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Running the West (Discontinued)

Gemini looked at the water before them. "Well, I can definitely try to be that for you." She had taken a little time to clear her mind of what had been happening, including the slaying of her mare. "What about Ellie? Is she going to be a problem? Sorry to say but your man Billy looks at me with desire. The same way Ellie looks at you sometimes."
 
Jack just shakes his head again. "She isn't gonna be an issue, but if Billy looks at you like that again I might have to shoot him." He says, the last part joking, of course. "Ellie likes me I think, but she hates what I did when Black came into town, she wanted to kill him so badly but I knew that a firefight in the streets of Whitewater would not end well for anybody." He explains quietly.
 
"I suppose I can see both sides to that. Ellie wanting to end the nightmare then and there, and you wanting to protect the town as best as you could. That's not where I am most concerned... if you're with me, you're stuck with me... and I don't want you eying Ellie or non other gal. I don't want you thinking about her while you're with me."

She laughed a bit when he said he'd shoot Billy. "It's not his fault. Something about me just attracts all sorts of characters. Good and bad."

This was a relaxing slowing of the pace. She seemed to have collected a lot of her thoughts.
 
"I want to be stuck with you." He says to her quietly, putting an arm around you. "If I have you, Gemini, I wouldn't need any other woman, okay?" He asks with a smile on his face before taking another sip of his canteen, sighing softly as he looks out on to the water. "Ellie always talked about being with Lance, anyway, though he'll have to drag that Pirate off of him if she wants a shot." He chuckles.

"I really like you Gemini, I want to spend my time with you." He says quietly while watching her, a genuine smile on his face. "Just being with you helps me fake my mind off of things." He admits.
 
Gemini'a eyes narrowed as he reasoned with himself as to why Gemini would work better for him. "Fine then. You're not hitched just yet, but consider yourself branded lightly." She smiled at him and tipped his hat back. An arrow whistled between them, zipping violently through the air. Gemini turned to see a young looking native girl, holding a bow made of wood.

"Freigha handa!" She yelled, her voice revealing that she was quite young. Her body was light and seemed agile, but the force of that arrow showed that she knew a thing or two about archery. It was a warning shot without question, she could have killed either one of them.

She pulled another arrow back as other shadows started to emerge.

It was a horrifying sight to behold. Mostly men, tall, dark, and toned, riding horses, some
on foot. Hey started to gather around the two of them, some with spears some with bows, most with axes.

The girl looked ready to shoot.

Gemini brought her hands up. "Put your hands up and don't move..." she said quietly. She hasn't seen this many natives together anywhere before.

"Stay calm. I understand a little..."
 
Jack chuckles, leaning back as she tips his hat backwards. "Lightly branded it is." He says while watching her, only his peripherals seeing the arrow whiz in between them, sinking into the ground with a quiet thunk. Jack seems particularly alarmed by these natives, they were outnumbered and the two of them weren't armed enough to take out all of the natives, plus one of them would surely die if they drew their weapons.

He nods when Gemini tells him to put his hands in the air, doing so without hesitation, as he didn't want either of them dead, skewered by an arrow, or dismembered by the very sharp looking axes some of the men had.

A man steps forward, brandishing an axe in his hand, looking over to the smaller girl with the bow and raising his eyebrows to her. "What do you want done with them?" He asks in their native language before eyeing the two invaders. "I'm sure someone here would enjoy sending them to Hell, for what their kind has done to our people." He suggests. She was a close friend of his, though in situations like these, she would take the lead.

The man was a good foot taller than her, wearing nothing but a necklace and a pair of pants made from a Buffalo around his legs. He has long hair that is shaped into a ponytail at his back and black eyes that were fixated on the invaders before them. On his face are the markings of a warrior, a mark that all of the male tribesman wore, as being a warrior was a necessity in these times.
 
"We will end them if they are here to hurt our lands. Trust in me." She said calmly to him. She was fond of him, many times he was a brother figure to her and other times she felt like he wasn't a human being, but a guardian spirit sent from the ancestors to protect her. Either way, he was important to her.

Gemini, hands raised tried to speak up, "I understand very little of your tongue... We are not here to hurt anyone... We are law people..."

