The morning light shone brightly against the dusty, backwater town of Four Corners. Vin Tanner and Chris Larabee sat comfortably just outside the jail. Both men unconsciously keeping eye on the five other peacekeepers. Who were no doubt getting into more trouble. At the same time they were also watching out for more dangerous kinds of trouble (the same kind that tended to find them on a daily basis). They had been sitting in companionable silence for a few hours while they took stock of the goings on in town.
Chris stole a glance down the main road of Four Corners. He saw a small girl riding a horse. It was obvious the little girl was Indian. This was apparent for two reasons besides her complexion which Chris found himself absently wondering, wasn't nearly as dark as most Indian's complexions were. First, no white child that age would be able to ride a horse with so much ease. Also the horse had no saddle and a few feathers tied to the front of the horse's mane. The feathers hung next to the animal's head and gently swung back and forth with the trotting of the horse. It was certainly a procarious sight and Chris wanted to find out what was going on. No Indian would send such a tiny little girl into town by herself, especially a frontier town, where Indians were hated regardless. "Vin, look," Chris found himself saying as he pointed to the small child atop the huge horse.
Without saying anything Vin got up and began walking towards the little girl. For the briefest of moments Chris wondered why. Then he saw it. Some of the town's women were crying out about ‘injuns' coming. Chris couldn't help but laugh a little at the seen. It really was ridiculous. Here there were three very grown women screaming bloody murder about seeing one tiny Indian child. However Chris' laughter stopped immediately as he saw one of the town's men head toward the little girl with his gun pulled. The sense fear he saw in the child's eyes was heart breaking, even for someone as hardened as Chris Larabee. The chocolate brown eyes oozed with terror and pleaded for help. She was far too young and innocent to realize or understand the hatred that was being directed toward her. Chris quickened his pace, as he feared for the little girl and the man he knew to be Preston Montgomery neared her with his gun drawn.
"Preston, put yer damn gun away!" Vin commanded interrupting Chris' thoughts with the loudest voice the gunslinger had ever heard the tracker use. Vin arrived at the little girl before Preston could get there or give a response to the young tracker.
"Looky here, boy," Preston began. Preston Montgomery was more then twice Vin's age and was from Kentucky. He had been raised to be prejudice against anyone who wasn't a white male, whether they be man, woman, OR child. And as far as Preston was concerned, the little Indian bastard wasn't taking another step in the town he kept residence in.
"Shut-up, Preston, and put the gun down before I make you," Chris spoke quietly, and menacingly to the man. Neither part of his statement was a request and with his gun drawn Preston Montgomery knew he was beaten. Besides that, he had no intention of going up against the likes of Chris Larabee.
Vin had stopped paying attention to Preston once he heard Chris' voice. He knew that Chris would handle Preston and no harm would come to the little girl. He focused his eyes on the little girl. He wasn't sure how to approach her she looked so scared. Also he had no idea whether or not she even spoke English, and he wasn't that good with kids, plus the fact that he, since he lived with Kiowa's and Comanche's he knew to speak those languages all Indian languages were different and she didn't seem to be either of the two he actually knew-
"Hello," A tiny voice interrupted Vin's thoughts. He immediately turned to look at the small child astride the huge horse. "My mama sends me here."
"Hi there, why does your mama send you here?" Vin questioned in a soft kind voice.
"I do not know, she just tells me to come to this place and she would come here and get me soon as she could."
"Well, then, darlin' lets git you down from there, and figure out where yer gonna stay until your mama comes and gets you." Vin then reached up to help her down however she ignored him and dismounted herself, with remarkable grace for such a small child and such a big horse.
"Where we go?" She asked in her tiny, slightly accented completely angelic voice.
"Well, um-"
"Why don't you bring her to my place, Vin?" Mary Travis conveniently stepped in.
"You sure about that, Mary? I mean-"
"Yes, Vin, I'm positive," She answered assuredly. Then she turned to the little girl.
"Well, darling, what's your name?"
"Wild Star but mama just calls me star, you can too," She answered quietly, "I go with you?"
Mary looked towards Vin and then Chris for a moment. When both men immediately nodded she answered. "Yes, dear. Come on with me. Are you hungry?" She asked the little girl as they got out of Chris and Vin's earshot.
"Why do you think her mother sent her here, Vin?"
"I ain't got no idea but I know that something must have been wrong for her mother to send her to a white frontier town. That's an awful big risk and every Indian knows it. Wherever that little girl is from they must be real scared, or at least her ma must be."
"Question is, what is it that's got her ma scared so much."
~*~
"So, Star, what would you like to eat?" Mary Travis asked the shy little girl.
"Anything will do nicely," Star commented a little absently while looking in absolute wonder at Mary's kitchen.
Seeing that the little girl had utterly no interest in eating Mary tried another tactic to open Star up. "Where are you from?"
"Far away," She answered quietly, now giving Mary her full and attention and looking just a little like a frightened puppy with her big brown eyes and sad expression.
"Did your Mama tell you when she was coming back here to get you?"
"No, mama just said for me to have no worries; she would be back, no matter what," Star said sounding very sad. Mary could see the moisture gathering in her eyes.
Mary didn't like upsetting the little girl, but the situation was so peculiar she needed some answers and Star was the only one who could give her answers. "Did she tell you to come specifically to Four Corners?"
"What is spe-?"
"Specifically," Mary began feeling extremely foolish for using such a big word with such a small child, especially one who, apparently, didn't speak English as her first language. "It means like did she tell you to come to this spot or did she just tell you to head in this direction."
"Oh, she tells me to come to this town. She says someone special is here and he protect me."
"Does this ‘he' have a name?"
"My tribe call him white coyote," Star explained.
"Oh, does that name mean something besides a white coyote?" Mary asked, always having been fascinated with Native American tribes.
"Yes, coyote means crafty hunter and in this name white means he is a white man," Star explained sounding nothing like the tiny child she was.
"You mean this man your mama said would protect is a white man in this town?"
"Yes." She answered in the affirmative also with a nod of her tiny head.
"Do you have any ideas on what White Coyote looks like?"
"No, ‘cept mama said he is white man that looks like us. She say I must find him so I can be safe."
"What tribe are you from?"
"Mama leave tribe before I can remember it. She says I in danger there. She teaches me our ways on her own. Mama tells me everything she knows about white man and us. I am very scared…I want my mama!" She spoke as tears began to fall from her eyes. Mary took her in her arms and hugged her; the little girl clung to her for a moment. Then as if remembering where she was, Star released Mary and walked toward the window.
"Honey, are you okay?" Mary asked tenderly.
"Yes, but I do not want to talk about it anymore," she stated as if on the verge of throwing a serious temper tantrum.
Mary suddenly was feeling inordinately insensitive for prodding such a small child about such an obviously difficult subject. "Okay, are you hungry?"
"Yes," she smiled.
"Good," Mary smiled as well happy that her maternal instincts had kicked in, in time.
