Tel Macloud rose with the dawn every day, a habit picked up from a lifetime of sleeping under the stars. Not that she objected to a warm cosy bed now and again, and a roof overhead – especially in less than pleasant weather but she doubted if she could ever break the habit of being an early riser.
Tel looked out the window at the clear blue sky So far so good she thought and stretched her naked arms out and up as far as she could. She reached for her clothes and breathed a sigh of appreciation as she pulled on the recently laundered garments. Stopping at a laundry to have her clothes attended to was always one of the first things she did when she arrived at a new town. That smells better. The laundry then the bath-house, though quite often they were one and the same.
Once dressed she left her room without a sound and went in search of some hot coffee and breakfast. She paused on the porch to take in the still quiet main street. The eerie stillness of the previous evening seemed to have a lingering hold over the town. Tel breathed in deep to take the stillness in before it was buried under the hustle and bustle of town-life. As she did so the faint aroma of fresh brewed coffee teased at her senses and she smiled. Coffee time! She turned and walked towards the source of the coffee.
Vin Tanner was leaning against the saloon bar with a mug of coffee clasped in his hand when Tel walked in. He didn’t seem to notice her arrival his gaze rested on something unseen to anyone but him. Tel ordered some coffee herself then waited for the tracker to come back from where ever he was. She remembered him as one of the leaning men on the porch the day before and now she took the time to pay closer attention to him. He wore a battered hat and a worn coat. His longish brown hair curled over his collar and her fingers suddenly itched with the desire to comb it. His dark blue shirt and tan trousers were the same as the day before.
Tel sipped her coffee then turned his inspection towards his face; he looked tired but peaceful and every now and then a strange look came over him as if he were straining to remember or hear something.
He brought his coffee to his lips squinting at the steam rising from the cup.
"Good morning!"
Vin jumped in surprised his eyes widening when he realised that she was standing close by him, had even spoken and he hadn’t been aware that she had walked into the room. That worried him, he didn’t normally close off to the world so completely. Even asleep he could sense changes around him.
"Mornin" he finally replied. Strains of music still played in his head but he forced them back to concentrate on the woman. He recognised her from the day before – even knew her name. She’d been talking to Mary Travis and Mrs Potter in the store not long after stabling her horse and news travels fast in a small town like Four Corners.
The woman was still watching him and he fought the need to squirm. He had the uneasy feeling she’d been there for some time and he glanced back in her direction. She was smiling at him – sort of. She looked away then and out the door where the sun was shining in.
"Ain’t nothin like fresh brewed coffee and the mornin sun to enjoy it by" she quietly stated giving him a last look. Her smile broadened, she picked up her mug and walked out to the porch.
Vin watched her leave, noting again the quiet confident way she had about her. Without thinking on it he followed her out the door.
They sat on the porch enjoying the coffee and the sunshine. Neither felt the need for conversation; each lost in their own thoughts. By the time that J.D. joined them the sun was well and truly up and the town was coming to life.
"Mornin Vin, ma’am" he greeted the silent pair lifting his hat slightly to the woman.
"Mornin J.D." replied Vin in is usual soft tones.
"Mornin Sherriff" answered Tel in an equally soft voice. She had learnt some information from her meeting with Mrs Travis and Mrs Potter too, including the names and a brief description of the seven lawmen that guarded the town.
J.D. smiled at the recognition of his position in town, it didn’t happen too often. He looked from the woman to the tracker wondering how two people could be so quiet.
"Somethin up J.D.?" asked Vin
"Aaah, no! Nothin’s up. Nice day though, huh?"
"Sure is, J.D."
"Well, I think I’ll go get some coffee too" he tipped his hat to Tel, "Ma’am"
"Sure has nice manners" commented Tel
"That he does… ma’am" he returned in an almost teasing note. They looked at each other and smiled.
Just then Tel’s stomach started complaining about still being empty.
"What’s the food like at the hotel?" she asked Vin
"Passable" was the short answer
Tel rose to leave.
"You were right"
Tel stopped and looked at the still seated man
"’bout fresh brewed coffee and the mornin' sun" he added.
"Wait till you hear my own personal bit o’philosophy about the settin' sun and the moon" she tipped her hat, half-smiled and left.
