gentle breaths to
bring the smoke. Instead of setting the sweet grass in the bowl, she
waved the smoke first to her heart, then her head, over her body, and
finally back to her heart. As she did so she prayed in her Lakota
language.
Oh, Great Spirit,
whose voice I hear in the winds, and whose breath gives life to all the
world, hear me.
I am small and weak.
I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes, ever behold the red and purple
sunset.
Make my hands respect the things you have made, and my ears sharp to
hear your voice.
Make me wise so that I may understand.
She set the sweetgrass into the bowl, then lifting her hands she looked
up to the darkened sky.
Oh Wakan Tonka hear my words,
one who has my heart is lost.
Light his way, protect him,
help him to find the road back to the one who cares.
Before she was finished Cheyenne pulled from her pack three feathers
bound together with a strip of beaded rawhide. She picked up the bowl
and stood. The sage, sweet grass and tobacco still smoldering. She
fanned the smoke with the feather fan, first to the north, then the
south, east and west.
Josiah wasn¡¯t sure just what had drawn his attention to the back of the
church, whether it was the flickering light from the small fire or the
small voice he¡¯d heard in the silence of the night, either way he found
himself standing at the corner of the building watching as Cheyenne
prayed. He took a step back concealing himself behind the building as
she finished, gathered her things and headed back to her room. Josiah
leaned back against the wall. His heart breaking for his forlorn
daughter. ¡°I need a drink.¡± He spoke out loud as he pulled himself from
his spot and once again headed for the saloon.
JD sat with Nathan, Chris and some of the others as they engaged
themselves in a game of cards. Chris watched the door as Josiah strode
purposely through them and headed straight for the bar demanding
whiskey.
¡°Looks like Josiah¡¯s in another one of his moods.¡± JD piped up glancing
over at the preacher.
Nathan looked over at his friend at the bar, then back to his cards.
¡°Looks more like he¡¯s got troubles.¡±
JD scoffed.¡± You¡¯d think his troubles would be over now that that Indian
blacksmith ain¡¯t around.¡±
¡°Ain¡¯t nothin to mock at JD. That boy did us all a favor riskin his own
life and holdin back that gang while we got the girls out of ³Ù³ó±ð°ù±ð.¡±
¡°Way I heard it, it was his fault anyway.¡±
Nathan only nodded, JD¡¯s assumption was hard to dismiss, but then none
of them really knew the whole story, And Nathan was not about to pass
judgment. He glanced back to see the preacher take the full whiskey
bottle he¡¯d just purchased and a single glass over to a secluded table
in the corner of the saloon.
The next morning found Josiah back at the church sprawled out on his
bed. He woke with a headache from hell itself and an empty whiskey
bottle on the floor. Sluggishly pulling himself upright he carefully
swung his legs over the bedside leaning his elbows on his knees he held
his aching head in his hands reprimanding himself for being so stupid
with his daughter only a few feet from where he must have stumbled in
last night.
The aroma of hot coffee freshly made bread, and bacon frying eased its
way into his room. Maybe a good breakfast would sooth his irritable
stomach.
Running his hands through his curly greying locks Josiah did his best to
look presentable as he stood and dressed. A bath would help, he could
still smell the whiskey on his breath and smoke from the saloon on his
clothes. He made a metal note to pay a visit to the bath house after
breakfast.
Lifting his suspenders over his shoulders, Josiah opened the door and
walked toward °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ room. The familiar smells are what caught his
attention as he stepped up onto the pulpit. Out of the corner of his eye
to his right where the small table sat against the wall he saw the plate
of food, Eggs, Bacon and fresh fry bread along with the coffee had been
placed there with his eating utensil. Josiah ran a hand over his face
flustered as he looked toward °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ door. It was clear she still
did not want to talk.
With a defeated sigh, Josiah picked up his plate and coffee and headed
for the front doors. Once he made his way- outside he sat on the front
steps and began to eat his breakfast.
¡°Somethin sure smells good.¡±
Josiah looked up to see Vin making his way over to him.
¡°Mornin Vin.¡± He greeted the Ex-bounty hunter.
¡°Josiah.¡± Vin Nodded as he walked up and sat down on the step below.
¡°Rough night?¡±
The preacher gave a short nod as he looked down the street to where the
stage had just pulled up. ¡°Chris expectin some one?¡± he motioned toward
the stage where Buck and Chris sauntered over to meet it.
¡°Don¡¯t rightly know, heard the new saloon owner might be in today, could
be him.¡±
Josiah nodded. ¡°Must be.¡± He said setting his half-eaten plate of food
down next to him.
The preacher¡¯s solemn mood didn¡¯t escape Vin¡¯s notice. ¡°How¡¯s your
²µ´Ç»å»å²¹³Ü²µ³ó³Ù±ð°ù?¡±
Josiah shook his head. ¡°Not speaking to me. I dunno Vin, maybe it was a
mistake bringing her here, Don¡¯t know what Strong Wolf was thinkin,
wantin me to be a father to her now, after all this time.¡±
¡°A father?¡± Vin looked at him curiously.