"This land belongs to my tribe!" The woman yelled in quite understandable common tongue. Her tribe had to adapt to survive and adapting meant learning new languages.

"We can leave... we meant no harm." Gemini answered, surprised that although her common tongue was rough, it was easy to understand.

"What are you doing in our territory? Who has sent you here to steal from us?" Some of the warriors started to get a bit rowdy, they loved fighting and weren't fans of slaughter, but if Jack and Gemini were labelled enemies, they'd both die headless and full of arrows.

"We honestly came here to seek tranquility... Our people are facing off with an evil man and his followers."

The woman reduced the pull on her bow's string. "Woman, you stop talking for now! I wish to know from the man who is mysterious and tall with you. You said you are here to seek tranquility? Are you here to hunt our creatures, steal our resources? I will drive an arrow into this woman's throat if you lie to us!"

Gemini wouldn't be listened to as seriously as a man. While the natives held high respect for women in their society, they had come to know that women were not respected as much in Jack's world. A man's word is law. A president is always a man, a queen can never be a king. Women were deceivers, distractions, low. So she'd talk to Jack from now on.
 
Jack steps in front of Gemini when the threat that if he were to lie an arrow would be in Gemini's throat was given, he obviously did not want that to happen. "We are here seeking peace and quiet, this place is beautiful and we were clearing our minds.. Like my companion was saying, we are facing a very evil man and this has been our first opportunity to relax and lay low in weeks." He explains while still holding his hands up. "We ask to be allowed to leave in peace, we are not looking to steal from you, hurt you, or kill any animals around here, we are just here to admire the beauty of nature." He says. "We didn't know this land belonged to you, I swear it." He explains.

The warrior looks over to his friend, shrugging before speaking in the Native tongue. "The man and the woman say the same thing.. But I have never heard of a great evil in their world.. Their world is the great evil, is it not?" He asks while spinning his axe in his hand. "It is your call, I suggest we test this claim, perhaps bring them back to the tribe and see if we can break them?" He was always one for violence.
 
"We cannot blame an entire people for the faults of several." She answered him in their speak. "Evil men are everywhere. Specifically heinous ones are to be destroyed. Members of the Mud Tribe have been moving, I remember the chief saying that their village was utterly destroyed in ways that could not be used for anything but industrialization. The Mud Tribe was not very far from us..." She looked at Jack, "Who is this evil man you speak of? What makes him so evil? Why are you sitting here, pleasing yourselves to our resources when such an evil exists? The woman said you are people of law? Our laws are different. I know that in your white world of steel and smoke, law people are there to keep the peace. Unless you are corrupt." She motioned to her tall friend and several others to take them by force. "You will answer these questions at our village. Resist and we will kill you, attack and we will kill you. If you are truly coming in peace, then you have nothing to fear from us."

She looked at her warrior friend, "If they try anything, kill the female first." She said as she whistled. She finally lowered her bow and waited for her battle partner, a giant wolf of brownish grey fur. It's size was hard to comprehend. It looked absolutely savage as it dashed before her, not a single member of her tribe startled or afraid. It looked like it could eat a number of the horses the men were riding, and the girl could mount it completely. Never before had Jack or Gemini seen such a beast. She got atop it's back, holding on to it's thick fur.

Gemini's eyes were wide and she didn't understand what may come of this, but they were in no place to draw weapons. Unless Jack wished to fight. They would likely end beheaded if they resisted.
 
The warrior shrugs his shoulders, he was of the opinion that anybody could be blamed for what had happened to their people, but he had a respect for her, he would never disobey her orders. On her command he and several others approach the two, taking them into their custody and walking them behind their leader and her enormous wolf. The warrior that she had spoken to keeps his hatchet ready, he would do as he was asked, kill the female first if either of them resisted.

Jack keeps his hand away from his weapon. "We mean no harm, we'll come with you." He says, nodding to Gemini to let her know that he wanted her to do the same, keep her hand away from her pistol at all times. Neither of them wanted to die, so Jack would ensure they would live. While they walked as captives, Jack thinks about the answers that he would give once they arrived, as it seemed like they would be interrogated by the woman, who was very obviously the leader of the little group of tribesmen.
 
