Yellowstone

Chapter 41 - The Master's Call

'He's the man I saw in my dream.'

The stranger must have noticed her horrified and wide-eyed expression, a Cheshire grin crossing his face as she stared him in the eyes.

He slowly raised his pistol, his grin never faltering.

Before Elisabeth could blink, he fired two shots, both striking her.

As pain and adrenaline surged through her body, she whipped her gun out of the waistband of her jeans and fired, the bullet piercing his chest and he fell face down into the damp forest floor.

The stinging pain took over her senses as her shin and thigh began to bleed profusely, leaning up against a tree for support.

She left out moan of pain as she adjusted herself, having to drag her wounded leg separately.

A harsh and sharp cramp passed itself through her hips and back, causing her to cringe and grit her teeth.

"Agh, fuck!" She hissed, taking off her button down shirt and tying it around her thigh as a makeshift tourniquet.

Ripley nickered softly, nudging Elisabeth's shoulder. He knew she was in distress, his sensitive ears picking up on her accelerated heartbeat.

Elisabeth looked down at herself with teary and wide eyes, staring at her jeans as liquid soaked them from the inside.

"No... no, no, no!" She screamed, terror washing over her as she realized that her water had just broke.

"God, no!" She wailed, falling onto her back.

"God, please no!" Her voice was scratchy and shrill as she cried out both in pain and in fear.

"Please God, don't take me home... I'm not ready... My baby hasn't even had the chance to live..." She sobbed, hot tears streaming down her face. "Don't take me and this baby away from Walker... he just wants to be a daddy."

Elisabeth laid on the ground, panting in horror as she realized the severity of the situation.

Her water had just broken. The stress and pain had pushed her into active labor, and she was bleeding heavily from the bullet wounds in her shin and thigh.

Ripley, who had never once strayed from her side, leaned his head down and snorted.

"Listen..." Elisabeth shuddered, silently praying that Ripley could at least sense her urgency or somehow understand her.

She grunted, sitting up and grabbing the noseband of his bridle, pulling him closer. "I can't walk. Go home... and get help."

Ripley began to paw impatiently at the ground as she held him.

"Go home... get help. Go home. Get help." She kept repeating, losing her breath as pain and panic began to set in.

"Go home. Get help." Elisabeth released her grip and slapped her horse in the nose, causing him to spook and gallop off.

She hated herself for hitting her horse, but it was the only way that Ripley would have left her.

She laid in the frost and leaves on her back, gasping and shaking as the sound of Ripley's thundering hoofbeats faded as he galloped farther away from her.

She was alone, in labor, and bleeding out in the middle of the woods on the brink of winter in just a sports bra and her Wrangler jeans.

A horrible cry of pain left her lips as another contraction wracked her body.

*~*~*~*~*

Kayce sat atop a dark bay gelding, accompanied by Ryan, Walker, Beau, and Jake.