~*~
The little girl was obviously tired from her trip. Immediately after she ate the food Mary had provided for her she began to get very drowsy and Mary put her to bed. Star now slept quite fitfully. For that Mary was very happy. However she was also very curious as to Star's words earlier. She wondered who this mystery man could be. And why would her mother leave the tribe? Why would her mother suddenly send her here? Why did Star's mother think she was in danger if she was with the tribe?
The knocking of the door sliced through Mary's thoughts. She got up quickly to answer it. When she did it was of no surprise when seven men walked into her home.
"How's Star?" Vin asked obviously very concerned for her wellbeing. He felt a connection to the little girl. Even though he couldn't begin to explain it he inwardly cringed at the thought of her being in any kind of distress. The truth of the matter was, it frightened him to have such feelings, that could only be described as paternal, toward the small child.
"She seems to be doing well. She ate like a horse then became very sleepy. Now she's sleeping like a little angel in Billy's room," Mary answered automatically.
"Well that's good," Chris answered for Vin who had been acting just a little bit strange since they'd rescued Star that morning. "We haven't learned a thing about her-"
"Well," Mary interrupted, "I have."
"You have," Chris repeated with no trace of emotion.
"Yes, and what I found was quite intriguing but only left me with more questions." Mary answered and stopped to figure out exactly how to explain what Star had told her.
"Mrs. Travis, go on, you have captured our attention most fervently. Pray tell what has our young friend Miss Star divulged to you?" Ezra Standish asked very curious along with his compatriots as to what the young child had told the beautiful news paper editor.
"Well, let's see. She told me that she and her mother didn't live with a tribe. Apparently her mother left the tribe before Star could remember thinking that Star would be in danger if she remained. Her mother also told her to come to Four Corners, specifically. Her mother told her that there was a man here who would protect her."
"Well, did she say who this man was exactly, Mis' Travis?" Nathan Jackson asked very caught up in the midst of this story as were the rest of the men.
"Only two details, one he is, in Star's exact words is ‘a white man that look like us' us I assume meaning the Indians. And two his name was or is White Coyote."
"Don't know nobody ‘round here named White Coyote-" Buck began but he was cut off by Vin.
"You sure she said to come to White Coyote, that he would protect her?" Vin questioned sounding somewhat incredulous.
"Why, Vin, you know who this White Coyote is?" Chris question hoping that he did. So that they could take him to this man and figure out what in hell was going on.
"Yeah, White Coyote is me," Vin answered sounding very distant.
"Excuse me, Vin, you're White Coyote?" Chris questioned, surprised to say the least. Though, he supposed, he shouldn't really have been surprised that Vin had an Indian name. After all, he had lived with the Indians for some time. Really what surprised him was that Star's mother would send her little girl, alone, to Vin. There had to be more to the story, more that either Vin wasn't telling them or, more, that Vin himself didn't know. Chris could remember how protective Sarah always was of Adam. It would have had to be a life and death situation for her to send him away, especially by himself. And the person she sent him to would have to be somebody she trusted immensely. Throughout his life Chris had learned that all mothers were like that with their children, fiercely protective. So why did Star's mother send her to Vin, of all people?
"Yeah, I'm White Coyote, that's the name the Kiowas gave me when I was living with them," he spoke a little distractedly.
"Why would her mother send her to you?" Mary questioned, as curious about this as everyone else.
"I don't know, I don't know this little girl but maybe if she told me her mother's name-"
"You are White Coyote?" a little voice interrupted from the stairway, big beautiful eyes wide.
"Yeah," Vin said gently, turning, surprised that he hadn't heard her. Then again, as he remembered his time with the Kiowas, maybe he shouldn't have been surprised.
"You are who my mama told me to find," she commented to him.
"Why did yore mama send you to me?" Vin asked her quietly, hoping that her mother had told her because he certainly had no idea why this woman sent her baby to him.
"You do not know?" Star questioned with an edge of panic to her voice, she had never before considered that this man would not know her.
"No, you don't know either?"
"No," She said sadly. "You not going to take care of me?" she asked, tears welling in her big brown eyes.
"Of course we are," Mary piped in without thinking because she couldn't allow that precious little girl to think for a moment longer that she would be turned out.
"It has to be White Coyote," she said quietly but insistently. "Mama told me to stay with no one but White Coyote," She said shaking her head up down as if trying to remember every word her mother had told her.
"Don't worry, darlin'. I'll take care of ya," Vin said reassuringly. "Now, why don't you tell me yore ma's name, maybe I know her?"
"Mama's name is Dancing Wind but people always call her Kaiyana, when I ask her why she says it means dancing wind in Kiowa, and that she always thought it sounds prettier then Dancing Wind," Star said for the benefit of those who didn't know Kiowa.
Vin sat down with a shocked look on his face. When Star said her mother's name, his jaw actually dropped. Then a very upsetting thought crossed his mind. When he lived with the Kiowas they had accepted him; for the most part however there was one line that the chief always warned him not to cross, for his safety and the young ladies. The chief had warned to never become involved with any of the women there. As much as the Kiowas liked and even accepted Vin, it was NOT acceptable for a white man to be with any of the Kiowa women. Vin could still remember the struggle he was having internally when the Chief had said that to him because he was already in love with one of the Kiowa women, the chief's daughter.
Matters were even more complicated than that though, the Kiowas believed her to be the answer to an old prophecy. The prophecy spoke of a powerful warrior princess coming to rescue the tribe in a time of danger and a time when the tribe's very existence was in jeopardy. The tribe believed the chief's daughter, Kaiyana or Dancing Wind (as she was called in English), was the answer to their prayers and the old prophecy. They had come to believe that she was powerful and mighty. She was treated in great reverence and everyone in the tribe obeyed her every word, even her father. A big part of the reason Vin had been accepted into the tribe in the first place was because he and Kaiyana had met in the woods and had gotten to talk. He, for a reason he was never able to determine, opened up to her and expressed his need to belong. His need to have a home. She offered to take him to her tribe without hesitation. He immediately thought that they wouldn't accept him, especially so quickly. However she told him about the legend they had given her and how they practically worshipped her.
He went with her to the reservation. They fell in love relatively quickly. They would go off into the woods together at night, under the guise that she was teaching Vin the finer points of tracking (which he already knew from previous learning), and spend the night together in secret. However, their time together was short-lived. After only six months of having an intimate relationship, Kaiyana was forced to go on the run.
