Surrender

[rvplymates]

Julia stopped and listened to the lilting sound of his voice. He was right of course and she realized now that shock had left her that she needed to thank him for saving her. She took a step toward him.

"I want to thank you for saving me from.............., well you know what you saved me from. I believe they would have killed me after they were done..............."

She found it hard as she looked into his eyes to say what needed to be said.

"I am grateful to you sir, but I need to find a place to wash and get out of these stinking clothing. They ripped mine to shreds"

She looked down demurely and a blush came to her face as she realized he had also seen her nude. Looking up she realized all her plans were dumb, he was right of course she would not survive a night amoung the wolves with the way she smelled and no bullets for her pistol. She crouched so she was at his level and looked into his eyes.

"May I stay for just this night and then I will leave in the morning"

 

[gagonthis]

He just shrugged again as she thanked him, picking up his Spencer and began cleaning it. "Truth be told I did nae do it to save ya. I been tracking these bandits for a week, plannin to take what was theirs and make it mine. You just happened to be a good distraction. Would have had to wait till nightfall if they hadn't come upon ya." He continued cleaning his rifle. Ignoring the unwelcome stirrings in his heart as she knelt down and looked into his eyes. "Yer welcome to stay with me for the night. There's some extra clothing amongst the possessions these thieves had, and a pond not more than five minutes walk south where you can wash yourself."

 

[rvplymates]

She stood and smiled as she did so. He was as she, keeping his feelings to himself as she would do. She walked over to him and crouched once more extending her dirty hand towards him.

"I am Julia Cromwell, and no matter what the reason, I thank you. If you would be so kind to give me those clothing you spoke of, I will go and clean myself"

She smiled as he worked on his rifle.

 

[gagonthis]

She seemed more calm now. That was good he supposed. He didn't want to have to worry about looking after an emotional wreck during the night. It had been a long night and he needed his sleep. He didn't look up from cleaning his rifle and didn't take her hand just grunting under his breathe. "O'Shien. O'Shien Toole." He waved over towards where the bedrolls were. "The clothing is in one of the backpacks over there. Nothing fancy, but enough to get by."

 

[landiek]

The man spooked enough and fled, it mattered not who he was to her as she pulled the rifle off her shoulder. The day lingered faster then she cared to recall. It was becoming apparent that her lovemaking cost most of the night and the blustered past too quickly. Cassi turned to the trees and looked for the signs to lead her back to camp. She was certain that Miz Julia would have went back to camp, any sensible woman knows to go to safety.

Cassi drifted into the woods and moved back towards the lake the horses were still tethered but the campsite was silent. "Masser Alex?"

 

[rvplymates]

She seemed more calm now. That was good he supposed. He didn't want to have to worry about looking after an emotional wreck during the night. It had been a long night and he needed his sleep. He didn't look up from cleaning his rifle and didn't take her hand just grunting under his breathe. "O'Shien. O'Shien Toole." He waved over towards where the bedrolls were. "The clothing is in one of the backpacks over there. Nothing fancy, but enough to get by."

Julia smiled again as he grunted his name, he seemed safe enough, at least he wasn't staring at her with those strange looks as Alex had. She stood, not taking offense that he had not taken her hand. She looked at it and could see why, it was filthy. So the pleasantries over, as they were, she stood and walked over to the bedrolls. He had quite a few but probably some of them belonged to the men he had killed. After going through a few she found clothing, she held them up to herself and realized they were way too big but what did it matter she would wash what she had on after she watched herself. As she went through the bedroll she found a blanket that she could use to dry herself and what is this, oh my God.

