Chapter Seven
Author's Note:
Flog me, beat me, LOL, I'm sorry! But this is the last chapter (which is why it's over 4,000 words!). I want to thank all of you for hanging on! Life has been ... hectic. New job, new tattoos / piercings, new bills, etc etc. Not to mention the responsibility of MC, my and Rhonda's YahooGroup, my web- ... yeah okay, I'll stop making excuses. :g: Anyway, here is the next chapter!
THANKS to Rhonda for beta'ing it. You rule wench!
"Italics" another language.
Warnings: Some bad language, mentions of rape, torture, etc. Do not read if you are offended by it.
-
'Pointy shrubbery should be burned.' Grey Wolf grimaced once again as he was forced to pull the pointed leaves from his skin. He had already lost enough blood, he didn't need to be drained because of a vicious bush. White Wing seemed to brush against every one they passed. If he wasn't so fond of her, he probably would have cuffed her upside the head.
"Perhaps we should turn around," Grey Wolf muttered under his breath. "I think you missed one."
The horse snorted to herself, stepping lightly over a log. The trail that was previously so clear had almost disappeared; it looked as if the other indian was stalking something. Or someone, at any rate. Leaning forward and battling a spell of dizziness, Grey Wolf tried to make out the tracks that almost blended in with the ground. The other was very good at hunting it seemed, when he wanted to be. Grey Wolf let out a small curse, realizing that now it would take forever to catch up to the other one; they were wasting time. He knew he should just leave it be and find Frank, but he had given his friend his word. That was something he could not go back on. Besides ... even if he did, he knew Frank would willingly turn himself in to make up for any wrong he thought he had caused. The man's benevolence would be his downfall some day.
Pulling White Wing up for a moment, Grey Wolf looked around suspiciously, listening intently for the sound he was sure he had heard. A few moments later, when he had almost dismissed it as his imagination and blood loss, it came again. There was no mistaking it this time as he wheeled his mount around, giving chase to the words on the wind that filled his heart with fear. Not for the speaker, no. But fear for his friend if something were to happen to the speaker.
"Fly, little sister!" He whispered in her ear; that was all the incentive she needed to break into an all out run, heading towards the fight that could mean life or death for Frank. They broke into a small clearing where the other indian was engaged in a deadly combat with four white men. It seemed that the predator had found his prey and soon realized he was vastly outmatched. The indian already had a jagged slash across his lower back and face, causing blood to run into his eyes and partially blind him. Distracted by the red liquid obscuring his vision, the indian swiped at it angrily, not paying attention to the man behind him.
That was the moment the man needed to dive for his gun that had obviously fallen to the ground in the fight. He pointed upwards, catching the other high in the shoulder and throwing him backwards. Grey Wolf yelled and spurred White Wing into the fray, leaning down and grabbing the other indian as they rode through the small battle. A cry was ripped from his throat as his wound was violently ripped back open and a warmth spilled down his side. White Wing was going to kill him when this was all over with.
Without stopping, the horse ran until they were well out of sight, crossing a small stream and going a ways upwards before exiting the cold water. Hopefully that would hide their tracks for a short while, so that they could mend their wounds before rushing off again. Upon her back the two indians fought for breath and held on for dear life until she finally slowed in a thicket of tall grass, surrounded by trees. It wasn't perfect but it would hide them well enough.
Grey Wolf slowly slid down, bringing the other one with him as they sat upon the grassy ground. He groaned, holding a hand to his wound. He never got into this much trouble when he was by himself. It was always when he was with Frank that he seemed to be beaten, shot, dragged over flaming coals (of course, it wasn't really Frank's fault for this one, but instead the girl that caught Frank's eye), whipped, and generally pulverized like the berries used to make dyes.
"Why did you save me!" The other rasped, breathing hard under the curtain of blood staining his face.
"I did not save you." Grey Wolf glared half-heartedly, too tired and in pain to really bother with trying to intimidate the other man. "I am merely prolonging your death. I plan on turning you in for your crimes, crimes that my friend is being accused of in your stead!"
