HUNTER'S TALE

3.

The journey was long and exhausting. They stopped only to sleep by the evening and continued on the first light. John wanted to keep his word to Mary. He knew, that in Woodlands it wouldn't be easy for an outsider to get in. Texas was a law itself. Every man by law had the right to shoot dead anyone, who stepped on his property without permission. On the fourth day, they arrived to Woodlands. An old man was standing on the side of the road, cleaning his gun. "Well, well! Fitzgerald with a pretty girl. Who's crying for her,old dog?" The dark skinned man snorted and continued his work.

"Ya still alive?" John answered with a small smirk as his horse walked their way.

"Ain't easy to die,son!" He shouted back.  John didn't reply more, just made his way to the small village and took his way to his ranch. It was outside the village, a large property with a wooden house in the middle. Once they stepped through the gates, the dogs surrounded them and John jumped down with a deep groan. "Well that's it," he said to Mary, helping her down.

Mary curiously looked around, until her eyes stopped on John. "It's nice here," she told him quietly. The huge range land, house was big enough for a big family and she still pondered, if John truly lives alone. His dogs were jumping around and she only swallowed hard kn the memory as they hunted her in the forrest. However they seemed very friendly now and she dared to pat one of them on the head and got a broad lick back. She smiled. Maybe for the first time ever, he saw her sweet smile as she looked at the dogs, who were trying to  get the attention.

"In the summer it's hot like a bitch. Ya won't stand ya own skin, but well..." he shrugged, after he quickly looked elsewhere and walked towards the door and opened with his key. Inside the interior was simple. Not so clean or fresh, being locked for a couple of months too, but better than any brothel or hostel. "Upstairs there's a spare room," he nodded, letting her know, that she can sleep there. "On the closet ya'll find some of my mom's dresses. They'll fit. She was skinny like ya..." he murmured, going straight to the pantry to see, what he needed to get. And boy, he had a lot to get.

Mary was mostly quiet. She went to the room, where John showed her. He then left to a market and exhausted as she was, she took some sleep. The next day, she woke up early. Earlier than John. She put ont the clothes, that she found in a closet and quietly she made her way through the house. And she started to clean. From clothes, that she collected to dusting off furniture. Meanwhile she organized pantry with things, that John bought. She prepared dough to bake a bread, put on the stove pot to boil eggs and prepared coffee. From a butter and eggs, small piece of bacon and some fresh herbs, she found in garden, she made a spread, that she put on the freshly baked bread and put on the table with coffee. Once John woke up a smell of freshly made food, baked bread hit his nose and to the silence of the room, Mary's voice sounded as she was finishing wiping the floor.
"I wish I was a butterfly,
I'd fly to my love's breast;
I wish I was a linnet,
I'd sing my love to rest;
I wish I was a nightingale,
I'd sing till morning clear,
I'd sit and sing to you, Pollie,
The girl I love so dear..."
She sang softly, while she was knelt down on the floor and washed it from dust and dirt.

John was coming from the stairs, trying at first to recognise his own house. It never looked cleaner than now, until his eyes fell on Mary on the floor. "What ya doin' there?" He frowned, watching her.

Mary, as she was in a movement, she was throwing a dirty cloth to wet it in a bucket and she jerked her body so much, it fell and half of water split on the floor. "Godness," she gasped and with scared eyes quickly tried to clean up the mess. "I'm sorry. I wanted... Forgive me, please," she stuttered, wiping water with shaking hands like she expected, he'll go and beat her for being clumsy.

"Ya don't have to clean. Mrs Davids will come once in a while to clean the place," he said to her, rubbing his eyes as he moved to the small kitchen to see the table filled. "Ya coming?" He shouted behind at her as he started to bite around the stuff she made.