Some of the white settlers had heard of the prophecy that the people believed that Kaiyana was meant to fulfill. The short time that Vin had with her had been the year when the Kiowa people had escaped the reservations, that ended though and local whites wanted Kaiyana more then anything. The prophecy the settlers learned about said that she was a great warrior, and she was an excellent fighter, however they mocked her and the tribe. Everything about her was graceful and her fighting style was no exception, many of the moves she made while fighting seemed to defy gravity. However what the men really wanted (beyond Kaiyana herself, who they wanted because of her looks and beauty but also because the hope of many of the Kiowas rested entirely with her, capturing and using her would crush them for sure, they thought) was the one thing that Kaiyana would never give up. It was a special necklace that Kaiyana had told Vin about, one that she never took off. It was a magnificent red gemstone that glowed on and off red and was always warm regardless of its exposure to harsh or cold weather. However if Kaiyana took the gem off it would turn blue and get ice cold. Kaiyana never took it off though. Her mother had been the first to say that she was the answer to the old prophecy and shortly after Kaiyana had been born her mother had received a vision that told her to go to a special waterfall in the mountains and retrieve the gem. It then told her to give it to her daughter, that it would protect the little girl always, even if she couldn't. Her mother had gone to the waterfall. She'd dived in and swam underneath the falls. That's when she saw the stone, deep blue, resting on the rocks behind the falls, just waiting for her. She had gone home with the magnificent gem and put on her baby. To her amazement she watched the gem go from a deep sapphire blue to a bright ruby red that glowed to the pace of the baby's heart. Kaiyana's mother had died when she was only five; it was one of the biggest ways she and Vin had been able to relate to one another. Although her mother truly believed that her daughter was the answer to the ancient prophecy she had also made sure that Kaiyana was allowed to be a person and not just an answer to a prophecy, a new legend. She had protected her little girl and had allowed her a short period where she could make mistakes and not be infallible without threat of ridicule, and the pain that would go with it.
After her mother had died, that luxury died with her. She became lonely. As a child, once her mother was gone, she was taught to hunt, fight, and track. She had natural talent and was a very quick study. She was also incredibly intelligent. It wasn't long at all before the entire tribe was really convinced that she was the answer to the ancient prophecy. Also, though, from that time on people treated her as if she were super human, incapable of making mistakes, beautiful (inside and out), and the answer to their most profound and urgent prayers. So much was expected of her, more than most would be able to handle, she did though. However, hers was an intensely lonely existence.
She was held in such high regard that people were hesitant to have an actual conversation with her. She had no friends even her father treated her as if she was too incredible to get near. She always felt shunned and after her mother died, she had no childhood. When she grew into a young woman, the men of the tribe never even considered her. She was a magnificent beauty and a man would have had to be dead not to notice her however none ever considered approaching her with the idea of marriage. Not only was she too good for them, they believed, but according to the prophecy she was a warrior princess and it also spoke nothing of her marrying or having any kind of life except living for the freedom and mere existence of the tribe. However Vin had no such beliefs ingrained into him. They could relate, for both were lonely and friendless. But their relationship was far more then lust. They were best friends, soul mates. When she had left Vin had found her and begged her to allow him to go with her. However she declined, saying that he deserved better then a life on the run and in constant danger. He had known from the look in her deep brown, gentle eyes that her mind was made up. She was the most incredible woman he would ever know. Also, she was probably the most self-sufficient, independent, proud, intelligent, beautiful and hardheaded stubborn woman (or man for that matter) he'd ever know. He knew he was losing her. Oh, he knew that they would never catch her and even if they did, she would escape, for she was also the best fighter he would ever know. But he never thought she'd hold on to him. She would probably be on the run for the rest of her life and she wanted him to have more from life then that.
"You know mama?" The little voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Yes," Vin stammered, "How old are you?" He asked suddenly, his voice sounding urgent and nervous.
"Five," She said triumphantly as she held up five fingers to show him visually the number of years old she was, not understanding the tone of voice and completely oblivious to Vin's current thoughts.
Still seated Vin rested his head in his hands as he immediately did the math and realized the implications of the little girl's words, his little girl's words.
"Vin, what is it?" Chris questioned although he already had a pretty good idea what was so obviously wrong with his friend, if the look on his face was anything to go by.
Vin seemed not to hear him, he was too caught up in his thoughts, and the fact that he was suddenly sure he was this wonderful little girl's father. "Come here and talk to me, Star," He spoke in his soft, lazy drawl, ignoring Chris, with a look in his eyes that his friends, even Chris, had never before seen.
"You are White Coyote, for really?" She asked suddenly fearing that he wasn't speaking the truth about his identity, and fearing that she may not be obeying her beloved mother, who had warned her sternly to be weary of the people that she met.
"Yes," Vin spoke gently and quietly, looking the little girl directly in the eyes. Realizing at that moment that she was far more then just a little girl. He mother had indeed trained her carefully. For she was studying him closely, in a way only a well-trained Kiowa warrior would or could. He had no doubts that she wouldn't hesitate in testing him, in asking something that would prove his identity to her.
Star walked cautiously and gracefully toward Vin, looking nothing like a five years old. She stopped when she was right in front of him and looked directly into his cobalt eyes as she spoke decisively in the Kiowa language and asked him a personal question about he and her mother. It was something only he could now and it involved something that always happened during their intimacies. He was shocked that Kaiyana would tell Star this before realizing that the question would mean nothing to anyone except Vin and Kaiyana, it had no meaning to even someone old enough to understand what had happened between Vin and Kaiyana. So he quietly answered back in Kiowa the answer to her question.
"You are really him," she said happily. It was not a question but statement that ensured her safety and that meant she had fulfilled her beloved mother's request.
"Yes, I am," Vin said, thrilled that she believed him but unsure of what was to come.
Star continued to smile happily, knowing now that she was safe and no one could hurt her now that she was in this man's care. It was then that she remembered the letter. The letter her mother had pinned to the inside of one of her layers of clothing. The letter her mother had told her to make sure to give to White Coyote as soon as she was certain that who she had found was indeed White Coyote. "I give something to you," she spoke a little absently as she struggled to get under her top layer to reach the letter her mother had secured there before she left.
"What?" Vin asked when he snapped out of his silent musings.
"A letter from mama," she commented still not paying much attention to him as she struggled with her clothes.
Not exactly understanding what the look on Vin's face meant Mary moved to help the tiny girl with the particular article of clothing that was giving her so much trouble. "Here Darling, let me help you?" Mary asked.
The little girl nodded and proceeded to stop struggling and allow Mary to pull of the offending object.
"You're ma wrote me a letter?" Vin asked, extremely eager for an explanation yet a little unsure of what to expect from Kaiyana after so many years and so much time and so many struggles separated from one another.
"Yes," Star answered dutifully as she took the letter in her small hand and prepared to give the letter over to her temporary guardian, "She said to make sure that I give it to you." With that she handed Vin her mother's letter.