"Then you are working for the white man." The indian spat, scowling at Grey Wolf as if he were a demon himself.
"No. The white men have my friend and are going to kill him, thinking it was HE who killed the family across the river. My friend is innocent and would never think of harming another being that way. His heart has not hardened as yours has, and I hope he is never capable of even thinking as you do."
The indian almost smiled in response, confusing Grey Wolf. He thought his outburst would gain him a physical attack - weakened as it would be, which was why he wasn't particularly worried about it - but this quiet contemplation unnerved him.
"Then I hope your friend never experiences what I have that would harden his heart so." There was pain in those eyes and Grey Wolf shivered, wondering what white men had done to this man to utterly destroy him this way. He said no more though and Grey Wolf took this as a sign to leave the subject alone. Besides, they had to tend to their wounds and escape before the other men caught up with them. Grey Wolf grimaced, thinking of all the time they had wasted and what Frank was going through while he was just sitting here.
"Here." Grey Wolf tossed over a small bag of healing supplies and bandages. "Dress your wounds so that we can leave."
Doing the same, he kept an eye on the other man and wondered if the men who had Frank would even release his friend. After all, nobody likes being proved wrong, and Grey Wolf doubted that these men would want to know they went through the trouble of beating up an innocent man. If nothing else, he would leave the other man in the camp, drag Frank out, and let them deal with it as they would. They would have the killer and Frank would be free.
Shrugging to himself, Grey Wolf figured he would let fate play out by itself, and deal with whatever comes his way when it happens. Their main priority right now was to catch up with the other men and find Frank. He hoped that Hidalgo was trailing them. If not, he could not hope to follow the trail, even if he was an expert tracker.
Packing the supplies back up, Grey Wolf tied the other man's hands, settling him on White Wing. The horse snorted, tossing her head at the thought of having this murderer on her back. Shushing her, Grey Wolf jumped lightly on her back, whispering to spur her on.
"I don't think your horse likes me." The indian commented in mild amusement, surprising Grey Wolf.
"Don't worry," Grey Wolf answered. "I don't like you either."
-
It simply didn't pay to be a bartender. The man behind the counter ducked as a chair flew his way, crashing into one of the almost-empty shelves behind him. The furniture expenses alone was enough to run any man out of business, not to mention how much he lost every time someone was thrown over the bar and into his liquor shelves. He should really think about getting steel-enforced shelves under the counter.
Then again, he thought over the incident last summer when the drunkard lit a stick of dynamite and tossed it over the counter, screaming about rats and snakes. Shaking his head, he picked the wood splinters out of his shirt and slowly stood back up, glancing around for anymore projectile chairs or bottles. The fight died down almost completely as soon as Billy Wright stepped through the door from upstairs, hand on his pistol.
"'Ey Billy!" Someone shouted in a drunken slur. "What're you still doin' 'ere!" He hiccuped.
Billy raised an eyebrow, not even bothering to comment, and stepped over the bodies on his way to the bar. He nodded at the barkeep and looked around, making sure nobody was thinking of pulling a fast one on him. He had made too many enemies to keep his guard down.
"Billy." The bartender nodded, putting a shot on the blood-stained wood. "Figured you'd be out of town by now, seein' as Red just passed through."
Billy almost choked on his drink, putting the glass back down with a thump hard enough to crack it. The bartender mourned another good shotglass gone to waste.
"What! Red was here!"
"Oh, yeah. Red, Joe, Rick, and Bradley. Had some injun' feller with'em, looked like he had gone a few rounds with a grizzly and lost. He must've known you were in town, he high-tailed it out of here as soon as heard you and your gang were stayin' upstairs."
"Oh, really." Billy grinned. "Did you happen to see which way they went?"
-
"So," Grey Wolf began after an hour or so of riding. "What name does one such as yourself go by?"
"I have no true name anymore. That was left behind when I was reborn in mind and spirit, thanks to the white men. I am 'Death', for I bring it to all who deserve it."
