The Stranger

Author's note: So, this is my very first story upload in a very long while. Anything I have uploaded at one point has now been deleted, so don't even look for it. I couldn't have done this without the support of CanderCaner and ikkichi, check them out. So yeah, tell me what you think, or something.

Brief Warning: This story will contain mild to extreme forms of racism. This story takes place in the late 1870s to early 1880s time area so please be warned that there was still a lot of name calling and bad treatment in this time. There will be racism towards Native Americas, African Americans, Mexican Americans and White Americans. I want to keep this story as close to historically accurate as possible so please try not to be offended at the words I will be using in this story. With that, off we go!

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It was miserably hot and musty the day she walked into my bar. I was trying to keep cool in my long, heavy dress by flapping the cloth fan my father had gotten for me from Texas long ago.

It was middle of the day and the only customers I had had all day were the normals, and some of the local redskins who thought that wasting their life away in the bottom of a whiskey bottle was more productive than fighting for their land. Lawrence, my daytime piano man, was sitting in the corner playing a quiet but jaunty tune to keep the one customer I currently had in somewhat high spirits. I was the only barmaid there at the moment as I had let the other guys and gals stay home until nighttime. I wouldn’t need the help until then.

The door was pushed open gently and soundlessly. The only reason I turned to look at it was the little bell that hung on the doorframe. It sounded off whenever the door would open. Her boots made heavy thunks against the wooden floor as she walked in.

The girl caught my eye because she wasn’t dressed normal. She was in heavy duty canvas pants, chaps, worn down boots, a Stetson and a thick, long sleeved shirt. She pulled the bandanna down, revealing her face, took off her hat, and pulled her gloves off with her teeth. She then pulled out a stool from under the bar counter, put her hat down on the counter, and sat down.

“What can I get for you?” I called to her, moving to stand in front of her across the counter. She flicked her eyes up at me before reaching into her pocket and pulling out a few coins.

“Whiskey please, if you got it.” Her voice was rough but flat. I went to grab the bottle and pour it into a tumbler. I took my time so I could get a good look at this woman.

She had dark-as-midnight black eyes, long dark hair, and a flat expression. Her clothes were dirty and worn, but hugged her muscular body well. She was tall, tanned, and I could tell that her hair would frame her face nicely if she would release it from that leather tie.

“One whiskey. On the house darling. First drink for free for the new face in town.” I smiled and pushed her money back towards her. She would be big news in no time. This was the smallest town this side of Fort Sumner; no way she wouldn’t get noticed. Plus… she was a woman in pants; you just don’t see that every damn day.

She mumbled thanks and took a small, slow sip. She then put down her glass and looked away. I just bet she could tell I had a thousand questions to ask.

“I’m Millie Sheafer. I own this Saloon. What brings you to Long Canyon stranger?” I took notice of the pistol in the holster strapped to her right thigh and looked back up at her face. She looked annoyed. I giggled in amusement.

“Just drifted this way. Selling furs for anyone that wants one and some other services.” I raised my eyebrow but walked away for now, not wanting to annoy her further.

“Millie!” Lawrence strode up to me looking tired from the heat. “I’m gonna take a break for while, that all right?” Lawrence was a good boy, nearly 15 years old now. He would certainly be breaking hearts all over this town and the next, sooner or later.

“You take your time Lawrence, not like I got a huge crowd to tend to.” I smirked at him and leaned on the counter. I wasn’t wearing a very low cut dress like my other barmaids do, so I didn’t flash any special places to him. Didn’t stop him from looking.

“You know that woman?” He whispered quietly to me, glancing at the mysterious stranger. He looked nearly scandalized. “She’s wearing a man’s clothes! She crazy or something?”

“No, I don’t know her, nor do I think she’s crazy. Then again I don’t know much about her. Rest assured, she’ll be talk of the town before long. Let’s just leave her be since all the mothers and schoolmarms will be or her case right quick.” I scolded to him. I may only be 19 years old, but Lawrence looked up to me a bit, even if he tried to catch me naked in my dressing room upstairs whenever he could. “Now get going. Aren’t you supposed to be takin a break or something?” I flicked my towel at him playfully and laughed when he jumped back and smiled.

When he left the saloon, bell tinkling as he walked out, I wandered down back towards the stranger, seeing that her glass was now mostly empty.

“Need a bit more, stranger?” I asked, waving the bottle, almost as if tempting her. She nudged the glass towards me and I topped it off while she gave me the money for it. I grabbed the coins and put them in the drawer under the counter.

“Talk of the town, eh?” She said before bring the glass of whiskey to her mouth. I smirked.

“Didn’t your momma ever teach you not to eavesdrop?”

“Didn’t your momma ever teach you not to gossip when that person is still in the room?” For a second, I thought I saw a flicker of tease in her eyes as she let her long body unfold itself from the hunched position it had taken. My throat suddenly became dry. I swallowed, trying to moisten it back up. Good fuckin job that did me.