"Soap"

She could not be happier if she had found gold. She smelled it and as she turned her face was lit up with happiness as she looked down at the bar and held it with reverance. Her smiling eyes looked at him and for just a moment their eyes caught and then he looked back down at his rifle. Could he have been watching me. No, that was ridiculous of course. She gathered everything in her arms and headed in the direction he had told her to. Soon she was at the pond. She stripped the filthy clothing from her body and stepped into the water that turned out to be pretty deep. The water covered her to the neck. She dunk under the water and came up. She untied her hair and began to scrub at it with the soap. She sang a little southern song, her voice sweet as she cleaned herself. She rested in the water letting it soak her. There was a certain amount of pain on her back and behind areas, probably from when she was held on the ground. She would be surprised later on to find that gravel and stones were imbedded in her back from the ordeal.

 

[macmillian]

As Cassi said my name, I also stepped back into the clearing. I saw the Sharps in her hand and knew who had fired the shot. I walked over to her and placed my arm around her and took the Sharps from her.

"What happened?" I asked. "I woke up at the sound of a Shot and you were both gone. Don't leave me like that, Cassi, I was worried for you."

I walked over to the fire and stirred the coals and added some light fuel to the fire and the flames sprung to life and soon we had a small fire going. I put the coffee pot near the hot coals and went to the leanto.

 

[gagonthis]

Julia smiled again as he grunted his name, he seemed safe enough, at least he wasn't staring at her with those strange looks as Alex had. She stood, not taking offense that he had not taken her hand. She looked at it and could see why, it was filthy. So the pleasantries over, as they were, she stood and walked over to the bedrolls. He had quite a few but probably some of them belonged to the men he had killed. After going through a few she found clothing, she held them up to herself and realized they were way too big but what did it matter she would wash what she had on after she watched herself. As she went through the bedroll she found a blanket that she could use to dry herself and what is this, oh my God.

"Soap"

She could not be happier if she had found gold. She smelled it and as she turned her face was lit up with happiness as she looked down at the bar and held it with reverance. Her smiling eyes looked at him and for just a moment their eyes caught and then he looked back down at his rifle. Could he have been watching me. No, that was ridiculous of course. She gathered everything in her arms and headed in the direction he had told her to. Soon she was at the pond. She stripped the filthy clothing from her body and stepped into the water that turned out to be pretty deep. The water covered her to the neck. She dunk under the water and came up. She untied her hair and began to scrub at it with the soap. She sang a little southern song, her voice sweet as she cleaned herself. She rested in the water letting it soak her. There was a certain amount of pain on her back and behind areas, probably from when she was held on the ground. She would be surprised later on to find that gravel and stones were imbedded in her back from the ordeal.

O'Shien was examining her over his rifle as he cleaned it. He thought she was probably a pleasant looking lass under all that blood and dirt. Not that he really cared. Now she was a liability to him. Why had he agreed to allow her to stay with him this evening? She could probably handle herself in a fight, hell she'd killed five men earlier, but O'Shien was never much comfortable having other people along. He'd been a loner for many years now and having other people around only led to trouble.

"Here now!" He yelled as she headed to the pond. "Save me some of that soap lass!" He silently chuckled at the exuberence she exhibited finding something as simple as soap. These were tough times he thought to himself. Soap and other amenities were hard to come by and just finding something like soap could make a person feel normal again for a few minutes. It was the sad truth about this land, but O'Shien didn't let it touch him. He had lived through worse and he found his particular skills flourished in an environment like this.

He felt the unwelcome emotions rising in him again as he heard her voice carry back to the camp in song. She had a good voice he was forced to admit. He went back to cleaning his rifle, perhaps concentrating on it a little more than necessary.

 

[rvplymates]

Julia finally got herself out of the water clutching the soap in her hand, she walked up the embankment, happier then she had been in a long time. She took the banket and wrapped it around herself while she washed the bloodied clothing. When she was done they were stained but clean. She could always cut part of it away to fit her better and get rid of most of the stain.

Julia stood and unwrapped the towel from around her and moved it back and forth on her back by holding the edges and scrapping it back and forth.

"Ouch, what the heck is stuck in my back"

She tried to touch her back where it hurt and had a hard time reaching the problem.