"And how sure are you that the women and children you've killed really deserved the death they received? They were innocents!"
"They were not! They are raised to hate my kind and therefore are just as dangerous as their fathers and husbands. Death to them all! Do you think they spared my family and children when they swept through my camp? Do you think that my elderly mother and father were able to escape from their cruel hands? Do you think that ANY of my small tribe were granted a swift death?"
Grey Wolf was silent for a few moments, chewing over the thoughts that 'Death' had handed him. He could only imagine the horrors the other man had lived through. Rumors of raids by the white men were heard by all of the tribes. Men who had too much drink and too little morals, not caring who they killed or raped, as long as it was brutal. He seemed to understand just a little of the man behind him ... but that did not excuse his actions.
"And by killing such as you have, you have only brought yourself down to their level. Do you think your wife or children would approve of your actions? Instead of avenging their deaths in such a terrible fashion, perhaps you should have tried helping other tribes to avoid the same thing. Now an innocent man suffers because of your actions!" Grey Wolf sighed, closing his eyes. There was no use reasoning with someone such as 'Death'.
"If you had a family maybe you'd understand. After watching your youngest daughter, one of only five summers, be ravaged by men who she did no wrong to, perhaps then you would see. Or when your son tries to help his father, who was being beaten to the brink of death, and had his throat slit open so that he drowned on his own blood, you would get a glimpse of the pain that I felt. Maybe being forced to watch your unborn child be cut from the stomach of your wife while she screams to the heavens for help that she did not receive, you would say that I am righteous in my cause." His voice shuddered as he finished, swaying weakly behind Grey Wolf. "I did not choose this life for myself ... it was chosen for me."
Now stunned into silence, Grey Wolf almost didn't notice when the man behind him slipped off of White Wing, landing heavily upon the ground. Jumping onto the dirt below, Grey Wolf hurried over to the man, helping him to sit up. Blood dribbled through cracked lips; 'Death' struggled for every breath, a gargling sound informing them that his lung had been nicked by the gunshot and was filling up with blood. There was nothing Grey Wolf could do for him ... it was already too late.
"I know I will not be worthy enough to see my family again," 'Death' coughed and winced in pain. "I only hope they know how much I love them."
"I'm sure they do." Grey Wolf said, easing the other man into a more comfortable position.
"Take my body to the men who have your friend. Give them my pack, and they will know the truth. I am sorry for the pain I have caused you and your friend." 'Death' exhaled lightly, shuddering.
"Thank you. I hope that you find what you are looking for beyond death." Grey Wolf murmured quietly.
"'Death'?" He gave a small laugh. "My name is Lightfoot."
Grey Wolf watched as Lightfoot's eyes glazed over, looking into a world beyond the one this one. He could not say that Lightfoot was right in his actions, but he knew that it was not without cause. He closed the eyes, laying Lightfoot's body down and wrapping it up in one of blankets.
He now had to find Frank and he feared he would be too late.
-
Bradley worriedly turned to glimpse at the man sitting behind him, thankful that the others were a little ways ahead of them. Red was getting more and more angry over the fact that the indian was slowing them down. Not that it could be helped, unless Red decided to do something drastic, and Bradley was determined to make sure that didn't happen. He hated to think of going against his own family but he was beginning to see the people in town were right. Red was a ruthless bastard who had no regard for human life; he only looked after himself, his possessions, and what was right by his standards. Bradley shook his head, wondering exactly where Red had gone wrong and when he had missed it.
The indian swayed again, almost toppling off the horse. Bradley quickly threw his arm out and grabbed him as gently as he could. He was beginning to think the indian really was innocent. After all - he was going to trial anyway, why continue lying about it? Realizing that they were planning on killing a man who hadn't done anything, Bradley began forming a plan to help him escape. Turning around, Bradley came face-to-face with a bruised and bloodstained face, looking all for the world like it would like to fall off of the horse and sleep where it landed.
"Lean against me and rest, indian." He whispered. "I'm going to help you."
"T-thank you. You c'n call m-me Frank."