Vin took the letter a little hesitantly. He felt confident that he could read it-his lessons with Mary made it possible to read just about anything with minimal difficulty. However what made him unsure of his capability of reading the letter was how unsure of what its contents would reveal. The more he thought about it the more courage he gained so as his mounted he finally tore open the letter and began to read:
|
Dear Vin,
If you're reading this letter it means Star has reached you, and I thank the heavens for that. Also I'm sure you've already figured it out but if you haven't-You're her father. I'm sorry that I never found you to tell you about her. I didn't want you to force yourself into a life on the run because I fear I will always be hunted to some extent for who I am. I knew that as soon as you found out there would be nothing I or anyone else could do to keep you away. So for these reasons and perhaps others I didn't tell you about her. I know that you will watch over her in my absence- I only hope that all of this is not to hard on her. I will come to you both as soon as possible, but I will make no promises. I will not tell you exactly what I am doing or the whereabouts in which I do them-except to say that there is danger and I may not make it back. For all of this uncertainty I apologize. Oh, Vin, what has happened? I only hope I make it back to explain all of this to you better. And in the event that I cannot come to you-I can rest easy with the knowledge that Star is with you because being with you means that she's safe. Star doesn't know that you are her father-as you have more then likely already figured out. It is entirely your choice if and when you tell her. Rest assured that if you do tell her, she will believe what you say. With this I say goodbye with the hope of hello in the near future.
Love Always,
Kaiyana
|
The letter was short and to the point. Vin couldn't help but smile a somewhat bittersweet smile. Kaiyana was her same old self. He had always marveled at how good her english was-so much better then his. She even wrote like that. Her letter had left no question in his mind about his being Star's father. However in every other aspect it left a hundred questions that he ached to have answers to. However more then anything he found himself hoping beyond hope that she made it to him and Star. He hoped that they may have some future together. He also wondered what he should tell Star-and his friends. They were all looking at him expecting some type of reaction in response to the letter. His mind wandered through the possible outcomes of all of the things he chose to or not chose to tell them.
"Star," he heard himself say as he stalled for more time, "Are you tired?"
"Not really," She said not giving him the response he was looking for.
"Oh, well I gotta talk to these people and…"
"I can't listen too?" She asked innocently.
"Well, darlin…um…I reckon you kin…a…wait…maybe…uh…how' bout you ‘an me we have a little talk just the two of us upstairs where you were sleeping?"
Star looked at him quizically for a moment before answering him, "Okay, we go upstairs to talk," giving him a big smile, still happy that she had found him all by herself, like a big girl, her mother had said. Star continued smiling, knowing that mama would be proud of her.
~*~
They had reached the Billy's room more quickly then Vin would have liked. He tried to shuffle through his thoughts and figure out what he wanted to say to the little girl that was his daughter. Daughter, my daughter, I have a daughter. It was daunting to learn such a thing and have to deal with it so quickly.
"What you want to talk about?" Star asked smiling.
"Well…um…darlin'," He spoke suddenly that honesty was the best way to go. He was an honest man and didn't figure on changing his ways now, especially now. "I have somethin' real important to tell ya."
"What?" Star asked listening closely to his every word as her mother had instructed her to.
"Do you know why you mother sent you to me?"
"No, do you?"
"Yes."
"You going to tell me?" She asked expectantly.
"Yes."
"Okay," She said finally sensing his nervousness and in turn looking sheepishly down at her feet.
"Okay," Vin spoke getting more self-conscious with each passing second. "Sit down," He gestured toward the bed. Once the were seated, side-by-side, he continued, "You're mama sent you to me because I am your daddy."
"Daddy?" Star's tiny voice sounding half surprised, half as if she had no idea what the word meant.
"Yeah, do you know what that is?" Vin said cursing himself for his stupidity. With the way Star had grown up, away from everyone and everything, and just with her mother, it wasn't unreasonable to think that she might not know what a father was.
"Not really," She said her angelic face looking a little ashamed, as if she thought he would be mad at her for not knowing. "I am sorry."
"No, no, there ain't no reason for you to be sorry. Ya ain't done a thing wrong." Vin gave her a big smile to assure her how serious he was about his not being mad.
"I not let you down?"
"No, you haven't done a thing wrong," Vin reiterated.
"So, what is a daddy?"
"Well, that's kind of a tough question," Vin thought about how to describe what a father was when he realized how difficult it was to describe what a father is especially when he never had one himself. Also he didn't exactly know how much to say, or what to say and what not to say. He really needed a woman. Well, what he really needed was Kaiyana, but since she wasn't available at the moment he figured Mary would have to do. "Well, there, Star, I'll tell ya what, I think I'm gonna ask Mis' Travis to explain that to you, alright?"
"Okay," Star nodded definitively, happy that she would be learning and even more happy that someone was going to explain to her what this mysterious daddy thing was.
"Good, now I'll be back in a little while. I've got to go talk the Miz Travis."
~*~
I think right now the one thing that would make me happy would be killing Vin. How could he do this to me? ‘Oh, Mary, could you do me one little favor?' That's what he says. How do I know what to tell this little girl? What she needs is her mother. I suppose though if I don't know what to say I certainly couldn't expect Vin to. It's funny, when Vin told me he was Star's father, I was surprised, but only to a certain extent. Vin is the kind of man who naturally would make a good father.
"Well, Dear," Mary spoke, ending her revere when she noticed Star starring at her, expecting her to start talking. Mary began trying to find a way to adequately describe a father. "A daddy is someone who helps the mommy raise the children." She said knowing that that was terribly inadequate but seeing it as, as good a start as anywhere else.
"Why?"
"Why, what?"
"Why does he help?"
"Oh, because he loves them."
"Why?
"Why does he love them?"
"Yes."
"Because he loves the mommy and he helped her make the children," Mary said hoping that the answer was adequate because she really didn't want to go into this any further.
"Mama didn't make me by herself?"
"No, someone helped her, you're daddy," Mary asked, pleased that Star was beginning to get the point.
"White Coyote helped make me?"
"Yeah," Vin answered, just a little sheepishly, while his cheeks blushed bright red. He spoke from where he stood waiting for this moment, outside the door.
"You love mama?"
Her question caught him a little off guard at first. "Yes, I love your mama."
"Do you love me?"
"Yes, I do."
Mary took the moment of silence that ensued to leave the father and daughter alone.
"Really?" Star asked in her endearing little voice.
"Really," Vin smiled.
"Will we be a family when mama comes back?"
"I hope so, but that's something we're all gonna have to talk about."
"Okay," she accepted happily.
"Now," Vin said. "I think that it's time for somebody to go to bed."
"It is past your bedtime?" She answered with a big smile.
"No, it's past your bedtime," he said with a laugh.
"Okay," Star conceded, "I get ready."
"Good."
