In the wake of Uther and Han's departure for the valley, Brona and Aedan were left alone with the Mullen brothers at her family farm. They weren't expecting Mahon and Nemone to return for at least another couple of weeks, and by then, Brona was very much hoping to have all three Mullens invested in staying near Pax. Cody was already thinking about trying his hand at teaching; Nate, she was sure would take to Millie once she engineered a meeting for them. It was Eli she was a little more confused by, unable to think of anyone or anything that might induce the eldest brother to stay when his brothers decided to. As it turned out, it wasn't anything to do with her sneaky conniving that made the decision for him at all.
The pared down militia needed all the help it could get while most of the fighting men and women were away at the valley, and Eli had been asked to patrol an area that had rung with the howls of the mutants the night before. No one expected the mutants to still be there, but there was always the chance that someone on one of the homesteads was injured or in need of a decent burial. He'd had his way marked on a rough map, and after a brief check in with Brona, had come away from the Dugan farm with a sturdy packet of food to keep him going on his travels.
Eli had taken to his new duties quickly, learning the layout of the area and the comings and goings of the villagers, as well as the habits of the mutants. His knowledge came in handy there, as far as the militia was concerned. He and his brothers had been hunting mutants for years and knew more about the creatures than anyone in the village, even those who were part of the militia, and far more than those on the council. A few had grumbled about the brothers, hesitant to trust newcomers, but they were slowly proving their worth, especially Eli. Patrolling for mutants wasn't anything new for Eli Mullen, and he'd set out that morning just like he would any other, his horse packed with weapons and provisions for the day.
The homesteads he had passed by midday had been none the worse for wear, the families within happy to check in with him and make sure he was confident to continue on alone before allowing him to do so. The furthest reaching homestead was the quietest - just a simple house, with a stable and tiny forge set beside it, a well laid out garden, and a few livestock corralled. There was no sign of any damage, suggesting that the mutants hadn't come here the night before, but equally there was no sign of the occupants.
Suspicious by nature, Eli knew he couldn't be too careful where mutants - or even outlaws - were concerned. The place looked peaceful enough, but without any sign of life, he wasn't sure if the owners were busy working or if there was something more sinister going on. He thought about shouting to see if anyone was around, but if there was trouble, that would only alert whoever or whatever was causing that trouble. Instead, he secured his horse and started toward the house, his fingers on the heavy handle of a pistol he wore on a belt at his hip.
The mare wandering loose at the side of the house gave some indication as to where the owner might be, her head swinging up to watch movement of some kind in the direction of a small copse of trees not far from the back of the house. And yes, there was movement there; half-hidden in the trees themselves, there was the suggestion of a being, watching the newcomer from their hiding place.
He was going to knock on the front door, like any decent human being would, but the wandering mare and the movement in the trees caught both his attention and curiosity. "Hello!" he called as he started slowly in that direction, fingers wrapped around the trigger of his pistol, though he had not yet drawn yet from the holster. "I'm from the village!" he called, hoping it was just a scared kid or something and not an ambush, but the mare seemed calmed enough, as though nothing was out of the ordinary. "I'm patrolling the area for mutants!" he called, giving whoever was there an explanation for his presence. He just hoped he hadn't just caught the attention of any mutants or outlaws.
Whoever was behind the trees was also armed - it was obvious in the sound of a shotgun being cocked. "Close enough," a female voice called to him. "Stop there and prove it." The voice was definitely coming from that copse of trees, and if he squinted, he could probably make out the shape of a woman standing there, concealed by the greenery.
"Whoa," he said, upon hearing the unmistakable sound of a firearm being cocked and readied to fire. He eased his hand off his own gun and lifted both hands in the air to show he wasn't a threat - at least, not unless he had to be. "What kind of proof do you want' I'm a member of the militia, patrolling the border. Ain't got no proof other than that!" he called back, moving slowly closer. He could tell there was a woman there, not only by her voice but by the shape of her silhouette amidst the trees. "You all alone out here" That ain't too safe." He obviously wasn't a mutant, so she must have been worried about outlaws.
