by Nathan Jones
Skyler whirled on Coby, eyes going to the discarded lever-action rifle lying in the trampled grass behind him. “That true?”
The older teenager just glared back sullenly, not answering.
“It's true,” Mer called from the crowd. “He was goofing off the entire time you were explaining about using the motion of grass and tree branches near your target to predict how strong the wind was, so you could adjust your aim. Derrick told him to knock it off when he started waving his gun around, and Coby pointed it at him and acted like he was challenging him to some sort of Old West duel.”
Shocked murmurs spread through the onlookers who hadn't seen that part of the disturbance. Even Skyler was stunned; Coby was a genuine horse's patoot, but that really was insane.
The disagreeable rear end in question had used the distraction to scramble over and retrieve his gun. He was now holding it protectively, as if guessing what was coming next. He wasn't wrong, either; after what Skyler had just heard, seeing the man holding a gun made him distinctly uneasy. He stepped up to him and held out his hand. “Hand it over.”
Coby gave him a shocked look, quickly turning to outrage. “What?”
“Your gun.” Skyler motioned curtly. “You're banned from the range, and from using one of the volunteers' guns, until you can learn to treat them with the respect they deserve.”
The older teenager's condescending smirk quickly reappeared. “Says who?” He turned to the other recruits, holding out his arms theatrically and unintentionally muzzling a few people in the process, only confirming Skyler's point as he continued. “Is it the weapons that want respect, or the kid trying to pretend he's our boss?”
Skyler took a deep breath, fighting to keep his temper. “How about Derrick, for one? Or anyone else who doesn't want to get shot because you're waving a loaded weapon around like an idiot?” There were murmurs of agreement, even from some of the recruits who weren't happy Skyler had been left in charge. He motioned with his hand for the weapon again. “Which will it be, Coby? You give me the gun until you can use it properly, or we take it from you and let Brady know you tried to steal it.”
“St-” the older teenager started to demand furiously. Then he looked around and caught the mood of the crowd, seeming to realize he'd finally gone too far. Swearing to himself, he tried to slam the rifle into Skyler's chest as he gave it to him. Skyler managed to get his hands on it and stop him, hastily yanking the weapon away before Coby could change his mind.
He'd kind of hoped the older boy and his pals would leave in a huff, but to his irritation, they simply drifted to the back of the crowd and continued doing their best to disrupt things. What was wrong with them, anyway? It wasn't like Skyler was trying to teach them things to help them survive against the enemy that was coming to butcher or enslave them all, or anything.
He turned away in frustration and did a chamber check on the confiscated weapon. To Coby's credit, he'd at least been telling the truth about it being empty, although the internal magazine was loaded. Which didn't matter since the guy had repeatedly, and defiantly, broken one of the fundamental rules of gun safety: don't point a firearm at anything you aren't willing to destroy.
With a sigh, Skyler set the weapon aside and turned back to the recruits. “All right. Long distance shooting.”
Chapter Three
Return
The bowl valley looked deceptively peaceful under the clear noonday sky.
Hard to believe that somewhere northeast of them, half the people Skyler cared about had been gone for five days. They might at that very moment be in a life or death struggle against dozens of bloodies, with the fate of just about everyone else he cared about waiting at the summer retreat or in Camptown hanging in the balance.
The worst part was, he wasn't sure whether to be frustrated that he once again hadn't been allowed to go with them, or relieved. He still saw Derek Lyman's blank eyes staring sightlessly at nothing sometimes when he closed his eyes, had nightmares about the man's wife Suzy and his children hounding him for getting their husband and father killed.
Before Gerry's Ravine, after years learning from Trapper how to shoot and stalk through the mountains, Skyler had been eager to use those skills against the hated bloodies. He'd seen himself bringing justice to the people he cared about who'd suffered at their hands, like some sort of lone wolf hunting them in the night while they cowered and told legends of him, and everyone at home celebrated him as a hero every time he returned victorious.
The reality of the situation was ugly, and brutal, and there was no glory in it. Especially not for people like Derek who'd had to suffer for his failures. Or for the Hendricksons, who'd decided that even the risk of Sangue knowing they were there and coming for them was more than they were willing to take, and had chosen to go north.
Maybe it was selfish, but having to say goodbye to Lisa just when he realized he might really love her was the worst thing of all. If that couldn't teach him actions had consequences, and he was just one stupid kid in a dangerous world, nothing could.
He would've preferred not thinking about any of that, but it fit his current mood after a frustrating morning of training, especially after Coby's stunt. And on the small bright side, it made any problems he was having with the recruits seem trivial by comparison.
It just seemed ridiculous. The recruits all had a problem with him being fourteen and training them, but it seemed like in spite of his age he was the only one who was taking the danger posed by Sangue seriously. Even if he was willing to acknowledge that he might, might have a bit of growing up to do before he could join the other volunteers fighting to defend their home, he still had all the skills Trapper had taught him.
All those dozens of new recruits, refugees who'd recently fled from Emery with the arrival of Sangue and should've had plenty of reason to be committed to the fight. Even if they'd only volunteered to fight after Trapper's victory at Gerry's Ravine, or had washed out of the initial group of volunteers and then volunteered again once they realized the danger everyone was in.