Shots. Yes, she definitely heard shots. She sat up from her resting-place and listened silently. Faintly, off in the distance she heard men shouting and bullets exploding violently from guns. In fear, she got up and began running. It was damp and cold outside. There was a chilling mist falling from the sky and as she quickened her pace, her flowing black hair started getting wet. With every step her beautiful wet locks came forward and slapped her in the face. She ran quickly. It wasn't long ago that she had considered giving up on life. She was getting older and years on the run had caused her to feel tired beyond her years. However one thought of her precious little girl had put an end to any thoughts of that kind. Her main goal now, was to try to find a way to escape these monsters, who called themselves men and get back to her daughter and hopefully the soul mate she had lost. She could vaguely remember thinking that she could live without him. But could she really call this life? The only thing akin to real life she'd experienced in the five years without him was her daughter, a life created from them both. She quickened her pace as a bullet hitting far to close for comfort snapped her out of her reverie. She gracefully jumped into the thick brush hoping she hadn't lost her touch…hoping she could still hide in the cover without being caught…
~*~
Star had gone to bed happy with the way things were because while she wished her mama was with her she had done what mama had asked and that made her very proud. Except that when Star had gone to bed she'd had a bad dream. It wasn't clear in her mind but she knew without doubt that her mother was in trouble. She could no longer sleep. Only stay awake and feel sad. "I miss mama," Star said to the stars in the sky as she watched them. Mama had always told her that there was always someone in the heavens who would listen and although Star was far to young to fully comprehend anything religious, she liked the idea and talked often towards the heavens when she needed to speak what was on her heart. "I'm ‘fraid she will not come back. She has been gone so long. She promised she would try to come back to me. But what if she could not? What if I never see mama again, what will I do?"
Vin listened silently to his little girl. He had been surprised when he had peaked in on Star just before he was preparing to leave Mary's and found his daughter awake and speaking. He had wondered whom she had been speaking to before sneaking silently, further into the room. He had been watching her ever since. Speaking to the sky, confiding in it her fears. As he listened to the desperation and despair in the little girl's voice he felt compelled to do something to allay her fears, but he could thing of no good words, no perfect phrases to ease her pain. However, as he watched Star further, as he saw that tears were now eminent, he racked his brain to think of something to say to her. But he could think of absolutely nothing to say to the little girl that he hardly knew, but already within the span of fifteen short hours, had fallen utterly in love with.
A tiny, painfilled sob racked the room and without thinking any further on it, Vin spoke, "It's okay Darlin'," He said this as soothingly as he could.
"No it's not!" Star cried, not feeling at all surprised to see him, also finding herself glad, although she wasn't sure why. "Mama is in trouble!"
"How do you know?" Vin asked trying to be comforting while also trying to fight off the worry he felt when he thought of Kaiyana in trouble.
Star felt a sudden swell of anger. It was beyond her years and came from maturity; she by all rights shouldn't have, but possessed none the less. However, it came in the form of something akin to a tantrum and quickly turned into nothing less. No matter how mature she was still a child and it fueled a very adult like anger. "You said you love her!" Star yelled while crying hysterically.
"I do!" Vin cried defensively.
"Then why are you here, why aren't you helping my mama!?!" With those yelled words Star seated herself on the floor and pulled her knees to her chest and started rocking herself back and forth.
"Darlin' I don't know where your mama is! And even if I did you and me both know she'd skin me alive if I went after her. She wants me to take care of you." Vin ended this soothingly and softly hoping to get through to the little girl.
This was now a full-blown tantrum and could be defined as nothing else. "But I want my mama!"
"She's not here," Vin soothed.
"But I want her, she is in trouble, I want her!"
"How do you know she's in trouble?"
"Because," Star fairly screamed, "I saw it in a dream, she was running and there were men with guns chasing her and she was sad and cold and wet and wanted not to be there but there was no one to help her and she did not know what to do. My mama never does not know what to do. But she did not, and my mama is never scared neither, but she was," Star was now in complete hysterics, while rocking back and forth and talking more and more quietly while crying more and more.
Vin scootched closer to her and pulled her into a tight hug kissing her forehead gently and soothing her. "It's all gonna be okay, Darlin'. Now listen," He took Star by the shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes hoping his words would sink in, "You and me both know your mama. And we both no that no matter what trouble there is, if anybody can get outa whatever trouble there is, it's you mama. Ain't I right?"
"Yes," Star said, trying to gain some control of her tears, despite herself, his words made her feel better.
~*~
"Where is that Indian bitch?" Kaiyana heard on of the men question.
"I dunno, Hank, but I didn't see the little brat with her," An ugly oaf of a man commented, both he and his compatriot unaware that their prey was only a few feet away in the brush. "Maybe the little brat is ‘round here somewhere, maybe iffin' we git the little shit…"
"Oh, if we could git that little bastard, the whore would surely come to save her," Hank said. At his stupid, ignorant, and cruel words Kaiyana felt her anger well up within her. Further, the man, if one could really call him that, had threatened her baby. She may have no longer cared what people did to her or called her, she may no longer be as prideful and stubborn, these monsters may have been able to beat her spirit, almost into submission, but no one messes with her baby. The fighter within her surfaced and she was only slightly aware, through her anger, of the plans her mind was making. She was calculating ways to take the men out and trying to figure out where the rest of the men were, she knew there were more then two. She found herself realizing that it had been a long time since her mind had been so keen. Since, she'd been filled with such adrenaline, and such life. Then again, no one had ever so directly threatened her very soul, her little girl. That was just one line that she would never allow anyone to cross. The more she thought about it the more she decided that she had to get back to her little girl and Vin. That name remained sweet in her mind. After all this time she still loved him as much, if not more, then she ever had. Her mind dwelled on these thoughts, on these few things that could still bring her happiness…that is until Hank decided to speak once more.
"Come on, the longer we set here the further the bitch'll git."
"Nah, hold up, that little brat must be ‘round here somewhere…"
"Yeah, I betcha yer right," Hank commented a sudden sadistic glimmer in his eyes.
Kaiyana saw his eyes. She saw that look. That monster wanted to hurt her little girl, her precious angel! Well, she simply wouldn't have it. She felt a swell of rage the likes of which she had never experienced before and likely would never feel again. Without anymore thought on the subject Kaiyana sprinted, literally, into action. She moved quickly and to her soon to be victims, she moved with absolute and utter silence.
Kaiyana reached them within moments. Her first move was to couple her hands and in hammer-like motion hit Hank square in the back of the neck, sending his head jarring, and knocking him from the world of conscious thought almost immediately.
The situation had unfolded so quickly that Hank was never aware of what was happening, because by the time he was remotely aware of Kaiyana's presence, he was knocked unconscious. While his companion had little more time then that. In the time it took for the man to square himself to Kaiyana's shoulders she quickly brought around her left leg high, hitting him squarely on the side of the head, in one smooth and graceful movement. As his, limp, unconscious body hit the ground Kaiyana could only think of one thing; Nobody messed with her baby. With that she stripped the two men down to their birthday suits and tied them to a nearby oak. Then took their clothes to a swamp and dumped them in. They wouldn't be going anywhere soon, and that suited Kaiyana just fine, she thought as she removed most of the heavy equipment from their horses backs and jumped on the healthier looking of the two, guiding the other with a lead-line. She sat still for a moment contemplating what to do next, before calculating the dangerous direction of Four Corners. As she headed in that direction she was only vaguely aware of the perils she knew she would face on the long treck. How could she pay them any attention? When finally she was reenergized and had the chance, heart, and spirit to finally make it back to her family.