The men were a little rough at first, pushing and shoving, opting to take their weapons from them. Gemini didn't resist, but having her weapons taken away from her made her very nervous. Over time, they started to ease up when they say that they had no intention of starting a fight. They were forced to walk for the better part of an hour, before they came across a small village. It seemed deserted, but in fact, most of the villagers were in hiding as most of the young and able ones were warriors or hunters.

"This is the Fire Tribe's home. Kuhna. I will take you to the chief... and he will decide what we do. The last time we let outsiders here, they started trouble. They were burned after being killed by our warriors. Make sure you aren't next."

The tribe held on to their weapons and they seemed repulsed by them. They knew how to handle guns due to people from the west trying to take their lands, but these weapons were too powerful and even an unskilled person could best a great warrior with these unfair tools. As the neared the entrance to the largest hut in the village, the young girl got off her massive wolf and it dashed away, leaping over some very high gates into the wilderness beyond. She took a deep breathe and looked at her tall companion and stepped inside.

Within the hut there were totems and masks decorated by fire and torches. The place smelled of herbs, perhaps sage, being burned to fill the entire place with essence. Even though it was a hut, it was by no means a small place. A man sat at a chair, a bright red mask covering his face except for his mouth. Feathers rolled down the back of his head, attached to the mask and making a sort of wig. His eyes were impossible to see behind the mask craftwork and paint work provided for it. Beside him was a beautiful woman, decorated with paint and wearing a sort of robe. Perhaps she was his wife, or a servant, or simply a woman there for his amusement with the time struck.

Gemini and Jack were pushed before him, a large, ring like area with flaming cauldron in the middle.

"What have you brought me here, daughter? These people clearly don't belong here." He spoke in their tongue. His voice was so deep and dark that it seemed like he was upset. With a mask on, you had no way of telling.

"I am sorry to interrupt you father. These two westerners were near our lake. They said they pose no threat to us, but being that they have crossed our boundary, I had to dispose of them or bring them in. They are not like the last group of people we brought in. These have no will to fight against us, and even surrendered their steel and gunpowder weapons." She said after kneeling deeply, pushing her hand against her chest. "They speak about a great evil in the white world."

"There is always evil in the world, my daughter. You need to stop trying to pry into the world of steel, or it will devour you like it did your friends."

"The Mud Tribe was decimated at the hands of a power from the west. I think these people are trying to deal with that evil man."

"Again... there are many evil men. Even among ourselves. What do you hope to gain by bringing these people in?"

"This could be our chance to protect our lands. The Mud Tribe was not weak, not as strong as us of the fire, but they shouldn't have been destroyed so quickly and easily. I heard there was a machine unlike anything we've ever seen. It spat shards of lead and steel at a ridiculous rates. The weapons they have now can do the same, but not at the rate I heard about. What's stopping him from coming to our own lands and hurting us. Hurting mother... or any of your other children..."

"Enough. You propose we help them? They'd just become the next threat in our livelihood. Let the white world kill itself. We will not be involved." He turned towards the woman beside him. "Do you sense anything from them, all-seer?"

She shook her head. "I would need them to get closer. I haven't looked in several years. Had I stayed in practice, the Mud Tribe's destruction could have been prevented..."

The chief cleared his throat. "Outsiders..." He spoke in common tongue, his voice still deep but at least they'd know what he was saying. "Do you have any business with us at the Fire Tribe? My daughter says you were trespassing in our grounds. Make yourselves clear, or I'll have your lives ended and your bodies offered to the god of fire."
 
Jack was beginning to feel nervous on their way to the village, he had heard stories of the Natives out in this part of the West, how they killed people like them. To calm his nerves he reaches for Gemini's hand and takes it with his, giving it a gentle squeeze to reassure both her and himself. "We'll get through this." He says to her quietly, though he didn't sound quite sure.

The village was intimidating to Jack, he felt so powerless without his weapons. He decided to definitely take the advice of not causing trouble seriously, he just hoped that the woman who seemed to want to spare them had some sort of say of what happened to them, otherwise they might be in trouble.

