Carol sobbed as Tom tried to comfort her, feeling a bit lost inside himself, Hudson just stood by the window, staring out of the tiny thick window at the torch in the distance.

  “We should go look for her.” Tom said bluntly.

  “No damn point. Been half an hour, she wouldn’t have lasted half a minute by the grace of God himself.” Hud sighed.

  “So what, you just watchin the sled then? We lost someone, the supplies can be replaced. If you don’t plan to look for her, the least you can do is sit and show respect. Tom said.

  “I respect plenty, and don’t you act like I didn’t do enough. I gave you all a head start, when I shot that lead wolf, time was up, and I didn’t see anyone down or I woulda done something. You go down around the wolves, they drag you off before anyone even blinks, so she probably didn’t suffer long. We all did our part in a shit situation and someone didn’t make it. That happens and it’s never easy but you get used to people dyin in Timber. I aim to keep us alive as long as possible but we’re all probably gonna die soon, she went easier than some of us might.” He said swigging on his canteen as a sudden pounding on the door got his attention. “Guns up we got company. Depending on who that is I’ll be greetin with a bullet or a hesitant gun.” He said carefully lifting the beam and cracking the door slightly. He stepped back in silence, looking like he saw a ghost. The door opened and Jen rushed inside, clothes tattered and slightly skinned up but intact.

  “JENEVEVE KUROKI WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG!?” Screamed Carol, rushing to hug her as tom quickly slowed her sprint.

  “Hold on now, she could be injured.” He warned.

  “She should be dead.” Hudson said looking like he wanted to double check for a pulse to be sure. “How are you even alive?”

  “Who cares, Jen’s alive!” carol said hugging her with restraint. “Are you hurt?”

  “Not…badly. Scrapes and bruises, nothing falling off my skateboard couldn’t do.” She said, playfully laughing with a ghostly look of terror in her eyes.

  “Bullshit.” Hudson said stepping closer. “What exactly happened?”

  “I fucking fell on the slippery ice, landed on my ass-bone. Got drug off my the foot and everything went dark and…sounds, and then they just…left.” She shrugged, still looking like her soul was about to collapse.

  “Honey, wolves don’t leave survivors here. They don’t pass up meat even if they can’t eat another bite, they drag the bodies back to the pack. Nobody even finds parts of the bodies left. You got a shiny titanium foot too, because you shouldn’t have a foot unless it was.”

  “Look…the boot took most of the damage.” She insisted, prying off the boot and proving her foot was real and intact, a hint of red on her sock and some bruising where the teeth bit down. “I’m kinda sore but I’ll live. I can walk.” She insisted, limping slightly but otherwise moving okay to the fire to get warm. Hudson still looked skeptical.

  “That boot shouldn’t have done shit. I’ve seen them bite through wood siding like it was a snack, your skinny leg and an old boot shouldn’t have stopped a youngin from taking that foot clean off, let alone a big bull wolf like that.”

  “What do you want me to say? I’m here, I’m alive, I’m pretty traumatized, I just got attacked by a fucking demon and I’m just really struggling to prepress that whole thing. I’d really like to not talk about it right now and just get warm.

  “Well’ we’re just glad you’re okay, you got lucky and we’re thankful.” Tom said glaring at Hudson, shrugging as he glared back, still clutching his gun like he expected her to do something. He got up and motioned towards the back room, heading that way to ask some questions as Hudson followed, still holding his pistol.

  “You don’t seem to be thrilled that she’s alive, so explain that look on ya damn face. They poisonous, she gonna die anyway? Do they circle back and stalk or let people go to lead em to the herd, why are you so damn scared of her?”

  “Tom, I never seen anyone survive one of them before. That ain’t luck and it ain’t natural. She’s dead, she should be, so why ain’t she? You may not care but if I put a bullet in someone’s head and they just strolled past and made coffee with a big hole in their skull, you be askin some weird questions. Wolves don’t drag you off, they don’t bite gentle, they got one kinda bite and it cuts limbs and heads off. They’re fast, efficient, and always hungry and the only thing they MIGHT be scared of is a big bull mammoth, and even then a pack that size could take one down. Bullet to the head should be less lethal, so why is she just barely limpin and scuffed like she done fell down a slope and bumped her elbow in the snow? I started this shitshow not believing in ghosts, I don’t really wanna end it with one of them on my side.”

  “You suspicious old coot, she just got lucky. Somethin spooked them, she got grabbed by a runt, maybe it was sick and weak, I don’t know and I don’t care, she’s alive and kickin. That’s good enough for me. Now unless you tell me those bites are venomous or she’s gonna get a brain infection and go insane, I’m going back in there to comfort her.”

  “Honestly don’t know what their bites do, because nothing ever lives long enough to find out. If the first bite don’t kill ya, it takes off the limb and the second bite right after, takes your head. You go comfort, I’m keeping my gun handy. Something just ain’t right.”