The riding in that part of the country through the backwoods terrain she was forced to ride through could only be described in one way, hard. The trip so far had been nothing but long and hard, most of it being spent trying to stay away from civilization as much as possible. However, Kaiyana was keenly aware of the fact that it wouldn't always be easy to stay clear of civilization and eventually she would have to pass through a town. As it was she had ridden around the outskirts of more dangerous town then she cared to count. Riding for a week in the hot conditions from before dawn until long after dusk was beginning to take its tole. Her greatest hope was that perhaps she might be able to pass through a town without a fight. For someone as good as fighting, and even at intimidation as she was, she had grown to hate having to fight constantly for everything and anything she needed or desired.
She cast these thoughts out of her mind, though. They would do her no good. She had to go home, to where Star was and where Vin was. Nothing would stop her; she would get home to them. All she had to do to feel the drive to succeed at that task was to think of those people waiting for her and she felt completely rejuvenated.
"Hey, there she is!" Kaiyana heard the voice clearly despite the fact that it was somewhat faint, telling her that those that were hunting her were still some distance away. Her mind raced frantically trying to come up with what she could do to get out of this latest mess she found herself in.
"Where? I ain't seein' nothin'," Another man said skeptically, the voices were getting closer and Kaiyana's thinking was becoming more frantic with that action.
"Oh, you dummy, cain't ya see her through them trees, she's got them two horses she stole," They continued speaking unaware that their pray could hear their every word. However being able to hear her would-be-captors was doing Kaiyana no good. There was really no place to hide with these two Neanderthals able to see her. Every hiding scheme she knew was racing through her head but none seemed applicable and she was nearing hysteria with rapid speed as her assailants drew closer to her.
~*~
"What's that?"
"What's what?" Vin asked back at Star as they walked down the street side-by-side looking more like two friends, two equals, then a little girl with her father.
Star looked at him as if he'd suddenly grown two heads, "That wagon with the women in it," Star gestured toward the structure with big hand motions. Vin turned and immediately saw the wagon. The wagon full of scantily clad prostitutes calling out to men walking in and out of the saloon.
Thinking quickly, Vin went with avoidance, "Well, it's just what you said, honey, a wagon with women in it."
"Why are they dressed like that?"
"I don't know?" Vin tried but had the distinct feeling that Star would probably see through him. He was right.
"Yes, you do. You just do not want to tell me. Why?"
"Why don't I want to tell you?"
"Yes."
"Because it's kinda hard to explain."
"Like the Daddy thing?"
"Just like that," Vin nodded, happy Star understood he couldn't explain and hoping from there she would let it go.
"Maybe you should get Mrs. Travis to explain this to me too," Star suggested innocently.
Vin remembered the look of pure homicide Mary had given him when he stuck her with explaining fatherhood to Star, he could only imagine what Mary would do if he stuck her with this too. "I don't think that would be a good idea, darlin'."
"Then you will explain this to me."
~*~
Kaiyana found herself in an entirely different situation then Vin. However while Vin's was extremely difficult, Kaiyana's life was in the balance as far as hers went. Somewhere in the span of about thirty seconds she had managed to find a place to hide, leaving the horses as they were, hoping to make it look like she been thrown and fallen down the steep incline only fifteen feet away. Her biggest worry now was making sure that those that chased her fell for this little ruse. She was so close to Four Corners, all she needed was two more hard days ride and she was sure she could make it.
But first she had to escape these two. She wasn't exactly sure what would happen when she reached Four Corners. She wasn't naïve enough to believe all of her problems would simply disappear the moment she entered the town. But she had to believe that somewhere out there she could find peace. And more and more she was beginning to think that that place was Four Corners. At least she hoped it was.
It was then that her attention focused back her current predicament. She watched closely as the men guided their horses carefully threw the bush all to aware of the steep ledge so near by. The area was infested with snakes making it very easy for your horse to get spooked and throw you right over the edge. It was with this knowledge that Kaiyana hoped they would assume she had been thrown, that she had never been aware of their presence. That they therefore would assume the obvious.
"Look, Mike, there's them horses!" One of the men, named Brett, cried, sounding excited and confused all at once.
"Yeah, but where's the Indian?" Mike answered with a sarcastic and frustrated voice. He'd been looking for this woman for months. Yet he'd never laid eyes on her, she always seemed to outsmart them and, or evade their attempts to capture her. He hated being made to look foolish by anyone. And as with the basic ideas of the time, he hated even more to be outsmarted by an Indian or a woman but especially an Indian woman.
"How the hell am I supposed to know, I's jus' pointin' out them horses to ya, hoss," Brett commented in an easygoing manner. Brett wasn't exactly what one would call bright. In fact he was just plain dumb. To dumb to actually care.
"I know that, Brett, but where did that wench disappear to? Tell me that," Mike spoke raising his voice a little.
"Well," Brett thought, using brainpower no one would have thought he possessed, spoke, "Are them horses tethered?"
Catching on the Brett's line of thought Mike arched in the saddle to see, "No, they ain't."
"Well, then, maybe she got throwed…"
"Maybe," Mike spoke a little skeptically. Nudging his horse closer to the cliff, he dismounted and peered over the edge, "Don't see no body, can't no one survive a fall like that," He spoke a little absently, lost in the height and the prospect of falling.
Brett appeared next to him and took a look for himself. "Well, there's a river down there, maybe the body got washed away."
"I don't know," Mike was skeptical, without a body they couldn't be sure of anything and he wouldn't be taken for a fool again. "Maybe, somehow, she figured out we was followin' her and she faked fallin' over the edge, maybe she's really up here, hidin', waitin' ta git away…" Even after he stopped speaking Mike's mind continued to ponder his conspiracy theory.
"Well, then iffin' ya want ta, we can take a look see ‘round. Make sure she ain't hidin in the brush waitin' ta make us look the fool, ‘gain."
"Yeah, I think we ought ta do that," Mike affirmed.
Without another word the two spread out and began to search.
~*~
Kiayana watched and listened in absolute horror as she realized her plan hadn't worked. She knew that their finding her was probably inevitable, her hiding place was just behind some brush, she'd had no time. What could she do? She didn't even think that she could fight her way out because the men were spread out and both were well armed. If she got one there was a very good chance the other would shoot or capture, or worst of all shoot and capture her. However the more she thought about and the more she watched them the more she came to the clear realization that her discovery was inevitable and she had to formulate some plan, or she was as good as dead. After all the months of near hits and misses, of narrow escape, of fooling and making fools out of these white men she was sure that only death would come out of capture, and that death, she was even more sure, would be the worst she could imagine. Further, if she were captured she would never see Vin or her little girl again. She had to find some way out.
+ + + + + + +
Before Kaiyana even realized what she was doing, she was sprinting towards the men's horses. They immediately saw her and Mike took a shot. As Kaiyana reached Mike's horse the bullet hit it's mark and lodged itself deep inside Kaiyana's shoulder. The Kiowa had always said that Kaiyana had a warrior spirit, tough, strong and unbeatable, so as the bullet tore through her flesh she bit back the pain, hardly flinching, and climbed onto the horse taking off at full gallop before the men had anymore time to cause her harm. That was, at least in the immediate future.