Bradley frowned. "That doesn't sound like an indian name."
A shadow of a grin passed over Frank. "Blue Child."
Chuckling softly, Bradley turned back around. "Well Blue Child, you can call me Brad."
-
"Billy!" Clint, Billy's right-hand-man, spurred his horse to catch up. "Say, when we catch up to'em, how about we tie Red to the back of Buck's stallion and take him for a ride." Clint grinned in an odd sort of way. Billy shook his head, wondering when his friend had lost his last bit of sanity.
"Whatever, as long as the bastard dies."
Clint chuckled, muttering to himself about how he could kill Red with a dull knife and a piece of string. Billy ignored him for the most part, keeping an eye on the trail and their surroundings. Finding something up ahead, he gave a wide smile, turning back to Clint.
"Ready to have some fun?"
"Always ready, Bills!"
"Good, they're right ahead of us."
That was all the incentive Clint needed before he grabbed his pistol and let out a whoop, spurring his horse forward for all it was worth. Billy yelled for the rest of the gang to get their ass in gear before taking off too, headed towards the little group slowly making their way across the next small hill.
-
"Hold on." Red stopped his horse, turning around. "Do you hear that?"
"Hear what?" Rick asked, glancing around. "I don't hear anything."
"Could've sworn ... " Red trailed off, looking behind them. "Guns up you sons of bitches, we got company!"
Shots were already being fired from Billy's group, the bullets pinging off the ground near the horses. Joe felt one whiz next to his ear, far too close for comfort. In the excitement Bradley's horse reared up, dropping the two men astride it heavily onto the ground. Frank almost screamed in pain as Bradley landed halfway on him, feeling as if someone poured liquid heat into his wounds. His wrist, caught between he and Bradley, throbbed with a pain that took Frank's breath away.
Bradley quickly rolled off of him, helping the injured man up while pulling his own pistol from his holster. He took aim at one of the charging men and fired, noting with satisfaction when he was thrown from his horse and landed unmoving on the ground. One down and - Bradley gave a quick count - five more to go.
With an almost inhuman speed the attackers were on them. Bradley and Frank were forced to duck and dodge to keep from getting trampled as well as trying to keep out of pistol sight. A few shots later and three more of Billy's gang were down. There was a cry behind Bradley, startling him; he turned around just in time to see Clint throw a knife and catch Rick square in the throat. Joseph, mad with battle rage, tackled Clint off of his horse and managed to get him on the ground.
Frank looked around and noticed Billy's sights were square on an unaware Bradley. Without a thought, he jumped in front of Bradley, pushing the younger man out of the way just as a gunshot rang out. Caught in shoulder, Frank hit the ground and struggled to stand back up, blind with pain and fever. He barely managed to make it to his feet when Joseph's horse side-swiped him, throwing him onto his back. Dazed, he didn't notice Red turn around and aim towards him with his rifle, muttering about the "indian who caused it all".
"Red, no!" Bradley moved quickly to stand in front of Frank, using his own body to shield the injured man.
"Bradley, get the hell outta' the way!" Red yelled, his eyes filling with rage.
"No! I won't let you kill him! He's innocent, Red, but you're just too much of a bigot to notice!"
"Fine, if you want to defend the savage, you can die like the savage." Red said, aiming for Bradley. What he didn't notice though, was Billy, coming to stand behind him.
-
Grey Wolf hurried, White Wing eating up the ground below him. He felt that if they went any faster they would lift into the sky, flying with the eagles. They had to be close now. They had rode nonstop since Lightfoot died, making as much progress as possible. He worried about straying from the trail, though he trusted White Wing to find Hidalgo. The horse seemed to know exactly where she was going and Grey Wolf settled back down, knowing that she had things in hand.
There was a speck in the distance, racing towards them. It could only be one thing. Grey Wolf grinned, happy to see Hidalgo again. It wasn't but a few moments later that the horse was now completely visible, and soon they were racing side by side. Hidalgo gave a quick nicker in greeting, then snorting as if asking "Where were you at!".