Josiah nodded. ¡°Somethin I ain¡¯t told anyone yet. °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ my
daughter Vin, not my goddaughter, it¡¯s a long story. She has my eyes.
Thing is she don¡¯t know it.¡±
Vin looked out into the street. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be. She doesn¡¯t know you¡¯re
her real Pa?¡±
Josiah shook his head as Vin looked over at him.
¡°I didn¡¯t even know myself for a long time, not until I got a letter
from my friend Pierre¡¯ wanten me to come visit, said he had something
important to tell me, turns out that something important was Cheyenne.
Her mother died in childbirth, Pierre and his wife took the baby. By the
time I found out about her. She was almost 5. ¡°
Vin shook his head and glanced back down the street toward where Chris
and Buck stood talking to a young woman from the stage. ¡°Got to be a
hard thing to live with.¡±
Josiah nodded in agreement as a sound at their backs brought both his
and Vin¡¯s attention to the church doors behind them. Cheyenne stood
medicine pouch over her shoulder, quiver of arrows slung over her back,
and bow in hand. Anger and confusion emanating from her eyes as she
glared at the man she knew only as her godfather. It was obvious from
the shocked expression on her face that she had heard the conversation.
¡°Cheyenne.¡± Josiah greeted her hoping she had not heard what he had just
revealed to Vin even though it was completely apparent that she had.
¡°How long have you been standing there?¡±
Tears seeped from her eyes, barely able to get the words out even as
she spoke in her native Lakota dialect.
¡°Long enough to hear you say that the life I have lived, has all been a
±ô¾±±ð?¡±
Stunned at her words Josiah quickly got to his feet. ¡°Annie, no, ±õ..¡±
Cheyenne held up her hand for him to stop as he took a step toward her.
¡°Let me explain, we need to talk.¡± Josiah all but begged as he took
another step.
¡°NO!¡± Cheyenne shouted, holding her hand out in front of her again to
stop him from coming closer.
¡°No more talk!¡± she yelled as she hurried past him.
Vin reached out and took hold of the distressed girl¡¯s arm. ¡°Maybe you
should hear him out.¡±
Cheyenne jerked her way free of Vin with a stern look warning him to
stay clear before she turned and raced toward the livery.
¡°Sorry Josiah.¡± Vin apologized for butting in and grabbing the escaping
girl.
Josiah put an appreciative hand on the tracker¡¯s shoulder. ¡°±õ³Ù¡¯²õ
alright, she finds comfort with her horse when she¡¯s upset. I¡¯ll go to
her. it¡¯s time we got things straight. Guess maybe that¡¯s what her
grandfather wanted in the first place.¡±
Josiah¡¯s words had no sooner left his mouth when Cheyenne emerged from
the livery leading her black and white paint. In one swift movement she
took hold of the ³ó´Ç°ù²õ±ð¡¯²õ main and swung onto its back. With only a word
the horse broke into a run and raced out of town.
¡°Cheyenne! Wait!¡± Josiah¡¯s call fell upon deaf ears as the girl showed
no sign of stopping.
Josiah quickly ran for the livery as Vin stood by watching helplessly.
It was none of his affair, he knew that, but Josiah was his friend. He
wanted to help. He knew Josiah would never catch her. °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ horse
was too fast, and she had a head start. Heading to the livery himself
Vin caught up with the preacher just as he was tightening the sinch on
his saddle.
¡°Ain¡¯t none of my business Josiah, but maybe it¡¯s best you let her be
for a while, you¡¯ll never catch her. Sides, maybe she wants to be a
lone, sort a get her head straight before she talks to you.¡±
Josiah leaned his head against his saddle, clearly torn. ¡°Maybe your
°ù¾±²µ³ó³Ù.¡±
Vin put a hand on his friend¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m goin out on patrol, I¡¯ll
keep my eyes open.¡±
¡°I appreciate that Vin.¡±
***
Sometime later Wind finally came to a stop several miles from town, in a
small hidden clearing near the river. They were surrounded by tall trees
and lush foliage on either side. Cheyenne slipped from the horses¡¯ back
letting him drink his fill and graze on the sweet-smelling grasses
beneath their feet, as she walked to the river¡¯s edge and stood looking
out across the blue water, her mind deep in thought and tears still
staining her cheeks. Why would Josiah keep such a secret? Why would her
parents? Her grandparents? Who else knew? If her mother was not her
mother, who was her mother? Had Josiah said she was dead? °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ
mind was a jumble of questions. Had the life she knew all been a lie?
She was angry, confused and hurt. Her thoughts so tangled, her senses
dulled, she did not hear the footsteps coming up behind her until Wind
let out a loud warning neigh, that brought Cheyenne spinning around to
see Vin walking toward her, leading Peso behind him.
