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The Mountain Man [with nightsorceress]

solitaryman

solitaryman

Supernova
Joined
Aug 22, 2011
Location
Pennsylvania
Spring had just sprung in the high country overlooking the Powder River. It was 1832, and while the snow still capped the Little Belt Mountains, down in the valley, the snow had already melted, and that meant it was time for the Spring Rendevous, something the trappers looked forward to. Trading their pelts, getting drunk, and just renewing old acquaintances and paying respect to comrades who had passed on.

Gar Davis was one of those mountain men. He stood six foot two inches tall, his shoulder length brown hair showed underneath a worn beaver skin hat. He wore a buckskin tunic, and leather trousers, held up by a belt that also had a scabbard on it, that was the home of a wide blade Bowie knife he had won at the last get together during a poker game. A leather pouch was strung over his left shoulder, which held the ball for his rifle, a powder horn slung over his right shoulder. A six shot Navy Colt 44 revolver, won at the same get together from a soldier, rested in the belt, just off to the left of the buckle.

Gar had just finished loading his pack horse with his pelts he had trapped over the winter, as well as supplies to get to the rendevous. He made sure the cinch was tight, and that the supplies and pelts secured. He slid his rifle in the boot on his saddle, a lariat wrapped around the saddle boot, and his bedroll and saddle bags secured to the saddle. He mounted his brown chestnut, turned the reins to take one last look at the cabin he called home for the winter. He smiled, "See ya soon," and then turned his horse out of the clearing and along the trail that wound down off the mountain, his pack horse in tow behind him.
 
She ran through the woods, her bare feet throbbing as she has stepped on so many rocks and branches. There were cuts on her feet, but that did not stop her. Her hands were tied behind her back throwing off her balance but that did not stop her. She ran full speed with no idea where she was going. She glanced behind her a few a times her long raven hair falling in her face. Her lungs burned as she had been running fair to long.

And then suddenly she crossed the path of a man on a horse. she darted so quickly out from the woods that she spooked the horse. She screamed as the horses hooves thrashed near her she fell to the ground and seemed to roll a way from the horse. She was a crumpled mess in front of this man on his horse, she was deathly afraid of him as she scrambled to try to get up a task that was very difficult with out the use of her hands.
 
Gar had been riding for a while down the winding mountain trail. It had leveled off and he glanced around as he heard the birds fly off the trees above. A couple of squirrels had darted across the trail in front of him, from time to time, but it was the birds that caught his attention. His right hand went to grip the handle of his Navy Colt in his belt. He had not more than done that, then the brown chestnut reared up as if startled. Gar glanced off to his right and saw the Indian woman on the ground.

He settled his horse down then dismounted. He looked around as he came around his horse. He saw that her wrists were tied with a piece of leather. He crouched down beside her, after he pulled his canteen off his saddle horn. He started to look her over, saw the cuts on her bare feet and could tell she had been running for a while. He opened his canteen and moved it slowly up to her mouth, "Here, drink this, slowly," as he held the canteen in his right hand and used his left hair to stroke her hair out of her face.
 
As the man came closer her eyes widen and she looked afraid. She scooted back a little, but then he offered her water. Her throat was so dry she could not fight the urge to drink. She drank greedily her need for water fought any sense she had. She downed the water to quickly and began to choke. she cough and spit water, her head pulled away from the canteen. She looked up at the man. She was a young woman no more than 20, her skin was a hidden under a layer of dirty and her seemed to share her skins covering of dirt.
 
Gar pulled the canteen away and put the lid back on, "I told you not to drink too fast," then he sighed and smiled, he knew that she hadn't had water for quite a while. He more than put the canteen back on the saddle horn when his horse whinnied, and he spotted a brave in a war yell and war paint, coming quickly out of the forest, lunging at him with a tomahawk. Gar managed to dodge the tomahawk and flip the brave on the ground. He quickly drew his Navy Colt and fired, the brave did not move again. He then turned and saw two more braves, as well as a medicine man standing in the treeline. Two more shots from his pistol dropped the braves in their tracks. The medicine man's eyes grew wide, he yelled a few obscenities in his native tongue, and ran off into the trees. He put his pistol back in his belt, and helped her up from the ground, drew his knife, and cut her wrists loose.
 
She heard the rustling from the trees and looked in horror as she saw the familiar faces. She panicked and began to yell in her native tongue but then all to suddenly she heard the gun shot as watched as the brave feel. She looked in horror to the man holding the gun would he do that to her next. Two more shots rung out through the air. She had tears in her eyes as she watched as the man approached her with the knife she was shaking like a leaf as he cut her wrists loose. So was so sure he was going to kill her as well and the suddenly she was free she just stared into his face.
 