The warrior grunts his agreement when the chief said that the two white folk before them didn't belong here, he was itching to know what she saw in them that prevented her from giving the order to kill both of them and sacrifice them to the fire God. But he trusted her with his life, if she saw something in them.. He wasn't one to interject.

When the conversation switched to English, Jack lets out a nervous breath.. The conversation seemed to take a more pleading tone from the woman who had spared them, and now they needed to provide a valid reason with being out in their territory otherwise they would die. "We were enjoying the beauty of your land, sir." Jack says, his voice cracking slightly as he was nervous still. He clears his throat before speaking again. "We wished to escape the war which we currently find ourselves in, with an evil man named Erron Black who wishes to control this side of the country with his band of outlaws, rapists, and traitors... While we were trying to escape, we have been attempting to recruit to fight his massive numbers.. Our forces are very small compared to his, and we do not want to see the destruction of this land, your people, or our people." He explains.

"I don't know how I can prove myself to you, but I beg that if you will not join us in our efforts to vanquish this evil from the land, that you leave us with our lives intact." He says, he was still holding Gemini's hand as he spoke, it seemed to give him a sort of confidence that he had been lacking before.
 
Gemini gripped his hand tightly as he spoke. The fire tribe seemed decent in letting her hold his hand, many others would cut any contact between prisoners. As Jack spoke, the chief seemed uninterested, the same stories, the same yellow teethed, white skinned lie. When he heard the name Erron Black, he turned quickly to look at the woman beside him, his All-seer who had suddenly started reaching for her head in what seemed like pain. “All-seer?” Her future sights were easy to dismiss as a con or a gimmick, but she seemed to be feeling something. “That is without a doubt the man responsible for the destruction of the mud tribe.” The chief looked at her and leaned back in his seat. “What do you need me to do, All-seer?”

She stood up slowly, “Bring him to me.” She said in their tongue, a couple of men ripping Jack from Gemini’s grip as the All-seer held her hand out to a bystander, receiving a very sharp looking knife.

Gemini began to panic a bit. “Wait! Please wait! We aren’t going to harm anyone!!” Other men moved to restrain her, Gemini losing her head to panic. Once Jack was brought up, the woman reached out to touch his hand. She held it for a while, her men prepared to kill Jack should he resist or offend her. The young girl looked away as Gemini was kicked behind the knee to get her down, she was being to rowdy and loud. If only Lance and the others were nearby, but they took off so suddenly.

“Don’t kill him!” Gemini yelled, on one knee and grimacing from the hard kick.

The woman held Jack’s hand, her skin as soft as silk. “I’m having trouble reading you... I wonder if you have tribesmen in your ancestry...” She said in English, smiling at him. “Your features aren’t completely white... maybe...”. She held his hand tightly and twisted it, her eyes widening, “I suppose I’ll need to use those powers...!” She held his hand, twisting it violently as she cut into his palm with the knife. His dark colored blood started to stain the hut as the woman brought his hand to her lips and tasted his blood, releasing him forcefully. His blood danced on her tongue, the All-seer’s beautiful eyes closed. The cut was deep, but nothing that would ruin his shooting.

Gemini watched in fear, were these people cannibals? “Leave him alone!” She was pushed forward and fell to the ground, she was testing their patience.

“Bandage his hand. He is at least of very small part of our blood. He is also not lying... The man he needs to fight can ruin our world.” She dropped the knife and fell forward, caught by her men and her face in tears. “I see what they did to the mud tribe. “I haven’t seen evil like this from men. This Erron Black gives his men freedom and rewards for heinous deeds. The young girls... what his men did to our girls...”. The tears didn’t stop. “They are not offerings to the Fire God. Though they fight for their own reasons, they are saving us in the process.

The chief nodded as his men took her away, looking at Jack. “You’re one of us? At least by decendence...”. Another warrior brought Jack a rag to hold to bandage his cut. “We can’t let a kinsman fight alone. Especially if your fight will bring safety to my people... Release them.”

The warriors did as they were asked.
 