Half of their motivation was the confidence that the mountain man could beat Sangue, that the fight wasn't hopeless. And the other half was the grim realization that the enemy wasn't going to just leave them alone up here in the high mountains like they'd hoped, and if the bloodies ever threatened Camptown the volunteers might be all that stood between their loved ones and death.
Or a fate worse than death.
Hope and determination, that's what the recruits had going for them. Skyler hoped it would be enough when it came time to fight; it certainly wasn't making them any more willing to listen to a kid that was years or even decades younger than them. Even though most seemed to like him well enough, and they all respected his adoptive father and should've respected someone taught by him, when it came to the training many clearly resented having a fourteen-year-old telling them what to do. That, or at best they treated it like a joke.
It was beyond frustrating, that they were acting so petty considering the urgent need for them to be ready when Sangue came. Not to mention the fact that whatever Skyler's age, he was at least qualified to teach them what he knew, which was more than any of them. Probably more than all of them put together. He'd been trained by Trapper himself, and he also never wasted an opportunity to prove his skill in the things he was teaching them.
But in spite of that, most of the men and women became clearly impatient the moment he opened his mouth. He could barely get them to follow simple instructions or listen to what he had to teach, and half of them frequently left training early or kept practicing on the range or doing the other exercises he set them to even after he told them to call it quits.
And good luck getting any of those jokers to not bust a gut laughing at the very idea of him trying to impose some sort of punishment for misbehavior, like making them run laps. Skyler had wanted to do the job of training them on his own, but he was seriously considering asking Brady for a bit of official support. As if the trader didn
't have enough to do keeping the town in exile running.
He was ashamed to admit that he hoped his adoptive dad got back soon, so he could take over the training. At least then Skyler wouldn't be wasting everyone's time.
“You get enough food, honey?” his mom asked, offering him the skillet of fried venison strips and vegetables.
He grunted noncommittally and looked away; he wouldn't have complained about a bit more, to be honest, but in his current mood he couldn't bring himself to talk to her unless he had to. After all, if she was less stubborn he wouldn't have to worry about training the recruits at all, since he could be out with the volunteers defending Camptown. Or at least scouting rather than fighting, something he was confident he was up to.
His mom sighed and glanced at Fiona and the women Skyler had rescued from Sangue, who were eating with them at the table Bob Hendrickson and Logan had built for shared meals outside the summer retreat. She was obviously at a loss with how to deal with him and hoping for some support, but the others all seemed studiously intent on staying out of it.
“Come on, Sky,” she said quietly, absently stopping his sister Molly from mashing the vegetables on her plate with her tiny fists while looking at him pleadingly.
Skyler set his plate aside and stood. “I'm going to go enjoy the sun before I have to get back to work. Thanks for lunch.” He walked off, waiting for her to call him back.
She didn't, and when he unobtrusively peeked over his shoulder he saw she'd busied herself with helping the two-year-old eat.
He knew it wasn't really fair to blame his mom for insisting he not fight, especially when she was only months away from having the baby and didn't need the added stress of worrying about him. She just wanted to keep him safe, which was a mom's job.
What made his behavior even less fair that he wasn't sure he even wanted to be back out there in that nightmare, forced to kill people and watch helplessly as friends got shot when he couldn't do anything to stop it. Even when Sangue gave them no choice but to defend their loved ones, it still seemed insane not to admit that at least some small part of him wanted to avoid being in that situation again.
But it just frustrated him that his mom refused to budge. He'd even gotten Trapper kind of on his side, at least when it came to admitting there might be times when he'd have to fight to protect his loved ones. Which he would, if it was necessary.
So why was he so mad at her? Maybe because Lisa had left him, and Trapper was gone fighting, and none of the recruits were on his side and he was already messing up with them enough, so she was pretty much the only one left he could be mad at right now.
Although if there was one thing Skyler could say, it was that at least the day was the sort where it was impossible to stay in a bad mood for long. The early July heat felt good this high in the mountains, where sundown brought a quick and surprisingly sharp chill, and a “hot” day felt just about perfect. Especially since a near constant breeze kept things pleasant. The sky was mostly clear aside from a few wisps of clouds, and the sun was shining bright.
Even better, he was done with the dreaded ordeal of training the recruits for another day, so after lunch he could get to more enjoyable tasks like backbreaking work maintaining the summer retreat, helping out in Camptown, and watching his family's herds of horses, goats, and cows. Although most of the horses were being lent to the town to help with construction, or to the volunteers in case they needed them, so it was only the ones that were too young to be properly trained that he had to watch.
With Trapper, Brandon, and Logan all gone fighting, the Hendricksons just gone, and his mom too far along with the baby to do anything but light tasks, the job of caring for the animals would've been impossible for Skyler to do on his own with just the help of Fiona. Especially since the young woman was usually too busy taking care of her infant son Thomas, Trapper's namesake, and helping Skyler's mom with equally important household tasks.
The women he'd saved from Sangue, who were still living with them in the summer retreat and the house they'd built that had been meant for Lisa's family, had offered to help out, and did what they could. But none of them had much experience with ranching, and while mostly it just took patience and familiarity with animals they still had a lot to learn. To be honest, they were often more trouble than help as they accidentally spooked the livestock, or herded them in the wrong direction.