"Damn what is the problem back there"

She gave up trying to find out and got dressed. Shaking her head to loosen her hair she smiled as it hung down her back almost to her backside. She gathered the things she had brought and walked back to camp. Laying the stained shirt and pants on the bushes. She walked back over to him.

"Thank you again, I am clean all over now.

 

[gagonthis]

O'Shien was sitting by the fire picking through his tobacco pouch and rolling himself a cigarette when Julia came back from the water, looking much more clean and, O'Shien was forced to admit, much more attractive than she had when she disappeared. "Good thing you got back when you did, darkness is falling, coyotes'll be coming out soon. In any case I'm going to go bath myself. You give a hollar if there's any trouble." With that he stood and grabbed a spare pair of clothing from his backpack and the remaining soap and gathered up his weapons, walking out of the firelight towards the pond.

 

[rvplymates]

Before Julia could ask for a weapon he was gone. She followed him back to the pond. Keeping her back to him she called out.

"O'Shien, may I borrow one of your weapons while your cleaning up, just in case of trouble. As you know I am out of bullets"

She tilted her head waiting for him to respond to her.

 

[gagonthis]

"Sorry lass, I don't know you well enough to let you have free reign of my guns. I won't be long here though, so if yer worried just sit yerself close by." He undressed quickly and waded into the pond, making sure everything was close enough by that he could keep an eye on. He let himself sink into the water, scrubbing himself vigoriously, trying to work weeks of dirt and grime out of his body.

 

[rvplymates]

Julia decided to stay by him in case trouble came to them. She sat on a log with her back to him. The stones and gravel in her back and backside was agitating her and she was wriggling about. She placed her hand under her shirt in back and ran her hand along her skin. Finding something rough she dug at it and as she plucked it out she groaned a bit. Looking at it she could see her own blood on the bit of gravel.

"Great"

She was so ingrossed in taking little stones and gravel out of the area she could reach she forgot that O'Shien was right there to watch.

 

[gagonthis]

O'Shien scrubbed his face, dunking himself underwater to was off. The soap was mostly gone, as he had to use a lot of it to work the dirt off. He came up above the water and saw Julia picking at her back. "Something be wrong with your back lass?"

 

[rvplymates]

Julia jumped when she heard his voice.

"Just some gravel and little stones inbeded in my back and other places. Probably from being held down and fighting those pigs"

She blushed a bit at the thought of what had happened but she was sure he couldn't see her coloring. She continued to work on her back, planning to move lower later when he was asleep.

 

[gagonthis]

He sighed. He knew this would be more difficult than he wanted. Best to take care of it now before anything got infected. "Alright hold on a second and I'll have a look at it. Don't want it to become anything serious." He finished rinsing his hair out and stepped out of the pond, grabbing an extra shirt to dry himself off. He tugged his pants on and walked over to her. "Let's go by the fire and have a look at it." He turned and walked walk towards the camp, scooping his shirt up as he went. He looked behind to make sure she was following him.

 

[rvplymates]

Julia stood up thinking he has to be kidding if he thinks he is going to look at my backside.

"Its not necessary, I am sure the rocks and things will work themselves out of me"

He had turned to see if she was following him and of course she would have to but he wasn't looking at her body, he had seen enough already.

 

[gagonthis]

"Ye ever had an infected wound lass? It's not a pretty sight. Ye don't properly clean that you may have a gangrene problem. You'll become right sick, yer blood poisoned and you'll die slowly in a great amount of pain. So I think maybe yeh should swallow your pride and modesty for a few minutes and let me take a lot to make sure there's nothing seriously wrong down there." He shrugged and went to sit by the fire awaiting her decision.

 

[rvplymates]

Julia's eyes opened wide as he explained what could happen. She walked over to him and lifted the back of her shirt a little so he could see. She didn't realize he could see a bit of her backside also.

"How does it look"

Rocks and gravel met his eyes as well as flesh and soft skin.

