The
wind was blowing through the trees and although the rain had yet to come, the
air felt damp. One could feel the moisture each time a breath was taken. It
weighed heavily in the lungs as all things solid with form would inside that
sensitive organ. The summer was almost over and fast approaching autumn. While
the leaves were beginning to brown from the heat, their shade would turn even
darker during the penultimate months before winter. Vin Tanner preferred spring
to summer, he liked the green of growth because it held promise of what could
be as opposed to summer, which meant things were at their prime and could only
get worse from here.
For
today however, he could not say he minded summer all that much.
True,
the storm was almost upon them and it would be wise to take a slight shortcut
at this point to avoid caught in its awesome fury because the rumbling of
thunder and the occasional flashes of light through the thick cumulous clouds
promised a rather fierce one. However, he was riding on his horse, in the open
spaces of the Territory, with the woman he loved, wrapping her arms around his
waist as they rode on to
Instead
of taking two horses, they had opted on leaving
"I’m
gonna to take a detour at the pass ahead." He declared as they galloped
through the flat plain of knee high grass, scorched amber by the summer heat.
"Okay."
Alex answered, understanding why because the sky looked rather ominous overhead
and
"No."
Vin said with absolute certainty of that fact. "We may not be in it too
long but we’re gonna get wet just the same." He remarked, casting his gaze
across the terrain and seeing more confirming signs that his statement was the
truth.
"Why
does this always happen to us, whenever we go anywhere?" Alex groaned, not
at all happy to be soaked to the skin by the time they got to their destination
and supposed she ought to be grateful that she had come prepared this time.
"Can’t
say," Vin replied neutrally, even though his true feelings on the matter
had a very good answer to her query. It might have a little something to do
with the fact that no matter how unwise the circumstances, Alex would go to any
lengths to reach a patient. While this was an admirable quality, one that Vin
appreciated because it made her the physician she was, however, it could be
damned inconvenient at times. "Just lucky, I guess. Maybe we’ll find a
cabin on the way." He looked over his shoulder at her with a wolfish grin.
"Oh
you are so funny." She frowned. While some aspects of the trip to Agnes
Doherty’s had been life changing, the journey for most part had been three days
of hell. It was a toss up whether or not they would be lovers or dead at the
end of it, considering the emotions that had been displayed by both of them at
the time. "Just remember to keep that to a minimum when we get to the
nunnery."
"This
the same place where Mary and the rest of you girls got those nun’s outfits to
break you out of jail?" Vin asked.
"That’s
the one," Alex could not help chuckle as she pictured her best friends
wearing nun habits as they played the performance of their lives for Sheriff Pierce
so they could rescue her. "And I’ll have you know they did not break me
out of jail, I was not supposed to be there in the first place."
"You
weren’t supposed to be going to Eagle Bend in the first place." He
snorted.
"Hey,
I am a grown woman you know." She looked at him with mock offense. "I
have the right to go where I please and if that entails taking off to Eagle
Bend to take part in a card game then I will do so even if I risk capturing the
attention of a homicidal sheriff who wants to take me......." she drifted
off seeing the sarcastic expression of triumph on his face. "Oh shut
up."
Vin
flashed her an affectionate grin as they reached Baker’s Pass. Instead of
taking the usual trail that would eventually take them into the heart of
Coventry, Vin directed Peso towards a more uneven trail that revealed its
disuse by the overgrown grass and the overhanging branches. Alex kept her head
down as they continued up the path for a few minutes until they broke through
the shrubs and reached a clear trail. Although Vin’s detour seemed a little
rough, Alex did not question his decision to take them this way, after all, he
knew the land a lot better than she did. A slight drop of water on her cheek
immediately prompted her to look skywards and she saw more water coming down on
them with pregnant drops.
"Do
you want to stop?" Vin asked as the rain started to come down on them.
"No
it’s fine." She replied, pulling the hood of her riding cloak over her
head, to keep the rain off. "Let’s try and get there before it gets any
worse."
"Its
gonna get that and worse." He muttered under his breath although it was
not a declaration that was loud enough for her to hear but she nonetheless did
anyway.
"You
didn’t have to come with me you know." She said hotly. "I could have
gotten there on my own."
"You’d
get caught in the rain Alex and then I have to come looking for you." He
retorted, aware of the annoyance in her voice.
"I
can look after myself." Alex declared firmly, her ire well and truly
raised whenever her ability to fend for herself was called into question.
"I’m
sure you can." He rolled his eyes. "Look, I wouldn’t be no kind of
man if I let my wife go roaming about on her own, when there’s a storm coming
okay?" He hoped that would be something of a conciliatory gesture.
"I’m
not your wife yet." She pointed out defiantly, a clear indication that she
was far from happy with the situation just yet.
"Oh
is that how it is?" He looked over his shoulder at her, starting to feel
his own annoyance escalate. The rain was picking up its pace now, battering the
earth with large drops that could not be distinguished. He could feel the wet
seeping through his clothes and the chill starting to set into his skin. This
was the last thing he needed right now. "And whose fault is that?" He
asked.
"Yours."
Alex said with a smug smile of satisfaction.
"Mine?"
Vin burst out, his voice raising an octave in exclamation. "How is my
fault?" He demanded to know.
"Well
you are the one whose let all your good friends tell you horror stories
of weddings that are three ringed circuses, that everything time I bring up the
subject, you look like you want to disappear into the hills or something."
Alex declared, wiping some water off her nose that was dribbling over the edge
of her hood onto her skin.
Vin
faced front again because he could not deny that part of her response. It was
true. He did seem to get nervous about wedding talk. He had assumed it would be
a simple matter of getting a preacher, in this case Josiah and doing it. He had
never considered the possibility of suits, dresses, reception halls and place
cards. That was a little more fuss than he was used to and Alex was the town
doctor, for sure everyone would want to turn for the thing and celebrate with
them. Vin could not imagine anything worse than having stranger looking at him
on the most important day of his life.
"That’s
not true."
"You’re
right," Alex replied, catching the expression on his face before he had
turned away which more or less confirmed his fear on the subject. "Mexico
is closer."