¡°Mind if I water my horse?¡± he asked.
Cheyenne stepped away from the riverbank to give him room. ¡°You followed
me¡± she scowled.
Vin shook his head calmly. ¡°Nope, just wanted to water my horse, but it
aint safe a woman alone out here. Best get back to town.¡±
¡°I have always gone into the woods alone since I was a child.¡± She
frowned.
¡°Maybe so.¡± Vin took the canteen from his saddle and crouched down near
the water to fill it. ¡°But these aint the woods you¡¯re used ³Ù´Ç.¡±
¡°You are here because of Josiah, he sent you.¡± Cheyenne growled.
Vin looked up at her. ¡°Nope, out on patrol is all.¡± He answered calmly.
¡°You lie, he sent you.¡±
Vin finished with his canteen and stood, walking over to his horse he
wrapped the strap over his saddle horn. ¡°Never been good at ±ô¾±±ð¡¯²Ô.¡±
Cheyenne glared at him before turning back to the river.
Vin shook his head and stepped into the stirrup as he lifted himself
into the saddle. ¡°You sure are a stubborn one aren¡¯t you. You Know, If¡¯n
you had a mind, Molly¡¯s at the hotel. I¡¯m sure she¡¯d be more than happy
to talk with you if ya had a need.¡±
Cheyenne shook her head no. ¡°She would not understand.¡±
¡°Won¡¯t know til ya try.¡± He took hold of the reigns and turned Peso in
the opposite direction. ¡°In the meantime, best get back to town. It aint
safe for you to be out here alone. Josiah¡¯s on the worry.¡±
¡°I can take care of myself,¡± She smirked. ¡°I have hunting to do and
medicine to gather.¡±
Vin shook his head frustrated. ¡°Suit yourself.¡± With that he nudged his
heel into his ³ó´Ç°ù²õ±ð¡¯²õ side, causing the animal to move forward as Vin
headed back the way he¡¯d come.
Cheyenne turned and watched as he rode off. She wiped away the tears
from her cheeks before she stepped away from the river¡¯s edge. Whistling
a musical note that made Wind¡¯s ears perk, taking the paint from
enjoying the tasty grass he looked up and began to follow, as Cheyenne
began to search the surrounding area for the roots and wild herbs she
used in her medicine bundle and prayer ceremonies.
It was late afternoon by the time she had finished. Finally satisfied
with what she had gathered she took the bow from her back and retrieved
an arrow from the quiver as she began to search for prey. Before long a
wild rabbit caught her sight. She crouched and quietly knocked the
arrow into her bow, aiming expertly at the critter¡¯s head so as not to
ruin the skin, a trick her brothers had taught her. Just as she was
about to let the arrow fly, a noise from the bushes startled her as well
as the rabbit sending him scampering off. Wind let out a warning whinny
and Cheyenne spun in the direction of the bushes aiming her weapon.
¡°Cheyenne.¡± A hoarse but familiar voice spoke her name as a man slowly
stumbled out from behind the dense foliage and brush. His long-unbraided
hair, a tangled mess of stray strands falling into his eyes, his face
swollen and bruised, blood trickled from the cuts above his eye and his
split lip, the red substance stained his shirt from his shoulder to his
waist. He held a hand up against the wound in his side while blood
seeped through his fingers. He limped from the wound in his leg, barely
able to stand. He fell against a nearby tree and leaned against it to
steady himself.
¡°Jonah!¡± Cheyenne gasped. She quickly lowered her weapon and rushed over
to him helping to steady him. He put his arm around her letting her keep
him upright.
¡°I c-ca- came- to- war-warn¡¡± Too weak to speak, or stand any longer,
Abe sank to the ground. Even though his weight was no match for the
petite girl, Cheyenne did her best to break his fall keeping his head
from hitting the hard surface.
While Abe lay there passed out Cheyenne immediately began to assess his
wounds. He had two gunshot wounds, one to his shoulder, she was certain
the bullet was still lodged somewhere inside. The one in his leg looked
as though the bullet had passed through. Still, it was a bad wound and
needed to be tended to without delay. Ripping his shirt away from the
wound in his side Cheyenne was finally able to see the damage, he had a
good 4-inch gash in his side, From the look of it, she guessed he¡¯d been
in a knife fight, she¡¯d seen these types of wounds before and had on one
or more occasions helped to tend to her brothers with the same kind of
injury. She quickly retrieved her medicine bundle and began to do what
she could to stop the bleeding. Using a needle made from sharpened bone
and what sinew she had, Cheyenne crudely closed the knife wound. Using
crushed yarrow on his wounds helped to stop the bleeding. But even as
she mixed herbs into a cup of water she had retrieved from the river and
did her best to get the wounded man to drink, Cheyenne knew he needed
more than what she could do for him. She needed help, he needed white
medicine. The bullet was still in his shoulder, and she worried about
infection.
