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Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 5:19 am Post subject:

Nowhere near. We've only crossed a few Shadows and we are still very near to Cimarron, Demon says.

They quickly cross the terrain here and Wyatt pulls on the reins suddenly. Rebecca sees it too now: a thin young boy walking away from the death pit, covered in dirt from head to toe. He pays no heed to the mount and two riders, but continues walking, weakened. He turns around finally and, frightened, he speeds up, walking faster now.

Ahead and above, the storm continues to unleash itself upon this earth.
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Arden · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 720 Location: Oklahoma

Startled by the sudden stop, Rebecca starts to speak, then stops and stares at the boy's retreating form.

"I don't know," she says to Wyatt. "It may not be what it seems. But there's only one way to find out. Move slowly."

"Hey, kid!" she calls, leaning around Wyatt. "Wait. We ain't gonna hurt ya. We just wanna know what happened here. We got food and water."

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 6:17 am Post subject:

The boy stops at the mention of food and water. He turns around again and waits for them to get closer. Demon's pace is slow, giving them time to take in the boy's appearance.

His eyes are cat-like and his black hair falls to below his ears. His clothings is a tattered cotton tunic. He looks starved and very frightened. His nose looks a bit odd, too close to his face, not angular enough. His skin is pale as death and looks very cold, unlike the heavy, warm, stormy weather approaching them through the plains.

They are about a quarter of a mile from the Black Road itself, and dirt continues to kick up in the distance, seemingly erasing the tracing from these lands.
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Arden · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 720 Location: Oklahoma

She twists around to dig through her saddlebags as Demon walks closer. It wasn't much, but they didn't need it. She thrusts a couple of bundles to Wyatt. She pushes saddlebags around until she can free the single sized blanket rolled up behind the saddle.

When she finally turns back around, she studies the boy closer. Not knowing what was normal for these parts, she can't really judge.

"Give him the full water skin, Wyatt," she says lowly. They're attached to the front of the saddle where she can't really reach. "We won't be needin' it."

Rebecca gives the lad a small smile that shwos no teeth. "What happened here, boy."

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 6:56 pm Post subject:

Wyatt does as she says and gives the boy the waterskin. The boy drinks long gulps, eyeing Rebecca, Wyatt and Demon all the while.

He has been bleeding from a belly wound which has begun to close over dirt. The blood is dried and dirt is caked on various places on his tunic. He has many smaller scratches and cuts and was obviously left for dead. Whatever shoes he may have had are gone now. His eyes are truly very peculiar, and his ghostly pale skin makes him look like death's child.

When he is done drinking, he looks at them and catches his breath, then explains, "We were attacked by riders, followed by machines... They started killing us all, killing my parents." He begins drinking again.
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Arden · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 720 Location: Oklahoma

Rebecca slides off Demon's back when the boy starts drinking. She stays by the horse so as not to scare the boy, though she crouches down to put herself at eye level.

But she frowns at his answer. "The riders or the machines?"

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 6:36 am Post subject:

"The riders... Three of them... On horses." He eyes Rebecca and Wyatt carefully, his pupils dilating.
He grows paler and drops the waterskin, his eyes distant. The boy's about to faint.
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Arden · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 720 Location: Oklahoma

Rebecca blanches and then darts forward to catch him in the blanket she has in her hands. "Whoa there. Stay with me now. Was one of those horse striped? Black and orange?"

She has no doubt he's suffering from blood loss and shock. Rebecca eyes the coming storm and then looks up at Wyatt. "Is there any sign of a settlement ahead? I don't feel right leavin' him out here like this. He needs attention and shelter."

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2008 2:26 am Post subject:

Wyatt was about to jump down when she asks him so he strains his eyes, looking over the entire horizon carefully. "Nope... Middle o' nowhere, how pleasant..."

The boy seems to have fainted in her arms, his eyes rolling to the back of his head as he strains to open them.

Demon stays quiet, alert.
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Arden · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 720 Location: Oklahoma

"Bloody buggerin' hell," Rebecca mutters. She gathers the boy and stands. "I'll need to ride up front and hold him," she says up to her husband. "Hopefully we can find someplace before we get too far from here to leave him - or at least someplace we can stop and tend to this wound until we do find civilization. Turnin' around's not really an option. Free up a stirrup and give me a hand up."

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2008 2:46 am Post subject:

Wyatt's jaw sets and he helps her up, the boy already bundled in her arms. Demon starts riding right away, at an average pace at first, then increasing his speed gradually so that the boy is undisturbed.

The boy mumbles inaudible foreign words.

"Is he gonna die?" Wyatt asks worriedly.
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Arden · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 720 Location: Oklahoma

"I dunno," Rebecca admits. She keeps two fingers at the pulse point on the boy's neck. "But he's lost blood, and his body's probably in shock. Ya know belly wound's are bad, even if they aren't very deep. I've got the basics in my kit to fix him up when we find someplace to stop."

She turns her head to look back at Wyatt. "We've stopped on the trail to help wounded animals. This is a person in no shape to fend for himself. Even if he don't look quite like us. I couldn't just leave there."

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2008 3:28 am Post subject:

"Of course not, how could you? He's just a boy! Don't worry, we'll find him some place ta be. We probly can't let him tag along for very much time, but for now, we'll be fine. How long does it take ta get ta Greymoor?"

The storm approaches, following the line of the Black Road when it suddenly splits off from its trajectory and aims at them. This isn't good, Rebecca... The open way is across this desert plain, where that canyon splits, down there, Demon says. He refers to the canyon about fifteen miles down.
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Arden · Joined: 10 Apr 2008 Posts: 720 Location: Oklahoma

She looks up at the storm. "Crap. What're our chances of outrunning it, Demon?" Rebecca asks even as she reaches for her Trump deck.

Nihilistic Mind · Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2008 3:59 am Post subject:

That's the issue... If the kid is wounded, it might hurt him more if I go as fast as I can, Demon answers increasing his pace. But without going as fast as I can I doubt we'll outrun the storm...
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