"No!"
Vin groaned. "It ain’t like that at all." He tried to convince her.
"I want to marry you. Damn, I want that more than anything else but I
don’t want to be doing it in front of whole bunch of people, I mean what if it
don’t work out?"
"What
if it don’t work out?" She said through her teeth. "Have you actually
pictured or even given concept to the possibility that it might not work
out?" Alex said softly because that had never crossed her mind at all. Oh
she expected there to be difficulties, this was after all marriage, and
difficulties and marriage were symbiotic words, like men and pain in the ass.
However, she had never fathomed the idea of their marriage not working out ever.
Alex had pictured herself growing old with Vin the moment she realised she
loved him and that image kept her warm on the nights when he was out on the
trail with the rest of the seven or whenever she worried about the price on his
head back then.
"Well..."
Vin started to stammer because that was obviously not the case with her and he
tried to think carefully how to get out of it. "Its only right that I
think about it. I mean we ain’t really lived with each other, you know as man
and wife. There might be something we......" He glanced at her and saw the
storm brewing on her face was even worse then the one around them at present.
Oh shit.
Vin
had expected her to yell at him or knock him off his horse but she did neither.
What she did was worse. She went very quiet and her lower lip quivered with
emotion and disappointment. "I never thought it would end badly between
us. Not at all. Marrying you was going to be the happiest day of my life. Every
night since that dance we went together has been just wonderful, even the bad
times. I couldn’t imagine being with anyone after that because I knew you would
never hurt me and you’d always love me. I never thought you could do anything
that would ever make me wish you were gone Vin."
"Aw
hell....." Vin pulled the reins up and stopped Peso from moving before he
turned in his saddle towards her. "I love you Alex and I want to spend the
rest of my life with you. I keep thinking that we ought to get married the way
we planned, quiet like and then I get to thinking that maybe it ain’t fair on
you. You’re a lady, you deserve the kind of wedding day that ladies get, with
all the fancy trimmings and stuff you gals like. I don’t want to take that away
from you."
"Oh
Vin," she embraced him hard and their mouths met in a kiss of passion,
dueling tongues of heat as their lips locked in exploration. The warm heat of
their bodies pressed together in passion made the rain and the cold forgotten
for a brief time. Vin felt his body respond instinctively to her soft full lips
and rekindled the desire he had to suppress each time he felt that golden skin
brushing against his. His mouth moved past her lips, down her chin, burying
itself in the softness of her neck as he pulled at the cloak, exposing her face
to the rain as he nibbled on the soft flesh.
She
leaned further across him, until his hands were able to pull apart the cloak
and cup the breast under the fabric of her shirt and began kneading with soft
caresses. Vin could feel himself hardening as the rain pelted down on them and
Alex was responding so sensuously to him with her soft moans that he knew that
if he wanted to take her here and now, she would allow him. His fingers delved
through the part of her shirt, making its way past the folds of lacy under
things until he actually felt skin. Pulling back the mixture of cotton and
lace, his fingers found the point of her nipple and began rolling it between
its town.
"Oh
Vin........" she groaned at his touch.
"Maybe
we ought to stop for a while," he said hoarsely, not caring about anything
at the moment.
"Yes,"
she whispered, when suddenly a powerful crack of lighting roared through the
air with such force that Peso reared up on his hind legs and almost knocked
them both out of the saddle because of their precarious positioning.
Vin
immediately grabbed the reins and brought Peso back under control while Alex
buttoned herself back to respectability. When he had settled own the horse, he
looked at her and both of them started to chuckle at how easy it was to become
lost with each other once the mood took them. Although he still wanted her and
wanted her badly, Vin had decided perhaps they ought to get where they were
going before the weather got any worse.
"And
you said I’d have trouble keeping my hands off you." She said
mischievously as he dug his heels into Peso and prompted the horse to start
moving again.
"Well
I had to do something to let you know that I don’t want anyone else." He
replied as she leaned her body against his buckskin coat, not at all caring
that it was wet.
"Nice
try," she commended. "Although I wish you would get it in your head
that I don’t want a fancy wedding. You’re not taking anything away from me Vin
by wanting something simpler. I can’t stand all that stuff myself. I saw how it
was at Chris and Mary’s wedding and believe me, its all together too much
fuss."
Vin
wished he could believe her because he wanted to put this issue to rest once
and for all. He wanted her for his wife. He wanted to be able to wake up every
morning and find her by his side. Vin had never thought he could feel so
powerfully about anyone but the moment he had laid eyes on Alexandra Styles, he
knew she was made for him and every day since she had told she loved him had
been a confirmation of that belief. Every time he had to pull himself out of her
bed to sneak out of her house or watch her leave to return in secret from a
visit to the shack, Vin felt his heart and soul going with her.
"All
right," he finally conceded defeat. "When we get back to town, what
say we get Josiah to marry us?"
"I
think that’s a good idea." Alex smiled in pleasure at theirs finally
coming to a decision.
"But
I’m telling you now," he said firmly. "I ain’t never gonna want to
hear about you not getting the wedding you wanted once we’ve done it.
Right?"
Alex
was too happy to care. "Absolutely." She answered, barely able to
conceal her smile and hugged him tighter as they continued the trip to
Coventry. Besides, if she wanted a big wedding. They could always have it
later.
Of
course Vin did not need to know that.
*********
Vin’s
short cut required them to travel over water but fortunately, the waterway
through which they had to traverse in order to reach Coventry, came complete
with a barge of sorts that required a pulley system operated by those it was
ferrying from bank to another to pull it across. When the reached the banks of
the river they were required to cross, the rain had progressed form teeming and
had definitely entered storm territory. Sheets of water were lashing at them as
the wind whipped at their clothes with harsh intensity. Alex's cloak was
billowing in the air as she took refuge behind Peso as Vin walked to the pulley
that would bring the barge from the other side of the river so they could use
it to travel across.
