Olivia goes West

Chapter 17

Sometime after dawn broke, Olivia awoke to find that she and Fievel were alone at their campsite, aside from a prairie dog left behind for them, and some food for the last neck of the journey. Running Coyote must have really wanted to get back to his wife, she thought with a smile. She sighed dreamily and turned to look at Fievel. This time they'd been able to put a blanket on the ground and another on top of them, using a supply pack as a pillow. It was better than their first night in the desert. She nudged his shoulder a bit.

"Come on, Filly," she giggled, using his nickname with endearment, "Ye sleepyhead, why's it always that I got to wake ye up?"

Fievel groaned and stretched, turning to look at her with half-lidded eyes.

"Did Running Coyote leave already?"

"Yes, but he left some things fer us to take with." she answered, sitting up and getting out from under the covers, straightening her dress.

"Guess he can't wait to be a papa," Fievel remarked, rubbing his eyes, "Hm, lets make some breakfast, I don't think we're very far away now."

Olivia nodded. The fire had been reduced to smoking embers now, but she took out her magnifying glass and squatted down to restart the flames that way. Fievel unpacked the slices of meat and fruits.

"We'll be very good at camping after this," Olivia said with a smile, "But I don't think after this I'm gonna want to camp for a long time."

"Me neither," Fievel said, finding a stick to roast the meat on, kebab style.

"So this time, when we go into that mine, we gotta be very quiet," Olivia said, "I know it's my fault we were caught the last time, I ain't gonna make the same mistake again. This time we got weapons too."

"Yeah," Fievel held the meat over the fire, "I'm pretty good with a slingshot, maybe I'll be good with a bow and arrow."

"Ye want it then? I'll take the axe I guess...couldn't imagine usin' it on someone though no matter how much they deserved it..." Olivia shuddered.

"I know, I don't like the sound of it either," Fievel said, "But they did try and kill us, so I guess it's fair game if we're defending ourselves, right?"

"Right, only as a last resort," she said, "Maybe if me daddy's tied up or something I can use it ta cut his ropes. It can be a useful tool."

Once done cooking the two of them ate their breakfast in relative silence, their minds focused on the task ahead. They also fed the prairie dog and gave it plenty of water. Once finished they poured sand over the fire and packed their supplies, mounting the prairie dog and heading off, following the river. They only rode for about an hour and a half before the town of Green River became visible in the distance. Fievel's face lit up at the sight of home.

"We canno' return without savin' me daddy and Wylie," Olivia said, "I know ye miss yer family and friends, I miss 'em too actually."

"I know Olivia," Fievel said sadly, "Well, let's keep going toward the mine."

They changed directions and rode west, the mesa that the mine was built into already coming to view. But it was broad daylight out.

"Should we just go in? They're gonna have a guard or something, especially in the daytime," Fievel said.

"I know, but they probably got guards all the time," Olivia said, "We've got our weapons to protect us this time."

"I'm just saying we should be smart about this. We don't wanna be captured and killed for real this time."

"But if they think we're dead, then they think no one knows about the mine, they'll be caught off guard," Olivia said with confidence, "I canno' wait another day bein' without me daddy."