~*~
Vin had to approach this like a warrior. And he was. In his mind he was preparing for what he knew was going to be a great war of wills. His would have to be stronger and that would be quite a task. He pondered all possible approaches to this complex and difficult issue. Before finally taking a stand against his five year old daughter, "Darlin', I really cain't explain this to ya."
"Why not?" Star pouted.
"Because I can't."
"Why not?"
"I just can't."
"Why not?"
Vin paused; this was going to be more difficult then he had first anticipated. After leaving the confrontation in silence for a few moments while he thought he returned with an answer that he was sure would drive Star as crazy as she was currently driving him, "Because I don't want to."
"Okay," Star answered without a trace of frustration or anger. Before turning to her father, taking his hands, looking sweetly into his eyes and saying, "It's okay that you don't know what they're doing either."
~*~
Kaiyana could feel the wind rushing past her and blowing harshly into her open wound. The pain was stinging. She knew it wasn't a cold day, yet to her it felt freezing. However, she couldn't slow down. Her pursuers were close behind her and gaining with every passing second. She couldn't slow down. But she also knew that simply keeping up the pace wasn't going to be enough either. She had to find some way to slow them down or lose them. Because if she didn't do something soon, she was getting the distinct feeling that she would never to anything again, ever.
Kaiyana turned slightly in the saddle, in order to see how far away the men that chased her were. They were only about 30 yards behind her, way to close for comfort. Also to close for her to try to lose them, they would see wherever she went. She could also tell that they were moving faster then she was and therefor gaining on her rapidly.
She tried desperately to think of something she could do to escape them. But she could not think. It was as if a smog of pain had settled over her, debilitating her mind. She felt as if she was out of her body, or perhaps disconnected from herself and her situation. As hard as she tried she couldn't pull herself back to the reality. Her mind floated in some nameless, faceless, thoughtless chasm, and the worst part was she couldn't bring it back. Time seemed to be slowing as she continued to ride. The steady beat of the horses' hooves pounding the hard dirt floor lulling her further into a state of mindless drift. Her conscious thoughts now seemed to be out of body things that would every once in a while trigger her interest enough to listen but not to actually act on these thoughts. It was as if nothing could pull her back into life.
Suddenly, Kaiyana felt her world starting to shake slightly. Now it was beginning to slide. What's happening? Something somewhere inside her screamed. However by the time she realized she was falling from her horse it was too late.
~*~
Mary Travis awoke abruptly with a start. She looked around a little aimlessly in the dark trying to figure out what had caused her to wake up. Thinking for a moment she remembered hearing someone scream in her sleep…Star!
Mary got up the minute that name flashed in her mind. She could have sworn she heard Star scream in her sleep. Mary moved quickly through the upstairs hallway into the room that Star occupied.
When she entered the room, through the dark, she saw the little girl sitting up in her bed. Star was covered in a thin sheen of sweat, and as a result her dark hair clung to her forehead and her nightclothes clung to her body. She was also shaking uncontrollably.
Mary moved quickly to the little girl's bed and started cooing softly to her, "It's okay, everything is all right."
However Star looked up at Mary and said quietly in haunting sort of voice, "No, everything is not all right. They are gonna kill my mama."
"Who?" Mary found herself asking even though in the back of her mind she knew that probably wasn't the best response she could have given.
"Those men," Star said sounding like the scared little girl she was.
"Honey," Mary soothed, "How do you know men are trying to kill your mama?"
"I see it in a dream," Star said trying desperately to make Mary understand. It seemed to Star that no one here in this place understood the truth her dreams usually carried.
"Honey, dreams aren't real. They're just make believe things that come while we sleep. I'm sure your mama is just fine," Mary tried to make the little girl feel better however looking at her face Mary got the distinct impression that she had just added fuel to the fire.
"No!" Star shouted, "That's not true, not with my dreams. Sometime my dreams are true. Sometime they come to give me warning," She was crying now, "Why doesn't anyone believe me? First my daddy and now you? Why?"
Mary honestly had no idea what to do. She couldn't say that she honestly believed that Star dreams were really premonitions or warnings or anything like that. However she also couldn't go on telling the little girl that her mother was fine, after all, she was being hunted by bloodthirsty men (at least to the best of Vin's knowledge). So the only thing Mary could think to do was wrap Star in a hug and then go talk to Vin.
~*~
"Vin!" About ten minutes later, Mary called leaning slightly into the tracker's wagon. "Vin!" Mary hissed once more.
She watched as Vin tossed and mumbled slightly before settling back into peaceful sleep. "Vin!" Mary tried one more time, this time a little louder.
With that Vin bolted up, promptly hitting his head, cursing, then realizing Mary was the one who had awoken him, he blushing slightly before addressing her, "Somethin' wrong, Mary?" After a moment of getting oriented his expression changed, "Star's all right, ain't she?" The worry in his voice was evident.
"Oh, well, don't worry," Mary said to put to rest his immediate worries. "It's just that Star woke up after having a dream. She insists that her mother is in trouble and when I tried to tell her that dreams weren't real, she started crying and asked me why everyone thought she was lying."
"Oh," Vin said quietly, remembering that he had just done that with her himself. "She dreamed about Kaiyana agin," Vin spoke more to himself then to Mary. After a moment he faced Mary once more saying, "What do you think?"
"About Star's dreams?" When Vin nodded his head, Mary continued, "Well, I myself believe that dreams are simply a figment of one's imagination. However, it has been said that some people can dream premonitions…" Mary spoke sounding somewhat distant, lost in thought.
"Mary, yore as bad as Ezra. Couldn't ya just talk in english?" Vin spoke, hating to look foolish do to his lack of vocabulary but what Mary had just said had been pretty much over his head and on subject matter this important he was more then willing to compromise his pride a little bit.
"Oh, well, some people believe that it is possible to see the future or the present or even the past through their dreams," She amended.
"Oh," Vin spoke. "What should I do?"
"Well, Vin, that is entirely up to you. But, Star is still pretty upset and the reason I came down here was to ask you to go up and talk to her. What you do after that is something you're going to have to figure out."
"Okay, Mary, give me a second. And I'll come over to yore place…"
~*~
"You have to go save her!"
"I can't," Vin pleaded hopelessly with his young daughter.
"Why not? You said you loved her, why aren't you helping her!"
"I do love her!" Vin shouted, then feeling a little sorry for exploding lowered his voice and tired to explain, "I can't go after her because I don't know where she is. I don't know what she's up against. I don't know if she's safe or healthy or anything like that. How can I help her when I don't even know where to look for her?"
"Is that the only reason you won't go find mama?" Star asked in conspiratorial way.
"Yes," Vin answered slowly but resolutely.
