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The Pony Soldier Relives History. (Wolvenrogue and Semper Fi)

wolvenrogue

wolvenrogue

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Aug 21, 2011
For our readers this is a continuation of a long ago ended, but well loved RP which can be found here if you want to understand the background. The original thread can be found here: http://bluemoonroleplaying.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=25637

Robert Walker was a legend at the fort but today they were honoring him in death. Every man there knew the stories of his heroism, and today, they were honoring the man with a full military funeral. He left behind only a daughter, having lost the love of his life, not once but twice. He had lived a full life, and was now with the women who gave him joy. His daughter was all that was left of his family and now she was expected to pay her final respects and put him in the ground. As she was escorted into the fort, every man stiffened and came to attention, saluting the last woman to whom Robert walker had devoted his life.

Roger Doyle was in complete awe of the whole situation. As a young Captain, and Pony soldier the man they mourned was iconic. He wasn't prepared though for what he would feel when he saw his young daughter led in by the honor guard. Seeing her grief split his heart in two. He was barely able to stand though the ceremony.

A week later when the Captain asked for volunteers to go to Robert Walkers cabin and help his daughter with his things, Roger was the first to volunteer. He was ruggedly handsome with ice blue eyes and a hardened body. He was an expert horseman and accomplished soldier. Just as Robert Walker was he was a gentleman through and through. He knew how to treat a lady.

It was with a great deal of anticipation that he headed up to the mountain and sought out the cabin that was the stuff of legend, to meet Katherine Walker, Robert's only child.
 
The funeral had been hard, Katherine had been crying most of the time. She had been very close to her father, her mother too, or at least the mother she was raised with. But Kat always felt more bonded to her father. She was in awe of the funeral, the way the men seemed to respect her father, it was quite the sight. Her mahogany hair hung loose with very slight natural curls to it as it hung around her shoulders. Her pale grey eyes were simply staring at her father's casket. Her tears rarely slowed even after the funeral had ended and she went to retrieve her horse to ride home. She was wearing a simple dark dress, but had a pair of pants beneath, making it easier to ride. Given where they lived, Kat was not taught to ride side saddle, nor did she ride a demure riding horse. No, Katherine rode a very tall, muscular white stallion, who her father had caught running loose, though the stallion despised men, but adored Katherine.

She returned to her cabin, finding it easier to mourn alone. Because of who her father was she was not afraid of living alone up here. She had been taught to shoot a gun, to use a knife, to hunt, she had a big mongrel dog that laid on the porch and an aggressive stallion in the fenced paddock. As her father's only child he had made sure she could protect herself, telling her that while it was fine to let a man protect you, you should be able to defend yourself, should the need arise.

Katherine spent the next week trying to stay occupied, tending the garden, hunting and drying meat, chopping fire wood, and the other many chores that needed doing. They were, to be honest, far more work than she could accomplish in a day, but nevertheless she tried. She was inside the cabin when Hurricane, her stallion, screamed, signalling the approach of other horses. Katherine picked up the rifle that her father had loved and stepped out onto the porch, she was dressed in a pair of pants and a work shirt as it was easier to work in than a dress. She stood beside the rough looking mutt, she didn't aim her rifle at the approaching men, she liked to assume the best in people, so she simply watched them approach. "Something I can help you with, gentlemen?" She asks politely when they were close enough.
 
"Captain Doyle Ma'am, and this is Sargent Smith, the Colonel sent us out here, to assist you in any way we can, though it would seem that you are prepared to take care of yourself. None-the-less we are here to assist. Your father was highly respected as you know. With your permission, we will get down off our horses and lend a hand however possible. The Sargent here, is the company farrier, and will see to your horses should they need anything and of course with your permission. That is a fine stallion you have in the pasture." He and the Sargent waited for her response before making any moves seeing as they were being confronted with a sharps rifle. They had seen the gun before, and if his daughter was half the shot with it that her father had been, she would be more than deadly at that range.
 
Kat tilted her head, listening to them, smiling gently and nodding "Of course, thank you," She says, setting the rifle down and petting the big dog. "I can show you were to put your horses." She offers stepping off the porch, finding it very nice that they had come all this way to help her out. And she needed the help, no matter how much she liked doing things for herself, there were somethings that was just easier for a man to do, like farrier work, or hauling large wood to do some repairs to the house and the barn. Once the men were off she leads them to a small paddock where their horses can graze and get water from the trough. While they tended to their horses Kat walked over to her stallion, petting him gently as the stallion lipped at her hair delicately, making Kat smile.
 
The sargent set to work immediately on the livestock, while Roger looked over the cabin and started on some repairs that would be needed before winter set in. The day had started out cool, but a bright sun shown down on him as he worked and he soon found the blue uniform to be both confining and far too warm. Since this was not official duty, he stripped off his shirt and hung it on the branch of a tree as he worked just outside the window of the cabin making repairs, his heavily muscled frame easily seen from inside the cabin. He smiled at Kat as he saw her through the open window. "You look lovely today Miss Walker!" he said cheerily.

Though the work was hard, and would not ordinarily be required of an officer, Roger found it pleasant and fulfilling, and particularly enjoyed the company of the beautiful Miss Walker. Later that morning, when the Sargent had completed his work with the horses, Captain Doyle, thanked him, and dismissed him back to the fort, and indicated that he could handle the needed repairs, and to give his compliments to the general. The sargent said a pleasant good bye to Miss Walker, and mounted his horse and left as ordered.
 
Since Hurricane needed his hooves done, Kat held the unruly stallion while the Sargent did his hooves. The stallion stood still, but had his ears laid back, threatening to bite or kick at any moment. Once the stallion was done and turned loose in his paddock Kat went inside to get some of the house work down that she had been putting off in favor of getting the outside work done and ready for winter. She smiles, seeing Roger and hearing his words. "Thank you," She responds, though she isn't sure she believes it at the moment, wearing men's clothes that she'd stitched to fit her better, her dark hair up in a messy bun, and she was sure she had dirt on herself. But nevertheless it was sweet of him to say that.