They were very close now. Grey Wolf could hear gunshots just over the next small hill. Almost impossibly, the horses sped up, cresting the hill with an amazing speed. Grey Wolf looked for his friend and found him on the ground, unmoving. Another man was standing in front of him, being held at gunpoint. And apparently none of them noticed the other one sneaking up behind them ...
-
Bradley gave a look upwards, wondering how it is his last moment would be shattered by his own blood. Red's finger tightened on the trigger and there was a gunshot. Bradley waited for the impact, for the excruciating pain, but felt nothing. Looking back at Red, he saw the expression of complete shock on his kin's face, as well as the red blossoming down the front of his shirt. Red fell face first onto the ground.
Billy stood behind him grinning triumphantly. Bradley's hand was a blur, bringing up his pistol and aiming at Billy before the man had the chance to do the same. Bradley's shot caught him in the head, dropping him like a stone. Bradley slumped down to the ground, exhausted, and barely able to wrap his mind around the fact that he just shot someone in the head. He looked around and saw the body of Clint; Joseph was nearby, nursing his multiple wounds. The rest of the men were dead while the horses milled around nearby, nervously flicking their ears back and forth.
Forcing his legs to work he stood back up, walking towards his own horse for his pack. Halfway there, he heard a groan behind him and turned in time to see Red weakly stand and aim his pistol at Frank.
-
Frank was on fire. There was no end to the flames, every part of his being was being consumed. He screamed and realized that he was not physically making sounds. The screams would not go any farther than the reaches of his mind. He couldn't get his body to respond. He had to put out the flames! Struggling with himself, he managed to open his eyes and wondered when he had closed them to begin with.
Upon gaining his sight back, he came face to face with the biggest grizzly he had ever seen. The monster was standing up, at least ten feet tall, snarling at him. Frank gasped, trying to move away, but his body still refused to work. When at last he thought he had met his end, there was a small burst of wind and Hidalgo leapt over him, slamming directly into the bear.
The bear fell back and hit the ground, dead, while Hidalgo turned and nudged Frank.
"Hey, little brother." Frank managed to whisper before his world went black.
-
Bradley had no idea where the horse came from that trampled Red. He didn't even notice Grey Wolf and the other horse until they blocked Frank from his sight. Frowning, he wondered where his awareness had went to, then shrugged to himself. Probably just shock.
Moving forward with his bag in hand, he came to stop in front of the other indian. It seemed the stranger knew Frank - the indian kept whispering to the unconscious man, checking over his wounds.
"You could probably use this." Bradley offered, holding out the bag.
The indian looked up sharply, sizing Bradley up, before nodding slowly and turning back to White Wing. He pointed to the bundle on the horse, directing Bradley over to it. "Your killer is there. In his bag is proof."
"I figured Blue Child wasn't the killer. He just ... doesn't seem the type." Bradley grinned nervously. "Will he be okay?"
"Yes. He will be fine." Grey Wolf bent over Frank, starting to tend to the wounds with the little medicine that he and Bradley had.
"I'm Bradley, by the way."
"Grey Wolf. And this is Hidalgo," He looked towards the horse, "and White Wing. Do not go near them, for I do not think they like you very much right now."
Bradley glanced at Hidalgo, noting how the horse seemed to take pleasure in rolling Red around on the dirty ground. He would be sure to stay a safe distance from the horses, not wanting to be trampled or bitten.
Walking over to Joseph, Bradley bent down and helped the man up. Joseph was hurt badly and probably wouldn't even make it back to their town. Sighing at the loss of life, Bradley got Joseph onto the horse, then gathered Red and Rick (while dodging Hidalgo's snapping teeth), tieing them down to their own mounts. Moving towards White Wing, he slowly gathered the body of Lightfoot, putting it on one of Billy's horses. Mounting his own, he moved next to Grey Wolf.
"I'm sorry for what they have done to your friend. You can keep the bags and what supplies you find there." Bradley said, throwing down the other saddle bags. "I hope it will help you and Blue Child."
