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Saloon Girl At Ten Paces	By : SisterWine Category: M through R > Magnificent Seven Views: 897 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Mirisch Corp. own The Magnificent Seven(1998). Rio Bravo (1959) was written by Jules Furthman, Leigh Brackett & B. H. McCampbell, directed by Howard Hawks. I make no moneys from or claim to Rio Bravo (film) or Magnificent Seven (TV show).

Chapter List
- 1-One
- 2-Two
- 3-Three
- 4-Four
- 5-Five
- 6-Six
- 7-Seven
- 8-Chapter Nine
- 2
- 3
- 4
The sun had just barely peaked over the mountains, to the east, leaving a warm and golden glow as it rose on the horizon. Few patrons and shop owners stirred in the early hour and Colorado had been one of them. In the distance, he could hear a rooster crowing. Footsteps outside of his room stepped quietly past on their way downstairs for morning coffee. A cool breeze sifted in from under the window that had been open an inch or two. He lie there a moment and stared up at the ceiling, letting the softness of the bed ease his stiff muscles. His pocket watch hung by the chain over the bedpost closest to his head and he raised up to check the time. Five-thirty. After getting back to his room late, he removed his clothing and climbed into bed just before exhaustion had taken him. Scrubbing a hand over his face and sighing, Colorado pealed back the covers and sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed before standing up to get dressed.
Colorado fastened his gunbelt on hips and reached for his tattered hat that hung on the bedpost at the end of the bed. Placing it on his head, he made his way out of his room and down the stairs for breakfast. He found Feathers sitting alone at a table on the second level of the dining area and caught her eye. When she smiled back and waved him over, he sauntered up the two steps and approached her table. "Mornin', ma'am. Dude been down, yet?" His soft voice was just warming up and he cleared his throat after hearing the rough edges of his speech.
"No, but you're welcome to join me. I was just about to order breakfast." Offering him the chair he stood in front of, she smiled as he accepted and sat down, once again removing his hat and placing it on the table, to the left of him. Waving Inez, who brought with her the pot of coffee and two cups, over and ordering her breakfast, she waited for him to order his own and for Inez to leave before striking up a conversation. "Are you planning on coming back this way?" She eyed him as he watched Inez walk away from the table and back to the bar.
Outside patrons had started to file in and call out their orders of coffee or meals. The room filled with rumbling voices of men just waking up but keeping their conversations low. Colorado scanned the room for the face on the poster but found it void of the man he and Dude were looking for. When he turned back to Feathers, he took a breath before answering. "That's up to Dude. Chance wanted us to escort the prisoner to Yuma and then head back. Even though, the Burdetts are gone, new trouble is moving in. He wants us back right away." His slow speech and calm demeanour hid his unease of the new threat that wanted to demolish Rio Bravo.
Inez carried the two plates of eggs, sausage and flour biscuits up the stairs and set them down in front of them before smiling coyly at Colorado. "Anything else I can get you?"
Feathers shook her head and eyed Colorado as he met Inez's eyes and tried not to blush as he answered. "Oh, one more cup of coffee, please Inez. One more will be joining us, shortly." Smiling up at the woman as she glanced back to Feathers, her eye then caught the sight of a groggy Buck as he made his way into the Saloon and up to the bar.
Leaning back in his chair and rolling a cigarette, Colorado sat with his back to the window but had a full view of the double doors. Placing the cigarette in his mouth, he patted his vest for his matches and found he was out.
When Inez returned and placed the extra cup on the table, she also brought along a box of matches and smiled as he accepted one. Clean white blouse and a red skirt had become her normal attire but since Colorado came into her life, she had decided to dress to impress him, despite the dismay of Buck, who watched from the bar. "Would you like anything else, Senor?"
"Thanks, this'll be fine." Colorado smiled sweetly as she blushed and turned back to her morning chores and patrons. The morning sun crept ever closer from under the swinging doors and with it brought in the more livelier of the crowd. Colorado made sure to watch both the shadows as well as the heads of people that strolled by. Sitting up, removing the smoke from his lips and picking up his fork, he scooped up a forkful of eggs and took a bite, chewing and swallowing before scooping up another.
