Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
...And there was the problem with their particular captors...that odd idea of honor being measured by how well you suffered, and that they were doing you a favor by testing you. Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that, but there was far worse they could do than what one might imagine.
Addy wished that she could have a chance to talk to Caroline alone, let her know...well, there was so much, and she suspected anyway that the young woman knew that anything could happen at any time, and every decision was crucial.
For now, hopes hung on the meeting with the 'whites', if there was any sort of negotiation -- maybe not weapons, but they could offer stores, beef, provisions...or if it degenerated into an outright attack.
Addy always had wanted adventure, but this was a bit much...
Storyteller / Shared NPC
And then it was time to be on the go again it seemed. Their gruff war chief or whatever they called their leader was barking out orders (Caroline guessed that rather than understood any of the words). The war party mounted up once more.
The novice warrior pointed to his pony and gestured for Addy to mount it, "You, up! Then I will. Give me ....how you say? Oh...room? Not place though. Other room."
Caroline had to smile a bit, although truth was the Indian was a whole lot better at white man's language than both women put together were with Injun. And frankly, she had no desire to learn. There was no way they were going to be living with these people for a long period of time. Either they were going to be free or make an escape or...well, they'd probably end up dead.
The same warrior who she had ridden with earlier now grabbed Caroline by her arm and marched her over to his mount but he practically jumped onto his horse then held out his hand, snapping two words. What exactly they meant, she could guess. She put out her hand and he hauled her on up easily. He was a muscular man in the prime of life.
Geez, he practically yanked her arm out of it's socket but Caroline did not utter a hint of complaint. This was no one to mess around with she was quite certain of that much.
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
Addy frowned, not exactly sure what the kid meant, except that he wanted her to get on the pony first. That was easy enough, especially since she was in her trousers today, so she grasped the horse's mane and swung up onto his back, only slightly tempted to just dig in her heels and go. That, of course, would be stupid, not to mention that she wasn't going to leave Caroline, so she just scooted forward a bit so she kid could get on behind her, if that was what he intended.
And, if that was what he intended, it made her have to wonder why? Was it because it would be easier for him to stick a knife into her back, should that decision be made? She'd have to stay alert, so that she might have a chance to take preemptive action, should that decision be made...
Storyteller / Shared NPC
The youthful novice brave was silently impressed with how well the white woman mounted his horse, she did know horses, that much was true. Still, she did it wrong! He wanted to be in front so he could manage the reins. He frowned and punched her thigh and when she looked down then he growled, "Move back. You ride behind!"
He watched, then added, "More back, you not fall off." Fool woman.
Finally there was enough free space, he knew he could jump up, throw a leg over, and grasp the reins, he was thin, didn't take up a lot of space, and was plenty agile given his youth. There was some collision between him and her but it was accomplished. By then the party was already riding ahead of them so he would have to catch up and take the rear.
Again he snapped at her, "Grab me...around here!" He patted his ribcage to show her.
"So you no fall off. Now we go!"
And with that, he kicked his pony who responded with a lurch forward and fast enough speed to catch up to the party.
Caroline looked back to see where Addy was but nothing bad had happened, she and her young minder were closing the gap. Soon they were traipsing up and down the seemingly endless hills interspersed with varied sized knots of trees. She wondered if even the Injuns knew where they were going.
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
"Yeah, all right, sorry." Well, he hadn't specified, and there were advantages -- and disadvantages -- to either seat. But she didn't hesitate to slide back, so that she was nearly sliding off the pony's rump, actually using that as a way to gauge the horse's temperament, and she now knew he wouldn't object were she to go all the way off his back end.
Once the boy was settled in front of her, Addy took him around the waist as he ordered, even though it was hardly necessary. Still, she would placate him, all the while visualizing how she'd deal with him, should that opportunity arise, which wasn't likely.
Storyteller / Shared NPC
Their latest ride did not last all that long when somewhere out there a shot rang out. The war party came to a halt. They had sent out two scouts but firing a shot was not something talked about. Their wait was short. A couple more shots now followed. There was some discussion for a moment until their seeming leader assumed control. As he spoke, the rest of the party all listened intently.
Now of course neither Addy nor Caroline understood the words but they could figure out something was happening given the shots. But it could mean so many possibilities, dare they hope that it might mean some whites were getting close? And while that might be a great thing, it also might mean extreme danger. What if the Indians decided to forget their trade plans and just outright kill them and be done with it?
Caroline looked to Addy, the look on her face was much the same. No smile, not a hint of happiness but worry. Still, Caroline was not going to panic yet. Jumping off this horse and running would be hopeless. It would only likely make the Indians' decision for them and end in her death. Hard as it was they had to simply wait.
They did not have to wait long though, things were happening at a fast pace. Their chief or whatever one called him shouted out apparently some sharp commands to the youngest of them, their translator and minder. He replied just as quickly then spoke in English to Addy.
"You get off, off right now! Fight coming!"
Even as he was ordering Addy around, the Indian who shared his horse with Caroline did not even bother with words, he didn't know any of the white tongue anyways. Instead he gave her a sudden and hard shove, sending the saloon girl to the ground with a hard thump.