Gar heard her yell out in her native tongue. He knew a little bit of native languages he picked up, Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Shoshone, but this was a bit new to him. He put his knife away and crouched down at the dead brave nearest to him, trying to figure out what tribe he belonged to. He then looked up at her, "Who are you, what tribe," he asked her in all the languages he knew. He got up and glanced around, not wanting to wait around to see if anymore came back. "You go with me, " he said slowly but firmly as he lifted her up on his horse, and then sat on the saddle behind her. He took hold of the reins and moved his horse and the pack animal quickly along the trail and across the meadow towards the far treeline that the trailed disappeared into.
 
she watched as he knelt down to the dead brave and then he looked at her. He asked who she was but she was in such a state of fear now she was unable to answer. And then suddenly he grabbed her and she was on his horse. Her heart was beating in her chest as if she was was running again, however she was not. Her body ached and she was so tired she was not sure she would have the strength to fight this man off if he attacked her. She was at his mercy. She had little choice but to beg. "please" she said in English, her voice was soft and it sounded as if her throat was still very dry. "don't hurt me"
 
Gar pulled up to rest his horse after the gallop across the open area, "You speak English?" a bit surprised but yet with the girl as dirty as she was and in native clothes, he didn't know that she could speak English. "What's your name girl," he paused as he looked around the trees, "I'm Gar Davis, would be nice to know what is going on," he then kicked the sides of the chestnut softly, and he turned the animal back down the trail. By now they were about halfway down the mountain as they approached the flat land. So far, it did not seem that they were being followed by any of the others that had tried to take her away from him.
 
She nervously bit her lip as he asked her questions. she was not sure if she should answer them, but then if she didn't answer them she worried it would only make things worse for her. She began to shake once again hoping she was making the right choice. "NeeNa" she said softly. "I was captured by another tribe. But I ran." it pained her to talk still. "Please don't hurt me" she once again pleaded with him, she did not know what he planned for her now that he captured her.
 
Gar held the reins of his horse in his left hand, the pack animal's reins tied around the saddle horn. His right hand stroked through her hair softly, "I'm not going to hurt you, NeeNa, I could see you ran, what tribe were you with before you were captured," He stopped the horses after a full day's journey, a small clearing with a stream nearby, and good grazing for the animals. Gar dismounted and then looked up at her, "We camp here tonight, there's stream down there," as he pointed the direction and then pointed at her dirty body, figuring she would understand.
 
She was all to shocked when he said he was not going to hurt her, His touch felt comforting to her somehow she was not sure why. Maybe it was the first scrap of kindness she felt in so long. "I do not know." she admitted to his question she had been captured so long ago it was hard for her to remember where she came from. Her head turn and then she slide from the horse and made her way to the stream wanting so badly to wash.
 
Gar watched her head for the stream. He tossed her a bar of soap he had made while he was up at the cabin. He then unsaddled his horse and unpacked the pack animal, tethered them along his lariat he had tied between two trees. He then got a fire going, and used some of his canteen water to get a pot of coffee brewing. He took a sip of a small bottle of whiskey that he had left from the winter, and then started to cook up some beans and salted venison in a frying pan that had been used for a number of years, but still was in good shape. The smell of the food filled the air around the campsite. His rifle leaned against a log nearby as he crouched in front of the fire and kept his eye on the cooking.
 
NeeNa took the soup and walked down the stream, it was just deep enough where she could wash her whole body. She quickly stripped of her clothes and dipped into the stream washing her face, hair and body quickly as the water was still cold from the snow melting. Once she felt clean enough she quickly put her clothes back on and walked back up to the camp. However now her feet were hurting her, she no longer needed to run so her body was not starting to catch up with her. She limped up to the campsite and took a seat next to the free warming herself. she set the soup down on a log near him. "thank you"
 
Gar smiled as he watched her return from the stream. He saw the difference some soap and water, though cold from the melting snow up country, did to her. He nodded, "You're welcome," as he watched her sit the soap down on the log. Supper was ready and Gar dished out the venison and beans equally onto two plates. He handed one to her along with a fork, and then poured two tin cups of coffee from the coffee pot. He sat down on the log and started to eat, taking a sip of coffee between bites. He noticed her feet, and then looked at her, "I'll fix those up after we eat."
 