As the Sargent finished with the horses she went out to thank him before he left. She then continued with the various chores that she'd had been putting off all week until it was nearly mid day. Kat returned to the house, making some quick to eat for both her and Captain Doyle. She walked outside and over to where he was working, "I brought some lunch for you, Captain Doyle," She says, setting it on porch for him, along with a glass of water, knowing that he would surely be thirsty, and probably hungry too as he'd been working most of the morning.
 
Captain Doyle smiled as she brought out the food and drink. A honest sweat was on his brow, and he sat down and after thanking her, began to eat eagerly. His muscled chest shown with the sheen of perspiration to which a certain amount of dust was adhering. He was no stranger to hard work, having come up through the ranks, rather than arriving green and polished from Military school in the east as some officers did.

He gave her another long admiring look as he finished the food and water she had provided, and then went back to work. He worked all afternoon and evening was beginning to fall, but the repairs were still far from complete.
 
Kat sat on the porch to eat with Captain Doyle, quite honestly she had missed the company of another person. She wasn't use to living alone and it got tiresome after a while, only having the animals for company. Once Captain Doyle had finished eating she gathered their plates and took them inside. She did the dishes quickly before returning to what she had been doing. The day passed quickly and it didn't take long before dark began to fall. Though there were still many repairs left to do, Captain Doyle had gotten a good start on them, and Kat was thankful for that, it made it seem a little more possible for her to do the rest of the repairs before winter.

"Thank you very much for all the help, I definitely needed it." She says as she stands in the dusk with him, a soft smile on her lips, she was still dressed in men's clothing, and her hair was tied back in a loose ponytail to keep it out of her face. She could hear the horses eating the hay she'd tossed them a little while ago, the dog dozing on the porch. It seemed like a beautiful night, right out of a story, with the owl hooting in the distance.
 
"I can stay and help you finish tomorrow" he offered. "Actually as long as it takes. I'll just roll out my blanket on the hay in the barn." He stood beside her as they looked down the valley as the moon slowly rose and the sun retreated. "The general said I should be sure you were ready for winter before I returned, whatever it took."

He smiled at her as he enjoyed the cool feeling of the evening air on his bare chest. "Would you happen to have a cake of soap?" I'll just go wash up in the creek. I'm afraid I'm not smelling very good at the moment. Just then he saw a deer on the edge of the wood. He picked up her rifle which leaned on the porch, and taking aim he shot. The deer dropped where it stood. "That should provide some good meat." He said. " I'll gut it out and hang it before I wash up."
 
Katherine smiled nodding, "That would be wonderful. Though you will not be staying in the barn, you can sleep in the house, we have two bedrooms." She says, before watching as he took aim and took down a deer. "Do you need any help cleaning it?" She asks, though it wasn't her preferred task she did know how to gut and skin a deer. The dog heard the shot and got to his feet trotting over, excited, seeing as he got some of the parts of the deer that humans couldn't eat.

"I'll run in and get that soap for you, and a towel." She says with a smile, going into the house and returning with the soap and a towel and carrying it out to the porch. "Do you have a change of clothes? I still have my father's clothes and you are welcome to use a outfit, if you need fresh clothes." She offers.
 
He finished cleaning the deer, and returned to the porch. "I would love a clean change of clothes, but I'm all bloody. Just leave them for me in the bedroom." He took the towel and soap, and headed for the creek. The creek was only a few yards from the house and could be easily seen from the house, but he didn't notice and simply stripped off an got in the cold water to wash. He washed his body, and then his clothes.

When he got out of the creek, he dried himself, and wrapped the towel around his waist before returning to the cabin and walking past her to the bedroom to dress. Once inside, he tried to get dressed, but soon discovered that hthe clothes were far too small. Finding a robe in the closet he put it on and came out. "I guess this will have to due until my clothes dry", he said.
 
Kat nodded, taking the deer meat into the house, and setting a pair of her father's clothes on his bed, Kat set the meat out to dry, hanging most of it. She kept some down and set about starting a fire to make stew out of. Already it had been several hours since either of them had ate, and she was sure Captain Doyle would be hungry. She glanced up as he came in, blushing a bit when she noticed he was just in a towel and she politely averts her gaze, continuing about making dinner. This was the first time she'd really been around a man this long that wasn't her father and wasn't in a public setting such as town.

She glanced up against as he came out in a robe, nodding at his words "There's water in the kitchen and dinner will be done in a little while, if you're hungry." She offers with a smile.
 
He hung his wet clothes near the stove and filling a cup with water, sat down at the table. "The venison smells wonderful." he said as he waited for the meal to cook. The sun was setting slowly over the valley and the smell of the venison stew was filling the cabin. He smiled as he watched her turning some bannock in the skillet. "You are a good cook" he said. Suddenly he heard the repeated cracking of limbs in the nearby woods. Roger was instantly on edge. Only one creature was so unafraid of making noise, the biggest baddest animal around. The grizzly bear. He got up quickly, and took a rifle down from the wall and loaded up seven shells. He took the shotgun and handed it to Kat. He opened the door to the cabin and aimed the rifle at the approaching sound. He knew the door would never stop the bear, and he had to shoot and shoot well.

As the bear broke out into the clear he took aim at its skull and fired, hitting it between the eyes, it reeled and kept coming. Roger levered the rifle and shot twice more, shooting out each eye before the bear fell. relieved he turned to Kat in relief. In the tension of the moment, his robe had fallen open, and he stood before her essentially naked. "Are you ok?" he asked her.
 
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