Katelyn 'Kit' "The Wildcat" Lancaster

Desperation Makes You Reckless

Katelyn woke to the sound of birdsong. Her good eye flew open and she lay still in panic. It took her a moment to realize why she was not in her camp, in her bed roll, by her campfire, with Augustus grazing next to her. Instead she was laying on the hard ground, in a poor excuse of a bedroll, surrounded by scrub brush and the stolen morgan horse. She sat up gingerly, feeling the full effect of the beating she received yesterday. Her left eye was still somewhat swollen and tender to the touch. She'd get over it easily though, she always did. This was just a few scrapes and bruises, nothing she couldn't handle. She turned to sit facing the overlook of the road, quietly observing the area in the predawn light.

Katelyn sat this way until the sun broke over the horizon to her left, blinking away the sleep and contemplating her new situation. She would lay low here for a while she decided. She wanted to make sure that she shook the remainder of the O'Driscolls off her tail before heading back to Gus and her camp.

Katelyn turned her head and looked up over at the Morgan horse, eyes slightly squinted while she studied him. She got up and slowly approached it, her hand extended for him to sniff. The horse turned his ears back and snorted, shifting his weight a little. Cautiously he sniffed her hand, before pulling away and prancing a bit. "Shh, shh, it's alright boy" she said, rubbing his muzzle and patting his neck. It took a while but he finally calmed down enough to stand still. "Atta boy" she said encouragingly. "It's just my luck that I nabbed the skittish horse from the group" Katelyn mumbled to herself.

She slowly made her way down to the saddlebags, always keeping a hand on the horse to make sure he was comfortable with her movement. She didn't want him to spook and have him throw his hoof into her stomach, she was already bruised enough. She searched the saddlebags, coming up with a half drank bottle of whiskey, a small pouch of coins, a can of chewing tobacco, and three cigars. Her loot wasn't completely useless, but it didn't have the one thing she was looking for. Food. As her stomach kept reminding her, Katelyn hadn't eaten in well over a day now. She'd find something to eat somehow, she assured herself.

Katelyn walked back to the front of the Morgan, putting her hands on either side of its muzzle and looking intently at him. "If I'm gonna have you around, I'll have to name you." She thought for a moment. "I'ma call you Drifter, cause I know you'll eventually drift outa my life." Drifter just looked at her and made no opposition to his new title. "Well that's settled then." Katelyn patted Drifter on the forehead and walked back to the bedroll.

For most of the day Katelyn sat in thought, watching the area for any sign of the O'Driscoll boys. Otherwise she would nap or fool with Drifter, getting him to trust her more and more.

It was late afternoon when the wind shifted. It started blowing from the southwest. Katelyn had just finished brushing down Drifter when she heard the faint sounds of voices. She stoped what she was doing and tilted her head to listen. There was a lot more than four voices. "Could those four boys have gotten reinforcements that quickly?" She thought in a panic. "Unlikely" she answered herself. And the longer she listened, Katelyn was sure that there were women's voices mixed in there too. The O'Driscolls don't run with women. She listened a while longer, catching bits of what must be song here and there. Whoever they were were sure having a fun time. Intrigued, and hungry, Katelyn worked her way along the outcropping to where it was closest to the noise. It was coming from a big group of trees below and to the left. Horseshoe Overlook was through those trees, if she remembered correctly. If she looked at just the right spot and the trees swayed correctly, Katelyn thought that she could catch a glimpse of a fire way off in there.

Katelyn made her way back to Drifter as fast as she could manage quietly. She undid his reins from around the tree and led him out into the open, near the train tracks. They past a small road as they followed the tracks approaching the edge of the group of trees that housed the potential threat. When she had gotten to about the middle area of the trees she loosely tied Drifter in a small clearing and began to sneak her way in. She stopped at the crest of the small hill and looked down into the trees below. Katelyn did not like doing this. Things like this was not normal for her unless it was to attack enemies. For all she knew, this could be a bunch of city folk out on a camping trip. But she was hungry and they were bound to have food she could take.