Shepherd(A Disney Fan Fiction)

Chapter 1: The Doppelgänger

Good bye may seem forever. Farewell is like the end, but in my heart is the memory and there you will always be
-The Fox and The Hound

1888

Years passed Jake was 11 years old, he became an expert marksman with single-action revolvers and mastering the skill of fan firing able to hit every bottle with precision and ease. The more Jake got older the more cruel and emotionally abusive his father became. Jake's father taught him skills essential for surviving the frontier like hunting, fishing, tracking his way home and navigating the rugged and dangerous terrain since him and his father would herd sheep and cattle around parts of the territory.

The day was hot, but the forest trees blocked the sun and casted a warm glow through the trees. Jake was riding to town to get some supplies for the house, life became more dangerous than it was here in the western United States he had to keep the .45 cattlemen single action revolver his father gave him when he was 4 years old with him to make sure an outlaw or a hostile Native American didn't jump out and ambush him while he was out by himself. Jake glanced around admiring the beauty of the forest spotting a few white tail deer as he rode along but realized the town was up ahead, the town had grown with many locals moving in since the railroad tracks were finally built connecting the town to other states and territories allowing the town population to grow. Jake heard stories of some of the people in the town a few being soldiers that fought alongside his father in the war they desperately fought achieving victory in the end but they never came back the same especially his father but one soldier in the town kept his spirit up despite the scars he faced during the battles. Jake rode his horse through the town getting a few stares from the locals but not in the way he was an outlaw or bad man as he passed by, the bank came to his mind he heard many towns were starting to build banks in the center of towns to make capturing outlaws easier, robbing was such a big issue in the western United States that every town required all locals to carry and if the civilians got an outlaw while robbing a bank they would be rewarded good money he heard the pay was $50,000. Jake rode next to the bank the general store being down the street, the massive building caught his attention making his horse come to a stop to admire the building until he heard the alarm go off inside and a loud explosion causing his horse to panic and almost jump but Jake reacted quickly calming his horse down while people started to approach the bank keeping their distance waiting for lawmen to come. Jake stared at his gun but never thought of taking a human life bad or not, he turned his attention back to the bank in watching with curiosity and concern waiting for a group of outlaws to burst through the front doors and start firing. Some locals watched the bank doors and waited for what might unfold but nobody came out as the alarm to the bank stopped the streets then fell into a heavy silence, Jake used this opportunity to get away just as he was about to leave the bank doors burst open and a group of outlaws heavily armed with shotguns and Winchesters stormed out. Jake glanced back in shock as the gang started exchanging fire with the locals "YAW!" Jake whipped the reins to spur the horse. The horse bolted out of town carrying Jake riding out of town away from the chaos hearing the echoes of the gunfight as people took cover and hid in the buildings.

Jake never looked back as he rode into the forest, the chaos of the gunfight faded behind him and got quiet. His mind raced and his heart beat rapidly as he began to wonder if going back to the town was worth the risk to get the supplies he needed since outlaws did start settling in towns to control and terrorize them. He heard many stories in the frontier but one he was fascinated with was a story now legendary in the west "The Clanton Gang" tried to take control of a town in Arizona territory called Tombstone but was stopped by some brothers who were known as the Earp brothers and with the help by a man named Doc Holliday back in 1881 the American frontier will not run out of stories. Jake slowed his horse down and scanned his surroundings and glanced over his shoulder to make sure nobody followed him he stared through the trees the sun still dimly lit but blocked off by the trees. His heart started to pound rapidly like it was going to burst out his chest, the fear going back home empty-handed weighed down on him knowing his father would be furious at him and the punishment he might receive sent a chill down his spine. Jake closed his eyes and took a deep breath turning his horse around gripping the reins tightly and rode back to the town fear etched in his face.