Vin went back to listening to the music in his head but this time keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the movements in the street not wanting to be so distracted again. He didn’t need to worry though, as the early morning passed the vivid memories had abated enough to allow him to concentrate more on other things. He began to think more about the how and why of the strange night. The identity of the musician was still a mystery not to mention how he’d found himself flying through the sky and sitting on the rock all at the same time. Vin began to wonder if the whole thing had been some weird sort of dream. Something told him though that it hadn’t been. Whatever it was and whatever it meant it had been real.
Chris joined Vin a short time later, nodding at the younger man he went inside for coffee. J.D. was still at the bar drinking his coffee when Chris walked in.
"J.D." Chris greeted him.
"Oh, mornin' Chris"
The waiter automatically placed a mug of strong coffee in front of Chris who nodded his thanks and turned to leave.
"Ahh, Chris? Is that woman still sittin' with Vin?"
"No. He’s alone"
J.D. got up and walked with Chris to the doorway. As they went J.D. questioned Chris some more.
"What do you make o'that woman, Chris?"
Chris thought about it. He’d seen her arrival and her comments with Ezra the day before. Had watched as she walked with her horse and dogs to the stables. She didn’t appear to have trouble in mind and, according to Mary, was even quite friendly. He still had the feeling that there was something he wasn’t seeing but he wasn’t worried about it so he just shrugged his shoulders.
"Have you heard somethin J.D.?"
"No. She just makes me wonder is all. There’s just somethin' about her"
J.D.’s comments mirrored Chris’ thoughts and they were both still pondering the woman when they joined Vin. Chris sat down in the chair that Tel had vacated and sipped at his coffee. J.D. leant against the nearest pole.
"What do you think about her Vin?" asked J.D. still concerned.
"Bout who?"
"That Tel Macloud you was sittin' with."
"What do you mean?" Vin wasn’t quite sure what J.D. was getting at or exactly why he was asking him.
"Well, you were sitting here together for awhile. Did she say anythin' else 'bout who she was and why she was in Four Corners?"
"We didn’t talk" was all Vin said.
"All that time and ya didn’t say anythin' to each other?" Even though they’d been quiet when he’d arrived J.D. couldn’t believe they hadn’t said anything at all. He looked at Chris but he remained silent, drinking his coffee and watching the stores opening and the people starting their daily routines.
Vin’s answer was short and to the point, "Nope!"
"Why don’t you ask Mary Travis or Mrs Potter. They’ve talked to her" Chris suggested.
"Yeah, maybe" J.D. replied totally unsatisfied with the whole conversation.
Just then Ezra stepped out of the hotel, where he currently rented a room, as impeccably dressed as usual.
"Morning gentlemen" he greeted, "Another beautiful, if quiet, day in Four Corners"
"So far" drawled Chris.
Ezra looked at his three friends noticing how thoughtful they all appeared to be.
"A penny for your thoughts?" he quipped.
"Don’t know if they’re worth that much" Chris returned.
"We were just wonderin' about that woman that rode in yesterday" mentioned J.D.
"You’re the one wonderin' about her J.D. I’m just tryin' to decide if I should get some more coffee" Vin teased.
"Ah yes! The most amazing eyes" Ezra stated
"Never noticed her eyes" Vin murmured.
They all looked at Ezra.
"Well, undoubtedly you will and then you’ll know" he added rather enigmatically before he too went inside for some coffee.
+ + + + + + +
Tel walked into an almost empty hotel restaurant and headed to one of the tables furthest from the door.
"Mornin ma’am"
She looked up to see a very tall man with a shock of black hair standing in front of her.
"Er, good mornin' Mr……?"
"Wilmington ma’am, Buck Wilmington"
"Mr Wilmington. I’m Tel Macloud" she reached out to shake his hand.
Buck beamed at her as they shook hands. Wow, thought Tel, what a weapon. I bet that smile has at least half the women in this town panting.
"Would ya like to join me, Miss Macloud?"
"Thanks but only if you drop the Miss bit, most people just call me Tel"
"Sure thing, Tel"
They both sat at the small table, which already held Buck’s breakfast.