 

[gagonthis]

O'Shien cringed as he looked at her back. She had taken quite a nasty fall and it was scraped up quite badly. He also noticed the areas that weren't scrapped up, including her backside and he smiled slightly. She was a good looking lass all cleaned up. He stood up walking over to one of the backpacks. "This will be hurting a bit, but it's better than the alternative." He popped open a bottle of strong alcohol he had found in one of the bandit's bags and poured some into a cloth. He walked back behind her and using his hands he picked the rocks out of her back, trying to be gentle but still hearing her pained gasps with each rock pried out. Once they were all out he took the rag and rubbed her fresh wounds with alcohol. He was mildly surprised how well she took it, barely making any pained noises. She was tough that was for sure. He took one of the bandit's shirts and tore it up to make bandages. "If you'll lift yer shirt the rest of the way I can finish bandaging you and get this painful ordeal over."

 

[rvplymates]

Each stone and rock caused pain but Julia steeled herself to endure his ministries. When he placed the liquid on the wounds she gritted her teeth and thought about her backside. She knew she would never be able to remove the stones and rocks from there either so when he finished she let the shirt fall down and admitted to him the other problem.

"I have them in my backside too"

She unlatched the belt and a held the front firmly as the pants slipped off her to reveal her backside to his eyes. This was the most humiliating thing she had ever endured. She waited for the pain to begin again.

 

[gagonthis]

His eyes lit up with laughter. It was a little funny to see this girl having to remove her pants to allow a complete stranger to medicate her. He did not laugh though, knowing she was already shamed enough. He took the same care of her backside as he did her regular back. "It does not look as if the damage is as bad back here. It shouldn't be necessary to bandage, just cleanse." He tore another strip of the shirt and poured alcohol on it before using it to wash her wounds out. "There, that was easy enough and relatively painless eh lass?" He stood up and walked away from her moving to the fire to add more wood, giving her the privacy he knew she probably desperately needed right now.

 

[landiek]

"What happened?" I asked. "I woke up at the sound of a Shot and you were both gone. Don't leave me like that, Cassi, I was worried for you."

Cassi looked back towards the roads and hung her head. "I never fired a shot.. Masser Alex it was someone other den meh. But Miz Julia is plume run off.. Is heared her screamin.. but I's couldnit fine her."

Cassi moved to the lean to and sat, her heart griving for the young girl. Out there alone.. probably calling more wild dogs after her which made Cassi worry even more.

While in despair Cassi set to fixing a meal for Alex, her mind set on the missing girl. "MMmmmmm hmmm mmmmm, ohhhh watch dem on the land... mmmm hmmmm mmmmm oh lawd watch dem child's hand.... " Cassi started singing a cotton pickin song and it sounded lost and sad as tears dribbled down the woman's face. The meal seasoned with tears as the high pitch tone wafted in the air, lifting Cassi's heart prayer.

 

[macmillian]

I looked towards Cassi as she went about cooking. She had a long face and this was driving me to distraction. Julia had left, to be on her own, and I thought that Cassi would be happy with that. Conflicting emotions and feelings were not just something I was experiencing. I guess we all were facing changes.

I unhobbled the horses and led then in closer to camp and gave them some oats that we had left. I Was gathering our things and packing what we weren't using now. Rolled up the blankets and the piece of canvas together to make one tight roll. I then saddled the horses and led them over to the pond and let them drink.

Cassi was singing some tune or other and from where I stood and watched it sounded sad. The horses finished drinking and I refill the water bag and strung it from the saddle and led the horses back to camp. Cassi was working her magic again as the food she was preparing smelled mighty good.

 

[landiek]

Cassi had his plate ready upon his return and handed it to him along with a tin of coffee. As she sat with her own dish she slowly came to terms that Miz Julia had to ramble on, out there on her own.

Cassi slowly came to terms that with the girl sneaking off, that at least her feeling the loss was akin to the loss of her children being sold off. Cassi sighed as the new hues faded away and she quickly set things right by cleaning up the supper dishes.

She slowly moved to the lean-to and stared up at the stars. "I reckon der be no changin da way things be , will der Masser Alex?"