The sun was slowly sinking into the west. She had to take him back to
town and find someone who would help, someone who knew white medicine.
But who could she trust?
Calling wind over, Cheyenne gave him a hand signal and spoke in her
native tongue, The black and white paint seemed to understand and
carefully laid on the ground. Cheyenne worked quickly as she gathered
her things and then pulled Abe over to her horse. She wasn¡¯t sure how,
but she managed to get him on the horse and lay his head on the ³ó´Ç°ù²õ±ð¡¯²õ
neck while she climbed on behind him. Motioning with her heel the horse
got back to his feet, with in moments they were heading back to Four
Corners.
By the time they reached town it was near dark. Cheyenne reigned Wind to
a stop behind the blacksmiths and dismounted. She scanned the area
searching for a place to hide Abe. She knew she could not get him to her
room without being seen, nor to the hotel, deciding his room at the
blacksmiths was best for the time being, she led Wind close to the back
door before she motioned for the horse to lie down. Carefully she
slipped Abe from the horse. ¡°You must help me, Jonah.¡± She whispered
trying to wake the unconscious young man. Sluggishly Abe woke just
enough to stay on his feet and walk through the back door of the
blacksmiths leaning heavily on Cheyenne. ¡°Abe¡± he mumbled barely
audible. ¡°My, name, is Abe.¡±
Finally reaching his room Cheyenne helped Abe to lie down. She felt his
head. Beads of sweat trickled down his temples. He was feverish and
mumbling in both English and Lakota. °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ name crossed his lips
more than once as she pulled his moccasins from his feet then removed
his tattered and bloody shirt tossing it on the ground. She removed his
trousers leaving him clad in only his long johns. Covering him with the
blanket she reached over and felt his forehead and cheeks. He was
burning up.
Frightened that he would die, Cheyenne suddenly bolted from the room
closing the door behind her and raced for Nathans. Reaching the ³ó±ð²¹±ô±ð°ù¡¯²õ
door, she banged on it frantically calling out for him. When there was
no answer Cheyenne turned, looking down at the quiet street. The fires
along the boardwalk lit up the streets and the lamps in front of the
hotel burned bright. ¡°Eva.¡± Cheyenne suddenly remembered. Eva knew
medicine. Cheyenne ran from Nathans to the hotel hoping she had not
been seen. She burst through the hotel doors panicked when she did not
see the girl at the desk. Instead a short stocky older man sat behind
the desk looking up at her.
¡°Eva?¡± Cheyenne asked her Panic clearly apparent in her tone.
The man just looked at her confused. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Miss Eva has turned in
for the evening.¡±
¡°Eva!¡± Cheyenne shouted this time more forcefully.
The man hesitated before he answered. ¡°She¡¯s in her room, up the stairs
to your left.¡± He pointed.
Cheyenne turned on her heels and raced up the stairs. Finding the door
she hoped was Eva¡¯s, she banged on it desperately. ¡°Eva?¡±
The door slowly opened. ¡°Cheyenne? What is it? Is something ·É°ù´Ç²Ô²µ?¡±
Cheyenne nodded and took hold of the girls¡¯ hand. ¡°You come, help, s¡¯il
vous plait.¡± She pleaded.
¡°What¡¯s ·É°ù´Ç²Ô²µ?¡± Eva asked again confused.
Cheyenne rattled off both in French and Lakota. Then finally in her
broken English.
¡°Jonah, please, you help, sick, bad hurt, You come.¡± She pulled at the
girl urging her to follow but Eva hesitated.
¡°Where¡¯s Nathan?¡±
°ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ eyes teared as she shrugged. ¡°Please you come fast, he die.¡±
Eva smiled, a worried look crossed her face as she nodded and squeezed
the girl¡¯s hand. ¡°Alright, let me get my bag.¡±
**
Two hours passed before Eva had finished, first taking the bullet from
Abes¡¯ shoulder then addressing the rest of his wounds.
¡°The bullet in his leg went clear through, whatever you used to help
stop the bleeding worked. Getting that gash sewn up like you did helped
as well. I just reinforced it. Good job Cheyenne, But he¡¯s not out of
the woods yet. He¡¯s lost a lot of blood and the infection has caused the
fever. He¡¯ll need to be watched closely.¡± She stood going over to the
water basin and began washing her hands. ¡°I¡¯ve done all I can for ²Ô´Ç·É.¡±
Cheyenne looked up from where she sat on the bed next to Abe.
¡°A¡¯ho¡Thank, you¡±
Eva smiled as she took a towel and dried her hands. ¡°He should sleep
through the night. You come get me if he gets any worse you ³Ü²Ô»å±ð°ù²õ³Ù²¹²Ô»å?¡±
Cheyenne nodded that she did, then a seriousness crossed her delicate
features. ¡°No tell, you no tell Josiah, no tell town, please?¡±
Eva looked at her. ¡°Cheyenne I can¡¯t¡¡±
¡°Please,¡± Cheyenne begged. ¡°No tell.¡±
Eva let out a sigh and hesitated before she reluctantly agreed.
