From: CyraLin Save Address Block Sender Date: Tue, 19 May 1998 21:19:19 EDT Subject: Even Cowgirls get the...? * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * It had been two years since Roland had appeared in this world and he still didn't know a damn thing about who brought him here and why it had happened. He'd wandered around the majority of the continent looking for clues, but all he found were dead ends. Every soothsayer he'd spoken to had said things like "You were not here and then you were. Why I cannot tell you. Who I cannot tell you. I know not." Soothsayers were a pain in the ass cuz they charged you even when they told you things you already knew. Roland still wore his empty gunbelt as a reminder of who he had been back in Gilead. He also wore it as a reminder that everything that had happened to him was not a dream; he really was taken from his world and brought to another one. He carried with him a 5-ft long stick that he had carved for himself during his first year on this new world. He was walking through the woods one day when a tree had fallen right in front of him. Taking it as a sign, he removed his knife and sawed off a branch right there. Over the next few months he had spent the majority of his spare time stripping it of its bark and smoothing it down to perfection. After his work was complete he would practice every day, trying to remember all of his training. Every young gunslinger was taught how to stick fight since it taught control, focus, and coordination, but over the years his training had faded. After so long with only a stick for defense, though, he had become a formidable opponent. Right now he was on his way to Hicho. There had been reports of bandits hiding out in the woods around the town, and there was a sizable reward to whoever could catch the leader and bring him before the town elders. This was the only way Roland had managed to make enough money to survive over the years, never having learned a trade or how to farm since he was nobility back home. Unfortunately, all the mercenary work took him away from his quest for answers, but he had to survive somehow. He had just met up with the main road when he saw a coach approaching in the distance. Roland had excellent eyesight, and could see an old man and a young girl. Probably a father and daughter. Maybe they could give him a ride. He started walking towards them. ***** Teri had inched her way, slowly and determinedly to the far side of the seat, her black bag clutched tightly against her side, shielding her from the crotchety old man. She swore the old gezer was swerving to HIT the potholes, rather than to avoid them. She was covered with a film of brown dust which would have set her into a panic of cleansing fervor had she not been too preoccupied with self-defense to notice. Even looking casually to the side-- every slice of her attention was trained at the grumbling man, who apparently talked to himself, his beard, and his horses as he rode. She was concentrating on him, imagining herself holding him at bay with a wall of thought.. so far it seemed to be working, feeding the imagination that was blossoming under this new stress. She hadn't meant to have appeared so-- whatever she had appeared. Her clothes were dark and foreign to him-- she hadn't been wearing much, either, because of the heat. Teri pushed gross thoughts from her mind.... the carriage was slowing and there was still no town in sight. "Why are we stopping?" the words came out sharp and annoyed before she realized- and she forced her face into an apologetic smile. She didn't want to be thrown off the cart... "Thur's another 'hiker up there--" the man disolved into discussion with his beard. Apparently his beard wanted to pick the hiker up. Teri's stomach rumbled loudly, and she clamped her arms around her middle-- hoping that her ride's hearing was as far gone as his sanity. However enthusiastic the old man's beard was about picking up the stranger-- Teri was delighted tenfold. Another traveler to help distract the old guy from launching a lecherous attack on her person-- she peered expectantly through the dust-- then collapsed back against the seat with a dissapointed sigh. Another MAN. Great. The horses' feet fell softly in the dirt as they slowed alongside the traveler, a tall man of broad shoulder and-- a gun holster in his belt? Teri's eyes widened hopefully. The first sign of reality in this strange, godforsaken cow-town! She sure wasn't in Kutztown anymore. The man looked up and Teri noticed his eyes immediatly. They were a piercing shade of blue that looked as if they saw everything... almost as if they could see right through someone. Teri didn't like being looked through. She was a little unnerved, and a little angry at being unnerved; she watched him with her own coldly assessing stare. "Are you headed through Hicho?" The man had a strange accent, hard to place. Maybe a mix between English and Australian. The old guy spoke directly to Roland's stomach and said "Shore, hop right in. You can sit alongside the lady." Teri was absolutely posivtively... thrilled. A sweaty, stank-smelling, germ-infested man on either side. Great. Had people here never heard of the word hygeine? She understood the grimy man-- but this weight-lifter looked like he hadn't seen bathroom tiles in a LONG time. First thing she was going to do when she got back into town was find herself a nice hotel and take a long, leisurely jacuzi-bath. Assuming that the Ramada's around there had whirlpool bathtubs. Thinking this, she checked her black bag to make sure her wallet was still inside-- perfect. The hitchiker moved onto the carriage in a fluid motion that made the driver launch into envious grumbling with his beard. The old guy snapped the reins and the carriage started moving again. They rode along in silence until Roland noticed Teri glancing at his gunbelt. "Yeah, I know you've never seen one of these before. It's the only one in this whole world." Roland expected the usual look of shock and then the question that always came next, "What is it?", but this girl surprised him. "Sure I've seen one before. Are you nuts? They're in all the old Western movies. Not that I watch those." The gall of him assuming she didn't know what a gun-belt was. Maybe the didn't have TV where he came from, either. Roland blinked. "What would you call this?" Teri gave him a look that clearly communicated her annoyance at having to answer such a ridiculous question. "A gunbelt. Obviously. That's what it's for, right? Guns?" Roland was overjoyed. "You know about guns?!?" "Yeah, they go-- BANG," she made a La Femme Nikita-esque gun-shot towards his face with her finger before blowing the imaginary steam off. Roland ignored her arrogance, still amazed that anyone else in the land knew about his homeland's weapons. " Do you know where I could get one?!?" "Back home, sure. Here... I dunno," Teri gritted her teeth as the carriage ran over another large pothole. "I have no idea how I got in this godforsaken place. Still trying to figure out what's going on." He blinked again. "You mean.. you're not from..." Roland was about to finish his question when the old guy cried out in alarm. "BANDITS! Run for yer lives!" He dropped the reins, the horses slowing in alarm, and jumped off the cart. He made it 10 feet off the road before the arrow caught him in the back and sent him sprawling. 3 bandits in rags jumped out of the brush and joined the one blocking the road. They put away their bows and drew knives. "Get off the cart and give us all your money! Maybe we'll let you live." Teri was about to say something witty, sarcastic, that would most likely get her killed when Roland whispered "I'll take care of this. Just stay still and be very quiet." "Why, is it 'Wabbit Season'?" she replied, crossing her legs as she affected an Elmer-Fudd accent. Roland looked at her. She shrugged. "Nevermind." The lead bandit screamed again "Shut up! Get off the cart NOW!" Roland stepped down with his stick concealed behind his back. "Now put up your hands where I can see them." Roland shook his head. "Nope. Sorry." Teri rolled her eyes in exasperation. "What did you just say to me?!?" "I said no. Are you deaf or just stupid?" "Oh great, I've got a real charmer defending me," Teri mumbled. The bandit turned red. "Get him!" ********