"Quite a considerable amount of food you got there Buck" Tel commented
"Yep, nothin' wrong with my appetite" he replied, "Gotta keep up the energy"
Tel ordered herself a plate of food from the passing waitress and watched the man opposite her eat while she waited. You’d think the man was starvin' the way he attacks that.
Buck paused when the waitress returned with Tel’s breakfast, which was quite a bit less than his own.
"Ya stayin' in town long Tel?" he asked when he’d finished eating.
"Couple of weeks, maybe" is all she offered.
When she was finished they ordered coffee and the conversation continued.
"Got business here?" Buck asked as he took a closer look at the woman.
Naturally, she’d cleaned up some since her dusty arrival and Buck noticed that her hair was actually jet black and not the streaky greyish brown it had appeared yesterday when she was still covered in traildust. Though she kept it cut short it was quite wavy and thick, bet it looks great long, he daydreamed. He suddenly noticed that she was staring straight at him and he got the uncomfortable feeling that she knew exactly what was going through his mind. He looked into her eyes, they’re black! He didn’t think he’d ever seen anyone with black eyes before. His own eyes were fairly dark but they weren’t black.
Tel suddenly turned away, "I’m meetin' a friend comin' in on the next stage"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. A friend?" Buck stammered still caught up in contemplation of her eyes.
"Yeah, she’s been off visitin' relatives" Tel added. Buck seemed a little dazed but she continued on regardless, "What about you Buck?"
"Oh, I live here. Me and a few others are like the law in town"
"Uh huh. I heard about the Larabee gang in the last town I was in"
"Only heard good stuff, I hope" he said finally back in focus.
"That’d depend on your viewpoint now, wouldn’t it? I hear your all dangerous men to cross"
"You weren’t plannin' on crossin' us, were ya?" She didn’t look overly concerned about threats of danger and Buck thought she probably could take care of herself anyway.
"Not in the least" she grinned.
Coffee finished they both started to rise. It was time to get on with the day.
As they left the conversation continued in a desultory fashion neither talking about much in particular. They were halfway across the street heading in the general direction of the saloon when Tel’s pace started to slow. Buck hadn’t noticed her change of pace until he suddenly heard her start to swear. He turned to see she’d stopped and was staring at the road. He looked down expecting to find her standing in something and had even started to laugh, a teasing comment on his tongue. But he never got it out as she started to swear again and looked off up the road. Her face had gone pale.
"Tel? What is it?" he asked. All thoughts of teasing vanished as the look on the woman’s face went from pale worry to anger. He grabbed her arm in concern.
"The stage" she said looking at him, absolutely furious now, "It’s gonna be hit!" She pulled free from his hold and strode off to the stables. Her fury evident in every step.
Buck wasn’t quite sure how she could of known that but he was suddenly very worried himself. He turned towards his partners at the saloon. Chris was standing facing him waiting for an explanation of the strange scene he’d just witnessed. He’d felt a strange stab in his belly when she’d stopped so suddenly and then took off. He knew another ‘situation’ was about to occur, he could feel it.
"What is it Buck?"
"Says the stage is bein' hit. I dunno how she knows but she looked like she was the one bein’ hit" He pulled his hat off his head to run his hand through his hair, "Think we oughta follow?"
Chris nodded, "Let’s go find out"
He and Buck followed Tel to the stable. She had just finishing saddling her horse when they walked in but paid them no attention. Her dogs, now clean and well-fed, stood patiently by her side.
"Stay!" she ordered them as she mounted the horse. She was just about to head out when Chris and Buck stood in front of her horse.
"What’s goin' on?" demanded Chris flinching slightly when he saw the wild look in her eyes.
"Already told Buck. Get outa my way!" her voice was like cold steel.
"You need back up?" asked Buck
"Follow if you like but I ain’t waitin"
Her horse jerked away from the two men barring its path and at a sign from its rider headed out the doors. Once in the street, Tel took a moment to get her bearings. Closing her eyes she saw a flash of the same vision she’d had just minutes ago. She looked once more at the two men then galloped off in the direction the stage was due to come in from.