¡°Alright, for ²Ô´Ç·É.¡± With that she put a comforting hand on °ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ
shoulder, reminding her once more to come for her if he got any worse
before she made her way out.
|
Eva pulled the shawl around her shoulders knowing how chilly the night air could?get.? Her uncle had asked her to send a telegram before the operator headed home for the night.? He'd been in a tizzy all day in anticipation of a guest that was set to arrive the next day.? "Saloon's new owner." He rubbed his hands together with glee.? "Heard the fella has a lot of money.? Going to stay here at the hotel for a few days till he gets the rooms set up at the saloon the way he wants. Already sent a few trunks ahead and I've got them set in the large room on the second floor."? Eva had nodded but not particularly listened.? She'd been too focused on making sure that Molly was okay and settled after her ordeal.? The young woman had not told her much about what had happened.? All Eva could do was be available if and when Molly needed someone?to talk to.
Even as night approached people milled out in the street.? She nodded to a couple walking past the hotel. Voices drew her attention to the alley next to the hotel.? It was Molly and Vin.? Eva considered calling out a greeting but did not want to disturb their private moment.? The telegraph operator gave an exasperated sigh when she entered.? Her entrance had stopped him from turning his sign to closed.? She assured him it would be a short message and that it was her uncle, not her that needed it sent.? He begrudgingly nodded and took the note that bore the message.??
"Well howdy there little lady," an arm wrapped around Eva's shoulders when she stepped outside the office.? The smell of whiskey and horse manure radiated off the man in waves.? He pulled her into him. "How about you and I get acquainted?"
"How about you leave the lady alone and I won't have to throw your ass in a cell for the night, eh Jack?" Buck Wilmington's languid voice came from behind them. The man tensed and threw a glance over his shoulder. He shrugged and dropped his arm, stumbling away.
"My knight in shining armor." Eva teased.? Buck smiled and touched the brim of his hat.??
"May I escort you, Miss Eva?"? He held out his arm.? Eva nodded and wrapped a hand around his elbow.? "How's Molly doing?"
"Still rattled I believe, but that's to be?expected I suppose."
"You ain't asked about why they took her?"
"Well, I know that they took her and Cheyenne to get to Mr. Tanner.? As to why they wanted him, that I do?not know." It didn't escape Eva's notice that they were headed away from the hotel and toward the edge of town.? She wasn't upset by that, she appreciated the quiet time with Buck.? They'd had little time to even speak over the last few days.? "I am not in the habit of prying into the affairs of others. If I need to know, I'll assume that someone will inform me."
Buck chuckled.? "You are definitely not like other women I've known."
"Is that a compliment Mr. Wilmington?" She raised an eyebrow and smiled at him.??
"Absolutely." He took a quick glance around before pulling her into the darkness of the narrow alley.? He caught her face in his hands and leaned down.? His lips brushed against hers.? Something hot and needy burned inside Eva.? It had been so long since a man had touched her, kissed her.? His left hand left her face to wrap around her waist pulling her tighter against him.? Her hands spread across his chest, reveling in the breadth and strength there. It felt like an eternity that they kissed but Eva knew it was mere moments.? Regretfully she pulled away.
"I should get back.? My uncle will wonder where I've been."? Buck only nodded.? They walked in silence.? "Oh, my uncle said that the new owner of the saloon arrives tomorrow."
"Heard about that.? Ezra was fit to be tied that he didn't get to buy it before this fella." They stopped at the hotel entrance.? Buck raised her hand to lips and kissed it.? "Good night Eva."
Buck and Chris sipped coffee outside the jail.? It was midmorning and the stagecoach?was due to arrive sometime in the next hour.? Chris wanted to be there to see the new saloon owner.? He considered himself a good judge?of character, most of the time.? He wanted to see if it was someone they were going to have to watch out for. Too many saloon owners cared only about how much booze they sold or their take from a gambling operation.? After the excitement of the last few weeks, none of the men wanted to the saloon to become their newest problem.
"What do you bet, he's as big as a house... gray hair.. probably gold rings on every finger." Buck mused over the brim of his cup.? Chris opened his mouth to respond but the approaching sound of galloping horses.? They set down the cups and walked over to the horse rail. The stage stopped in front of the hotel.? The driver got down and helped out the patrons.? First to disembark was a middle aged couple that both men knew, they were the parents of a man who owned a ranch to the south of town.? They'd been to visit once before.? Next stepped down a woman in a dark green dress. Her brown hair was pulled up, golden highlights shown in the sun. Buck made a sound of appreciation under his breath.?
"Better not let Eva hear that." Chris teased.? He made his way toward the stagecoach calling out to the driver.? "Thomas, thought the new saloon owner was on this one?"