Jack felt fear creeping into his mind, never in his life had he felt so useless, so defenseless.. If he messed up it would be Gemini that died with him, and he didn't want to let that happen. He was relieved that their captors at least let them hold hands, he could feel confidence being restored within himself when Gemini squeezed his hand, it was almost a reassurance that everything was going to be okay. Jack watches in fear as the Chief talks to the woman beside him, she looks to Jack before saying something that he could not understand, but soon he was being ripped from Gemini's grip.. This felt like an execution. "Stay strong!" He says to her, his eyes wild with fear, struggling just to stay by her side for a second longer to say his words before submitting and allowing them to take him to the All-seer.

He is forced to kneel and soon she is taking his hand rather than killing him.. She feels his palm and Jack could feel himself holding his breath reflexively, hearing Gemini's concerned yelling in the background as the All-seer admits that she could not read him.. And is soon grabbing her knife.

"Wait.." He says quietly, but soon she is slashing his hand with the knife, making him grit his teeth and groan in pain, if she needed his blood she could have at least been more gentle about it.. He turns his head to see Gemini forced to the ground. "Gemini! Stop!" If he was going to die, he at least wanted her to live. Soon the All-seer is drinking his blood, Jack closes his eyes as he feels her lips against his hand before opening them to see her reaction, for all he knew his blood could be tainted or something, she could have ordered the warriors around him to kill him at any time.

His eyes seem to grow wide with surprise when she said that he had the blood of the tribe within him, he was a little confused but decided against protesting or questioning the decision, as he was soon let go. He stands and looks to the Chief, nodding his head. "I apologize for trespassing sir.. If you are to join us in our fight, we are grateful." He says before quickly turning to look at Gemini. "I... I need to go to her." He says before running down to Gemini, throwing his arms around her and pulling her against him tightly. "That was lucky.." He murmurs into her ear while holding her, the warriors around them no longer seemed so hostile.

Jack releases her only to bandage the cut on his hand, wrapping the rag around a few times before tying it off on the back of his hand, picking his head up to look at her. "Maybe next time we should be more careful about where we decide to camp." He laughs. He turns to the Chief and falls to one knee again. "Chief, it is growing late.. Do we have your permission to stay the night here? Recover from our long day of travel? Also, we would like our weapons and horses returned to us.. If you trust us with them." He says, perfectly willing to go without them.
 
“Hmmm. Right... I forgot that you use guns. You will need your weapons if you are going to protect my people... Red Raven...” He called to the girl responsible for their capture. “Offer them a place to sleep and some food if they need it. If the All-Seer says he’s tribe, then tribe he is.” The girl nodded, “Yes Father.” She looked over at Jack, not convinced that he was even 1% native. A couple of warriors brought Gemini and Jack their weapons. Gemini was relieved to be back with him, and even happier to have her sword back. “I acted out. I’m sorry, I panicked...”

Red Raven stared at Gemini, “He might have been killed. You were right to worry. If someone is honest we usually don’t hurt them so long as their intentions are good. Please follow.” She began to walk, the big deathly warrior always some distance from her. “If for some reason you decide to turn on us, we will have no choice but to offer you to the masterful fire god. He is particularly happy to immolate corrupt and treacherous souls.”

Red Raven led them to a gathering of huts, walking to one of them and turning. “You may rest here. If you are hungry, we have fruits and nuts, I doubt you would enjoy meat how we do.”

It was spacious and surprisingly very well built. There was bedding and a large bowl filled with water. It looked as clean as the location where they were caught. “The mud tribe lived similarly to this. I don’t know why the man attacked them.”

•••••••••

“Why is it taking so long?”

“Some of these little rats are banding together. I was hoping to get Whitewater’s Sheriff on board. But it looks like he’s going to stiff me.”

“So put him down like you put down Kenslay. You’ve taken longer than your allotted time.”

“No, not exactly. I still have some time left. Cold Stone and Maribelle are all but desolated. They are gathering at the big town. With your funding.... I can assure a victory.”

“Like the mud tribe.”

“Oh the mud tribe was a test. The Gatling Gun shredded them. It will shred any town.”

“So what do you want? Another gun?”

“That would be nice. But what I was really hoping for is a wagon load of ammo...”
 
