Drifter, a Malachi Boardman story

arrival

i gave up
i left home
i didn't look back

it was like every other night, my father would come home drunk as always, i was so sick of it i left,
nothing had been the same after mom died
the farm just sat, the cows and horses sat in the fields untouched by a mans hand,
the Felds of corn and potatoes sat in their weed ridden state
and i sat
in my"room"
well not anymore, i thought as i began to sort through my possessions, i lay the navy colt, a change of clothes, and a small pouch of essentials
the colt had been my grandfathers passed on and on,
as i left i had taken the rusty war relic off of its resting place above the main door way, my great grandfathers saber,
i placed my weather beaten black stetson apon my head and slid the boots on my feet,
as i walked to the stables i didnt look back,

i placed the saddle on my mares back, cinching it down in the process, tied my fathers percheron to the saddle and rode off
i had everything i needed to leave this town,
my eyes trailed down the strait flat and misty road ahead of me, it was perhaps five in the morning, the saddle was getting uncomfortable now after hours and hours in it .
i stopped to take a break,
i had been away from home for more than 12 hours
i was far enough for now,
and didn't realize until then how unfamiliar this place was
nothing but corn for as far as the eye could see,
i mounted and kept going until till i seen the town,
the bright rays of sunlight shown now, everything was clear,

you quickly found a small pasture you could leave your fathers horse

i decided to look around, it seemed nobody was here, it was a ghost town,

"well looks like its just us" you said to your horse,
you watered her and put her with your fathers,
you hid your saddle bags, but carried the saber with you along with a canteen,
this place was Erie
not a soul

i looked everywhere, before i felt my stomach rumble,
i looked at the corn field, thinking of the horses i left,
i began it break off a few ears of corn when i heard it,
walking
i kept quiet
it just barley passed me
i walked farther into the corn as quietly as i could
stopping when i reached an old dilapidated barn, then i slowly backed into it not caring what was behind me, i stopped when i felt something sharp starting to dig at my back
i looked over then up following a dusty plaid shirt
my eyes met the new pair of ice blue eyes
i was in a daze

"move outlander" he firmly called
i stood their frozen it was a shock to see someone else here
"were you following me?"
i began to back up
"yes outlander, i wish to give you peace here" he said while hesitantly pointing the machete at you, backing you into a corner
you let him
when you were about five feet from the wall you said
"i don't need peace" as you unsheathed your saber
he fluently moved,
his machete moving seamlessly through the air, but you were not slow, and with the sabers light weight you bested him nearly
he backed away dropping his weapon away
you gad taken this as a sign of surrender, so you also discarded your weapon
clearly this was a mistake on your part as he rushed you in an attempt to nock you over he succeeded, but he went down with you, you grappled before he was played out, you had successfully defeated your opponent,
as he lay there your sitting form collapsed on top of him as he gave a defensive shove, one hand on his shoulder your head on his chest
you had knowingly spared him
and you believed he allowed you to rest
you both lay there gasping for air

you then had taken in his features
his longish wavy red hair ice blue eyes and slight freckles, he was attractive at least

you got up and reached for the saber, he grabbed the knife off his belt defensively . Diana you said extending your hand offering it as an aid
you tossed him his machete

"Malachi"
he said grabbing it

as he got up you took notice of the fact that he loomed over you by about a foot
you caught a glimpse of shock in his eyes, before it was replaced by rage

you were near the wall and he pushed you into it, bended to your level
he then proceeded to say something you about never being bested
you couldn't all of it understand, it sounded like he was trying to be threatening, "
thats ok"
you pushed him away
you grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him closer to you were inches away from his face

his eyes looked softer now, and much less mean

you moved to exited the barn but not before he could yank you back
"where are you going"
you looked back at him
"i have animals to take care of"

you brushed his hand off and walked away, him maintaining only a foot or two of distance behind you
you didn't really mind to be honest, you liked this new company

you came to the small pasture

"its been so long since i have seen one"
come on, you hopped the fence
he hesitantly followed you
"come here"
you patted the back of your fathers horse,
he climbed on
he watched you
" why have you come here"
"i ran away"
"from what?"
"none of your buissness"
"why did you try to kill me?"

"you are an outlander it is my duty,
issac told me that a lone woman would pass by in a few days time"

"w-who is Isaac? how did he know i would come?"
"he who walks behind the rows knows everything, he said that you would not run" that your venture here was destined to happen.
"you know nothing"

time skip

"what's going on out here, why isn't their anyone
"Isaac"
"who is Isaac?
"you must meet him soon"
"well why don't we get it out of the way?"
you could tell he was hesitant now
you insisted, but Malachi was worried

heasitantly he took you to the church "Isaac- this is the outlander."

"she came willingly Isaac
she wants to stay"

isaac began to question me
"where do you come from outlander?"
"not far, i left home, i wished to be in a place like this
quiet"
isaac seemed pleased with this,
"what possessions do you bring?"
malichi cut in
"she brings horses, they can be very usefull isaac, and weapons"
"very well then, we welcome you"
he said with an odd smile on his face, one thst showed the slightest amount of pain

isaac told me i need to get aquatinted, so i stayed on the ege the fire pit accompanied by Malachi , (the only one who had any sense of familiarity) even after attempting to spill my blood.

i was contemplating turning around and going back to the barn, it felt like the first day of school always should, except this classroom wasn't as forgiving.
"Malachi then stood up,
"i will introduce you, outlander
this is Amos and rachel,
joseph and eve, john

he named dozens more but you couldn't recall them all

we weren't their long before Isaac motioned malichi and i over,
"now as someone will need to wach you until you can be trusted i leave you with Malachi,
you will attend duty on an assigned position, Malachi will watch you