"She is." The woman turned to him and held out her hand.? "Lily Deveraux, a pleasure to meet you."
|
Eva came out of the hotel the second Ian and Molly stopped their
horse in front of it. Ian helped Molly down as Eva approached them.
¡°The others?¡± she asked.
¡°Everyone made it back,¡± Ian
replied, remounting the horse.
¡°Not everyone,¡± Molly responded.
¡°Who?¡± Eva asked.
¡°Jonah,¡± Molly responded.
¡°I¡¯m taking the horse to the
livery. I¡¯ll be back as soon as I can.¡± Before Molly could tell
her brother to just get some rest, he was at a gallop toward the
other end of town.
¡°Let¡¯s get you cleaned up,¡± Eva
put her arm around Molly and lead her into the hotel.
Molly quietly made her way down the
back staircase and into the kitchen. Eva had gotten her a bath and a
meal and had made sure Ian also had something to eat before shooing
him to get some rest. By all rights, Molly should be asleep but she
couldn¡¯t settle her mind. A large part of that was needing to
understand why she was taken in order to lure Vin. She stepped out
the kitchen door into the alley intending to go to Vin¡¯s wagon but
found herself walking toward the main street instead. Given they
didn¡¯t know where Wheeler was it might not have been the wisest
choice. She wanted to gather her thoughts before approaching Vin. The
street was mostly quiet except for the noise coming from the saloon.
Molly walked toward it and looked inside one of the windows. Vin was
seated at a table with Mr. Wilmington and Mr. Larabee. A bottle sat
in the center of the table and all three men had a shot glass in
front of them. Not wanting to interrupt, Molly kept walking with no
real destination in mind until she reached the church. She could see
a lamp had been lit in the side living area where Mr. Sanchez and
Cheyenne lived. A fainter glow of individual votive candles came from
the church itself. Molly entered. Not particularly devout she thought
it would be a quiet place to gather her thoughts on how, when and
even if to confront Vin. Her eyes adjusted to the dim light she
noticed a figure sitting in the front pew and realized it was Mr.
Sanchez. She heard him quietly ask God for guidance. Not wanting to
interrupt, Molly turned to leave when his voice stopped her.
¡°No reason to leave,¡± he said and
she heard the shuffle of him standing before she turned around.
¡°I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt,¡± she
said. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡±
¡°We could pray together,¡± he
responded.
¡°Did you want someone to pray with
you?¡±
¡°Did you?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t come here to pray. Well,
not exactly,¡± Molly responded. ¡°How is Cheyenne? Should I look in
on her?¡±
¡°Probably best to leave her be for
right now. She¡¯s hurtin¡¯¡±
¡°Jonah,¡± Molly quietly said.
¡°³Û³Ü±è.¡±
¡°Mr. Sanchez, do you know why Wheeler
wanted Vin?¡± His response was to let out a deep sigh.
¡°I think this is a conversation you
should be havin¡¯ with Vin,¡± he finally said.
¡°Do you think he will? Have the
conversation I mean?¡± Molly asked.
¡°Only one way to find out,¡± Mr.
Sanchez responded. Molly gave him a tired smile.
¡°Good night, Mr. Sanchez.¡± She was
halfway out the door when he said her name.
¡°Vin¡¯s a good man. Better than most
in these parts.¡±
¡°Most, Mr. Sanchez, but not all,¡±
she said before walking out the door.
Molly made her way back through town
stopping again to look into the saloon. The table Vin had been at was
now occupied by Mr. Standish, Mr. Larabee and Mr. Willmington. It
seemed Vin had left. Molly turned down the alley and saw Vin sitting
on the crates that were stacked near the kitchen door. He looked up
as she approached but made no move to stand. A folded piece of paper
was in his hand. Molly sat down next to him and he handed it to her.
¡°This is what Wheeler was after,¡±
he said as she took it. ¡°This is what put you in danger.¡±
|
RP post Cheyenne and Josiah
While Ian tried to coerce Molly back onto the horse, Cheyenne stayed
mounted behind Josiah. She turned, her eyes searching the tree line
behind them for any sign of Jonah. Wheeler had called him Abe, she
wasn¡¯t sure why and she didn¡¯t care, all she did care about, was if he
was dead or alive. She prayed for the latter.
¡°I¡¯m sorry Cheyenne, he¡¯s not coming.¡± Josiah sympathized, instinctively
knowing who she watched for from behind.
¡°You left him!¡± Cheyenne shouted angrily half in English half in her
Lakota language. ¡°Why did you leave him? He was hurt! We should go
²ú²¹³¦°ì!¡±
¡°He gave himself so that you and the rest of us could escape, If we go
back now then he gave his life for nothing.¡± Josiah tried to explain.
¡°Is that how you honor him?¡±
Cheyenne was silent, tears trickled from her eyes and ran down her
cheeks as she slowly shook her head.