Although
he did not voice it, he was taking particular note at the furious surge of
water that was rushing past them. The strength of the current looked terribly
fierce, not to mention choppy and as Vin pulled the barge back towards them, he
could see the strain in the structure as it struggled against the waves that
were smashing hard against it. However, the alternative was to go back and Vin
had to believe that the barge would manage one more trip since it had remained
intact so far.
"Vin,"
Alex said coming along side of him as he pulled the ropes of the pulley.
"Is that thing safe?" She asked looking at the barge.
"Its
still in one piece." He said confidently because if he showed concern then
she would started to feel afraid and getting them across was going to take
enough of his attention without his having to worry about how she was feeling.
"I think it should be okay."
The
barge shuddered a little on its return to their side of the river and appeared
to be quite sturdy although it was hard to say because the flow of current was
considerably less at the embankment then it was in the middle. Upon reaching
them, Vin gestured for Alex to get on while he went to lead Peso onto the
barge. The horse was skittish about being on the device probably because it
looked as unsteady to his faithful companion as it did to Vin. The pounding
rain and the powerful gusts of wind were not helping the creature’s temperament
either and it took a few seconds before he could settle Peso enough to bring
him forward.
Alex
in the meantime, found herself holding the hand rails that surrounded the sides
of the barge with a firm grip, not liking the fact that they had to trust their
safety to this ancient piece of travel that did not at all look very comforting
by the way it creaked each time she stepped on the planks beneath. She watched
Vin leading Peso from the pontoon onto the barge, aware that the horse’s eyes
were wide with fear and Alex had never seen Peso afraid of anything. The horse
was very much like his master, seldom afraid to launch itself into trouble no
matter what the consequences and she could feel her own anxieties starting to
bubble forth in face of what they were about to do.
"You
okay?" He asked, seeing the apprehension on Alex’s face.
"I’m
fine." She answered with a faint smile, trying to hide her nervousness at
the buoyant movements of the wood above the water. "Let’s just get this
over and done with," she retorted.
Vin
nodded in understanding, appreciating her concerns because he felt the same way
himself. Without saying another word, he began pulling the rope and the barge
heaved into motion beneath them. "Alex," he called as Peso started to
stamp his hooves. "Could you just hang on to the reins?"
"Sure."
She hurried over and took Peso’s reins and ran a palm against his flank, hoping
that the sensation of human touch would do something to soothe the horse’s
fears. "Its okay boy," she whispered in its ear. "Its gonna be
okay."
Peso
seemed to settle down after that and Vin could not help but throw his lover a
warm smile. "I thought I was the only one who could do that."
"Well,"
she teased. "This usually works on you so I thought it might work on
Peso." She gave him a cheesy smile as she said that.
"I’ll
get you for that." He responded.
The
barge pulled further and further from the shore and the journey away became
fraught with more trepidation. The barge began to sway under the constant
hammering by the rain and the wind. Peso was becoming more and more nervous. He
was snorting and neighing the further across they went until Vin was starting
to believe that the horse knew something they did not. Alex was having a great
deal of trouble keeping him under control and the cajoling that had worked
earlier did not have the least impact on Peso now.
"Alex
let him go!" Vin declared, having no choice but to keep pulling the barge
to the other side.
"He’ll
jump off!" Alex cried out defiantly. Peso meant just as much to her as he
to Vin. She refused to let the animal drown if she could help it.
"Let
him go!" Vin roared. If Peso jumped off, Vin could be fairly certain that
the animal was a good enough swimmer to make it to the other side. He could not
say the same for Alex if Peso took her with him.
"Damn!"
She swore and released her hold of the reins. Peso continued to stamp his feet
and pushed himself onto his hind legs as his fear escalated. The barge was in
the centre of the river and rocking about precariously from both the wind and
the currents beneath it. Water sloshed against the sides, spilling onto the
floor and splashing them with cold wet moisture. Alex tried to back away from
the frantic animal but as the barge’s shaking became worse, the slick floor
hindered her retreat.
Peso
reared himself up on his hindquarters again, doing so abruptly that he knocked
Alex off her feet. She hit the wood, the side of her head impacting hard
against the wet surface. The downed human further frightened the animal and it
backed away, aware that it had done something wrong.
"Alex!" Vin cried out as he saw her fall, rain lashing at his eyes as
he tried to squint and clear his vision enough to go towards her.
He
let go of the rope and started towards her when suddenly, he heard a loud
crack. Around him, pandemonium started to take place as the wooden rivets began
popping out of their places in the seams of the barge. It took an instant for
him to realise that the barge was breaking up and in desperation ran across the
craft to reach Alex as it started to crumble away. Alex was still dazed from
her injury; he could see rivulets of blood running down the side of her head.
He did not think she was hurt badly but he wanted to reach her before the barge
started to break up completely.
He
never had the chance at the floor separate beneath him, creating a large
fissure of water and froth that surge through as what he was standing on gave
way. He was still on the part of the barge that remained mostly afloat because
of his size but the section Alex had been lying on was small and started to
sink immediately. Peso had wisely disembarked and was fighting the swirling
currents to get back to shore.
"Alex!"
He shouted as she scrambled to her feet and tried to escape the rising water.
Thinking fast, he grabbed a hold of the rope that had snapped free of the barge
and was hanging limply on the ground but still attached to the other side.
Taking a few steps back, he made a running start and jumped through the wind
and the rain to reach her. She was struggling to remain on what was left of the
barge, trying to leave it to the very last moment to take her changes in the
choppy water, when Vin landed next to her. The force of his landing tipped the
barge over and threw them both into the water.
Vin
kept a firm grip on the rope even though everything was going to hell around
him. The currents were strong and threatened to drag him under as the water
claimed him but the tracker kicked hard and managed to escape it powerful pull
into a watery grave. He broke surface with a loud gasp and immediately started
searching for Alex. It was almost impossible to see anything other that the
crashing waves around him however, he saw her hair on the surface as the
currents and the weight of her clothes pulled her down.
Wasting
no time, he started swimming towards her as he saw her pushing herself to the
surface to steal a hungry breath, before the pressure forcing her down started
to win out and he could see the despair on her face as she attempted to remain
afloat.