~~~~~~~~~
Jesse's eyes opened slowly as his head turned to look at the sleeping woman in the rocking chair, next to the bed. He smiled weakly at her and then tried to gather enough saliva to wet his mouth as Nathan opened the door and stepped in. Moving a shaky finger to his mouth, he silently told the man to be silent and let Lyla sleep. "Water. Please." His voice was only a hoarse whisper but he knew Nathan understood and the tip of his tongue darted out to wet his cracked lips, awaiting the drink of water Nathan now carried over to him. A half-full glass of water poised at his lips as Nathan cradled the back of his head tasted like heaven as he sipped the cool liquid. He swallowed and sighed in content. "How long have I been asleep?" His voice struggled to come back to him.
"A week. Take it easy, now." Nathan raised Jesse's head and gave him another drink before easing him down and setting the glass on the small table, to the left of the bed as he knelt to Jesse's left as not to disturb Lyla. "How do you feel? Any pain?"
Jesse swallowed and shook his head. "She been alright?" Glancing back over to Lyla, still sleeping in the chair. She looked peaceful as she reclined against the back with her head to one side and a blanket covering her. He hadn't wanted to wake her as he knew she had exhausted herself with refusing to leave his side.
Nathan stood and made his way over to the wash basin to return with it and a fresh cloth to dab cool water on Jesse's face and neck. "Fever's broke and your wound is startin' to heal. You feel up to sittin' up?" Applying the cool cloth to Jesse's temples and forehead, he asked. He was relieved when Jesse nodded and placed the bowl and cloth on the table before helping him to sit up, in the bed. He asked again, "Feel alright?"
Nodding, Jesse rest his back against the headboard and placed a hand on his bandage, flinching in pain from the touch. "How long do I have to wait before I can eat somethin'?"
Nathan smiled at the good sign. "I'll see if I can get Inez to fix you some breakfast. Take it easy, now." He straightened from his bent over position and turned to head for the door. He hurried down the stairs and made his way to the saloon to give Chris and update on Jesse and get something for he and Lyla to eat. He found Chris and Buck sitting at a table, next to the window and eating their breakfasts; eggs, bacon and a biscuit with coffee. He nodded to them and made his way to the bar to place the order before walking over to the table and sitting down in a empty chair.
"How's Jesse?" Chris swallowed his bite and raised his cup for a sip of coffee.
Giving a relieved sigh, Nathan smiled. "He's better. Fever's gone and he's sittin' up. Asked for some food. Wound's healin' nicely. If he feels up to it, might take him for some air, later."
Chris placed his cup down on the table and picked up his fork, glancing over to his friend, across from him. "You can stop pacin' the floor, now, Buck."
Chewing the bite of biscuit, Buck scoffed at Chris's statement. "Kid's been through hell. Least he could do is live a little longer to see that little baby grow up." Buck was glad to finally get some good news and be able to rest, knowing that an innocent man didn't go to his grave with the guilt of killing his father. He had made several trips up to Nathan's to check on the resting young man and keep Lyla company but also consoled her in the death of her brother. He looked up from his plate to sit back and watch Inez bring the tray over and hand it to Nathan. "I'll take that, Inez." He smiled and stood, finishing his last bite of eggs and placing the fork down on the empty plate before reaching for the tray. "See how the kid's doin'." Taking the tray and turning to make his way out of the saloon, he headed up to Nathan's room with an eager pace.
Tapping on the door before opening it carefully and bringing the tray in, Buck smiled to the young man who turned to look at him. "Welcome back to the land of the living." Closing the door behind him and stepping around to the left side of the bed, he placed the tray on Jesse's lap and lifted the cover to reveal two plates of scrambled eggs, a few slices of ham and two biscuits with two cups of coffee. "Heard you were hungry."
Jesse stared at the food, not knowing where to begin. "Starvin'." Picking up the golden brown biscuit from his plate, he took a bite and chewed slowly. It tasted like heaven. After a few more bites and chewing and swallowing, he paused. "Is he dead? Charlie, I mean."
