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Tor was working with Idiot and Eric was safely tucked away in the wagon. He was curled up on a pillow in the windowsill, dozing peacefully. While he enjoyed spending time with Tor, he didn't like being on her shoulder when she was working with the horses, especially Idiot. The stallion had come a long way since Tor was first thrown on his back, but he still had some work to be done.  

"I know he should be in the herd," Tor said to Larson. "But he could be such a great saddle horse it's hard to deny myself riding him. He's so surefooted and steady on the land. He's what I want in all of my horses." 

"Which is why he should be making foals," Larson said. "You don't go riding a stallion all around tarnation. It's not fitting for a woman."  

"It's not fitting for a woman to be in trousers, either. Or for her to own a large business like this," she pointed out. "It's not fitting for her to ride astride. Yet I do all of those things anyway. I ride around in a dangerous land, full of people who want to hurt me and possibly kill me. And that's just my family. There's no telling how many strangers want what's mine. As temperamental as Idiot is, those mean little ticks in him make him a great personal protection. In addition to a rifle." She smiled at Larson. "As long as we're on a trail and not stopped for the night, I'm going to ride him." 

Larson shook his head. There was no use in arguing with her. He wouldn't win and she would be even more convinced she was doing the right thing. He sighed and turned for the gate to the small corral. "Fine, fine. Don't listen to the old timer. I'm gonna go walk the herd. It seems a little thin this morning. Going through that valley last night, I'm afraid we may have dropped a horse or two." 

Tor stopped and frowned. "What do you mean? Idiot didn't react as if any of the mares had dropped." Surely the big, possessive stud would have tried to turn back for a missing mare. 

"He was running at the front," Larson said. "He had his eye on your lead mare and her double. Those pretty girls distract even me. I'm not surprised he didn't see the three or four I think are gone drop out."  

Tor pursed her lips, nonplussed. Idiot, lacking direction from his person, stopped and watched her. His ears were keenly tuned on to her and Larson, almost as if he was listening to their conversation and waiting to give his own opinion. Tor gave him a slight smile and held out her hand. Idiot waited a minute longer before walking over and dropping his nose into her hand. He whuffed and lipped at her fingers. Tor scratched his forehead, right between his eyes. 

"Alright. I'll come with you. Let me turn him out and I'll be right there." She looped the lead rope around the stallion's thick neck and walked him out to the herd. Larson stayed on her side, not trusting the horse enough to put himself within biting range.  

Tor released the stallion and watched as he pranced off to the mares, most especially his favorite. The mare she had taken from the man who had tried to steal and eat her humans had turned out to be a mighty fine acquisition. Tor was certain she was already pregnant with Idiot's foal. Idiot always showed off for her and the mare seemed to enjoy it, always staying right with him wherever he was and making sure the other mares knew she was boss. 

Larson had to chuckle when the mare drove off a grey filly before Idiot reached her. "She's a jealous one. Much like you." He elbowed his boss. Tor rolled her eyes and began counting the mares. Sure enough, she was short four. "They're good ones. I don't want them missing. It's Atella, the dapple grey, Marjorie the bay roan, and the chestnut twins Stella and Bella." 

"Well want them to be missing or not, they are," Larson said. "What do you want to do about it?" 

"Do? I want them found. Take a few men and go comb the valley. See if they got tangled up somewhere." Tor never ran her horses with their halters on. It was far too dangerous. But that didn't mean the fool creatures didn't get hung up in a vine-riddled patch somewhere. She rubbed her face in frustration. "Paradise help me. I'm supposed to be breeding good stock that doesn't go lame and foul up at every chance." 

Larson patted her shoulder. "Breathe. They may have just gotten a little lost. It doesn't necessarily mean they're hurt. I'll find them and bring them back. Promise." 

"Thanks, Larson." What would she do without the wise old hand? She probably wouldn't have succeeded near as well as she had. 

Eric was happily dozing in the open window of the wagon, soaking in the warm midday sun, when a shadow fell across him. He stirred slightly, thinking Tor was back for lunch. When he opened his eyes, he gasped in shock and tried to back away. "N-no! What are you doing here?!" 

Jason smiled. He didn't say a word. He just grabbed Eric and shoved him into his pants pocket. He chuckled maliciously as he swung back into Corsica's saddle. "You'll do nicely," he said to himself. He turned the mare back to where his camp was and headed out. 

In his pocket, Eric struggled for all he was worth. He was panicking at the thought of what Jason would do to him. Jason was not good. He was not kind or nice. He was nothing like Tor. This knowledge terrified Eric. His heart hammered in his chest and his breathing became labored. He knew this wasn't going to end well. Not for him. 

Jason rode back into his camp and swung down. He handed Corsica off to one of his men and dropped Eric off with a redheaded human under one of the wagons. "Watch him," he told her. "Don't let him leave." He grabbed his current bimbo, kissed her and lead her into the lean-to that had been thrown together for their use since the rocking of the wagon had made her motion sick. 