"Geezus!" Caroline yipped.
Caroline figured they were seconds from dying but her fears were wrong. Once more the boy informed Addy of the reality of the situation.
"They go now. I must stay back and guard you," the young man was plainly not happy about that decision by his chief but arguing would do no good.
Well he might not be happy but suddenly there was a new glimmer of hope. Caroline realized once the war party rode off, that left two of them to one lone guard. They would never get a better chance she figured. Hopefully Addy would feel the same.
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
Whether for good or for bad, the shots meant that something was going to happen, soon and fast, and it was time to be pro-active. Even if the shooting was from a rescue party, Addy and Caroline needed to take care of themselves, and if that proved unnecessary, all the better.
Addy didn't hesitate when she was ordered off the horse, although it rankled her that 'Caroline's' Indian just pushed her to the ground. But, as much as it jarred her friend, it gave Addy a chance to rush to her side and get close.
Wrapping her arms around her companion, she whispered, "Be ready, not sure when nor what..."
And then the majority of the band took off, leaving the kid to guard them...a boon to the ladies, if they were to have any chance, it would be against one, and a boy at that!
Wrapping her arms around Caroline, Addy whispered, "Be ready, not sure when nor what..."
Caroline smiled ruefully, returning the embrace, her hip hurt from the fall but it was not a sharp pain, she doubted she had broken anything, "I'm alright. And yeah, I'm more than ready if we get the chance."
The pair watched then as the Indians rode on off, well first their leader had held out one of the army pistols to young Houusoo, he could hardly guard two prisoners with a bow and arrow. The young man gave a big smile at the gift, this would be the first time he would have himself a gun. Like a true warrior. Later he was confident he would acquire a rifle too especially if the war party killed enough of the approaching waischus.
Caroline frowned, seeing the boy was now better armed but just maybe the Indian had never even fired an actual gun before. That might give them a better chance when they....when they... What were they gonna do? They needed a plan.
Houusoo brandished the gun proudly as the rest of the warriors disappeared into the trees. He pointed toward the ground with it barking out an order.
"You sit now! You stay there. I tell you if I want you do something."
"Yes, of course, we don't want no trouble," Caroline didn't hesitate but plopped down then sat cross legged on the grass. It was best they act completely obedient, even frightened. Might build up his overconfidence.
Housssoo now padded over to his pony and rummaged for something in a buffalo hide pouch.
Caroline kept her voice soft and low, "So...umm, we need to jump him....I got a question for ya, Addy. You ever kill somebody before?"
She followed it up with a quick admission, "I did..just once. I shot him in the head before he ever knew what was goin' on."
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
Addy let out a breath, shifting a bit, but staying down in the dirt, right next to Caroline. The gun was an added complication, but then, it might make the boy overly confident, and that would play to their advantage.
"Let th' others get farther," she whispered to Caroline, although as advice, that was pretty obvious. They didn't need the others to hear a ruckus and come back.
When she admitted that she'd had to kill a man, it gave Addy confidence that Caroline wasn't going to be squeamish when it came to doing what they had to...once the time was right, hesitation or holding back could prove disastrous for the ladies. Only pity was that the kid was so young, but he was still old enough to be a warrior, and to kill them, so that had to be shoved aside.
"Be still fer now, but when th' time comes..." And that was not something they could plan. It was going to be a lapse in the boy's concentration, or a chance for one of them to cause a distraction...whatever it was, their action would have to be decisive and swift. "Try not ta let him shoot that thing, an' when we go, he has ta be...dead."
Addy wasn't a killer, she knew Caroline wasn't, but both ladies understood the need, and the circumstances that required such action, and Addy knew that she, for one, would have no qualms.
Be still fer now, but when th' time comes..." was Addy's caution. Caroline nodded.
Caroline had actually revealed she had just once before taken another life, an admission she had never made to anyone in Kalispell. But she wanted to let the other woman know she was capable of such violence when it had to be. She also had been curious if Addy had ever killed anybody but she didn't get an answer there. Maybe Addy was uncomfortable with such an admission or....more likely ....she had indeed never done such a thing.
But they were in extreme circumstances and both knew it. Desperate people were capable of desperate actions.
"Try not ta let him shoot that thing, an' when we go, he has ta be...dead," Addy's words confirmed what Caroline was already thinking.
"Yeah, I figured as much. Well, he killed that boy on the stage, it was his arrow. So he's a part of it all," as she spoke in a barely audible voice, she eyed the young Arapaho. He was young, yeah but he was probably stronger than his lean frame looked, these people led hard active lives, he'd fight like mad no doubt. That is if they gave him that chance. The idea was not to but to overpower him all of a sudden then take his life without giving him that chance.
Question was how? She looked down at the dirty hem of her remaining garment and started to tear at it, hopefully she could rip off a strip of it big enough to.....
"What if I distract him then you get behind him and slip this over his head? We get him down then and you start choking the life outta him. I can grab his wrists. Oh, and he still has that little knife of yers...I can see it now. I'll grab that and start stabbin' and we don't stop til we are damn sure he's...gone," Caroline's mind was working thru all sorts of options.
Next she would try and come up with a good distraction.