"Yea. Yea, he's dead." Buck nodded as he sat on the edge of the bed and watched Jesse eat. "Feelin' any better?"
Jesse chewed his bite of eggs and sipped at the coffee. "I didn't want to kill him. He just-- he aimed at Lyla."
Nodding, Buck eased the young man. "I know. We all woulda done the same. But, she's alright. A little frayed at the seams but alright. She's a tough young lady."
Chewing his bite of eggs, Jesse smiled and glanced over at his sleeping wife. "Yea, she is." He looked back to Buck and after a moment of silence, asked, "I really get a pardon?"
Buck laughed. "What's it feel like to be a free man?" He watched Jesse's reaction as the younger man hung his head and shook it, slowly.
"I don't know. Numb, I reckon." He took a breath and sat back, placing his fork beside the plate. "I don't even know where we'll go. Can't go home, can't go to my ma's. She has no family, now. I got nothin to give her." Jesse winced as a pain stabbed at his wound.
"Well, I wouldn't go thinkin' against yerself, so soon. Yer alive. You got a wife who loves you and cares for you, to think about and take care of." Buck turned his attention to the sleeping form in the chair and listened to her soft mewls and cooing as she slept. "Things'll all work out. It just takes a while to get started.
~~~~~~~~
Buck made his way back down to the saloon. He smiled as he walked down the stairs and on down the walk. "Good mornin, Mrs. Travis! Fine day, ain't it?" Meeting Mary only feet from the bottom of the stairs, Buck changed direction and walked back over to the stairs, where she had been heading.
"Good morning, Mister Wilmington. I was just on my way to check on Jesse and Lyla." Mary stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned to smile up at him. The days seemed to get colder and a breeze started, causing her to hold her knit shawl tighter about her shoulders. Her hair, she wore in a braided bun at the back of her neck but small locks not long enough to be woven in had fallen out and now blew loosely in the breeze. She wore a heavy maroon skirt and a fresh white shirt that buttoned up and two wide vertical strips of pleats on either side of the buttons.
Smiling as she turned to face him, Buck leaned against the railing and glanced up, at the top of the stairs. "Well, I just came down from there. Seems Jesse's awake and hungrier than a piranha gnawin' on a bone." He seemed proud of himself for taking the young man something to eat and delighted in seeing Jesse awake and alert. He gave a long, heavy sigh of relief as he left the room and headed downstairs.
Mary smiled in return. "Good. I'm glad to hear he's awake and has an appetite. How's Lyla doing, now that Jesse's feeling better?"
"She was sleepin', when I left. Seems she wore herself out, worryin' and frettin' about him." Buck faced the street and answered her before his attention was called to Feathers, walking along side the young deputy from Texas, escorting him over to where his horse waited, across the street. He only half heard was Mary said next as he stared at the scene of Feathers wrapping her arms around the young man and kissing his cheek before waving goodbye to the second, older deputy the young man was riding with. He wasn't sure if he should be angry or comfortable with the witnessed exchange but he cleared his throat and drew his attention back to Mary as she started up the stairs. Waving goodbye to her, Buck made his way across the street to catch Feathers as she made her way back into the saloon. "Mornin', Miss! It is a beautiful day, isn't it?"
Feathers turned to look back at who was speaking to her. "Good morning!" She turned back as they crossed the threshold and made their way over to a table.
Buck pulled the chair out for her to sit down in before choosing one to her left and sitting down. "I didn't know you were friendly with the young deputy from Texas. Or, is he your brother?" He hoped she would laugh and say brother but, the laugh and the answer weren't what he was hoping for.
Shaking her head and laughing under her breath, Feathers crossed her legs and removed a pack of playing cards from her skirt pocket and started shuffling them. "Colorado is an old friend from Rio Bravo. Got wrapped up in the same mess that I did and stayed to do some good for the town. Both deputies are good friends. Was that the answer you were looking for, Mister Wilmington?"
"Buck, please. I just... um, Are you sure Ezra's your cousin?" Buck felt himself blush and quickly changed the subject.
Her smile grew as she noticed him blushing and shying away from her answer.

TBC.
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Saloon Girl At Ten Paces