Out Of Time

The River

"Hey, we brought some food back, boys!" Sam yelled.

She was incredibly sore now but she didn't care. She'd hunted and killed two deer. She got off her horse and tried to lift the deer off the rump...and she actually managed it. Barely.

"You sure you got that?" Charles asked.

"Yup," she grunted. No, she wasn't sure, but she made it slowly the cooking cottage.

"Well, well, well..." Mr. Pearson said, sounding impressed. "Just drop it down in here."

"Gladly," Sam groaned and she hoisted it off her shoulders, letting it slam onto the ground. "Jesus Christ, that bitch was heavy."

Mr. Pearson let out a mighty guffaw and shook his head. "You got quite a mouth on you, sailor."

"Yeah, I do," Sam replied, bending herself backwards. Just as Charles laid the other deer on the chopping table, Arthur came walking in. Sam beamed at him. "Oh, it's too dangerous for you out there, he said. Well guess what? I just killed myself some deer! How do you like them apples?"

Arthur, with a bemused expression, examined the deer and blinked. "You killed the both of them. Really?"

"I sure did!"

Charles laughed at her. "Yeah, I watched her do it. She's a natural with that bow."

"And I even carried one...well, most of the way. Damn things are so fucking heavy."

Arthur started laughing. "God damn, the mouth on you, woman."

Like a child, Sam stuck her tongue out at him and turned to Mr. Pearson. "Can you show me how to skin one?"

"Sure I can, just give me a minute with this one," he said.

"What a surprise," Arthur said, walking over to the pot to warm his hands by the fire. "To find the camp rat loiterin' around in the kitchen."

Sam looked over at the man with a beard sitting down on a bench with a bottle in his hand. "Is that any way to greet an old friend? I feel like we haven't spoken for days," the man said.

Charles and Sam went to warm their hands by the fire. "I do my utmost to avoid you," Arthur said.

"Oh, he loves me really...it's his sad way of showin' affection."

"No it isn't! Now shoot, get lost."

The man got up with a grunt. "Well, see you gents...and lady later," he said as he walked out.

"See you got on just fine," Mr. Pearson said, motioning his ladle towards the dead deer.

"Yeah, it was fun!" Sam replied. Despite feeling sore as hell, it was rather fun.

"Well, I have to say I'm impressed, Miss Burke. Looks like you found a way to earn your keep around here. Have a drink, you earned it," Mr. Pearson said, handing Sam a bottle.

Earn her keep? She wasn't planning on staying...then again, where was she going to go if she couldn't get back home? "Well, uh...has that been decided? I mean, not that I wouldn't be grateful, but, well...shouldn't that be Mr. Van der Linde's decision? He is the boss, right?" She took a drink and almost choked on it. "Oh my God, what the fuck is in this?! The devil's piss?!"

All three men burst into hysterics. "Navy rum, miss. It's the only thing, the only thing. Ha ha ha. Keeps you sane, it does."

Charles had a swig of the stuff, as did Arthur. "Yes, seems to have done a treat on you," Arthur said to Pearson. "And as far as Dutch goes about you stayin', well, we'll see, Miss Burke."