She giggled as the door closed, cooing and moaning softly. Eric shuddered. He had heard rumors of what Jason did with his humans. He was praying to every deity that he knew of that would listen that he wouldn't end up just like them. 

Toni looked at the boy that Jason had given to her and shrugged. He seemed...well off. He looked like somebody's pampered pet if she had ever seen one. Not that she intended to get to know him or anything; she had no time for friends that would die soon. "You," she said. She pointed one finger, ending a chipped and dirty nail, at him. "Behave and stay put and I wont kick your ass. That's it. Those are the rules." 

Eric was shivering despite the heat of the midday sun. "Please," he said hoarsely. "Please, I want to go back to Tor. I won't tell him you helped me. I'll tell Tor you did and she'll reward you! She would take you out of this hellhole. Please, take me back. Or tell me which way her camp is. I can't tell from here."

"Yeah no," she deadpanned. "I'm not risking my life for anyone and certainly not for you. No one gets out of here if Jason decides they belong to him. Not now, not ever," she said, staring down at him. "Let's get under the wagon. It's hot as Purgatory out here"

"Please!" He was wild-eyed as he looked around. "I don't belong here. I'm not a criminal. I belong with Tor. She's my friend. She takes care of me. She won't like that I've gone missing." When he realized this girl was not going to tell him how to get away, he decided to take it upon himself. He turned and took off running in a random direction, hoping beyond hope to find a path to freedom.

 

Toni grunted and then ran after him. She tackled him to the ground and grabbed his arms and pulled them behind his back. Her knee was braced in the small of his back as she glared down at him. "Stupid. You can't get away. Are you going to stay put now or what?"

"I don't want to stay here!" Eric said, struggling against her hold. "Jason will kill me just to make Tor mad!" His time with Tor had made him soft. He had developed a pudge around his middle and had not practiced his sword or pistols for quite some time. Now he was paying for that laziness. This woman was strong from her time in Jason's pack of humans. Her grip was like steel around his wrists as she hauled him back under the wagon.

 

"Well, that's none of my business. He told me to make you stay and that's it." She stood, pulling Eric up with her, and walked back to the shade of the wagon. She took a seat on a small rock and pulled him down to sit. "Now shut up and don't give me any trouble. I'll kill you and tell Jason one of his men did it."

 

Eric sat, continuing to shiver. He was doomed. Tor wasn't going to know where to look and he was too weak and soft to escape. He was a pitiful excuse for a princeling. His father was right. Frantic, Eric ran his hands through his hair. He was about to make another break for it when the wagon was moved out of the way and Jason, shirtless with his trousers slung low and undone, stood above him. Eric did shriek at that point and attempt to run but it was far too late. Jason scooped him up and carried him into the lean-to.

 

Toni watched as the boy was taken and sighed. He would die soon, she knew. It was always better not to get attached. She prayed quietly for him to have a quick death before going back to the shadows. 

Back at her camp, Tor had just finished discussing specifics with Larson. She would stay put while he went with a few men to go find her missing horses. He had even convinced her to go talk to Jason about her missing horses, in hopes he or one of his men may have seen them. She watched as her top hand rode away before catching Idiot.  

"I know," she told the stallion. "I just let you go back to your mares. But I don't trust Jason one bit and I want you as my bodyguard." She kissed his nose and laughed when he lipped at her face. "Thanks. You're the only man I love right now and I'm perfectly happy with that." 

She lead him back to her wagon to get his tack. She was going to let Eric know where she was going so he wouldn't get upset when she was gone. "Eric," she called as she walked up and tied Idiot to the wagon. "Eric, where are you?" The boy didn't show himself and he wasn't on the sunny windowsill where he liked to nap. She frowned and went inside,watching where she placed her feet just in case he had gotten down on the floor. 

"Eric? Eric, come on out. Hiding isn't smart or funny." Worry trickled into her mind. What had happened? The wagon was perfectly intact. Nothing was ransacked. Nothing was out of place. It was as tidy and orderly as ever. Where was her princeling? She looked all over, carefully moving away blankets and pillows, but found nothing. Worry was quickly turning into panic. 

She went back outside and looked around on the ground, hoping to see him hiding in the shadows of a wheel or something. What she found had her panicked-worry turning into confusion then anger. She found a set of hoof-prints on the other side of the wagon, not the side where she tacked up her horses. These hoof-prints were far too small and delicately placed to be one of her big-boned horses. There was only one such kind of horse around. Jason's horses. 

"Curse that whoring bastard!" she screamed. Whether Jason himself had come and taken Eric or had sent one of his men, she knew he was behind Eric's disappearance. And if Jason had him, Eric wouldn't last long. There was no telling how long he had been gone. 

