Vin walked towards the hotel carrying a pot of coffee and two mugs. It was just past dawn and Vin had made the brew himself, the usual barman being too bleary-eyed at that early hour.
He quietly slipped up the stairs and knocked softly on one of the doors. There was no answer so he silently let himself into the room. He walked up to the bed and placed the pot and cups on the side table. There was a slight gurgling noise as he filled the cups with the hot liquid. Taking one mug he retreated to the only chair in the room where he stretched his legs out in front of him, sipped at his coffee and waited.
He didn’t have to wait long as the aroma of the coffee reached the occupant of the bed. The blankets moved then flicked aside.
+ + + + + + +
Tel was enjoying the best sleep she’d had in ages. Nothing cures insomnia like total exhaustion she’d thought as she felt herself drift off to sleep.
+ + + + + + +
By the time the four had made it back to the stage the morning before, Chris and Loren helping Buck, and Vin carrying the unconscious Tel, the passengers had managed to drag the only two remaining outlaws up to the side of the road. They’d bandaged their wounds as best they could and layed them in the shade of the coach.
Loren had noticed the blonde man grunting with pain every time they stumbled on the rocks so, as soon as they’d helped Buck to sit, she set about making some extra bandages for his wound. But when she approached him he waved her away.
"I’m okay, its just a scratch. Tend to your friend"
Loren looked across at the pale form of Tel now laying in the shade as well. She looked terrible but Loren knew she was okay, of course, she’s okay, and would expect her to help the others first.
"All she really needs is rest. You on the other hand need to be bandaged up, you’re bleeding like a stuck pig!"
Chris was too sore and tired to argue further and gave in to the woman’s ministrations.
"Have it your way"
"I intend to, Mr …?"
"Larabee, Chris Larabee" he pointed his head in the direction of the other two men, "and that’s Vin Tanner and Buck Wilmington."
"I’m Loren O’Neill"
Each man nodded as they were introduced. Buck was leaning against one of the wheels still feeling a bit dazed and weak after his experience. Vin Tanner had turned from helping Buck to the woman lying beside him. He was worried, she sure don’t look okay.
"How come there’s so much blood?" He asked, "Can’t find any wounds"
"Its part of what happens, its from the stress she places on herself when she does stuff like that"
Chris looked at the makeshift bandage now around his shoulder then up to the woman who’d put it there.
"Who is she?"
"She’s Telaisen" Loren answered simply. Chris arched his eyebrows, his look demanding more information.
"If I tell you anymore than that she’ll get mad – might even stick a blade to my throat and threaten to slice me up!" Loren said, staring directly into his eyes. The shock she saw there made her wince but she’d gotten her point across.
"How’d ya know ‘bout that?" Buck looked shocked too, only he and Chris, and the barber, knew about the time Chris had threatened him after talking to Mrs Travis about him.
Loren walked towards her friend, "She told me" she answered as she knelt down and began wiping the still unconscious woman’s face with a damp cloth. The blood really was everywhere, bringing Buck back had not been easy at all. Once she’d cleaned her up some Loren lifted Tel’s head to give her a sip of water. Other than swallowing the water Tel made no sign that she was aware of what was going on.
Vin went to collect the outlaw’s horses leading each one up to a body. Once he’d gotten each body onto a horse he led them back to the stage where he tied them in two strings and left them to wait.
Chris led the remaining horses over to the small group of people.
"The injured will have to go in the stage so you’ll need to ride" he told them.
"I’ll sit with the driver" Buck said, starting to stand and holding onto the coach for support.
Loren was leaning over Tel again, one hand on her shoulder and gently calling her name. Tel’s eyes fluttered open but looked curiously blank.
"C’mon Tel, its time to go" Tel made to sit up. Loren put her arms around the exhausted woman’s shoulders for support then helped her to stand. Vin brought her horse over and the two helped her onto its back. The woman held tightly onto the saddle to balance herself while her head spun wildly. Loren and Vin watched with concern as all color drained from her face for a moment but she got control quickly and gave them both a weak smile.
"I’ll be fine" she assured them, "Let’s go"
+ + + + + + +
The sleeping woman fought the urge to wake up as long as she could but the tantalising aroma of the coffee, and the knowledge that someone else was in the room with her, forced her into wakefulness. She opened her eyes and reached for the mug beside her.
"Ain’t nothin’ better’n hot coffee and the mornin’ sun"
"Well, I don’t know ‘bout that. I can think of at least one thing better", she sipped her coffee and smiled, "Good morning, Mr Tanner"
"Miss Macloud", he grinned, touching the brim of his hat.
+ + + + + + +
Josiah rode back into town that morning. He’d had a very interesting, if worrying, few days at the reservation. His friends there were concerned about some forthcoming event but would only give him snippets of information. He was sure they did it just to get his goat. They like to see him wrestle over their enigmatic statements.
He looked towards the saloon porch expecting to see Vin or one of the others there drinking coffee like usual but the porch was empty. He tied his horse to the hitching rail and walked into the saloon to find it was empty as well.