"Alex
hold on!" He shouted and got a mouthful of water for his trouble, gurgling
out his words. However it was enough to give her focus and she immediately
started swimming towards him, struggling against the hindrance of clothes to
make some of the crossing needed to reach him.
Vin
clung to the rope as he struggled forward, the chord of his hat pulling at his
throat as it threatened to be swept away by the water. He swam as hard as he
could, until finally his hand reached hers and he was able to wrap his fist
around her wrist and pull her the rest of the distance. One hand coiled firmly
around the rope that would drag them to safety, Vin pulled Alex towards him
until she was able to wrap her hands around his neck.
"Thank
god!" She coughed. "I couldn’t stay up anymore."
"Hang
on to me," he ordered once her arms were securely around him.
Alex
nodded, clearly too afraid to do much else and Vin started pulling them both
towards the shore, feeling the rope cut into his palms as he fought wind, rain
and current to force them through the breadth of the river. The embankment
seemed so far away even though they were closing the distance between it. The
water had turned icy cold and the rain was making it hard to see but Vin
concentrated on nothing else except getting across because failure would not
only condemn himself to death but also Alex and that was not something he was
prepared to accept under any circumstances.
His
arms ached with pain and he could feel blood in his palms as the rope rubbed
his skin raw but somehow Vin continued the laborious journey to the shore until
finally, they could both feel land underneath their feet. The currents remained
as strong as every until finally, they were far enough along the incline to be
able to crawl out of the water. When they finally reached shore, both Alex and
Vin collapsed on the soft sand gasping with exhaustion. Vin in particular because
it was his strength that had saved both their lives. For a moment, he could
only lie there, breathing hard as he tried to capture his breath as the
terrible ache in his arms started to fade slightly.
"Vin,"
Alex moved first. "Are you alright?" She asked shaking him.
"I’m
okay," he said after a moment, still breathing hard. He raised his head in
her direction. "Are you hurt?" His eyes filled with concern.
"I’m
fine," she answered wiping more rain out of her eyes. "I’m wet and
tired but I’m okay."
Suddenly,
Peso appeared out of the bushes, looking just a bedraggled as both of them. The
creature approached them almost contritely as if trying to make an apology for
abandoning them earlier. The horse came up to Vin and nudged the tracker gently
with its long nose.
"I
guess we’re all doing okay." Vin smiled and lay his head down to rest
again.
**********
The
rain did not stop despite what they had endured to cross the river. Once they
had recovered enough to take stock of their losses, Alex discovered that the
river had taken her carpetbag of clothing but fortunately not her father’s
medical bag whose value would have been irreplaceable if it had been taken. She
could live with the loss of her clothing but she was drenched through and
getting back to Four Corners now was impossible. There was nowhere to take
shelter so they had little choice but to continue the journey to Coventry. Vin
knew the terrain ahead and although the trail was rough, it would significantly
cut down their travelling time.
"Why
is its always my clothes," Alex grumbled once they were on the way again.
"Wherever I go with you, I’m always getting soaked to the skin in a rain
storm."
"Mostly,"
Vin drawled humoring her. "Because you’re the one crazy enough to go out
in this weather and I’m the one dumb enough to follow you."
"You’re
a real comedian." She said sarcastically and clung to him tighter because
she was terribly cold and her cloak was somewhere on its way out of the state
by now.
"I
aim to please." He grinned, trying to keep both their spirits up in this
dismal venture with a little levity. In some ways, this trip was reminiscent of
that trip to Agnes Doherty and despite the ordeal they were going through on
this occasion; he could not help feeling slightly amused by the whole thing. It
almost seemed like some kind of biblical sign telling him that a turning point
had come in their relationship, although Vin could not imagine what that might
be. It was as perfect as it could get. He no longer had a price on his head and
he was free to marry her. The ranch was starting to pay money and in a few
weeks, he would have rebuilt the shack enough for Alex to move in with him.
Everything
was as perfect as he could ever imagined in his wildest dreams. What more could
he ask for?
"Vin,
you ever think about children?" Alex asked suddenly.
He
nearly fell off his horse.
Vin
looked over her shoulder trying to hide the panic in his face as she waited for
an answer to that question. "I don’t know," he stammered. "Ain’t
really thought much about it and all. I mean is there some reason you are
asking me now?"
"We’ve
never really talked about it and since we’re thinking about getting married
when we get back to town, I thought it might be a good idea." Alex could
see the fear in his eyes and was rather surprised by it. He was not even this
afraid when they fallen into the river. Why should he be afraid of a harmless
question unless....
"Oh
Vin, you didn’t think I was pregnant did you?"
"What
me?" Vin turned back to the reins and let out a short laugh, extremely
grateful that she could not see the relief in his face. "I ain’t dumb, I
knew it was just a question."
"You
did huh?" she said skeptically, trying not to laugh. "So what are
your thoughts on the subject, Mr Tanner? Do you want to have children straight
away, wait for a year or two or let things come naturally."
"Let
things come naturally?" Vin asked, "ain’t that what’s been happening
now?"
Actually
now that he thought about it, considering how Mary and Inez were pregnant so
soon after their marriages and Mary was pregnant when she and Chris had first
started courting, he had to admit they had been lucky in that respect. Alex
never seemed to worry about getting pregnant or even asking him to use anything
while they were making love. Although he had not known many women and working
girls did not expect it, he did know there were items out there for the purpose
of not conceiving a child.
"Not
exactly Vin." She answered. "I am a doctor and my father was well
traveled. When you visit a lot of cultures you pick up things."
"Things?"
He knew that a lot of her medicinal remedies were not often stock standard
practices utilised by conventional physicians. He had seen her use some very
odd herbs and plants he would never have figured as having healing properties
to treat people. Of course Vin never complained when the results were so
positive. "Like what?" He asked suspiciously.
"Vin,
I realise that you aren’t around most mornings to know this but haven’t you
noticed me drinking willow bark tea every morning when I stay with you at the
shack?" She looked at him.
"Sure
I do," he answered, still not comprehending what she was trying to tell
him. "I can’t see why though, that stuff taste like rotgut gone bad."