"I don't know you, don't know your face," she pointed out. "How'd I know you're not someone coming here to try and rob me" If you're from Pax, you'll know names." The greenery rustled a little as she adjusted her stance. "I do know how to use this, you know."
"I'm sure you do," he muttered mostly to himself. "I'm new in town. I don't know many people yet. Do you know Joss, Uther, Brona" I know them. Joss and Uther are on the council. Brona's a healer." A healer who was falling in love with his brother. Oh, he knew that already. All the signs were there.
"You know Brona, huh?" There was a pause, and the greenery parted as she stepped out. Quite aside from the shotgun held firm against her shoulder, she was striking to look at; petite, curvaceous, dark-haired and blue-eyed. She was also stark naked and dripping water, offering ample evidence as to what she had been doing before he'd ridden up to the house. "All right. Why are you out here?"
As he took in the view, he felt parts of himself he'd thought he'd forgotten reminding him he was a man with a man's needs and desires, but that was no way to greet a lady or earn her trust. "Um ..." He cleared his throat and shifted his weight, uncomfortably. "Maybe I should wait over there," he said, pointing to the horse he'd secured to a tree. "While you, uh, get dressed."
Her brow rose as she looked at him along the barrel of the gun. "You're not going anywhere until you answer the question," she informed him, though it couldn't have been more obvious that she knew exactly the effect she was having on him. It might even have been her intention. "Why are you here, and are you alone?"
"I already answered your question," he told her, sounding a little bit peeved. He was used to being the one in charge, not the other way around, and the way she was making him feel was starting to annoy him. He liked to be in control, and his own body was betraying him. "I'm patrolling for mutants, and you're obviously not a mutant, so I'll just be on my way," he told her, turning slowly to leave.
The sharp report of the gun went off instantly, startling her mare into a run for the paddock nearby and making the ground by his feet erupt as the shell embedded itself into the soil. "You're on my land," she reminded him calmly, reloading with a sharp, practiced jerk of her hand. "You alone?"
He visibly flinched, instinctively ducking his head and freezing in place as the gun went off, jarring his self-control. "Yes, I'm alone!" he shouted back, hands in the air to show he meant her no harm. "Crazy bitch," he muttered to himself, too low for her to hear him. "You wanna shoot me in the back, go ahead. I'll make sure to tell the council not to check on you anymore since you shoot anyone who gets close."
The pared down militia needed all the help it could get while most of the fighting men and women were away at the valley, and Eli had been asked to patrol an area that had rung with the howls of the mutants the night before. No one expected the mutants to still be there, but there was always the chance that someone on one of the homesteads was injured or in need of a decent burial. He'd had his way marked on a rough map, and after a brief check in with Brona, had come away from the Dugan farm with a sturdy packet of food to keep him going on his travels.
Eli had taken to his new duties quickly, learning the layout of the area and the comings and goings of the villagers, as well as the habits of the mutants. His knowledge came in handy there, as far as the militia was concerned. He and his brothers had been hunting mutants for years and knew more about the creatures than anyone in the village, even those who were part of the militia, and far more than those on the council. A few had grumbled about the brothers, hesitant to trust newcomers, but they were slowly proving their worth, especially Eli. Patrolling for mutants wasn't anything new for Eli Mullen, and he'd set out that morning just like he would any other, his horse packed with weapons and provisions for the day.
The homesteads he had passed by midday had been none the worse for wear, the families within happy to check in with him and make sure he was confident to continue on alone before allowing him to do so. The furthest reaching homestead was the quietest - just a simple house, with a stable and tiny forge set beside it, a well laid out garden, and a few livestock corralled. There was no sign of any damage, suggesting that the mutants hadn't come here the night before, but equally there was no sign of the occupants.
Suspicious by nature, Eli knew he couldn't be too careful where mutants - or even outlaws - were concerned. The place looked peaceful enough, but without any sign of life, he wasn't sure if the owners were busy working or if there was something more sinister going on. He thought about shouting to see if anyone was around, but if there was trouble, that would only alert whoever or whatever was causing that trouble. Instead, he secured his horse and started toward the house, his fingers on the heavy handle of a pistol he wore on a belt at his hip.