"Mmmmph!" growled the big man, perplexed.
"Coffee, Mr Sanchez?" offered the bartender.
"Thanks" Josiah nodded to the man, "Quiet morning?"
"After the excitement of last night, I guess", the bartender replied.
Josiah raised his eyebrows, wondering what he’d missed, "Excitement?"
"There was an attempted robbery of the stagecoach only Mr Larabee, Mr Tanner and Mr Wilmington got there first and stopped it".
"Anyone hurt?"
"Most of the outlaws were killed, there’s a few over at the jailhouse, shot up. The passengers were okay. Mr Wilmington was hurt, I heard", the bartender informed him.
Josiah put his mug down on the bar and walked out of the saloon towards Nathan’s place. He knocked on the door and walked straight in, waking Nathan up in the process.
"What the …." Grumbled the tired healer, "Josiah, you’re back". He rubbed his sleep heavy eyes.
"Sorry to wake you Nathan. Heard Buck’d been shot, thought he’d be here"
"He was shot but he’s okay. He’s in his room, sleepin’, if he’s lucky".
Nathan started looking for his clothes, "Might as well get up now. Gotta check on them injured outlaws and the woman"
"What woman would that be, Brother Nathan?"
"Name’s Tel Macloud. ‘Parently she showed up three days ago. Two days ago she left town in a hurry sayin’ the stage was being’ robbed." He stopped to put his boots on.
"Heard ‘bout the robbery"
"Well, Chris, Vin and Buck lit out after her. They all rode back in last night with the stage"
Something about the mention of the woman struck a chord in Josiah’s memory but he couldn’t place it. It’ll come to me in time. He waited for the healer to finish dressing then they walked down to the jailhouse together.
+ + + + + + +
"Ready to tell me ‘bout Dan-El?" Vin asked Tel as they picked their way through the hills just outside the town.
"Nope" was all the reply he got. He gave her a pained expression, which she ignored. He didn’t like to press her further but he knew it effected him deeply somehow so he tried again.
"Ya sure?"
Tel looked him straight in the eye, "Yep". Vin grunted and nudged his horse on towards the river.
When they reached the river, Tel suggested they go for a swim but Vin was still thinking about the mystery of the woman he was with. He sat on the embankment and started skipping stones across the water. Tel sighed then stripped off and, running past the silent tracker, dove straight in. The water was like ice on her bare skin but felt wonderful and she was smiling when she broke through the water.
"Ya got no shame woman" Vin stated also smiling.
"Nope. None at all" she replied before disappearing under the surface again.
Vin leant forward peering into the water to see where she’d gone. As his head came into murky view Tel pushed herself off the riverbed straight towards him bursting out of the water right in front of him and splashing him full in the face.
"Whoa!" he spluttered dripping wet, "That weren’t fair!’
"Who said life was fair Vin Tanner" and she dived again. Within seconds the wet tracker had stripped off and dived in after her.
Later, as they dried off in the sun, Tel watched Vin’s face. He seemed relaxed and peaceful, even happy. The water had washed away his earlier worries. Pity that won’t last.
"Dan-El means, ‘One Who Watches’".
Vin tensed slightly, waiting.
"It’s an ancient name from a language no longer spoken – from a race of people that no longer exist in this world" she said softly, sadly.
"And I’m this Watcher?" Vin aked.
"Yes"
"Am I supposed to do somethin’ ".
"You already are." Vin gave her a puzzled look.
"You were born the Watcher, you will die the Watcher. All you have to do is just … Be"
"That explains everythin’ then" he commented a little sarcastically.
"Don’t worry Mr Tanner. You don’t have to do anything you don’t already do"
"Good. Won’t do it wrong then"
+ + + + + + +
Everyone had noticed that Vin Tanner was quieter than usual and seemed to have something on his mind. Chris finally cornered him a few days later in the saloon.
"You find out anythin yet?" he asked as he sat down beside him. Vin kept looking straight ahead.
"Bout what?"
"Bout that Dan-El business." Vin turned to his friend, he didn’t want to lie but he wasn’t ready to talk about it yet, hell, ain’t even sure if I understand any of it yet.
"Kind of" he replied in a tone that suggested he didn’t really want to talk about it Chris ignored it.
"Well?" Vin stared out the saloon doors as if looking for somebody and Chris thought that perhaps the other man hadn’t heard him. He was just about to persist when the tracker spoke again.
"Reckon somethin’ big’s happenin" Vin’s eyes started to go out of focus and his voice flattened out as he continued, "Somethin’ that involves all of us in some way. The past and the future…" he trailed off, lost in his thoughts.
"Vin? VIN!" Chris called him back to the here and now. "You havin’ one of those premonitions too?" he asked, mystified by his friend’s reaction to his questioning.
Vin gave himself a shake, mentally and physically, "What?"
"You went all strange on me then pard" Chris told him, "Why don’t you just tell me what’s going on?"
But Vin didn’t know what was going on – he was the Watcher not the Keeper of the Knowledge.
Everything Has a Purpose [Next]