"She's a couple hours from here, to the northwest. She fell off her horse and some men are gonna get her and hurt her bad. They are at the foot of a mountain."
"You saw all that in a dream?" Vin asked sounding suspicious.
"Yes," Star answered him in such a way that he couldn't help but believe.
"Okay," Then he got up and started to walk away.
"Where are you going?"
"To go find your mama," Vin answered simply.
~*~
"Are you sure about this endeavor, Mr. Tanner?" Ezra Standish found himself asking as the seven were now departing to go search for a missing woman on the basis of a five years old's dreams.
"Yeah, Ez, I'm sure," Vin spoke resolutely.
"Alright," Chris Larabee commanded, "Let's ride."
~*~
The seven men rode wordlessly following Vin throughout the landscape. Despite the fact that he only vaguely knew where he was going he rode through the land expertly, as if he had the exact location they were headed to pin pointed. So far two hours had passed and the men knew that they were fast approaching the basic search area. However, none of them really had any idea what to expect, and that included Vin. So far they had been following what Star's dream had said, which also said that men had been chasing her. With that in mind, they kept themselves mentally prepared for anything.
"Where in tarnation did she git to?!!" The seven heard a voice, not far in the distance, shout. They were immediately on even greater alert. Wordlessly they all prepared for facing this man and whatever number of comrades he might have with him.
They approached slowly and cautiously, until they heard the scream. It was utterly gut- wrenching and heart stopping. The absolute horror the seven men heard in that scream was enough to spur them all into action, Vin especially.
As the men came into sight Vin automatically called, "Kaiyana!"
"Vin!" Came out a strangled cry that was stopped short by the brute force of another.
"Who the hell are you?" Asked what seemed to be the ringleader of the men.
"Well, Mister," Chris spoke, "That ain't really important. All you have to know is that we've come for that woman and we ain't leavin' without her, and trust me, you don't want us to stay and take her from ya," As Chris spoke his hand subtly sent down to his gun, implying the rest to the rather odious men before him.
"I ain't scared of y'all," The man said, puffing out his chest just a little.
"Well, maybe you should be," Vin commented, his voice colder and more deadly then any of the seven had ever heard it before. As he said this he reached down and took hold of his sawed-off Winchester rifle. Within seconds the rifle was braced against his shoulder and his aim had been taken. "Mister, you don't give her to us now, I'm gonna splatter yer brains all over."
"Or I could…" But before the man could finish he saw that the rest of the rather accomplished looking group of gunslingers pull their weapons and aim them in the direction of him and his single man. The odds were no good, and the bitch just wasn't worth it. Besides he really didn't like the looks of the one in black, he was a man Mike could go the rest of his life without crossing. "C'mon," Mike voiced to his companion, "Let's git."
"But…"
"Shut up, we're goin'," Mike finalized.
"Them's gonna be mad…"
"We're goin'."
"Fine," The man said unhappily before mounting his horse.
Before they left Chris issued one last warning, "If you ever go after her again, me and my friends are gonna hunt you down and tear you to pieces, understand," As much as his words and glare of his eyes and the menace in his voice had been enough to scare the two men shitless. They both nodded that they understood and quickly mounted their horses and took off for the horizon.
The minute the two men were a distance away Vin was off his horse and at Kaiyana's side. As he lifted her into his arms he got a mischievous glint in his eye, "Been a while, Kaiyana, I never thought I'd be comin' to yore rescue."
If looks could kill Vin would have dropped dead on the spot, "Who said I needed to be rescued?" Kaiyana challenged in a weak and horse voice.
"Oh, come on, who do you think you're kiddin', girl?" Then in a distinctly girly voice Vin mocked her, "Vin! Vin! Come save me!!"
"Funny, I do not remember saying anything like that. I do remember you and your sorry hide sounding all choked up crying, Kaiyana, Kaiyana!"
Vin laughed. He smiled down at her. Then looked at her still bleeding wounds and got scared again. "Nathan!"
"I'm right here, Vin. Why don't you set her down, so's I kin take a look at her?"
"Oh, okay," Vin spoke a little sheepishly.
"Howdy, Ma'am," Nathan greeted.
"Hello, Mr.?"
"Jackson, but why don't you call me Nathan?"
"Alright Nathan, then you can call me Kaiyana."
"Sounds good. Now, let me take a look at that shoulder of yourn," Nathan said. He was surprised at how calm and happy she seemed. It seemed as if she was feeling almost no pain at all, and as Nathan studied her wound, that was hard to believe. The wound certainly wasn't life threatening, but, frankly, judging by what she'd been through the past few weeks, hell, according to Vin, what she'd been through the last few years, she should feel like hell. Her wound was dirty which concerned him, however he decided the best thing for all concerned would be to quickly clean the wound wrap it and do the rest back in Four Corners.
+ + + + + + +
"Mama… Mama… Mama…Mama…Mama…Mama…Mama…Mama…Mama…Mama…Mama."
"Star, stop that, yore Mama needs her rest," Vin chided his little girl quietly. For all of Kaiyana's grit when they first found her, not only was she shot but she just wasn't very healthy. Nathan said she was pretty sick, mostly from bad nutrition and lack of sleep. He said that when you put that together with Kaiyana's gunshot wound and bumps and bruises and emotional stress, they could expect her to sleep for quite awhile.
Stars voice interrupted Vin's thoughts, "But I have already waited a very long time and Mama has slept for a very long time and I mama to hug me and tell me good stories," In the short time they'd had together Vin had learned that when Star wanted something or was very upset she had a strong tendency to whine and talk in long run-on sentences.
"I'm real sorry, Darlin' an' I know Mama's bin sleepin' a long time but she's real tired. Now I know you want Mama to git all better, right?"
"Yes," Star said guiltily.
"Then we've got to let her git her rest, alright Darlin'?"
"Alright," Star conceded. After thinking a moment Star spoke again, "But can I stay here and wait for her to wake up?"
"Yeah, I'spose ya could," Vin gave in.
"YAAAAAY!" Star yelled.
"But only if you're nice ‘n quiet so Mama kin rest some, okay?"
"Okay," She said a little sadly. With that Star laid down beside her mother, held her hand, and quietly started humming a pretty little song.
Vin's curiosity peaked, he had to ask, "What's that…?" However, his words were interrupted when he saw Kaiyana's eyelids flutter and her hand squeeze Star's.
"Mama?" Star said hopefully and softly.
With that soft-spoken word Kaiyana's eyes shot open and she spoke, "Hello, my angel."
With that Star started crying and threw herself at her mother in a big hug which Kaiyana gladly returned. With her head buried in her mothers good shoulder and through steady tears Star spoke, "Oh, Mama, I missed you so much and I was so scared and I was…oh, Mama, I love you," she gushed.
"It's okay Baby, it's okay," Kaiyana soothed. "I love you so much," Kaiyana paused a moment and looked at Vin, there eyes met and somehow she new everything really would be even better then okay, "Yes, angel, everything is going to be just fine, we are finally home."
The End