“I wasn’t gossiping.” I leaned on the bar near her. “I’m trying to keep the boy from doing so when we don’t even know your name. But, you do know that the gossip is gonna happen no matta what, right? Stranger comes to the smallest town in New Mexico, a female stranger. Plus, you ain’t even dressed like a normal girl and you smell like horse. Have you been riding one?” I was intensely curious now, and I was staring straight into her black eyes.

“He’s tied out back, waiting for me to get back on him to find someplace to stay.” She sipped form her glass once more. My face must have looked completely shocked by now. I made to ask her another question before I heard a crash followed by a clatter and a loud, dull thunking noise.

The only other soul in the saloon, an Indian, had knocked his glass off the table and collapsed onto the ground. I let out an annoyed sigh and rushed out from behind the bar to his body. I turned him on his side to keep him from choking on his own puke if it came to that.

“Shit. This is the third time he’s gone and passed out this year. It’s only June for Pete’s sake!” I was pissed off. “Now I have to wait for Lawrence to get back so I can go get the deputy. I do not want to deal with that man right now” I was muttering now, and I knew there was a look of plain old disgust on my face. I hate the deputy.

The stranger was at my side suddenly, feeling the man’s neck for something and dragging him slightly away from the broken glass. Thankfully there hadn’t been any more alcohol in there so it didn’t spill anything on the ground. I did not want to have to get on my knees and scrub the floors tonight.

“You know where this guy’s from?” She muttered hauling him up to a sitting position. His eyelids were fluttering and he was mumbling incoherently, he would be awake soon. Hopefully.

“Ye-yea. He’s a Dine. One of the tribes that settled in the hills about a mile west from here. Wh-why?” Confused, I stared at the other woman.

“I’ll take him to his home, hopefully he’ll wake up soon and he’ll be coherent enough to let me know where he lives.” There it was. Another tiny flicker of emotion in her eyes. Or was there? Dammit, this woman is hard to read.

“These are Indians were talking about here woman! They might scalp ya!”

“Yet you serve them alcohol on a daily basis?” she said. I folded my arms and huffed.

“That’s different.”

“How so?” I think I saw anger in her eyes this time, but the face was a blank slate.

“They’re on our territory where they’re in here, so I’m safe. If you go over there, they might overpower ya!” I was honestly scared that this woman might get hurt.

“I’ll be fine, just point me in right direction. If I don’t come back by this time tomorrow, you can send the sheriff, if I do return…” she trailed off, not wanting to stick words in my mouth, I guess.

“Free drinks on the house for the rest of the week.” I would never usually give an offer like this, money is money, but I wanted to know who this woman was. She was interesting.

“All right then. Help me get him to my horse.”

We hauled his body up off the floor; she took most of the weight. Damn she was strong. We walked out the door, that bell tinkling away, and turned right to get to the long row of horse ties that the church and I both shared between our buildings. I always thought it was quite hilarious that on Sundays, after praising the lord, everyone came running into my bar for a good time.

Her horse was gorgeous. It was black with silver dapples of color all over it. In the sunlight, it almost shined. The mane was well groomed and pure white.

The horse had a simple saddle on its back with a blanket slung over it. Behind the saddle, slung over the horse’s back, were bags that were packed to the brim. I had no idea how she was going to fit both her and the Indian on that horse.

“You mind if I leave these bags with you? I won’t need them if I don’t come back, and you’ll keep them safe if I do.” I smiled, taking her subtle teasing in stride.

“Sure you can, just know that if you ain’t here by this time tomorrow, I’m gonna be havin a whole lotta fun searching through your stuff.”

She untied the bags from where they were connected to the seat on the horse and leaned them up against the wall of my saloon.

“They ain’t too heavy, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble getting them inside.” I picked one up to test it, it wasn’t too bad.

She and I hoisted the man up onto the horse and she moved him into a position so that he would stay put. She then put her boot in the closest stirrup, hoisted up and swung her other leg over. She had a very powerful body, that much was obvious.

The woman grabbed the Dine Indian and clutched his unconscious body to her own to keep him from falling. I giggled at the mental image of the unconscious man bobbing up and down as the horse ran, his head lolling back and forth.

“You said west, could you point me in the exact direction though?” I walked out to the dirt road in front of my bar, the horse following me out.

“See that mountain there that has that long crack running down the middle of it? They’re right at the base of that mountain, in a small gorge. There’s a small pond of water there, you can’t miss it. If you do, you’re a twit.” I smiled teasingly up at her.

“Anyone tell you that you’re a little too cheeky for your own good, girl?” she tugged her hat down further on her head to keep the sun out of her eyes.

“All the time.” I smiled cheekily just to annoy her further. “I didn’t get your name by the way.” She looked down at me, then looked up at the mountain and rode off. My jaw dropped at her audacity.

“Fine then, don’t answer me strange, cold, nasty woman.” I scowled and huffed, stomping my way back over to her bags.