¡°Alright then, lets get you and Molly home.¡±
¡°We aint got time to stop, ¡°Chris looked over seeing that neither Molly,
Ian, nor Vin were on their horses. ¡°There a problem?¡± he asked noting
the looks transpiring between the three of them.
Vin shook his head no, even though he knew there would be a conversation
later, one that he was not looking forward too.
¡°You alright?¡± Chris asked Ian nodding toward the blood on his arm.
Ian nodded that he was, ¡°±õ³Ù¡¯²õ just a scratch.¡±
¡°Alright then. Don¡¯t know if they¡¯re following us or not. Now get on
your horses.¡±
Once he was certain everyone was accounted for. ¡°Lets Ride!¡± came
Chris¡¯s orders as he spurred his horse toward town followed by the rest
of the group.
It was after dark by the time they reached Four Corners. Most of the
residents and shop keepers had already returned home for the day. The
street fires were lit and a few cowboys mingled near the saloon.
Josiah reined his horse to a stop when he reached the church, he took
°ä³ó±ð²â±ð²Ô²Ô±ð¡¯²õ arm and helped her to dismount. ¡°Go on inside, I¡¯ll see to
the horse and be right in.¡±
¡°I can do that.¡± Nathan offered as he rode up beside Josiah and watched
as Cheyenne made her way solemnly into the church. ¡°She needs you; go on
²Ô´Ç·É.¡±
¡°Thanks Nathan.¡± Josiah said as he dismounted and handed his friend the
reins before following Cheyenne inside.
***
Cheyenne stood at the window of the church looking out into the
darkness. The moon glowed atop the deep blackness that blanketed the
night. The dark sky sprinkled with shining stars that twinkled and
danced like a candles flame gave the ambiance of calm and serene
surroundings.
Josiah came up behind her putting his hands comfortingly on her
shoulders.
¡°You should eat something and get some rest.¡± He said softly.
Cheyenne shook his hands away, turned and headed toward the door that
led to her room.
¡°You¡¯re still blaming me, aren¡¯t you?¡± he asked just as gently. ¡°I
thought you understood.¡±
Cheyenne spun around to face him. ¡°I understand, I understand that you
left him,¡± she said angrily. ¡°Jonah need not have given himself for us.
You could have helped him.¡±
¡°Annie.¡± Josiah said soothingly. ¡°He was not who you thought he was.
His name wasn¡¯t even Jonah, it was Abe Wheeler, the man that took you
was his father or step father from what he said.¡±
¡°I do not care about a name!¡± Cheyenne shouted, ¡°Or who his family is! I
only¡.¡± Her voice trailed as the tears began to slip down her cheeks.
Turning away from him she opened the door to her room and walked in.
Before Josiah could speak again the door slammed shut.
Josiah let an exhausted sigh escape and let him self slip down into one
of the pews. Putting his elbows on his knees he rested his forehead in
his hands. ¡°Lord tell me what to do, give me the right wor
|
Kirsty had had a good nights rest and woke to find Nettie hovering over her with a tray of food.
¡°Now, this is not something I do on a regular basis girlie,¡± Nettie said with a soft smile.? ¡°I¡¯ve popped an ewer filled with hot water next to the basin on the chest of drawers,¡± she pointed, then added,¡± there¡¯s a piece of soap and a towel to dry yourself,? when your ready? you can find me by following the smell of baking bread.¡±
¡°Thanks this smells braw!¡±? Kirsty sat up and took the tray her eyes wide with delight and a smile to match.
Kirsty was famished and ate everything on the tray and drank down the glass of fresh milk.? She had not had milk in weeks or slept so well in a long time.?
She did as Nettie advised and followed her nose into the big room where Nettie was removing a couple of tins of baked bread from the black leaded stove.
Kirsty set the tray down and without asking removed its dirty dishes and set them into a bucket she spotted near to the? sink with a hand pump.? She rinsed the dishes in the bucket and? looked to Nettie to ask is she wished her to rinse them under the hand pump.
¡°Go ahead girl, you look like you know what your doin¡¯.¡±
??
Soon all of the dishes in the bucket had been rinsed and dried and Nettie had pointed in the direction where each item was stored.
¡°You are quite a handy girl to have around.¡± Nettie said and set the bread to cool before removing them from their tins.
Kirsty had been kept busy by helping to feed and also clear out the barn and tidy up a few things not so easy for the older woman to do.
She had expected Mr Standish to show up and Nettie saw her watching after they had milked the cow and goats in the evening prior to their evening meal.
¡°He won¡¯t be coming tonight, Ezra will have his own work to do around town, well if he is not sat at some gaming table.¡±
¡®Thon disnae sound good!¡± She frowned not amused considering it was gambling men who murdered her friends.