  Jen Curled up under her blanket by the fire, everyone trying to sleep but Hudson, still carrying his pistol and standing near the door. Jen let out a groan in her sleep, tossing and rolling over, muttering something incoherent and getting his attention. He inched closer as she opened her eyes slightly, just the whites showing and gnashing her teeth. She curled up tighter and whimpered slightly as he cautiously extended the butt of his pistol and nudged her thigh. She let out a howl of terror and kicked at him flailing and climbing off the bed to the corner of the cabin as everyone else woke.

  “GET OFF OF ME!” Jen roared, swiping the air as her eyes opened fully and she went from kill mode to silent sobbing.

  “Bad dream.”

  “Oh fuck you grampa! Like you give a shit.” She cried, as the others gathered around and got their wits together.

  “What happened?” Tom asked.

  “I just…had a dream.” Jen said, calming down, or just blocking it out. Still seeing the faint afterimage of green eyes and teeth in her blurry waking vision. “I was back home. With Russel. My boyfriend. It started off as a good dream, just being held and not alone, and then he just kept hugging me tighter till I couldn’t breathe, Like something was standing on my chest. His eyes turned green and glowing and I looked down at his hand on my leg, and it was just…claws. Fucking sushi knive death hooks and he had this monstrous grin on his face like I was more food than lover. And then some asshole poked me and woke me up.”

  “Well…” Hudson sighed. “Probably better than letting him finish his dinner, no point anyone goin back to sleep now, Moon is pretty much down and we best get movin. You still good to walk?” he asked, looking doubtful. She sat up and stood, slowly as if hiding the pain and pretending to be fine.

  “I’m okay enough.” She sighed.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  A young man sat at a table, peering through a magnifying glass at a wooden bench vise and carefully filing something with a thick abrasive stone. He heard the knock and got up, looking annoyed. He made his way to the front door and opened it, looking slightly surprised to see Hudson.

  “No.” he said almost shutting the door.

  “I got 2 women freezing their asses off out here, and this.” He said holding up the blue and bone colored revolver. The young man’s interest changed and he let him in with a wave and a look of immediate regret. “Place looks nice. You makin good money?”

  “Hud, I’m not loaning you money, and I should shoot you for bringing that gun here. My father will be looking for it, and if he comes here-”

  “Your father is dead, I shot him with his own gun.” Hudson said coldly as the others get quiet and backed away. The young man, now baring resemblance to hunting Wolf to their more detailed eyes, looked more skeptical than vengeful.

  “I don’t believe you. You’re not that lucky or stupid. What do you want?”

  “Shelter for now. Storm’s on the way and we got injured people who don’t move very fast. I need a covered wagon and a horse, what’s that gonna cost me?”

  “More than you have. So you killed my father and stole his guns. Why?” he shrugged.

  “Well I done shit the bed by helping these 3 greenhorns and the blonde one has something Buchanan wants real damn bad. People got shot, and I ain’t letting him take nobody that did nothing wrong, especially since he’d kill me for the inconvenience. They sent your daddy to collect. I got the drop on him. Well I had a plan and that pasty brunette got the drop on him, and I finished the job. He’s real dead.” Hudson casually sighed.

  “And do you expect me to thank you or kill you for that? My father disowned me years ago. He has never showed up since I bought this place.

  “You mean since Fredric Prima bought you this place. Your daddy sure was pissed about you workin for the competition.”

  “My father was a liar and a fool. My family brought our traditions to this place and he abandoned them for greed. Grandfather would be ashamed. He would not approve of me working for the rich white man but he would approve less than my father selling his heart for Tusk and poaching the land clean for greed. Insulting the ancestors and the old ways. We all have to make a living and work for the white devils that run this afterlife. He didn’t have to become one of them. He chose that over grandfather and over me.”

  “How is the old Chief?”

  “Dead.” He shrugged.

  “Well that’s a damn shame. I wanted to drop in and show him this gun. Tell him I shot his boy down in the snow and left his naked ass for the wolves.”

  “You never let go of any grudge, do you? When will you learn that my father told only lies. My grandfather was a good man who raised a good boy, who turned on us all. He shot your father, and blamed it on grandfather. Now they are both dead and your vengeance is complete. Celebrate. Get drunk on the white man’s whiskey and find a whore for yourself to share your victory. Grandfather is dead and buried in the old ways with respect and honor and if you are telling the truth, my father died as he should have, naked in the snow and alone. I won’t reward you, I will not curse you. We have no debts.” He coldly turned, returning to his work. “But if you want to sell that gun I made him, I would like to have it back. it’s some of my finest work.”

  “Moves like butter, slick and smooth, kicks like a wild horse and hits like one too. I figure on keeping it. The lever gun too. Real good shootin rifle. I wanna know what you can do with these.” He said placing down the black Donnovan and the long 45 shotgun. The young man inspected it a moment. “This here is Billy Wandering Horse. Best damn gunsmith from here to the shore.” Hudson introduced.

  “Just Billy. I will answer to my mother’s name, not my father’s name.”

  “Sorry Billy. Anything you can do for them guns, maybe hook me up with some fancy tusk barrels.” He asked as Billy chuckled.