Chris and Buck looked at each other in some consternation. They could tell from the woman’s actions that something was indeed seriously wrong but they couldn’t work out how she knew and whether they should follow her based on an apparent whim. Deep down inside though they both knew that this was no whim.
"Get the others. I’ll start saddling" ordered Chris
Buck ran back to the saloon.
"C’mon. We got us another situation. The stage is bein' hit"
Ezra, Vin, J.D. and Buck strode back to the livery to find Chris having already saddled his horse and starting on Buck’s.
"Vin, saddle up. You, me and Buck will follow the woman. J.D. and Ezra, you stay here an’ watch the town"
"Aw, Chris! Can’t I come? I always hav’ta stay and watch the town" J.D. complained. Chris didn’t have time for long explanations.
"J.D. you’re the sheriff. Ya gotta stay. For all we know this could be some sorta trap to get us outta Four Corners"
The three men were ready to go within minutes and as they led their horses out of the stable Ezra spoke up for the first time. "Might I inquire as to what time span we should allow you gentlemen before we send out a search party?"
"Two or three days should see us back. The stage was due in tomorrow it can’t be too far away" Chris replied. "Keep your eyes open" he warned as he nudged his horse in the same direction that Tel had only recently taken. "Let’s go"
They had expected to catch up to the lone woman almost straight away but she had disappeared down the road and it was some hours later when they finally saw her stopped by the side of the trail waiting for them.
"Took your time" was all she said as they rode up to her. They were hot and dirty and tired. It had been a hard ride trying to catch her up.
"You ride like the wind woman!" Buck exclaimed.
"Time for explanations" Chris said in a hard voice. He was uncomfortable with riding out based on a complete stranger’s instinct.
"Has it happened yet?" Vin asked, the only one to be accepting of the situation.
"Nope" was the only reply they all got. "Wait here and rest a bit. Gotta do somethin" She turned and climbed the tall tree she was leaning against.
They watched in amazement as she all but flew up the tree stopping at the very top to look around, her gaze directed at the rocky hills to their north.
"What the hell!" Buck said "Ain’t never seen someone climb a tree that fast, especially no woman!"
Vin laughed but Chris was losing the minimal amount of patience he had. He needed an answer to what was going on. They each took their canteens from their saddles and drank then sat down and waited for the woman to come back down.
"Think she’ll just fly right on down from there?" asked Buck. All three watched the woman perched at the top of the tree. They thought they could her voice floating down to them but she didn’t appear to be talking to them and they couldn’t make the words out. As they watched they appeared to see her for the first time noticing details that had escaped them til now. She was a tall woman with the tanned skin of someone who’d spent a lot of time outdoors. Her black hair was streaked with dirt again as were her trousers. The coat that had protected the rest of her was now hooked over the saddle of her horse and they could see that she carried a gun on each hip and what appeared to be a holstered knife on her back. As she started to climb back down the sun flashed on bands she wore on her wrist. The bands appeared to be of solid silver with a single stone set into the centre of each one. As they watched, each man could tell that there was far more to this woman than appeared on the surface, far more than she had allowed them to see until now.
"This is definitely weird" whispered Buck. Chris grunted in agreement and looked at Vin. But Vin hadn’t heard. The music that had almost faded away from his memory was suddenly back. It had returned in full force the second he’d looked up at the woman and heard her voice – singing.
Tel dropped down from the lowest branch to stand in front of the men. The sudden movement bringing Vin back instantly from his reverie. Tel smiled at him. She knows, he thought and he reached for her hand bringing it up so he could see the bracelet on her wrist. It was solid silver and the stone at the centre was black. Like her eyes. The stone was surrounded by intricate circular designs and as he stared at them he thought he could see them moving. He blinked and shook his head. Looking straight at her again the music swirled around inside his head then faded away.
Tel pulled her hand away from him.
"It hasn’t happened yet" she told the men "The attack will come in the mornin', an hour or so after dawn"
"And…"questioned Chris his temper raising.
"And what?" Tel asked him calmly unfazed by his surliness.
"Care to explain jus’ how ya know and why we should believe ya?" was his reply.
She looked at each of the men gauging how they would handle any explanation she might give and just how much she should tell them. She turned back to Chris.
