The Savage and the Gunslinger (COMPLETED)

Chapter 3

After a two hour ride, her cabin finally came into view. 

Her pack mule Smokey, and milking cow Daisy, greeted her loudly with mooing and braying from the corral. She shook her head and smiled as she watched the two of them pace back and forth on the other side of the fence, leaving a cloud of dust under their hooves.

 She loved all her animals, even the psychotic rooster that always tried to attack her when she wasn't looking. He was the only chicken that had a name and it fit him perfectly.

Demon. That damned bird had scratched her legs up pretty good a few times and was lucky he didn't end up in the cooking pot at the end of the day.

Sighing deeply, she admired the work she'd done to her home over the years. Her father had taught her how to build and repair thing's fairly well throughout her youth. She'd built everything herself with no help from anyone. Just her own two hands.

Not once had someone even offered to help her with anything on her land. Everything from the barn, corral, chicken coop, outhouse, and the smoke house had been done alone. Her father relentlessly told her she would always need to rely on herself, and that's what she did.

'Aiyanna, there will come a time when you will learn everything I've showed you, was taught for a reason. The Great Spirit will not allow me to live forever.' He would always say to her. Always using a stern, harshness in his voice. She took all those words to heart and it had been a good thing that she had. 

She reined her horse over to her barn, laughing as he practically took her head off with his eagerness to be fed his portion of oats.

Once her feet were planted on the ground, she unsaddled him with ease. Once all his tack was off he vigorously shook his body, the sweat from the saddle surely making him itch. She knew once he was inside the corral he was going to make haste to roll in the dirt.

After feeding Cheveyo, her pack mule Smokey, and Daisy, she walked over to her work bench beside the barn and went to start repairing the broken traps she had found a few days ago. No doubt torn apart from a grizzly bear or a poacher.

That was when it all hit her. She had forgotten everything she had bought in the general store when she'd ran out to Cheveyo. She couldn't fix anything without her supplies. Cursing at herself for being so forgetful, she'd have to go back tomorrow.

"Damnit!" She snarled, throwing a metal hammer back on the table. The clatter made Raven jump to his feet. This day was just not going as she had planned.

Raven's attention was soon directed to something else. When Raven began to growl, his hair started to stand up on his back, and he revealed his long canines. He bolted around the barn like a bolt of lightning and she heard him start to growl and snarl even more once outside.

She grabbed her rifle that leaned against the barn, and peered around the corner. She steadied herself and lined up the sight and got ready to pull the trigger.

"Anna, it's just me! Call off the mutt! I brought your stuff from the general store!" Marshal Ray yelled, while holding her bag of supplies in the air. His horse was spooked and refused to come any closer with Raven standing in front of him. Every time the Marshal went to go around him, Raven would put himself in front of the two. He wouldn't let anyone get close to his master, unless she allowed otherwise.

"Raven, 'hago'." Instantly he stopped what he was doing and came to her side as she put her rifle down, leaning it back against the barn.

The Marshal then rode closer to her, handing her the bag.

 "Thanks, Marshal Ray. You really didn't have to do this." She said, her tone held a bit of worry. This is the first time she'd ever been alone with him and it startled her a great bit. The fact that she knew how he felt about her made her even more nervous. She didn't fully trust the Marshal, no matter how long they'd been friends.