"Well
let’s say I don’t drink it for my health." She replied, having debated
whether or not she ought to tell him about this but decided he had a right to
know if they were going to be married. She probably should have brought this up
before but men could be really obtuse about some things and this particular topic
was incendiary to say the least. Some could even consider it sacrilegious to
circumvent the course of life being born in this way.
"So
what is it?" Vin demanded to know, not liking the fact that there was
something about her he did not know.
"Let’s
just say that without it, you would have been a father a lot sooner than you
would have liked." Alex replied after exhaling loudly.
It
took a minute for it to register in his brain and then he looked over his
shoulder and stared at her in shock. "You mean that stuff keeps you
from....."
"That’s
right." Alex cut him off before he could say it.
"Oh."
He paused and considered the knowledge she had presented to him, uncertain at
how he felt about it. In truth, he had wondered about that considering how
healthy both their sexual appetites had been, it was something of a minor
miracle that she had not gotten in family way already. "How often do you
have to take this stuff?"
"Every
21 days of the month." She answered. "Its almost completely
effective, works even better than the things you men can use." Alex
explained, wishing he would say something. The subject was awkward enough as it
was.
"And
if you miss it?" He asked finding the whole thing strange but fascinating.
"I
have to keep taking it or not have sex for a week." Alex responded.
"Well
that explains that anyway." Vin shrugged.
"What?"
"Your
headaches." He grinned.
"Very
funny." Alex chuckled. "Is it okay with us Vin?" She asked.
"I didn’t want to keep this from you but it’s not something I really like
to talk about."
"Its
women business." Vin retorted, deciding that there were some things that
he did not want to know but he understood why she had revealed this to him now.
"Alex, I want to have a mess of children with you, I ain’t gonna lie about
that but I ain’t ready for it right now. I don’t think you are neither."
"I’m
not." She admitted honestly.
"Since
we got something of a choice," he said feeling this great weight taken off
his shoulders. "I think we can wait a bit."
"Good,"
she smiled, pleased that he had been so good about it.
The
trail was rocky and uneven with the side of a hill flanking their position as
they continued skirting the foot of it. The slope was formed mostly by
sedentary layers of shale and grit. Once they were past this stretch of
terrain, it would empty into the flat, grass plains that Alex was used to
seeing when she traveled. Although she did not want to admit it, she would have
rather taken her chances with the longer route to Coventry after what she had
endured already. Of course, she did not voice that opinion to Vin whose entire
purpose for this detour was so that they would get to Coventry before they were
caught in the storm. It was not his fault that the weather was much more
turbulent than he had originally anticipated.
They
were halfway past the hill when Vin noticed Peso having trouble moving across
the ground. What was normally hard, packed earth had became soft and malleable,
the rain’s battering of it so relentlessly, had left the ground saturated with
water. Each time Peso took a step, the animal’s hooves left an imprint in the
soil that soon filled with water. Vin looked up the hill with concern, taking
note that the sharp incline was devoid of any trees other than a few small
shrubs here and there. He watched as the storm continued pounding water and
wind into the side of the mound, loosening dirt and fused earth that had been
compacted together for years, eroding those bonds with constant precipitation.
"Aw
hell." Vin started to say as he realised the danger that they were in.
"What’s
wrong?" Alex demanded, hearing the tension in his voice and following his
gaze as he started upward.
"We
need to get out of here." He said warily, his eyes still fixed on the
incline. He had now started to notice slight shifts of earth moving down the
slope and pausing as they came to an obstruction. The shifts were minor for the
moment but Vin knew that once a large chunk of earth decided to break away, it
was going to bring down the entire side of the mountain upon on them.
Unfortunately, he could not break Peso into a gallop because the sudden impact
of hooves against the ground would only worsen the situation and hasten the
coming mudslide.
"What
is it?" She asked, feeling her stomach knot because he did not get this
worried without very good reason and considering what had happened
today, she was not about to discount any further acts of nature from breathing
its angry wrath upon them.
"Rain’s
loosening up all the soil on the hill." Vin answered after a moment,
somewhat reluctantly because he had not wanted to worry her but decided that
she was strong enough to take it and smart enough to work it out for herself.
"You
mean a mudslide?" Alex exclaimed, her eyes widening in fear as her gaze
returned to the hill.
"Yep."
He nodded.
"What
do we do?" She asked quietly, aware that any sound of loud could jar
something loose. She had seen avalanches before to know how dangerous this
could be not to mention when she had endured that landslide when returning from
the Doherty spread. She could see Vin mindful of this in the way he nudged Peso
forward, trying to guide the animal to make its steps lightly as possible,
until they had cleared the danger zone.
"Nothing
we can do." Vin responded, watching the terrain cautiously, aware of the
shudders he could see and took note of every rock or clump of earth that made
its descent, praying that those small detachments would not percipitate
something much larger. "We gotta make it past this point and hope nothing
happens in between."
"Oh
great." She hissed loudly. "You know, I was joking when I said that
this was turning out to be like the last trip I took out of town for a house
call."
"Keep
your voice down." He ordered since this was not time for her to be
complaining, not when her voice had the power to do as much damage as Peso’s
hooves against the ground or any impacting force that could shake something
into movement.
"Oh
God." Alex shuddered in fear and clung tighter to him in response, feeling
her heart pound and wishing it would not because she was just frightened enough
to think that it could have some effect on their outside environment. As if
trying to stab at the wound that was festering, the rain which had until this
point had been steady, suddenly intensified. The winds did the same, increasing
its speed until the trees in the distance were struggling to stay upright from
the powerful gale. The ground began to tremor suddenly and Vin realised that
they were almost out of time.
"Hold
on tight!" He shouted and kicked his heels hard into Peso’s side.
The
horse was more than happy to depart, its senses detecting the danger far more
efficiently than its master was capable and immediately launched into a robust
gallop forward. Its efforts were somewhat hindered by the saturation of the
ground beneath it and strained the animal somewhat to maintain the pace with
the drag of mud pulling at its hooves. However the urgency of the situation
soon propelled Peso to double its efforts the rumbled of earth became more than
just passing and both Alex and Vin looked up in time to see a large shelf of
earth suddenly break loose and begin its descent down the incline.
