Outlaw - Born & Bred

Chapter 9 - A New Start

For the first time in two days Casie smiled, she pushed Maggie into a gallop and the two men, taken by surprise, galloped after her.

Riding fast on a horse always made her feel free. Made her forget everything. Everything bad that had ever happened. Just her horse, and its power beneath her, and the wind in her face.

The landscape suddenly changed from dry yellowish brown dirt tracks to a deep red.

Casie slowed her horse slightly and cut off onto a densely wooded track. They followed the track a little way and came out in a clearing. Right next to the lake, with a little Jetty.

Casie got off Maggie, and hitched her to a tree.

"What about here?" She asked.

Dutch jumped of his horse, and looked around.

"What do you think, Arthur?" He asked.

Arthur smiled "It looks just about perfect to me."

Dutch laughed. "And to me. You two stay here, and I'll head back to the overlook. If we hurry, we can have a camp setup here by this evening."

He quickly mounted The Count, and headed back.

Arthur looked at Casie "C'mon" he said, and they both walked over to an old log, by the edge of the lake.

He sat down, and Casie sat next to him

He gave her a gentle punch on her arm. "I was worried about you." he said.

"I'll be OK," She muttered, half trying to convince herself.

"You better be." He added, "no one else has my back, quite how you do."

Casie thought for a minute. "If you hadn't caught me trying to walk out, after the sheriff beat me up. Then we'd both be dead by now, I reckon."

Arthur looked Casie in the eye. "I reckon your right, so here's the deal, you always watch my back and I'll always watch yours. Deal?"

Casie smiled, "deal!" she agreed.

"Give me your hand Casie." Arthur urged, "we need to seal the deal."

Casey held out her hand ready to shake on the deal, but Arthur took Casie's hand and turned it palm up, and drew his knife.

Casie, let out a terrified gasp. She tried to pull away, panic in her eyes, but he held her hand firmly. He made a cut on the palm of her hand, and then made cut on his. He clasped her hand so the blood mingled.

They looked at each other. "Now its a deal." he affirmed, "a blood deal, Sister and Brother."

She nodded, and repeated. "Sister and Brother."

They both smiled. They knew the bond they shared could never be broken.

The wagons rolled up, just before noon. Miss Grimshaw chivvied everyone up, to get the camp ready. Casie was helping to unload one of the wagons. Arthur had found a couple of rags, to bandage their hands, earlier in the day. Casie was hoping no one would notice, but she couldn't have been that lucky.

Miss Grimshaw saw the bandage on Casie's hand. "Casie? What happened to your hand?" She asked, "oh...Nothing, its fine," she lied.

"Well, I'll be the judge of that!" Miss Grimshaw pulled off the bandage.

"How on earth did you get a knife cut on your hand, you don't even have a knife, do you?"

Arthur looked at Casie, struggling to stifle a laugh. She flashed him a 'don't you dare' look, but it was too late.