Charles Smith x Reader

Thirty-Four

You decided to leave as night fell and the dark of the moon swallowed most of your movements with shadows.

The cows shook their heads, a little irritated that they were now tied to the side of a wagon that was pulled by the bull. Surprisingly, the bison had not tried to make a fuss about it was you had put a rope around his head to chain him in position.

With his head lowered and a weirdly calm manner he started to walk and allowed you to guide him with your horse in front of him.

The wheels started to roll.

"We gotta go down the main road.", you said. "No way we'd make it through the forest with this thing."

Charles agreed with a hum, made his horse turn and put himself at the top of the caravan.

"Wait up at the top. I'll go and see if anyone is out.", he said and leaned towards you with a smile. "Don't worry about me. I blend in with the dark."

You couldn't suppress the snort that made your nose crunch. It was a stupid joke but the way he said it so casually just sold it.

"Be safe.", you pushed him away gently with the tips of your fingers and a smile. "I'm right behind you."

His eyebrows raised, Charles smirked and rode off to check if the path was clear. You followed just far enough to be able to still see him in the distance but also remain unnoticed by others.

Your horse shook its head. Skin twitched and hooves dug into the dirt.

The bull raised his head to have a sniff of the air.

You frowned. Animals had a better sense for their surroundings than people did. There was no reason for him to check an area he was familiar with.

Unless something had changed about it.

Slowly, you let your gaze wander along the edge of the trees. Black trunks rose into the air, embraced by leaves and branches that trembled with the wind.

Goosebumps crawled up your arms.

It felt like shadows crept closer. But your eyes couldn't pin down if it was just an illusion created by your own senses or if it were real.

Your eyes jumped back to try and find Charles somewhere down the road. But he seemed like something had wiped him from the face of earth.

Cold sweat ran down your back.

"Charles?", you called down, not loud but clear enough for someone to pick it up.

The cows raised their heads. Ears moved. The animals could sense something nearby.

Nervousness crept up your throat and tied it. But you couldn't afford to start panicking now. It only made you more vulnerable than you had to be.

You threw a glance over your shoulder. Clarence peaked out of the wagon, his snoot raised into the air. He was still weak from his injuries and over the past months his age hadn't done him any favour either.

But now there was this spark in his eyes again. As if he had found a new reason to gather the strength to bark at the dark again.

"Stay here, boy.", you told him as you untied the rope that connected the bull with your saddle.

The old dog whined. His ears moved but he did not resist and lay down again, his head just outside the entrance to be able to watch how you disappeared behind the hill.

You held the reins of your horse tight as you guided it down the hill, just far enough to see the edge of the road snake past trees and rocks till the silhouette of a city rose into the dark night sky at the very edge of the horizon.

A figure passed your field of vision. Your eyes flinched and for a brief moment it felt like someone you didn't want to approve came closer.

But that wasn't the case.

Instead, Charles' horse walked up the hill. But Charles was missing. The horse was unmanned.

Struck by confusion, you let it walk passt you and made your horse walk further down until the wagon was but a small figure at the edge of a glowing red line that separated dawn and night.

"Charles?", you called into the night, your voice but a whisper as you were too afraid to attract unwanted attention.

Leaves rustled. Trees trembled with the force of the wind.

A shiver crawled through all of your limbs. It felt like a shadow had made its way below your skin, snug into your flesh and now tried to nestled in every single bone of yours.

"Charles?", you let yourself slide down the back of your horse, dust twirling up around your feet as you hit the ground, one hand reaching down to the back of your trousers to reach for the revolver.

Again, something rustled. Something tingled in the back of your neck. Hairs stood up straight.

"I'm here.", a low voice suddenly cut through the silence.

Startled, you twirled around to point the barrel of the revolver right at the direction from which the voice came from.

Startled, Charles raised both hand into the air.

You frowned.

"Why the hell would you scare me like that?", you asked with an irritated look on your face.

He raised both hands, one finger pressed to his lips to tell you to keep your voice low.

"They're close.", his voice was raspy due to the effort he needed to keep it low enough to not be heard in this moment of complete silence. "There's a convoy that approaches up the road. I don't think they have good intentions."

"So what now?", you mounted your horse again. "You got a plan?"

He huffed.

"I ain't Dutch."

"And I don't even know who that is. That's a yes or a no?"

Charles threw a glance over his shoulder, into the dark of the forest that shielded the two of you left and right.

"We might need to leave some things behind.", he said with a grin grin.

"Nah, I don't think so.", you turned your horse around. "We'll go through the forest."

"That's not possible."

"But it is. Just a lot harder."