Which was why, with Skyler busy with training the volunteers and helping in town, Trapper had hired the Knudsens to help out. It wasn't the first time his adoptive dad had hired friends from the large extended family, practically a clan in their own right. In fact, they were his go-to choice when Brandon and Logan were unavailable, or the task required even more people.
Skyler appreciated the help, and to be honest he was good friends with a lot of the Knudsen kids so it was nice to have them around more. In fact, after he'd found a nice log to sit on and was enjoying a few moments of quiet before getting back to work, a familiar shape coming from the direction of the grazing herds plopped down on the log beside him.
He felt an absurd moment of hope at the sight of her, before reality set in; from the corner of his eye he could've fooled himself into believing it was Lisa. But the girl was a year older than him instead of a year younger, taller than Lisa and with golden blond hair and blue eyes, instead of the light brown hair and dark eyes of the lifelong friend who'd left him to go north with her family.
“Hey, Tabby,” he said, struggling to inject some enthusiasm into his voice. It wasn't really fair to the girl to be disappointed she wasn't who he'd been hoping to see.
Living on the ranch, he hadn't gotten a chance to meet many kids, so aside from Lisa and Logan Tabitha Knudsen was one of his closest friends. It was just hard to be happy to see anyone in his current mood, even with the nice day.
“Hey Sky, I heard training today was pretty rough,” she said, leaning forward with genuine warmth and concern in her eyes. “How you holding up?”
What a question. Did she want him to piss and moan about all his problems, most of them his own fault? “Fine.” She was probably hoping for more, and after a slightly uncomfortable pause he cleared his throat. “What brings you around?”
Tabby motioned towards the livestock. “Oh, just doing your work for you, while you try to manage people even more stubborn and cantankerous than goats.” Skyler couldn't help but scowl at that, which wasn't how he wanted to respond to his friend.
Even if she was poking fun at him.
But she just grinned impishly at his response. “You know I'm just teasing you. I'm sure you'll get them to come around. After all, who else is going to teach them the stuff you know as well as you could?” She made a face and glanced towards Camptown. “Besides, I don't mind watching the livestock. I leapt at the chance to help your folks out, honestly . . . beats doing camp chores.”
Yeah, probably. Skyler had just about had his fill of chores since Trapper benched him following Gerry's Ravine. Not that he liked being reminded of that.
His friend seemed to sense his mood, because she rested a tentative hand on his knee. “Seriously, Skyler, how are you? Coby and the others being butts has to be frustrating, but it seems like it's more than that. I know you and Lisa were practically joined at the hip for years, and you're probably missing her terribly.”
That was an understatement. It also made him feel oddly uncomfortable about Tabby's friendly gesture. He'd professed his love to Lisa before she left, and while most would laugh at that since they were both just kids, he'd meant it with all his heart. It meant something important, something real, to him.
With her blond hair, blue eyes, and round, friendly face, Tabby was, as his mom had once put it, “cute as a button”. And she was a good friend. But that was it; even considering the possibility she could be anything else would be unfaithful to Lisa.
“I do miss her,” he said quietly. “Miss her a whole lot.” He shifted slightly to move his knee away, hoping she wouldn't be hurt or off
ended.
To his relief, Tabby just gave him a sympathetic look. “I know. I miss her too.” She retrieved her hand and tried to make her tone bright and cheery. “Maybe we'll see her again, once Sangue finally leaves. This is her home, and I bet she wants to come back.”
Skyler could only hope so. Hope that wherever she was, she was safe. For an insane moment he almost wanted to leave this all behind and go looking for her, even if it meant searching the Northwestern US from one end to the other. It wasn't the first time he'd had the idea since the Hendricksons left, and like all those other times he reluctantly dismissed it as the fantasy it was.
He couldn't leave his family behind to Sangue, even if he wasn't actually allowed to fight to defend them at the moment. He'd help out how he could, and if the bloodies found Camptown and attacked with their armies then not even his mom could argue about him fighting then.
An almost companionable silence fell between him and Tabby as they both enjoyed the sunshine. Finally, the blond girl stirred. “I wonder how they're doing?”
That was pretty vague, and given what they'd been talking about at first he thought she meant the Hendricksons. He'd wondered that plenty himself, of course, looking at Brady's maps of the States and trying to guess how far they'd managed to travel in the last few weeks, and where they might've encountered trouble. Silently willing them to stay safe.
But his friend's gaze was turned northeast, not north, and he realized she meant the volunteers who'd gone out to fight Sangue. And she would be just as worried as him, since her dad, her uncle Teddy, and her cousins Andy and Wendy were out there with Trapper and the others.
“Probably already had another crushing victory like Gerry's Ravine,” Skyler said, and not just to reassure her. “The bloodies don't know these mountains.”
“Yeah.” Tabby seemed to appreciate his confidence. “Not like you do, at least. I can't believe Trapper didn't let you go with him. Especially after how you saved Mer and Jenny and the other women. He trusts you to train them, but not to fight?”
