If you have been following the Busted Gulch story here at the Storytellers Saloon then you know Ruechari has been selected for a special destiny...yet to be revealed. Having grown up in the KitKat Nation. Chief DamagedGoods was the only father she h...
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Billy couldn't believe he was facing down a grizzly. Well, not a grizzly but Ruechari. Or however, that worked. Either way, he was in some serious trouble and he couldn't even defend himself not really. He couldn't afford to hurt her.
Slowly he backs towards the entrance of the cave.
The grizzly stood up on two legs filling the cave. The horses were starting to panic. Either he was going to be eaten by the bear or trampled by the horses; he found neither fate very appealing.
"Come on Rue... it's me Billy? I need you to be you... come back, Rue."
She took a swipe at him and caught his arm. Damn that hurt. He could feel the claw got him good. He groaned. His pain seemed to register with the beast and it went back down to all fours and stared at him.
"Okay, Rue. I'd say we're even for that kiss I stole back in Swamp Gold but I need you to come back now."
"You been in the desert too long Billy boy you're startin' to talk to the wildlife." Came a slurred female voice from behind him. He heard the click of a rifle and just as the shot went off he hit her gun knocking off her aim.
It hit the cavern ceiling knocking some rocks to the floor. The grizzly was back on its feet.
"Watcha go and do that for. In case you haven't noticed I'm trying to save your life."
"Jane," Bill said taking her riffle from her, "that ain't no bear."
Jane looked at the bear and then at Billy. "I know I've been hittin' the sauce pretty hard Billy but I know a bear when I see one. Calamity Jane, Famous Frontiers Woman, remember?"
Billy sighed. "Yes, it is a bear but not... you know...a bear."
"Did you just stutter or was that suppose to make sense," Jane asked watching with a wary eye as she was now without her gun and the bear was slowly stalking the two of them. They in turn slowly tried to back out of the cave.
"What do you know about Shamans?" Billy asked inching slowly not wanting to make any sudden movements.
"Shaman? Well hell. Wait... are you trying to tell me..." Jane now looked at the beast in a whole new light.
Billy almost laughed the look on Jane's face was so comical.
"Jane, meet Ruechari, the new Shaman of the West," Billy said waving toward the bear.
"Aww...Hell." Jane said echoing Billy sentiments exactly.
"Do you know what I could have done if you weren't here?" she asked in disbelief of her almost fatal error.
Billy thought about that for a second. Perhaps he was a good protector after all. Swamp Gold and the next two towns were his territories to protect. Jane, however, had the Caverns, Devil's Pass and several of the more remote areas. She preferred being out of doors. Cities and towns really did not suit her.
If she came upon Ruechari in her bear form she would have shot first and not bothered to stick around to ask questions later.
"She's running from, he calls himself, Reaper," Billy said.
Jane's eyes widened. She has had dealings with Reaper before. She's dealt with his little pets he likes to summon every now and again, large beastly birds that can cover the outlands in a swarm. It's been some time since he's last showed his face in Kittana Kittari lands. It worried her that this girl brought him back.
They both looked at the bear. So long as they stayed calm the bear seemed to reflect them.
"Any bright ideas, cause I'm fresh out," Billy said wishing he could help Ruechari.
"Got one, but if I try this I suggest no matter what happens you run and get some distance between you and that bear and some help for that there girl."