NeeNa watched as he served the food. her stomach growled just thinking about it. It had been so long since she had a good meal in her. She took the food and ate it quickly, even if she wanted to eat slow the smell of hot food was to much for her to resit. She swallowed the coffee and it did not seem to bother her that it was hot. but in the end her body got the best of her, and she felt sick. She set her plate down and hurried away from the camp and got sick. she felt embarrass of what just happen as she slowly made her away back to the camp and sat down not daring to touch the food or coffee again.
 
Gar watched her get up and head into the woods. He knew what she was doing, he could tell that she hadn't had anything to eat or drink for days. He wondered if her captors had done this to her, which he figured they did. He finished his meal and poured himself another cup of coffee. He gathered her plate and empty coffee cup up as he saw her return to the fire. "Hope it was not my cooking," he smirked and then offered her a piece of deer jerky and a biscuit he got out of the food pouch. He sipped on his coffee, finished it, and then went down to the stream to wash the dirty dishes.
 
NeeNa shook her head a little when he asked if it was his cooking. She took the biscuit and the jerky and just stared at it for a long time before she began to slowly nibble on the biscuit. That seemed to agree with her stomach and she ate it. She did not dare try the jerky after what happen the last time she ate. she just sat and waited for Gar to return. Happy that he was such a nice man.
 
Gar soon returned with the cleaned dishes and a full canteen of cool water. The mountain air would dry the dishes overnight, as he placed them out on a blanket. He noticed that she had ate the biscuit. He poured the rest of the coffee out of the pot, and started to sip on it. He ate a piece of deer jerky between sips of coffee. He then took out a medicine pouch from his saddle bag, and started to take care of the cuts on her feet by administering some poltice. He then fetched a pair of moccasins from one of the pack animal pouches, and let her try them on. He then sat back down and looked at her, "What can you tell me about yourself NeeNa?" as he sipped on his coffee, the crickets already chirping around the campsite.
 
She watched as he helped her feet. They started to feel better already. When he gave her the moccasins she smiled at him she knew now that her feet would be protected. "Thank you for all that you have done to help me. I am not sure how I can repay you but I will." She bite her lip a moment trying to think of something to answer his question. " I am not sure what there is to tell about me"
 
"Well, not worried about being repaid, just want to make sure you're alright." Gar finished his coffee, then added some more wood to the fire to build up the warmth. "Here's a blanket for you, could get a bit cold up this high yet," he then handed her the blanket. He got comfortable on his bedroll, using the saddle blanket to lay on the ground, and his saddle as a pillow. He covered up with his blanket and looked over at her, "You get cold, don't be afraid to stay warm over here," he winked, and then looked up at the stars.
 
NeeNa took the blanket and wrapped it around herself. She sighed softly it had been so long since she had a blanket it felt nice and warm, she laid down trying to fall a sleep but every little sound seemed to spoke her, she feared her captures were after again. After a while of laying a lone she decided to move closer to Gar. "Gar" she whispered softly, but he did not answer. She moved over and laid beside him hoping he wouldn't mind.
 
Gar had fallen asleep looking up at the stars. "There's a star up there for everyone," he muttered softly, and then drifted off to sleep. He heard NeeNa's whisper of his name and the heard her lay beside him. He smiled softly in his sleep. In the morning he awoke, and glanced over at her. He slipped off into the woods, as he had heard a sound just as he woke up, that was not part of the normal forest sounds he was used to. He returned soon, and tethered an Indian pony, a pinto, with a saddle blanket on it, with the other animals. He then started to make breakfast, after he got the fire going again, frying up some sage hen eggs he found as well as some bacon, and put on a pot of coffee.
 
Neena slept peacefully beside him the whole night. She felt safe and protected by him even as she slept. Her body needed rest after ordeal and she slept until she smelled the food far was cooking. Her stomach woke her up and sat up. "Morning" she said as she saw Gar cooking, she then noticed the pinto. "Where did he come from"
 
Gar looked over at Neena, "Morning, you slept like a log last night," he handed her a cup of coffee, "Drink it slow, not like you did last night," he winked as he finished cooking the eggs and bacon. He put the food on two plates, poured himself a cup of coffee and then sat down on the log and started to eat, after he had sat her plate beside her, with a fork. He enjoyed the meal as he sipped his coffee between bites. He glanced over at the pinto, then back at Neena, "I heard him out in the woods when I woke up. No rider around, I checked, must have been just wandering around for quite a while. He's yours now, that is for sure." Once Gar finished his meal, he started to repack the pelts and supplies on his pack horse, and then saddled his horse to get ready to head out after they broke camp.
 
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