She wasted no time in saddling Idiot, making sure a coil of rope and her stock-whip were settled on the horn. She slid her rifle into its holster and swung into the saddle. She wheeled the big stud and leaned low, signalling for him to run. Run he did. He didn't know why he was being asked to run, but he relished the opportunity. Tor guided him in the direction where she could see her brothers' camp. They were closer than she normally liked to be and now Eric was paying for it.  

It only took a few minutes before she stormed into Jason's camp. "Where is he?!" she bellowed. "Where is Eric and where is Jason?!" She looked around as Idiot pranced in place, rolling the bit in his mouth and snorting. His rider's agitation flowed through the reins and affected him. One man, obviously new to Jason's crew, pointed to the shabby lean-to. 

"He went in there, Miss, with one of his humans." He was quickly cuffed and silenced by Stan, Jason's top hand. The big man gave Tor a look. 

"You best go on home now, Tor. There's nothing for you in this camp." 

"Creator's arse there isn't anything for me here!" She rode up to the lean-to and backed Idiot up to it. She collected her breath and apologized to the horse. "I know you don't like this, but I need your strength right now." Her rifle was tucked under her arm as she gave him one good kick in his sides. 

The stallion reacted predictably. His ears went flat, his head went down and he bucked. His powerful hind-hooves connected with the door, shattering it and knocking it off its hinges. Tor bailed after the first buck, letting the horse work out his fit on his own. She knew he wouldn't go far. Or he would only go back to his mares. In which case she would take one of Jason's horses back home.  

She charged into the cabin. Jason and his bimbo were naked. She was spread across the bed and he was standing at the foot of it. Eric was in his hands. Tor's vision went red. Before Jason could snap out of his surprised stupor, she stormed up to him and kneed him in the groin. The man gasped for air and collapsed. Tor slammed the butt of the rifle into the side of his face. His eyes rolled back and he slumped to the ground, unconscious. She snagged the hand that held Eric before it could fall, prying Jason's fingers open and taking the boy into her own, gentler grasp. 

He was naked and shivering, pale underneath his tan. There was no telling what kind of trauma Jason had inflicted before she got there but it was plain enough to see what was going to happen if she hadn't made it in time.  

"I've got you," she told him softly. "I'm here. I'm right here." She carried him outside. A couple of the men had braved the big stallion's tantrum and caught him. The held him at the very end of his reins, not wanting to be too close to his wicked bite. Someone had collected the rope and whip that had fallen off and placed them back around the horn of the saddle.  

Tor kept Eric tucked close as she put one foot in the stirrup and swung up. She took the reins back from the man and headed back to her camp. When she arrived, she handed Idiot off to one of her men. "He won't bite you, I don't think," she told him. "Just go slow and talk softly to him."  

She took Eric into her wagon and gave him some clean clothes to wear. When he was dressed, she scooped him back up and sat on the bed. She simply held him for a long time, until his shaking slowed and his whimpering cries tapered off. Her thumb gently rubbed his back as she tried to give him comfort. 

Nearly an hour later, she pulled her hands away and lifted him up to her face. "Are you alright?" It was a stupid question, she realized as soon as she asked it. "Are you hurting anywhere?" 

Eric scrubbed his face. "I'm just sore." His voice was hoarse. Probably from screaming for so long. "I don't think he broke anything." He clung to her hand and looked up at her with the most pitiful look Tor had ever seen him give. "Please, don't leave me alone again. I don't care where I have to sit, just please don't leave me alone again."  

Tor sighed softly. "I won't." She hugged him to her cheek. "You'll be with me from now on. You'll just have to learn to toughen up and hold on when I'm working." 

Eric nodded against her cheek. "I can do that." 

"Good." Tor pulled him away and smiled softly. "Are you hungry?" 

"A little," he said. "But mostly I want a bath."  

"Then I'll make you one." She carried him to the counter and pumped a bowl full of water, warmed by the heat of the sun striking the metal tank it was stored in. For a human, the temperature was just right for a bath. Tor set up a couple books around the bowl to give him a sense of privacy. Normally she would sit outside on the steps while he bathed, but today she stayed inside, sitting in a chair at the table across from the counter where he was. 

Eric disrobed and climbed into the bowl. He stayed there for some time, scrubbing away the dirt and the horrible realization of what Jason was going to do to him. When the water cooled some time later, he climbed out and wrapped himself in the clean rag that was his version of a towel. He dried off and redressed before calling for Tor. 

She was there almost immediately, taking him into her hands, emptying the bowl and putting away the books. She kept him tucked close as she walked outside. "Come on. I need to check and see if Larson has come back yet. Several of my mares are missing and he went to look for them." 

Tor stepped out into the late afternoon sun and walked through the camp. Her cook was preparing supper. It would be ready soon, she could tell. She smelled the sweet scent of cooking apples. There would be apple pie tonight. Such a rare treat and one that would be sorely needed after Eric's traumatic experience.

 

Chapter End Notes:

And I bet you didn't believe me when I said I would have the next chapter up today!! Well here it is so THERE HAHA

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