Gender doesn't define me

Chapter 8

(Dipper pov)

I finally finish taking down my tent and get everything packed up on my horse and climb on. I have the horse follow everyone else, Bill leading them all and I take up the back. The ride is silent as Bill leads everyone away from camp and up to the mountain.

The other guys talk amongst themselves but none of them really make an effort to talk to me which makes sense considering I never really made any effort to talk to any of them during these past several weeks anyway. They were all jerks during the first few weeks so I never made an effort to make conversation with any of them when I didn't have to.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts as everyone else stops and gets off their horses muttering amongst each other. I get off my horse and push through the others to see what happened and my eyes widen in horror. For miles there is just blood and remains of a battle, parts of what used to be a battle campsite remain. I see Bill holding what looks to be a helmet but I can't tell for sure.

We were supposed to meet Bill's father and the rest of the army here, but by the looks of it I  would guess the huns took care of everyone. If the huns killed everyone else that easily, what chance could any of us possibly have?

I see everyone else around me starting to panic. I stand on an upside down box and whistle sharply to get everyone's attention. "Look, the plan hasn't changed. The best thing we can do is-"

"Plan hasn't changed?! Look the fuck around you! The commander and his whole army were destroyed! We're all going to die!"

"Everyone if you would just...." I try to get their attention again but still no one listens. "WOULD YOU ALL JUST SHUT UP!" I finally raise my voice getting everyone's attention again. "Look, I know that this whole situation is really really fucked right now. But we can't just sit here with our tails between our legs and wait for them to come back. The best thing we can do is continue onward with the plan. The plan doesn't change. We will still make our way around the mountain to try and get behind the huns and attack them that way just like we would have done originally."

"......He's right." Everyone looks at Bill as he finally speaks up, not looking at anyone still holding the helmet in his hands. "The plan doesn't fucking change. Get back on your horses and move out."

Without another word everyone goes back to their horses. I get off the box and stand next to Bill, seeing tears slowly trailing down his cheeks. "......you going to be okay?"

"No.....I am going to make those bastards fucking pay." He angrily wipes his tears away as he sets the helmet down.

He starts towards the horse when I grab his hand stopping him. "Bill....."

He turns to me and without a word he tightly hugs me. I hug him back as he rest his forehead on my shoulder. "....I-I don't know what to do....I don't fucking know....."

"We'll do what we always do. We'll manage somehow."

He slowly lets go of me as he wipes his tears away again, a small smile on his face now. "Nicely said, Dipper. Get on your horse and let's go."

We both get on our horses and this time as we ride out I ride next to him.

I shiver as we go higher up the mountain, the snow blowing around us. My horse whinnies and bucks, nearly throwing me off. "Woah woah! Easy there girl, easy."

"What's wrong, Pines?"

"I don't know, but something has her scared." I finally get her calmed down a little and look up the mountain seeing the impossible. "B-Bill....." He follows my gaze and sees the hundreds of huns at the mountain top.

I see him gulp nervously as the huns start running down at us. "Everyone in position! Rockets out!"

Everyone hurridly gets off the horses and get the rockets out, all of them aimed at the huns waiting for Bill's order to fire. I shiver again as I glance farther up the mountain. I do some quick math in my head before a plan is fully formed.

Picking up my rocket I run closer to the huns. "Pines get back here! Dipper!"

I aim the rocket farther up the mountain instead of at the huns and take out the matches trying to light them but it won't fucking light. "Come on come on just light already!"

I finally get it lit and the rocket fires just as the lead hun slashes his sword at me, barely giving me time to dodge it. A low rumble gets everyone's attention and they all look in horror as the avalanche I caused approaches them.

The avalanche covers all of the huns and my horse runs to my rescue before the avalanche can swallow me up as well.

I barely get on my horse when I see Bill gets bucked off of his and the avalanche pulls him towards a cliff that leads off the mountain. "No no no!"

I have my horse run in Bill's direction as I frantically use a rope and tie one end around my horse's saddle, the other end tied around my waist.

As Bill goes over the cliff I jump off my horse after him.

I manage to just grab his wrist as the rope stops me from falling any further. Bill uses his other hand to tightly grab on to me to make sure he doesn't fall anymore. "I've got you." I look up at him and for the first time I see true panic and fear cross his face from the fact that he almost died. "It's okay, I got you."

I feel the rope pulling me up and back onto the snow. I get to my feet untying the rope and help Bill up. I go to say something but he hugs me tightly, his body trembling. "Thank you thank you! You saved me....thank you."

"I just did what anyone else would do."

"No you didn't." He let's go of me and holds me by my shoulders. "You came up with a plan that only you could have possibly thought of. You will always have my eternal gratitude, Dipper."

I smile a bit but suddenly an intense pain fills my stomach making me put a hand to it as I fall to the ground. Bill catches me and slowly lowers me to the ground as I lift my hand up and see blood. I hear Bill talking but it's all just a dull sound as my vision goes dark.