"Thank you, young one." Grey Wolf stood, holding out his hand to Bradley. "You will always be welcome in our tribe for helping Frank."
Bradley frowned, looking the indian over. "How do you know I helped him?"
"Because if you didn't," Grey Wolf gave a very ... wolfish ... grin, "Hidalgo would have killed you."
"Ah." Bradley nodded, laughing lightly. "Goodbye, Grey Wolf."
"Farewell, Bradley."
Grey Wolf watched as the man ... boy ... rode off, the other horses following close behind. Looking back down to Frank, he sighed.
"My friend, can you not go one year without getting injured? If you keep this up, I will become the tribe's medicine man, having enough knowledge to do so." Finishing up with Frank's wounds, he checked the man over once more. Grey Wolf thought that the best way to get Frank back home, for that was exactly where he needed to be in order to heal, he had to build a litter to drag behind the horses. With Hidalgo and White Wing standing watch, he started his task, keeping a close eye on Frank the whole time.
"You, Blue Child, are almost more trouble than you're worth." Grey Wolf commented into the wind. "But I wouldn't have you any other way."
-
A Few Hours Later
-
"Grey Wolf," Blue Child rasped, barely managing to speak.
"Yes, my friend?" Grey Wolf leaned down over Frank, who lay on the litter.
"Where -"
"Home, Blue Child. We're going home."
"Home."
-
The End
Reviews -
leggylover03 - LMAO soon? Me? And yes my dreams have entered the fic. Mwahahaha.
Mornflower - LOL. Yes, I like to think of Hidalgo as a horse with a human brain. :eg: And of course, being OC is ... egh ... since the fic is AU anyway. :snicker: Makes it even better for more pain/angst that way!
Elwen of Imladris - Yes! I posted. And now I have posted many months later. So bwahaha:P LOL. "Poll" aiyee, need to fix that before it hits the site. :bashes self:
westernrider - Aww. Sorry! I tried to find a good spot for a flashback but sadly I couldn't. I may end up doing Hidalgo ficlets later, sort of mini-fics that are nothing but flashbacks. I'm not quite sure yet, since I have a few other fics that have been on the backburners for so long, and they need to be finished. And yes :g: I meant pole. LOL.
Hiei-Rulez - LOL Yeah, Bradley is a good guy. And Red ... :stomps him:. :eg: Actually, the names "Red", "Bradley", and "Rick" are all gakked from my dad's hunting buddies. (Said buddies are not evil bigots such as the ones in the fic however!) I was getting desperate for names and those popped up. Joseph I got from Bonanza. :snickers slightly:
Lancey - Die? Not yet! Maybe in another fic. Mwahahahha. And what did they do? ... They're too sexy for their own good. :eg:
KMSOrligirl - Thank you! And no, you're not sick. I love it when the hero suffers. A lot. Excruciating pain. All that jazz. :evil evil grin:
Pegasusflight - Thanks:) Oh yes, poor Frank! I bet he won't be doing jumping-jacks for a while. :snerk:
Ymmas Sirron - LOL! Thank you:) Viggobunny and Frankiepoo::snicker: Oh boy, the ideas that come from that!
nightbug08 - Thanks so much. I agree, there's not enough Hidalgo fics by far! And THANKS for the Sims 2 cheat! It came in handy!
Tyraia - Thanks, I tried to make it as believe-able as possible. The Hidalgo movie is one of my favorite movies, so of COURSE I had to continue the fic:D
nightbug08 - O.o LOL. Okies then!
Wolf Maid - :cough: Ok "soon" as in within a year soon::cough: Haha, hey I got around to it though! Thanks for the review!
Mornflower (next 2 reviews) - LOL! I didn't forget! See? Update/ Thanks again for prodding me:D LOL thanks!
The Logical Ghost - Thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoy it!
Alien ANgie - The next chapter is here:)
Thank you to all my lovely reviewers. You guys absolutely ROCK. I'm so happy that you all stuck with me throughout the entire fic. :) :huge glomps to all: