BLUE SUN ROOM FAN FICTION - GENERAL

TUJIAOZUO

The Sachem: Chapter 12
Saturday, March 22, 2008

Post BDM; M/I, S/K; Continued From New Haven: Stepping backwards into the past, we view what went on before Mal, Zoe and Simon were captured. In this chapter, Mal. Zoe and Simon learn of what went on in Tehatchepi, and the story finally reaches the point of it's first chapter


CATEGORY: FICTION    TIMES READ: 2490    RATING: 10    SERIES: FIREFLY

*THREE DAYS LATER*

“This town don’t sit right with me.” Zoe announced as their rides walked into Tehatchepi. As her sharp eyes skimmed the sights, all she could see were women shuffling about with the demeanor of slaves.

“Towns change, sometimes not for the better.” Mal uttered under his breath, wary himself.

“Is it just me or is everyone here particularly… dwarfish?” Simon quizzed, looking down at a man that crossed the street right in front of him. The man didn’t even reach Brave’s shoulder.

“Forest folk are of the shortish nature.” The captain rationalized. “They’re like mountain goats, built for these massifs.”

A man came out of a building, and gave a crude look to Zoe.

She put her hand on her mare’s leg, staring him down until he went back inside.

“I’m starting to think he got in trouble.” Simon added with an ironic whisper.

“Let’s just find him and get out of here.” The leader finished the conversation as he reigned Xin towards the livery. “Something tells me the sooner we head back the better.” Pressing a heel into the horse’s side, he worked her into a trot, the others following his pace. Stopping in front of the barn he swung down just as an old man came out, wiping his hands on a leather apron as he smiled kindly at them.

“Travelers I suspect? Welcome, welcome.” He greeted, though not giving Zoe much respect when he looked at her. “What can I do ya for?”

“Well, we’re here lookin’ for a man, big man.” Mal explained.

“Tall, lewd, road a giant black horse, smokes, drinks, mighta used the name Jayne.” She added, not liking the treatment and pressing in to demand respect.

“Miss, I dunno where you’re from but women don’t talk here.”

Mal held his arm out, stopping Zoe as she stepped, near lunged. “Then we best wrap this up before things take a pear-ish shape. You seen the man? Woulda stuck out likea sore thumb in your lot.”

“That he did.” The livery owner put his hands on his weak hips.

“Where is he?”

“Gone, whole town’s awfully ruffled too.”

Mal squinted. “Ruffled’s not a pleasant word. You wanna explain?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kaylee was staying home.

She had gone out to town the day before, fixing machinery for money that would feed the animals. So, with that she had stayed home the next day, helped Inara in the morning with Meilin as well as house chores, and was now at the newly built horse pasture, installing the automatic door hinge she had designed and cobbled together with some old parts. Inara was in the house, giving the baby a bath, and River was out with her horse and cat, exploring as well as making a quick round of the first acres. So it was just Kaylee, the dogs and the draft horses who were in the new pasture enjoying the new grazing space.

The dogs barked, galloping off to the long road that led to the ranch.

Kaylee stood up, curious, and wiped her hands on her coveralls and slid a pair of pliers back onto her tool belt. Climbing up on the fence, she perched herself up on the top post for a better view. Colter had come out earlier that morning, and wasn’t due to come back till late afternoon, and that was to go to the outpost to check the fence there, so it couldn’t be him.

She jumped off of the fence and walked over towards the barn, where the horseman seemed to be headed. Glancing over to the house, she saw Inara come out, warily holding something concealed in her robe. They exchanged confused and slightly anxious expressions as the tall man in cowboy garb stopped his horse right next to the mechanic.

Swinging down from his ride, Bailey Tig took off his hat, giving a smile that made Kaylee feel like a crocodile was grinning at her hungrily. “Miss Frye, pleasure ta see you today.”

Inara, confused, kept her position on the porch and watched shrewdly.

The dogs sniffed his boots and growled.

Kaylee gave an uncomfortable smile. “Hi, Bailey… So um… watcha doin’ here.”

“Well um, I was wondering if you had a compression cuplers for a Panzel engine.” He thumbed back, his eyes roving her comely figure. “One of them blew offa a hover trailer.”

“Ain’t there one you can buy in town, or order?”

His smile faded, frustration coming through his flimsy fasade. “I checked, there’s none in town and the mail order would take a month, reckon’d you’d have one. And I’ll pay, money plus… I’d like ta do something for you as a thank you.”

Kaylee began to show frustration herself. Him not getting the hint, that she was already occupied and happily at that, was nettling. “Bailey, I dunno why you gotta be so persistent. I have Simon, and we’ve been through a lot, it ain’t somethin’ I can walk away from with a hop skip. Plus you… I…. ya ain’t… my type…” She watched as his face sank, then became rigid with glowing jealousy. “I’m sorry, but… I don’t think I really want ya talkin’ to me anymore.” It was then she saw the true intentions burning in his eyes. And the man that made her so anxious. Catching his fists clench, the covetousness, the rage and disgust he had for the Tam. Kaylee took a step back.

“You need to leave.”

Kaylee turned around, startled as River stood behind her.

River Tam.

She stepped up, getting in front of Kaylee. With the skirt of her navy frock fluttering the breeze as her face was hollow, chin tilted up high to lock eyes with the tall, handsome, angry cowboy. “You need to leave now.”

He glared down at her without a lick of respect. Anyone could tell he wasn’t below beating on a girl.

A gun racked.

Looking further down, he saw the enormous semi-automatic in her hand, racked and ready to be shot. Licking his lips, his fingers twitched as instinct told him to peel out his gun and draw on her.

In one blur of motion, the muzzle of the clairvoyant’s weapon was trained on his chest. “I’m faster.” River read his mind, her voice a whisper, the harsh wind warning before the tempest. “Which is why you need to leave, NOW.”

Bailey hesitated. She was so little, but oh so menacing.

“Before I leave you unfit for survival and keep your horse.”

Setting his jaw, he tipped his hat to Kaylee, mounted his ride and galloped off.

Inara came running over to the mechanic, who was plenty shaken. “Are you alright mei-mei?”

Kaylee found solace in a hug, and she nodded her head slightly. “Everyone in town’s gotta know the fellas are gone. That’s the only reason he’d try.”

The gun went off, making Inara and Kaylee jump as a pocket of dust blew up down the road, right next to Bailey’s steed. As they turned, they saw River lower the gun from the warning shot.

“That was the reason. Everyone knows almost everything in a small town.” She released the magazine and slid it in the magazine holster on the belt, raising the gun she racked it to expel the rest of the bullets in the chamber. “Not too smart though, driven by lust, getting his way. Little rich boy with no boundaries or expectations.” Watching as the galloping horse disappeared, she turned to them. “Dangerous, dangerous for you and anyone who gets in his way.”

Inara and Kaylee expressed their concern to one another, before being startled by River’s sudden flip of emotions. For when their eyes landed back on her she had a huge grin as she took a pouch from the oversized belt hanging off of her hips.

“Let’s go inside, I picked berries.” She brandished the satchel tinged with deep purple juice whilst her other hand holstered the weapon.

River practically skipped back to the house.

Kaylee and Inara stood there momentarily, dumbfounded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The threesome stood there, dumbfounded.

“Jayne Cobb?” Mal blurted.

“Defending… women’s rights?” Simon gaped, looking positively flabbergasted. “Are…. Are you sure?”

“You buy your wives here like livestock?” Zoe growled in the background.

The doctor turned to the captain and the second in command. “Zuo liao di-yu jie-bing? Nin zhu-yi liao ren-he ru-ci wu ma?"

“Don’t rightfully sound in his character, that’s for sure.” Mal noted, his arms folded as he exhaled with hesitant wonderment before addressing the livery owner. “So, he defended his… ‘wife’ and ended up accidentally killing the town elder. Hallabaloo ensued, he ran off, you boys haven’t found him. What exactly are the concequences of the manslaughter of the town elder?”

“Well, it makes him town elder.” The old man explained in his raspy, antiquated voice.

They all gawked further.

“Shen-me di-yu…. What are you talkin’ about old timer?” Mal blabbed as Simon’s hand covered his mouth and Zoe was still brooding over the mistreatment of women.

“Zhe shi cuo-wu de zai xu-duo shui-pang shang.” Simon Tam muttered under his breath.

“It’s tradition,” The livery owner divulged. “Goes all the way back to the first settlers, when they was always challengin’ the elder, thinkin’ they could do a better job. Weeds out weak leaders. But it ain’t been done for a good thirty years, everyone’s been mighty content with the last elders, none been killed.”

“So… ya’ll don’t wanna kill my man?” Mal’s head was cocked slightly to the side, like a confused hound.

“No, we wanna find him ‘cause he’s the elder, can’t get ‘nother unless he don’t appear in a month.” Remembering something he waved them in. “Say, I got his stuff here in my barn.”

“This… is beyond what going mad feels like.” Simon murmured to Zoe. “I… I… I feel like I should be dreaming… or on some kind of narcotic. I mean… a leader of a town?!”

Mal came into the barn first, and stopped when he saw the cart stockpiled with all sorts of things. “That’s… that’s all his?”

“He won it all in a card game, mighty impressive load of stuff.” He noted, shuffling over to the cart. “He bartered for some woolies, they’re in here too. But mainly he’s got deeds.”

“Deeds?”

“Yep. For a little property out of town, twenty head of sheep, plus his wife. Big stuff, didn’t dare touch it, seenin’ the town elder would need those things ta live here.”

Simon was busy looking like someone hit him in the head with a blunt object as Mal was collected and pulled out a small fold of bills. “You know which way he went?”

The old eyes focused on the bills. “Back towards pagan territory, you know were that is?”

“I do.” Pulling out two bills of a decent amount, he gave them to the man. “Now listen, I need you ta store all of the new elder’s things and not tell a soul about us, nor this conversation, dong-ma?”

“Sure thing.”

Shaking his frail hand, Mal turned and left with his beta and surgeon, mounting Xin and pressing her towards the trail he had once gallivanted as a young lad with childhood friends.

“Why are we covering our tracks?” Simon spoke up, as Zoe was silent and terse. She like a cat that had swallowed a bad mouse.

“Because we’re going to find Elder Cobb, drag him back here by his ear, get him to pass the job to someone else and go home and away from that hou-main lu-zi bing-qu town before something happens. Something akin ta Zoe leading the revolution.”

“Never said I would, sir.” She said through near clenched teeth. Eyes aflame, face like thunder.

“I know, however it don’t take a psychic ta read your mind right now. Nor does it take a psychic to know I’d join ya.” He explained simply.

“Then let’s do it.” She announced.

Simon, wide eyed and unready for any type of battle, stared at them.

“Can’t help everyone, gotta take into account we’ve got a ranch down the hill and a way of life I would very much so like to continue instead of snuffin’ it fightin’ a town of forest midgets.” He spurred Xin to pick up the pace. “Just wouldn’t be the epitaph I always wanted.”

Zoe eyes moved back in forth as she fought getting mad and tried to reach reasonable ground. “We still gotta do something.”

Simon, still terrified of being pulled into going to war with the town of Tehatchepi, went through a mental list of possible alternatives. “We could always buy some?”

The second in command gazed at him for an explanation.

“He owns property, correct? If he sells it back, we can use the money to buy some of them, and after we’re far enough away we can set them free. Or, have the new elder create a decree that abolishes the act of selling women, giving them rights.”

“See? That’s why we keep ya around.” Mal quipped.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“See? Berries make everything feel better.”

River confidently announced this while licking her dark purple thumb. Mouth stained near black, the mark of her berries as Boston and York were licking their noses with purple tongues.

Kaylee gave a smile as she and Inara were a little more delicate with their eating. River had been eating them like candy, but the other two took their time, didn’t crunch down on the fat clusters of juice until their mouths were shut, keeping their fingers, lips and clothes clean. “Ya sure know how ta cheer a girl up.”

“It’s not me, they’re magical.” River chirped cheekily.

Inara giggled. Meilin was asleep, and it was nice to have some time with the girls. Gingerly picking up a blackberry, she pondered over it, studied it. “I haven’t had these in so long. They’re not high society food…. But I remember having a bush in the manor garden when was I little.” Reminiscing, she pushed it betwixt her lips and pressed it up against the roof of her mouth with her tongue. The juice exploding out of the thin skin, settling and soaking on her tongue. Inara wanted to moan with ectasy it was so delicious. Yet she refrained herself, she did have some propriety.

Kaylee, however.

“They remind me’a sex.” She muttered, sucking on a berry thoughtfully. The juice a slow and steady current to the back of her mouth.

“Everything reminds you of sex.” River pointed out, eyes dulling as it was all too true and none too cheery for her.

“What can I say? I miss ‘im.” Shrugging, she pulled her mouth to the side to make a little face that showed she was utterly hopeless. “Nara probably misses the cap’n… and when you find someone you’ll miss ‘em too.”

Inara was about to object to the fact that she missed Mal that much, though it was true, however River became very meek. Her head bowed, and she gave a face that wanted to hope, but wasn’t too sure of investing in it.

“You really think?” the youngest Tam paused and her features softened to a delicate manner that was only comparable to handmade lace. The other two had never seen her so tenderhearted. “Someone will find me, and I they? Regardless of my idiosyncrasies? ”

Inara reached over and took a blackberry stained hand. “Of course bao-bei. It’s just a matter of time.”

“It’s a big ‘verse. There’s someone out there, made just ta handle all ya got going on.” Kaylee wrapped an arm around her as they were sitting next to each other. “I mean it too, ‘Nara had ta be specially made ta put up with the cap’n. And Simon’s just as special order cause he puts up with me.”

"I think it's the other way around." River corrected her, Inara giggling in the process. "Takes special person to love a boob."

York walked across the table and nuzzled River dearly. No one needed a translation, he would be there for her.

River cupped his round Siamese face as she spoke and projected at the same time. “And I you, but I want a human.”

He twisted his ears back, as if mildly offended.

Boston yaowled from the floor to add that he too should be considered.

"You have quite the fan club." Inara sipped some tea she had sweetened with some berry juice. "Looks like you're getting better at projecting."

"They still learn, so do I, need hand signals for commands sometimes, still can't fetch." River idly scratched her cat's ears as she pondered Simon's proposition of neutering one of her beloved felines.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*ONE DAY LATER* "Whoa, whoa." Mal murmured as he raised a hand to signal his party to stop. The horses braked, restlessly treading their feet as they sensed something was afoot. He looked well worn from travel, complete with muzzle from lack of razor. Turning around in his saddle, eyes on Zoe and Simon, calloused finger reached to his lips.

Zoe had her mare's leg out and ready, face placid. And equally stubbled Simon had the only thing he could shoot moderately well, a rifle, but seemed edgy as he swallowed and fixated on Mal carefully dismounting.

Malcolm, gently resting his boots on the soil, kept one hand on the tang of his pistol as he heedfully prowled onward. Gaze searching the thick forest, the sun but a filter in the fronds of the trees as the air was chilled. The pines were evergreen, yet the oaks, cottonwoods, maples and dogwoods were as yellow and red with fall as the sunset itself. Their leaves already beginning to drift in the wind and cushion the treading of any that stepped. With the skill of a soldier and hunter of the land, his footsteps were soft and calculated on the leaf covered path. Skimming, making sure the trail was clear for the forest was too quiet, minutes elapsed. Letting out his breath, he relaxed and waved them forward. Taking a step forward to retrieve Xin, something crackled beneath his foot.

The trap snapped up, caught his ankle, and whipped Malcolm Reynolds upside down till he was suspended roughly ten feet in the air below the branch of an ancient maple.

*** *** *** TRANSLATIONS/DEFINITIONS

Mei-mei: Little sister

Zuo liao di-yu jie-bing? Nin zhu-yi liao ren-he ru-ci wu ma?: did hell just freeze over? Did you notice anything like that?

Shen-me di-yu: What the hell?

Zhe shi cuo-wu de zai xu-duo shui-pang shang: This is wrong on so many levels

dong-ma?: Understand?

hou-main lu-zi bing-qu: Back ass wards

bao-bei: darling

****** Translations might be a little wonky. My usual translation engine is down today and I had to use a different one I don't like too much.

**As always, the writer appreciates all comments whether they be positive, negative, or suggestions.**

COMMENTS

Monday, March 24, 2008 3:16 AM

BLACKBEANIE


"Something akin ta Zoe leading the revolution."

I can see that happening. And I like it.


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