"Hell."
Vin uttered and dug his heels into Peso’s flank again while Alex held on tight
as she watch the wave of soil saturated by water, become a mud slide that was
gaining momentum the further down the slope it progressed. The roar of its
movement filled the air, like a great snake dragging its belly across the wet
ground. The wave of mud was wide and as it continued downward, increased its
volume until Vin was uncertain of how far they would have to ride to escape its
devastating reach.
Alex
closed her eyes and buried his face in his back, not daring too look at what
was coming towards them because it would only heightened her panic. Peso was
riding hard, the animal’s fear was such that it was oblivious to the mud, its
powerful muscles compensating as it surged forward under Vin’s guidance. They
had to clear the side of the mountain if they were going to escape the mud slide
and in the distance, Vin could see the stretch of flat land they needed to
reach to keep from being buried alive by the torrent of water and earth.
The
cascade of earth continued to rumble down the slope, increasing in velocity and
force as it roared down the hill. It tore up everything in its path, uprooting
any plant life and dislodging boulder and rocks embedded in its surface,
sweeping everything towards them in a sheer wall of nature’s deadly fury. Vin
continued to push Peso to clear the field of danger coming towards them but
knew with a sinking feeling that they would be extremely lucky if they made it.
Alex was holding to him even tighter and he could not blame her for her terror
because he was not to happy to see what was coming straight for them either.
The
stretch of flat land that would have heralded their safety was just beyond
their reach when Vin took stock of the progress made by the slide and saw the
avalanche of mud finally reaching the foot of the hill. Finding no slope to
continue, it exploded outwards and began expanding like a ripple in a pond,
sending the deadly wall of soil and water rushing towards them like a wave.
Alex let out a scream and while safety was close, it would not be close enough.
It
hit them so hard that Peso tumbled over, throwing both riders off its back. The
last thing Vin remembered as he was covered in a blanket of mud, was Peso
braying loudly in panic and fear before everything went black and he knew
nothing more.
************
Peso.
That
was what Alex heard when the disorientation had worn away after their
tremendous collision with the mud slide as it swept them away like kindling in
its awesome might. She could feel slick wetness all around her, it stuck to her
face and was on her lips. She recoiled at the realisation that it was mud and
was starting to panic when suddenly she heard Peso neighing. She was lying on
her face, unable to breathe when Alex forced herself onto her knees and
discovered that she was not buried as deeply as she thought. It took a little
bit of effort to break the surface, mostly because the mud was weighing down
her clothes.
Alex
forced herself out of the mud and looked around. She saw Peso struggling to get
onto its feet and started moving unconsciously towards the animal to stop it
from braying because the sound cut straight through her shaken nerves. There
was no time to think yet and as she grabbed him by the reins and gently helped
him onto his feet, spraying her with mud as he stood up just as shakily. She
wiped the smattering of it from her face and surveyed the river of mud drying
around her, with leaves of shrubs protruding out in some places and a tuft of
something that Alex recognised immediately.
"Oh
my god, VIN!" She scrambled forward, unaware that she was running until
she dropped to her feet next to him. All she could see of her fiancée was part
of that damned buckskin coat he was never without. Digging her hands into the
soft mud, she cleared away more soil off his coat until there was enough
material for both her hands to grab. Plunging her fingers against the hide,
Alex fisted her hands around it and pulled as hard as she could. She dislodged
some of the earth around him but not enough. She could feel his heat under her
hands and knew he was still alive. Alex refused to allow herself to think
otherwise.
"Come
on Alex!" She shouted to herself as she ground her teeth and pulled back
once again. It was not just his weight but the pressure of all that mud covered
on top of him. Tears started to run down her cheeks, creating streaks in the
mud on her face as she heaved again, putting every ounce of strength she could
in a single Herculean effort. Without warning, the mud around him loosened
suddenly and she fell backwards, pulling him out of his grave by the force of
the recoil. He collapsed on top of her, unmoving and Alex’s instincts as a
doctor kicked in immediately. Pulling herself free of him, Alex moved quickly
to examine him. There was mud all over his face and she tried to clean as much
of it as she could from his breathing passages. Forcing his mouth open, she
doubled over him and started breathing air into his lung, forcing them into
working.
"Breathe
goddamn it!" She swore as she came up for air in order to replenish his.
She
continued this for a few a seconds, daring not to believe that he was beyond
help. Alex did not even want to envision the possibility that it was too late.
He looked pale and she knew that he had been buried for at least two minutes.
The human body could tolerate at least two and a half minutes without oxygen
before the heart gave out. The brain could last a little longer but not much.
She knew she had gotten to him in time but none of these statistic was set in
stone because human individuality made everyone different.
Suddenly,
he convulsed violently and gasped as his natural instincts to live kicked in
and he started breathing on his own, taking each mouthful of air into his lungs
like he was a man starved. He took several breaths until the intake became too
much for his lungs to cope with and he doubled over, coughing loudly as Alex
helped him sit up right. He could feel pieces of grit in his mouth and the
taste of mud, scraping against the back of his throat.
"Can
you breathe okay?" She asked, looking at him with concern. Judging by the
way he was wiping mud off himself, she guessed he was unharmed except for some
cuts and bruises sustained when they were hit by the mud slide.
"Yeah."
He nodded, his voice sounding just a little hoarse. Vin turned his attention to
her and saw that the wound she had sustained during their ordeal on the river
had started bleeding again. "You don’t look so good though." He said
with concern and reached for her cheek and caressed it gently.
"I’m
fine," Alex sighed, instinctively touching her forehead and wincing a
little at the pain when her fingers made contact with the tender skin.
"I’m really starting to think we should have stayed at home."
Vin
managed a sardonic laugh. "Well at least the weather has let up." He
remarked, raising his gaze to the sky. Although there was no blue to be seen
except thick dark clouds, the rain had paused for the moment. Vin could tell
roughly that it was evening by the vague glimmer of the sun behind the clouds.