The warrior always hung around Red Raven, he was sworn to defend her no matter what. She was his charge, and also his best friend as they had known each other since childhood. He kept a tight grip on his weapon as they walked through the village, he was also skeptical about Jack's connection to the Fire Tribe.. But then again, he wasn't a Seer and therefore had no idea whether or not being a Seer was just educated guessing or a true connection to their God.

As they arrive to the cluster of huts, Jack nods to Red Raven. "Thank you for your.. Hospitality." He says. "We won't cause any trouble." He promises before looking to Gemini. "I was afraid that I was going to die as well." Jack laughs while rubbing the back of his head. He felt far more secure with his revolver back in its holster on his left hip. He walks into the tent with Gemini and lets out a relieved sigh, walking over to the bowl of water and taking a drink to let himself calm down a little. He turns back to Gemini and gives her a nod. "I'm happy that you were concerned for more life, I think we got a little over our heads here." He chuckles while giving her another hug, resting his forehead against hers and closing his eyes.

"At least something good came of it.. We got more allies." He laughs before pressing his lips against hers gently, breaking away to go back to resting his head against hers. He hopes that she had forgotten about all of the bad things that had happened to them over the past couple of days, maybe for once they could just focus on them.
 
Red Raven only responded with a look when he thanked her. She observed that they were likely romantically involved. There was love in the tribe as well. Once you are given, chosen or decide to have a partner, your spirits are tied together and cannot be undone. For some reason, the only person allowed multiple wives is the chief. So of course it’s very sought after. Red Raven exited the hut quietly to allow them privacy, Gemini finding the young woman’s appearance very exotic, then again, so was Ellie.

Gemini was indeed worried, “I thought we were dead. You hadn’t told me that you were native. Either way, I think that saved our skin.” She took a deep breath against him. “We need to tell the others. If people come looking for us, we will look like liars and schemers. Do you think that Seer is really able to see events? Do you think there is really a fire god?”
 
Jack nods to Red Raven when she decides to leave them alone in the hut, he was thankful that their lives were spared, and of course that they were able to stay in this hut until their return to the town. Jack rests his head against Gemini’s and bites the inside of his cheek, looking around before looking to her. “I’m not sure that I am native.” He mutters to her. “I have no memory of any ancestors who might have been apart of a tribe. “But I think telling them that would be a very bad plan.” He chuckles before taking a step back, his hands sliding into his pockets.

“It might be good to let people know where we are... But that can be done in the morning, right?” He asks. “They know that we left and I left the town in good hands.. I doubt Black’s henchmen will even get the word out that we’re not signing up to be with his cronies until the morning anyway.” He admits. “And even longer to rally that army of his, even if he wanted to march on Whitewater immediately.”
 
Gemini felt him push his head against her and rubbed his shoulders. “It’s going to be a bloody fight. I don’t know if I’ve put it into perspective how many of us can be killed in such a battle.” She was still worried about her horse, but it was time to move on to more important things like survival. “There must be something native about you. That woman seemed very spiritual and very in tune with this witchcraft, shaman-like knowledge. We should consider heading back tomorrow.”

She wasn’t sure how she felt about staying in a hut. It was clean and spacey, but it may have been being watched, so trying anything with Jack could end up embarrassing or monitored.
 
Jack sighs quietly when she rubs his shoulders, it had been a very long and stressful day so the rub was something that calmed him very much. "You're right, such a fight will surely destroy half of the town." He says quietly while closing his eyes and enjoying the attention that she was giving him. "But many more will die if we don't stop Erron Black, and if we don't stop his men then my town will be burned and the women I swore to protect will be raped, and the men that fought for me will be slaughtered like sheep.. I can't let that happen." He whispers to her quietly, he obviously had a lot riding on him.

Though they might be monitored, it was better than being dead. "We should get some rest, we've both had a really long day." He says to her quietly.
 
(DAMN, 5 months! I’m so sorry.)

Gemini listened to him and everything he said made a lot of sense. “I don’t want any of those things to happen either. I’ve grown a bit fond of your group. Even the antsy blue haired girl who clearly, clearly wants all the attention you’ve been giving me...”

She half smiled and brought her lips to his, planting a soft yet rather juicy kiss on his lips. “Let’s be off to sleep then. Tomorrow we can ride back.”
 
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