The mare wandering loose at the side of the house gave some indication as to where the owner might be, her head swinging up to watch movement of some kind in the direction of a small copse of trees not far from the back of the house. And yes, there was movement there; half-hidden in the trees themselves, there was the suggestion of a being, watching the newcomer from their hiding place.
He was going to knock on the front door, like any decent human being would, but the wandering mare and the movement in the trees caught both his attention and curiosity. "Hello!" he called as he started slowly in that direction, fingers wrapped around the trigger of his pistol, though he had not yet drawn yet from the holster. "I'm from the village!" he called, hoping it was just a scared kid or something and not an ambush, but the mare seemed calmed enough, as though nothing was out of the ordinary. "I'm patrolling the area for mutants!" he called, giving whoever was there an explanation for his presence. He just hoped he hadn't just caught the attention of any mutants or outlaws.
Whoever was behind the trees was also armed - it was obvious in the sound of a shotgun being cocked. "Close enough," a female voice called to him. "Stop there and prove it." The voice was definitely coming from that copse of trees, and if he squinted, he could probably make out the shape of a woman standing there, concealed by the greenery.
"Whoa," he said, upon hearing the unmistakable sound of a firearm being cocked and readied to fire. He eased his hand off his own gun and lifted both hands in the air to show he wasn't a threat - at least, not unless he had to be. "What kind of proof do you want' I'm a member of the militia, patrolling the border. Ain't got no proof other than that!" he called back, moving slowly closer. He could tell there was a woman there, not only by her voice but by the shape of her silhouette amidst the trees. "You all alone out here" That ain't too safe." He obviously wasn't a mutant, so she must have been worried about outlaws.
"I don't know you, don't know your face," she pointed out. "How'd I know you're not someone coming here to try and rob me" If you're from Pax, you'll know names." The greenery rustled a little as she adjusted her stance. "I do know how to use this, you know."
"I'm sure you do," he muttered mostly to himself. "I'm new in town. I don't know many people yet. Do you know Joss, Uther, Brona" I know them. Joss and Uther are on the council. Brona's a healer." A healer who was falling in love with his brother. Oh, he knew that already. All the signs were there.
"You know Brona, huh?" There was a pause, and the greenery parted as she stepped out. Quite aside from the shotgun held firm against her shoulder, she was striking to look at; petite, curvaceous, dark-haired and blue-eyed. She was also stark naked and dripping water, offering ample evidence as to what she had been doing before he'd ridden up to the house. "All right. Why are you out here?"
As he took in the view, he felt parts of himself he'd thought he'd forgotten reminding him he was a man with a man's needs and desires, but that was no way to greet a lady or earn her trust. "Um ..." He cleared his throat and shifted his weight, uncomfortably. "Maybe I should wait over there," he said, pointing to the horse he'd secured to a tree. "While you, uh, get dressed."
Her brow rose as she looked at him along the barrel of the gun. "You're not going anywhere until you answer the question," she informed him, though it couldn't have been more obvious that she knew exactly the effect she was having on him. It might even have been her intention. "Why are you here, and are you alone?"
"I already answered your question," he told her, sounding a little bit peeved. He was used to being the one in charge, not the other way around, and the way she was making him feel was starting to annoy him. He liked to be in control, and his own body was betraying him. "I'm patrolling for mutants, and you're obviously not a mutant, so I'll just be on my way," he told her, turning slowly to leave.
The sharp report of the gun went off instantly, startling her mare into a run for the paddock nearby and making the ground by his feet erupt as the shell embedded itself into the soil. "You're on my land," she reminded him calmly, reloading with a sharp, practiced jerk of her hand. "You alone?"
He visibly flinched, instinctively ducking his head and freezing in place as the gun went off, jarring his self-control. "Yes, I'm alone!" he shouted back, hands in the air to show he meant her no harm. "Crazy bitch," he muttered to himself, too low for her to hear him. "You wanna shoot me in the back, go ahead. I'll make sure to tell the council not to check on you anymore since you shoot anyone who gets close."