It would soon be dark and Coventry was not far away now. Looking around, he saw
Peso waiting patiently for them and felt relieved to see that the animal had
come through the mudslide unhurt. While it was dangerous all around for any
creature to be caught in such a natural disaster, it was especially so for
horses because their slender bones could break so easily. A broken leg was
fatal for a horse and Vin would not have relished performing the same duty he
had once been called upon to do for Alex’s last horse, Calliope.
"That’s
something." She grumbled. "I really think God hates us."
Vin
managed a small smile and allowed himself a moment to recover before attempting
to stand up. "He don’t hate us," he drawled, examining himself and
actually wished for a hot bath. Unfortunately, he did not think he was going to
get one at a nunnery. Sometimes, Vin did not appreciate the Almighty’s sense of
humor. "He just likes to have a lot of fun with us."
"Vin,"
Alex said cautiously. "You should rest for a few more minutes." She
was so grateful that he had come out of this latest ordeal alive, she did not
want to risk himself any more than necessary. The weariness on his face was
obvious but Alex also knew that he would disregard his own state of health to
get her to Coventry before the sun went down.
"I’m
okay," he stood up and extended his hand towards her. "I’m been
through worse. Besides, I’d be a lot happier resting some place that didn’t
look like no pig sty."
"Can’t
say I disagree with you." She replied taking his hand as he pulled her to
her feet. Her body ached terribly and she would not be surprised if she was a
little bruised. Alex looked forward to a warm bed where she could snuggle up to
him. That was the only thing that would make this nightmare of a day remotely
salvageable. "If you’re good, you can scrub my back." She teased.
"To
hell with it," Vin decided. "We’re riding into Coventry once you’re
done at this nunnery and getting a room." After everything they had been
through today, he was sure as hell not going to let a bunch of nuns tell him
that he could not be with the woman he loved because they were not married.
That was going to happen soon enough and no one knew them at Coventry to get
the local gossips worked up.
"Why
Mr Tanner," she looked at him with a raised brow. "That’s mighty
presumptuous of you. What if I want to stay at the nunnery."
Vin
turned to her with a raised brow. "Woman," he said firmly. "I’m
taking you to a hotel room even if I have to drag you there kicking and
screaming."
"Well,"
Alex said with a smile as they made their way to Peso. "When you put it so
romantically, how can a girl refuse an offer like that?" She giggled as he
pulled her towards him, feeling immensely happy to be alive considering what
they had just been through.
"It’s
all in the asking," Vin’s voice became husky when his mouth took hers and
they shared the moment as they exchanged a lingering kiss. When they parted,
they resumed the journey to Peso who seemed none the worse for the experience
and looked just as bedraggled and disheveled as they did. Vin climbed into the
saddle first, ensuring that Peso was well enough to continue their journey to
Coventry. His eyes surveyed the destruction around them and could see branches
of upended plants and shrubs protruding from the river of mud. The mudslide had
hit even ground and spread outwards until its momentum was exhausted and it
finally came to a stop. Vin hoped that no one else had been caught in its path.
Pulling
Alex into the saddle behind him, Vin prepared to ride out once he felt the
comforting feel of her arms around his waist and her body pressing into his
back. A shudder of pleasure moved through him as he felt her warmth against him
and wondered how she managed to do that every single time. Even though she was
just as filthy as he was, she never looked more beautiful to him because no
matter what the calamity befell them, Alex would always be at his side to share
the burden.
It
was a good feeling to know that with such certainty.
"Come
on Doc," he said digging his heels into Peso’s sides. "Let get going
before anything else happens to us."
**********
It
was well past dark when they finally arrived at the nunnery outside of
Coventry. Alex had little time to rest and although the ladies inside the holy
establishment were rather shocked at the ordeal she had endured to reach them,
they could offer little more than words of thanks before reminding her that a
patient awaited her. A priest had been sent for because the old lady had not
roused from her comatose state and Vin was forced to wait in the chapel on
premises while Alex tended to their ailing sister.
In
the meantime, understanding that he had been through something of a trial in
the last few hours, the sisters were good enough to provide him with a hot meal
and a place to clean up. Of course, a basin and wash cloth were no substitutes
for a hot bath but on the whole, he decided not to complain because he was
accustomed to living it rough. What was provided allowed him to get cleaned up
considerably which was gratifying because there was not a corner of him that
was not covered in mud. The sisters provided similar comforts to Peso, taking
the horse to their stable where fresh feed and dry hay was available for its
disposal.
Vin
remained in the chapel, not wishing to wander around the hallowed halls of a
convent. He never felt comfortable in such places for it reminded him too much
of the state run foster homes he had been sent to after his mother had died.
Instead, he sat on the pew, waiting out the hours that seemed to drag on by as
Alex tended to her patient, feeling a little sorry that she had to work when
she had gone through as much as he had today and could not rest. However, he
knew Alex well enough to realise that she could never sit still if there was
someone in need.
Despite
how uncomfortable he felt in the confines of the convent, he had to admit he
felt no such ambivalence in the chapel. It was rather serene really and looked
no different from the church that Josiah had restored so devotedly during his
time in Four Corners. Unlike Josiah’s church which only had a pulpit at the
head of the congregation, this chapel was larger, with stained glass windows
which must have looked really pretty when the sun shone through them. The
images were of knights and horses, of friars and bishops and of ages long
before his time and captioned in a language he could not read, much less
understand.
Watching
the candles flicker on the candle stand, Vin could not help but look back upon
the day and find the whole thing amusing after the fact. When Alexandra Styles
had discovered that he meant something to her, it had been through a similar
sort of journey. They had been through an ordeal as if it took that to give
them the nudge needed to admit how they truly felt about each other. From the
moment his lips had met hers in that little cabin on the Doherty spread, they
were lost to each other even if neither knew it at the time. There was so many
thing occupying their thoughts then, her feelings for Ezra, Vin’s determination
not betray the same, unaware that events were taking place in Four Corners that
made such considerations pointless.
Now
here they were and so much had happened since that first moment when he first
laid eyes upon her and knew without doubt that she was made for him. Sometimes,
Vin could scarcely believe it and then there were others times when it was so
real that it made his heart pound from the sheer joy of her being in his life.