  “Hudson you are as crazed as my father if you think I can give you a tusk barrel. Every piece you see has a client name on it and they expect a gun when I finish. If I simply lost one, they would kill me, and Buchanan would know I helped you. I could drill out the Donnovan for some inserts I have, repair the wear on the shotgun, but you don’t have the money for it, or a horse, or a wagon. And we have no debt.” He said. Would you like some coffee and a smoke, I could offer that for free as a guest.”

  “Well that’s a damn shame, I hoped you’d be lookin to barter for, something like this.” He said drawing a brass tomahawk and lightly sticking it in the stump next to the table. Billy;s eyes got wider.

  “Father’s throwing hawk. My family carried that for 4 generations and it was supposed to be mine when I became a man. My father told me, I will never become a man working for the white devils, so he kept it. I could argue that it’s already mine.”

  “We got no debt, remember? I scavenged that off a man trying to kill me fair and square so that’s MY fancy tomahawk made of solid brass. Got a nice tusk dagger too that goes with it nicely for a price.”

  “Hudson you are a bastard for that, but you are not wrong. And I cannot afford even with such good business, that much brass. It appears you have me over a barrel.”

  “Not at all. I’m the one over a barrel. I leave with no horse and no wagon and we won’t make it to the next town. We could turn back and run into Buchanan and wish we died on the way to the next town, or I could get what I need and so could you. Boy that’s a lotta brass. You really don’t see that much brass in one place, let alone one piece from the old world, smoking pipe, original maple handle, hell you can even get maple here.”

  “You made your point. Keep the knife, leave the tomahawk, you can have a horse and wagon and I’ll fix your guns. I want one promise from you, your word of honor of you have that.” Billy squinted.

  “Lemme guess. Don’t kill Fredric Prima. I’m guessin the kids that would inherit the empire either don’t like you or don’t need you?”

  “Automation is replacing good skilled hands, the tooth insert guns they have been making are garbage, but garbage sells with the Prima logo carved and inlaid. The quality will fall, and my work will suffer. We both worked our lives for men we don’t like, because we needed to. You cost yourself your job, do not cost me mine too.”

  “Tell you what…if Prima sends his men for me, I’ll kill them dead. If he shows up himself, I’ll negotiate. I got something he would want real bad. Bad enough to spare my life and that makes us business partners, not enemies. You got a deal.” He said.

  “Then, my home is yours, my wife will make you food and coffee. Let me see if I can save these guns.” He said looking at the pair and taking the tomahawk. Hudson strolled back outside and towards the house nearby as Carol followed closely.

  “This Fredric Prima interested in my leg? I suppose he would just gently remove the external part and let me live with the rest, hu?” she asked defensively.

  “No, Unlike Buchannan, who would torture you for fun, cut that leg off while you were awake and screamin for every ounce of that titanium, Fredric Prima is a man of class. He’s shoot you in the head before you ever saw him comin and just…collect the leg. Sometimes darling, you just say some bullshit to a man who has the things you need, and when the time comes to survive, you just shoot the bastard anyway and worry about your word of honor later. Prima comes after you, and he will, if we’re still alive at that point, I’ll kill his ass and Let Billy find a new boss. That ain’t my problem.”

  “So you’ll lie to a friend but you’re telling me the truth?” Carol asked crossing her arms.

  “Missy, I saved your ass because you did nothing wrong and it cost me my damn life. I made that bargain myself. I’m a dead man anyway, might as well keep goin down that road. I don’t owe no man nothin anymore. I got a short time left and I better enjoy it, and I’ve wanted to put a bullet in those sonsabitches runnin this place like everyone else they step on to get there. You just don’t do it because they kill you and your family and take everything from ya. Either Chief yellow Eyes or Huntin Wokf took away my daddy, and they’re both dead now so it don’t matter. My wife died 2 years back, got no kids no home now, and I just killed my boss so my job ain’t payin well anymore. What do I got left but what I wanna do before I die? I don’t wanna die the man who let the fuckers who ruined my family and enslaved everyone win because I sold out a women who didn’t do shit wrong to nobody…and then got double crossed anyway. I wanna die the man who killed a few of the rich shits like a hero protectin a gal who’s gonna really talk me up if I die first. You kinda remind me of my wife. Lot younger but…little something in there. I probably got a few years left before I’m too old to hunt and make a livin and start dyin anyway. You just tell everyone Ol Hudson stood up to the devils and died on his feet, smiling and proud, no matter how they do me in. And then lie and tell them I was the best screw you ever did have and could draw a gun faster than any man alive. Hudson name is gonna be respected when I’m dead. That’s why I’m helping you out. I got no choice and it makes me look better than a piece of shit last of my family name who got shot in the back sellin out some peg-legged girl to one of the assholes who we all hate.”

  “It’s not a peg leg. It’s an Osteointegrated prosthetic limb. I’m not a damn pirate, I’m a school teacher with bad luck.”

  “Well we’ll find out how your luck ends up, won’t we? You kill a few powerful men, some of them may stop lookin for ya.” He grinned.

  “Buchannan…would he stop?” she asked.

  “OHoooooo, shit no. He’s one someone’s gotta kill to GET them scared. Still workin on how we do that, but your friend Jen seems to have miracles in her pocket so, maybe she’s got a spare.”