"You’d be Larabee then?" It was more of a statement than a question, she knew exactly who he was.
"Okay then, its like this. I get these hunches, premonitions, visions – whatever you feel happy callin’ them – but I get them and I’ve got one about the stagecoach. That’s it" Her explanation was as brief as she could make it. It was actually far more complicated than that but Tel had learned from experience that the simplest explanation was always the best.
"We’re here on a hunch!" Chris had the sinking feeling that he should have stayed in Four Corners.
"More than one, I’d say" said Tel
"What do ya mean?" asked Buck
"I didn’t ask you to come you jus' did. I’d call that followin' a hunch, wouldn’t you?"
No one answered.
"In fact, I’d prefer it if you didn’t come any further"
"Why not?" asked Vin in his usual quiet voice but Tel didn’t answer.
"No way" said Buck "If that stage’s in trouble then those people need all the help they c’n get"
Chris still didn’t quite trust this strange woman but she was right about hunches. He was here on one and his gut told him it was right.
"Tell us some more ‘bout this … premonition" was all he said.
Tel sighed "Okay. The stage will be hit be a gang of eight to ten men. It happens tomorrow like I said. There are four passengers – two women, one child and a man – plus the driver and a guard"
"Is there money or somethin' of value on the coach?" asked Chris
"Not that I can tell, yet."
"Why are they attackin' the coach then?" asked Buck
"I don’t know. I do know that we can get a bit closer tonight before making camp. We should be able to go to the place where the attack will happen and surprise the gang there"
"Why don’t we jus’ go right to the night stop and ride back with the stage?" Vin couldn’t understand the need to wait till morning.
"Yeah, if the gang sees extra guards they might not attack" added Buck
"They also might attack anyway and we’ll have achieved nothin' but feedin' the buzzards" Tel grabbed her coat and started getting ready to ride on.
But Chris wasn’t satisfied. "What haven’t ya told us?"
Tel stopped what she was doing – she hated having to explain why she did things the way she did, it got so complicated at times.
"My... visions ... are more complicated than a mere hunch or premonition. There’s a lot of different things, possibilities, happenin' at the same time, each event is mixed in with the others and there’s lots of paths to follow. I have to sift through it all to find the right path, make the right choice" She paused to see if they were following her explanation then continued, "The best thing to do is the least"
They all looked at her and they didn’t look too happy with the last statement.
"So far the clearest path I can see is to ride a bit further, make camp and wait till the mornin'. Anythin' other than that is too risky"
"We’ve taken a few risks before, lady" Chris was still not happy with the ‘tread softly’ approach that Tel was taking.
"Are you prepared to risk your life, the lives of your friends, the lives of the people on that stage?" Tel’s hand rested lightly but menacingly on her gun, "Because I’m not and I will not allow anyone else to" Her voice was as hard as Chris’ could be and her eyes were like ice.
Chris had noticed Tel’s hand move but continued to glare back at her as he fought with his temper and the desire to reach the stagecoach before the outlaws. As he glared he caught the full impact of Tel’s eyes and he knew that she would stop him – dead if need be. No, he thought, she won’t kill me but she will stop me. His flaring temper suddenly retreated and he felt an unusual calmness settle over his mind and body. He was still staring into her eyes but now, without temper clouding his mind, he could see – just for an instant – the confusion of choices that lay before the woman.
Chris nodded then climbed up on his horse.
"We’ll do it your way" For now, he added to himself.
Vin and Buck turned towards their own horses. If Chris was going along with it they’d follow his lead.
The four riders continued at a slower but steady pace for the next two hours finally stopping by a few straggly trees, a small stream close by. While Vin scouted out a suitable place to make camp Chris, Buck and Tel nudged their horses closer to the stream. Hopping down they left the horses to drink their fill. Tel walked a few feet upstream then crouched down to refill her canteen and wash some of the grime from her face. Buck and Chris went downstream to do much the same thing.
"What d’ya think about all this Chris?" Buck asked his friend. They hadn’t had much chance to talk about it yet. Chris stared at the water a moment longer.
"I think … we keep doin' like she says …" he splashed water onto his face, "… and watch our backs"
+ + + + + + +
Continued...