Alex had been through much for him, endure things he was certain she would
never tell him because he would not truly understand. There were secret wounds
she had suffered him, things he could see in her eyes but dared not ask because
it would hurt her too much to tell him. When they had returned form Tascosa, he
had seen that pain become apart of her and knew that it had been endured
because she loved him.
"Vin."
Alex’s voice shattered the dignified tranquility of the chapel and invaded his
thoughts, bringing him back to the present.
With
her was a priest in dark, somber robes and a portly nun that Vin remembered
from their initial arrival to the convent, even though they had not been
formally introduced. Vin rose to his feet and walked up the red carpeted aisle
to greet his fiancée, taking note that she looked extremely weary and needed to
sleep. The expression on her face did not seem terribly hopeful and Vin had a
feeling she had not been able to do very much for the nun she had made this
journey to help.
"How
did it go?" Vin asked. "Is she alright?"
"I’m
afraid not," Alex shook her head sadly, mimicking the mournful expression
on the faces of her companions, although not to their extent. "She fell
because she had a stroke. She’s very old so it was to be expected."
"She
ain’t gonna make it?" Vin said sympathetically.
"Not
the way she used to be," Alex looked at the duo with her.
"Unfortunately the stroke was massive. She could live for years or she
could die tonight. It’s very uncertain but Mother Superior here tells me she is
very strong, so I imagine that she’ll be with us for a little longer."
"That’s
too bad." Vin met their eyes. "I’m real sorry to hear that."
"Its
god’s will." Mother Superior shrugged. "We cannot always understand
his ways and so we must accept it and go on."
"I’ll
take your word for it." He remarked and thought she looked a little like
Nettie for she had the same kindness in her face. Her eyes were younger than
she was he suspected.
"Well
Mother Superior," the priest made himself heard. "I am sure that
Doctor Styles and Mr Tanner are exhausted after their journey to aid us. Have
you prepared rooms for both of them?"
"Yes,"
the woman looked at them with a warm smile. "Please come with me Doctor
Styles, I can show you a place to get cleaned up and I’m sure we have something
you can wear while we have your clothes cleaned."
"Oh
that’s very kind of you," Alex glanced at Vin, aware that he wanted to go
to Coventry. "But we’ll keep going."
"But
its storming outside," Father O’Halloran replied with his thick Irish
accent. He was a stocky man with white hair who hid his youthful eyes behind
steel rimmed glasses. "You cannot possibly venture out like this and we
would not be at all Christian to let you both go."
"Alex,
you’re plenty tired." Vin admitted, seeing the exhaustion in her eyes and
would prefer not to put her through the ordeal of venturing out into the cold
night for another trip. He did not think either Alex or Peso was up to
the journey. "We can stay here the night." He answered with a smile.
He hated the thought of sleeping apart especially after today but was not about
to make her ride to Coventry because he could not stand to not have her in his
bed.
"Vin
are you sure?" She asked, perfectly willing to make the trip if he wanted
her to do so.
Vin
kissed her on the forehead and saw the smile on Father O’Halloran’s face when
suddenly an idea came to him. It took a millisecond for him to decide that it
was an extremely good idea and worth indulging. Looking up at the priest, Vin
wrapped his arms around Alex, not caring how scandalous it looked and asked.
"Father O’Halloran, can you marry us?"
Alex
broke his grasp and stared at him. "Now?"
"You
said you didn’t want no fancy wedding." He reminded.
"Yes
but now....?" she sputtered unable to believe that this was his solution
to their sleeping arrangements tonight. Although, come to think of it, it was
not a bad idea actually, she decided after a moment’s reflection.
"Certainly,"
the man said somewhat amused by the whole interplay as was Mother Superior who
was looking on with a widening smile. She did so love weddings, even ones as
abrupt as this.
"Come
on Doc," Vin looked at her. "I even brought the ring."
"You
brought the ring?" Her eyes widened it around. "When did you buy a
ring?"
"When
we got back from Tascosa," he said proudly, somewhat pleased he had
managed to keep that secret. Vin had been carrying the gold band in his coat
for sometime now, ever since Ezra had helped make the selection. The gambler
had been so astute at helping him with an engagement ring for Alex that Vin had
chosen to recruit his aid when selecting its successor. He reached into the
folds of the jacket and produced a velvet box that was rather encrusted in mud
after the day’s events. Flipping it open, he revealed to her with pride, a
single gold band set with three tiny stones of blue turquoise. It had cost him
quite a bit but Vin did not care, he was happy to delve into his savings to see
this on her finger.
"Oh
Vin," Alex exclaimed. "Its beautiful." She whispered.
"So,"
he asked once again. "Marry me?" His blue eyes twinkled as he looked
at her.
"Yes,"
she smiled and embraced him, trying to keep the emotion out of her voice.
"You crazy son of bitch. Yes!"
"Well,"
Father O’Halloran said raising a brow as he watched the couple coming to their
decision. "I’ve heard better answers but that will do." He grinned.
"Let’s get his wedding started."
**********
Alex
and Vin lay in each other arms, less than an hour later after their small but
lovely wedding, sharing the same bed in one of the guest rooms inside
the convent. They were too tired to do much else but stare out the window at
the storm and wondered if all the pivotal moments in their life together would
be marked by such calamity. Alex had cleaned up and was lying next to him,
smelling fresh and clean, his face nuzzling in her hair as he took a breath of
that heady scent that made him fall in love with her all over again, each time
he felt it inside his lungs.
"You
know," Alex said staring at the ring on her finger as they lay spooning,
enjoying the warmth and the magic the night had to offer. "They’re gonna
kill us when we get back."
"Yeah,
I reckon." He agreed, knowing what she was talking about. Undoubtedly,
their friends were not going to be happy at how they had chosen to make their
nuptials. "I’ll tell them it was your idea."
"Thanks
a lot Mr Tanner." Alex said staring at him in mock outrage.
"My
pleasure, Mrs. Tanner." He replied and decided he liked the sound of that
very much.
Very
much indeed.