Two Outlaws, One Bounty

Part 4 - The Trip

SECTION 1/2 - PART 4

Ethan awoke earlier in the morning. Sitting up, he looked over at Paytah, still asleep on the cot. He stands up and walks out of the tent, stretching his back. He walks over to the water and takes a piss. Buttoning his Union suit back up, he walks back into his tent. Changing into his normal attire. Paytah stirs at the sound of shuffling clothes. Looking at him with sleepy eyes.

"Good... Morning..."

Paytah yawns. Sitting up on the cot he rubs his eyes of sleepiness. He hops off the bed and walks over to the washtub on the back of the wagon. Splashing water onto his face, he watches as Ethan starts to pack everything up.

"Get your things together, sweet cheeks. We're leaving for Fort Wallace..."

Paytah sighs softly. Looking at Ethan with tired eyes. He grabs his satchel and tosses it over his shoulder. Climbing onto the back of the wagon, he watches as Ethan packs up the tent.

"Your horse is... Pretty..."

He looks at Shortcake, finding the strawberry colored Breton to be very pretty. Ethan looks at him with a small smile as he compliments his horse.

"Oh, him? That's Shortcake... He's been a good horse..."

Ethan finishes packing up everyone and tosses the rest of it into the back of the wagon. Stomping out the fire, he hops onto the wagon, grabbing the reigns. He looks back at Paytah.

"So, what do you know bout.... Lindsey Wofford...?"

Paytah pauses as he says the name. He looks at him as if he just said a cursed word, that would make them have bad juju or something.

"He... is evil man..."

He speaks angrily. Which is pretty rare for Paytah, since he's usually such a sweet and wise man. Ethan looks back at him as he drives the wagon towards Fort Wallace.

"Well... I know that..."

Ethan growls softly. Just the mention of his name made him want to punch a hole straight through his chest and rip out his heart. Looking at the road ahead, he can't help but admire the beautiful views up here. He's never been up here before, whereas, Paytah grew up here.

Looking out on the beautiful landscape, Ethan looks back at Paytah. His eyes filled with a sort of admiration he has never felt for anyone before. Paytah looks at Ethan, his expression quite confusing for him.

"What is it...? Do... Have... Something on face?"

Ethan flushes as he gets caught staring at him. Ethan stops the wagon. Looking at Paytah, he can't help but fall for this Native man... He's so gorgeous... And yet he's taller than Ethan...

"It's 'Do I have something on my face?'... Okay...? You've gotta work on that grammer..."

Flicking the reigns, Ethan drives them along the road towards Fort Wallace. After a good while of driving, Ethan notices how bored Paytah looks. He stops the wagon on the side of the road. Hopping off, he walks to the back, where Paytah's sitting. Digging through his stuff, Paytah looks at him curiously.

"What are... you doing...?"

Ethan digs around for a while, before pulling out a decently sized book. Handing it to Paytah, he has a soft expression on his face.

"Can you read..?"

Paytah looks down ashamed. Before answering in shame.

"No... I was... never taught..."

Ethan let's out a sigh. Walking over to unhitch Shortcake from the wagon, he let's Shortcake get some water at the river. Sitting down on a log, he pats beside him. Paytah hips off the back of the wagon and walks over, sitting down next to the cowboy. Looking at the book in his hands, he attempts to read it.

"Gra... mer... For... New... bees...?"

Ethan gives him a proud smile. Wrapping an arm around his back to rub his shoulder.

"Yeah, that's not too bad...! It's grammar for newbies... See... you know how to read... You just need some practice. Try reading this page to me."

Paytah attempts to read the first page of the book, trying his best to make out what the words say. And Ethan makes sure to help him along the way. Correcting him if he makes any mistakes. Before they know it, it's nighttime, so Ethan sets up their camp. They're about halfway to Fort Wallace now. Not too long before they get there. He sets up the campfire, and the tent. After he's finished he looks around, noticing Paytah's missing. He panics...

"Paytah...? PAYTAH! WHERE'D YOU GO?"

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SECTION 2/2 - PART 4

His heart racing, he runs around the camp, trying to find him, but eventually stumbles upon him sitting in the moonlight peaking through the tree canopy. Ethan let's out an angered/relieved sigh.

"Don't do that, damnit...! You scared the shit outta me..."

Sitting next to Paytah, he notices what he's doing. He's carefully weaving some of the morning glory flowers into a flower crown. He places it upon his head. Looking at Ethan with a blank expression. Yet Ethan still thinks he looks cute. Paytah then sits another flower crown next to Ethan.

"Yours... I'm going... hunting..."

Paytah says as he walks off into the woods to find them something to eat for supper. Looking down at the flower crown, Ethan can't help but fall even harder in love with him... He's never felt this way for anyone... He takes the flower crown in his hands and ties it onto his rifle. Looking at it glowing in the moonlight... He can't help but get the urge to protect this man at all costs...

Ethan goes back to their camp and gets his flask. Filling it up with water from the river, he walks over to the campfire and sits down. Shortcake, his horse, is laying down in the grass nearby, getting some much needed rest. It doesn't take too long, before Paytah comes back with a large buck. Ethan is extremely surprised and impressed, not expecting the young man to be able to get something so large. Let alone, drag it all the way back to camp.

"Well, I'll be damned... Good job, Pay...! We'll be able to dry most of him out for jerky, that way we'll have some food on the road."

Paytah is beaming with pride, proud that he caught such a large piece of prey. Like a kitten boasting to its mother about its first mouse. Considering that Paytah, the last time he went hunting, his tribe didn't care much for him. They didn't even congratulate him or anything. Being with Ethan... Is such a nice change for him...

Ethan helps Paytah drag the buck near the campfire. Cutting into the buck and skinning it, he hands Paytah a pound of meat for them to cook for supper. Ethan cuts the rest up into thin strips to hang up in the back of his wagon with some salt, that way they'll have jerky. Ethan looks at Paytah with such loving eyes. But he shakes away his thoughts, considering they've only just met a few days ago.

Paytah hangs up all the meat onto the back of 'their'... Their...? Wow... He must be attached to this cowboy already... Anyways... He hangs up the meat, and walks over to sit by Ethan at the campfire. He's roasting the deer meat to perfection. Placing each piece down in either one of their plates. Paytah can't help but notice that any piece that was too burnt or weirdly shaped, that Ethan would put it on his own plate. But every other piece, he would give him them to Paytah. He can't help but feel so loved.

Paytah and Ethan fell asleep in the tent nicely. Ethan on the floor, and Paytah on the cot. Paytah had his arm hanging off of the cot, and Ethan was holding his hand... They sleep peacefully... They have no idea, what was to come... Especially relating to their current, unestablished, relationship...

END OF PART 4