Meant to live

Chapter 8

"They're here..."

Amelia heard the faint rush of the wind as it hit her face. Thomas was sound asleep with his arms tightly around her as he snored. One hand was at her stomach while the other was at her breast. She smiled as she pried Thomas away from her throbbing flesh. An ache ran through her muscles as she remembered the night from before.

After she had finished crying, Thomas had made love to her again and again. He made her see the stars, made her hoarse, made her limp and then started over again until they were lost in each other.

She listened to the nature outside. She covered herself with the hunting clothes she was given as she crawled out of the tent and saw the rising dawn from the east.

Out the side of her eyes, Amelia saw the back of a man that wasn't from the village. He was standing at the top of the ridge, it looked like he was relieving himself. She remembered who it was from the back of his head.

Daniel could barely stand as he slowly walked away from the top of the mountain ledge. He must have been there to spy on the villagers, waiting for Rickwall to gather more men. She turned around and saw Thomas asleep on the furs.

She couldn't stop herself as she grabbed her gun from her possesions and started to climb the rocks to follow Daniel. Little Shadow watched as Amelia left the tent. Amelia climbed the tops of the rocks as she followed a drunk Daniel.

"What are you doin'," she asked herself when she realized she was far away from the safety of Thomas and the village.

She turned her head back the way she came and made a choice to go back and warn them that Rickwall's men were close by. She turned back and felt hands grab her from behind and drag her away. She tried to scream but someone had already tried a rope around her mouth to keep her quiet. She flailed and kicked as hard as she could but it was no use.

She heard the savage chuckles of men as she was tossed to the ground. Daniel grabbed her gun and twirled it in his hand as he fired a shot at her feet. She jumped away as she tried to keep her distance from his men. Her head darted around. There was Daniel with her gun and her sister's locket hanging from his pocket. There were Noah and two other men. She turned as she heard a whistle from behind her.

A rough hand slipped to her tender throat as she looked up to the Devil. Rickwall stood tall as he lifted her from the ground. He laughed as he squeezed her throat and pulled her close as she clawed at his gloved hands. He inhaled at the side of her face as he pulled the rope away from her mouth.

"Looks like we got ourselves a wandering squaw, boys. It would seem you're a long way from home, little woman."

"That's no squaw, Rickwall. That's the dead whore's sister and from what I saw last night, she's also the new Deputy's girl."

"Is that so?"

He let Amelia go as she tumbled to the ground, gasping for air. Rickwall stepped back and Noah gave a swift kick to Amelia's stomach as she was lifted from the force of his leg. Little Shadow had to tear herself away and run for help.

Little Shadow raised her voice as high as she could to wake everyone without alerting the men in the canyon. Men raced from their tents at the sound of her voice, as did Thomas. He looked around when Amelia wasn't next to him.

"White man!" Thomas dressed himself quickly and stumbled outside as Little Shadow ran to the tent. "They have her! She followed them to the canyon and they're going to kill her."

A single gunshot rang in the hills as Thomas' heart dropped. The village turned as another shot rang out. There could still be a chance that she was still alive. This woman was going to be the death of him.

"Give me my gun!" Little Shadow shouted as a little boy returned with his gun. "Take me to her! Now!"