The Stallion

Chapter Ten

Disclaimer: I do not own the Magnificent Seven.

Chapter 10- What's next?

When the two groups rejoin the others they decide they should continue moving towards their final target Rose Creek. The men accept Akira into the group and she decides to ride with the safest member Sam Chisolm himself. Sam has no problem with the arrangement and they take off into the canyon.

The canyon is deep and narrow and Joshua cannot help the feeling of being followed.

"Stay close to me," Josh whispers to Elizabeth turning to face her, "somethings not right about this place."

Elizabeth nods slowly, tightening her hands around his waist. When they camp for the night, Joshua takes the first watch and stands guard over Elizabeth and the rest of the team. In the morning, the team rises to the sounds of Jack Horne bellowing over the hill at full speed, guns raised.

"Indian! Indian!" he shouts and points over to the approaching Native American. Sam leaves his gun and approaches the man cautiously as to not spook him. Akira who has become quite attached to him follows thinking she might be able to help with translating. Behind her, Autumn and Elizabeth whisper to her, "Stay over here! Akira!"

"Greetings, we come in peace." Sam tells the man in Comanche.

"You speak Comanche?" the man replies in his native tongue.

"Some", Sam replies. Akira peaks out from behind him to observe the man. Compared to Sam, Akira is the size of a child, and both men tower over her. The man has a Mohawk down the middle of his head with red paint painted on the sides and on his face. He is muscular and riding the horse bareback with a dead stag across the top.

"Do you speak English?" Sam asks the man.

"Some." He replies.

Sam tells him in his best Comanche what they are doing, about the town of Rose Creek and the men they are traveling with.

Sam then turns to look down at Akira, "and this little one is Akira, she's new to the group. Akira is Apache, being Native American you both have something in common."

The man dismounts his horse and throws the stag to the ground looking at the men behind Sam. With every movement they clutch their guns tighter to their chests. The native man walks to the stag and cuts out the heart, still warm from the animal. He hands the animal to Sam as a peace offering and gestures for him to take a bite. Sam glances down at Akira who nods at him, and he takes a bite of the bloody sticky heart, handing if off to the man who gestures that he should give it to Akira.

Akira looks at the stranger, takes the heart, and takes a large bite out of the side enjoying, the taste, she hands it to him. Without his eyes leaving hers he bites the section she had just left, and Sam turns to announce to the group that he will be joining them. Sam begins to move back to the group but Akira does not follow. She is too enthralled with the man who will be joining their group. Akira opens her mouth to speak when Elizabeth yells for her.

"Akira are you coming?" Elizabeth ask. Akira regains her composure and turns from the man back to the group helping to clean up the mess. Not noticing the native man is still watching her and smiling.

About thirty minutes later, the group is dining on the stag meat, provided by the stranger who they have come to know as Red Harvest. When they finish they will continue the three day long journey to Rose Creek. The group finishes their meal, and packs up the leave, Elizabeth climbs on behind Joshua and Autumn holds on tight to Vasquez. Sam reaches down to help Akira when she is swept from the ground and placed on the horse with Red Harvest, who holds her tightly in front of him. The women pause to watch her, and make sure she is alright. When Akira does not protest they continue forward onto Rose Creek.

Akira not used to riding without a saddle, squirms on the horse to be more comfortable. From behind Red Harvest grunts with her movements. Akira turns to check on him, "Are you alright?" she asks.

"Stop," he tells her, "stop moving." With one strong arm he pulls the horse to a stop, grabs her around the waist and straightens her on the horse.

Akira gasps in surprise. Red Harvest readjusts them allowing her back to rest against his warm chest, and his arm to remain wrapped firmly around her waist.

"Safe," he tells her, "I will keep you safe."

Akira smiles softly to herself and Elizabeth who has turned to observe them smiles and returns her head to Joshua's.

When they are a few hours ride from Rose Creek the men break, to come up with a plan. Emma draws a blueprint of the town with the help of Elizabeth and Autumn. Sam decides the best course of action would be for him to enter the town and the others to hide at key locations to take out the enemy. Red Harvest would take out their roof gunners, and the others would be down on the ground. Emma would ride into town and keep to the church and when the fighting subsides let the townspeople know it is safe. The other three women Autumn, Akira, and Elizabeth would be tasked with staying out of sight hidden from view.

While Elizabeth did not like this part of the plan she agreed that staying out of view would probably be best because if any of the women were taken the men would be more concerned with keeping them safe than the plan. With the plan in motion the men and women rode the two hour ride to Rose Creek.