The next morning Kirsty was up before dawn and had milked the beasts and set down the jugs of milk into the cooler where Nettie said to store the milk.? She smiled as this was how her family had stored their own milk in the Highlands of Scotland. their winters had been cold with lots of ice and snow.? She had smiled when Nettie had showed her the dug out area in the barn where she had stored ice from the winter and it now kept her meat and milk cool .
?She had noticed that the previous days milk that had been in the kitchn had began to turn, but not wishing it to be thrown away she began to fix some traditional drop scones that would be good with coffee or breakfast.
Nettie had watched the young woman humming a tune as she poured something onto the stove top.? She raised her eyebrows but kept her mouth closed.? The smell was wonderful.
Kirsty whipped her head around and looked at Nettie and blushed.
¡°Sorry, I didnae wish ta bother yea,? am makin¡¯ drop scones.¡±
She opened up a tea towel to show Nettie and then wrapped the hot pancakes back up again and flipped over the other four that had just began to bubble on the top of the stove.? Soon they were ready and Nettie waved her to carry on.
Nettie was treated to breakfast being made for her. coffee and Scotch pancakes with bacon and eggs on the top.
Nettie chuckled as the young girl slapped at her hand when she tried to begin washing up the dishes and pans.
¡°Dinnae do that.¡±? She explained to Nettie that she had made the mess and it was her job to clear it all up. ?
The washing up was done as were all of the chores when a hail was cried from outside.? They had not heard the sound of horses hooves outside.
The women looked at each other and smiled.
A fresh pot of coffee had just began to bubble ready on the stove.
Looked like they had visitors.
+++
Ezra had been angry with himself.? He promised himself he would not get into his bad ways again.? Mr Larabee had warned him to be on his best behaviour or else.? He knew not to run out on him again.
But he had let himself down as he had wanted to go and check on the young woman at Nettie¡¯s.? Instead he had slept more than a day away.? He woke hungry and needing a good shave and a wash.? He stank and had headed for the bath house.
By the time he had had a bath and a shave, he had made his way to the hotel to eat.? The wine was foul, the meat was rubbery and the apple pie seemed to have salt in it.? He dared not complain again or he¡¯d have no where to go for food.? The breakfasts were always the best here, but he had missed that as well as the lunch and had nearly missed the evening¡¯s dinner service too.
He patrolled around the outskirts of the town for a couple of hours and then checked the town was free from trouble and kept away from the gaming tables.? His fingers itched to get in a few hands of cards but knew by the quick look he he had in the saloon it was a quiet night and only a couple of regulars sipping drinks at the bar.
He returned to his bed but did not get undressed, just removed his belt, gun belt and boots.? He set his alarm to wake him at 7am.? The hotels desk attendant had been left a note that if he was not down by 7.30am. To unlock his door and haul him out of bed.
It was not the first time the hotel staff had to do this and it would not be the last as Ezra was a very sound sleeper and loved his feather bed.
?
¡°There is no such word as can¡¯t ?in my book but you can try¡±
|
oops sorry for got Megs order is as follows:
Linda
Colleen
Sam
Janette
Ann
Megs
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On 2023-02-02 5:24 pm, Linda wrote: Since we moved I decided to post this here for anyone who might need
it.
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [TheMagnificentSevenRide] Writing order
Date: 2023-01-16 11:06 pm
From: "Linda Brown" <bluedolphin@...>
To: The Magnificent Seven Ride <[email protected]>
Reply-To: [email protected]
Since we have two more writers and there is a total of 5 of us now! I
thought I would go ahead and send out the writing order.
Linda
Colleen
Sam
Janette
Ann
The order has changed a bit from when it was just the three of us. Sam
would like to be skipped this round. Since Collen just went I'm going
to
go on and send out my next post so as to get the story moving along so
that Janette and Ann can join in. Colleen will go next then Sam. That
will give Janette and Ann time to get a post ready.
I would really like to see a week and no more than two week minimum to
get your post out.
If you can get it out sooner Great! if its going to be a bit longer
let
us know and if you need to skip a round no problem just let us know.
Lets try not to let the story lag, that tends to curb the mojo and
that's no fun :( Sam, Colleen and I have been really lax cuz its just
been the three of us. So we may need an adjustment time LOL.
I should have my post out this weekend by Saturday night. I'm off
Thursday Friday and Saturday.
If you have any suggestions? or Questions PM me or post in the
Messenger
chat.
I've got everyone added to the LOTMS:Tales from Four Corners messenger
chat so we can keep in touch, get to know each other and plot!
Thanks everyone and again Welcome aboard Janette and Ann!
Linda
Links:
------
[1] /g/ladiesofthemagnificentseven/message/88
[2] /mt/96713422/319692
[3] /g/ladiesofthemagnificentseven/post
[4] /g/ladiesofthemagnificentseven/editsub/319692
[5]
/g/ladiesofthemagnificentseven/leave/2215157/319692/253443216/xyzzy
|
Linda Brown