GLITTER GULCH

Chapter 2: Angel Fire

Part A

Sage shifted in his saddle and squinted. The setting sun was bathing everything in its amber twilight and melding the landscape into a copper swirl. "We’ll have to stop soon," he told Ryo. He cursed and spat on the ground. That’s the last bug I’m going to eat today. He ran his tongue over his teeth to dislodge any remainder of the bug and grit, and spat again.

"Sage, that’s gross! Could you please stop that?" He looked back at the Indian keeping pace behind him. Ryo didn’t seem phased by the heat or the bugs. Sage spat again. "Gross!"

They had been riding for days now – trying to elude the posse from Wichita. Ryo hadn’t seen anyone or anything for the last couple of days, and he said they were in the clear. But Sage wanted to make sure. They were to meet Rowan in Glitter Gulch soon. It wouldn’t do to have the posse follow them into town only to get the money they’d so carefully stolen. After all, the bank of Wichita didn’t need all that cash lying around. He grinned and caught another bug.

"Son of a …Ugh!" he spat again. "God, that one tasted nastier than the last one."

He heard snickering behind him. He wheeled in the saddle to face Ryo. "Go ahead. Laugh, half-breed. You’ll get yours."

"Somehow, Blondie, I think you’re suckin’ ‘em all up." The Indian laughed out loud.

Sage sneered and turned back to face forward. Shit. This day sucks. I can’t wait until I can get a bath and some fresh clothes. Rowan has the easy job. I should have taken the money, and Rowan should have been here trying to avoid lawmen and eating bugs.

"Aww, come on, Sage. There’s got to be a river or something close by. You can get cleaned up there. I told you they’re not trailin’ us anymore. Quit being paranoid. Besides White Blaze will let us know if anyone’s sneaking up on us. Okay?"

Sage allowed his shoulders to relax a little. Remember that you’re doing this so you can buy your own ranch somewhere and stay in one place. Then you can relax and spend the rest of your days writing your memoirs. He absently patted his saddlebag, which contained his candles and writing utensils. Maybe when they stopped he could unwind and work on the next chapter. His three heroes were about to square off with the evil black knight. He started working out the scenario in his head, ignoring the snickering behind him.

They settled on a spot about a half-hour later and Ryo began making a fire. He always seemed to have a knack for it. Sage could sit and strike flint together for hours and not get anywhere, but Ryo…The instant he picked up the flint, it was as if the fire was coming from his fingertips. Ryo’d have a bonfire started in no time.

Sage went to grab a bar of soap out of his saddlebag. His eyes focused on the military saber strapped to his saddle. He ran his fingers over the smooth sheath and smiled. This blade had been his father’s in the war. He had inherited it. No one else had wanted this sinister of a weapon. Sage closed his eyes. To him, this blade was beautiful. The art of fencing was precisely controlled movements and concentration – a dance of death. Something to be savored. He looked at the ivory handle and winced. He licked his thumb and tried to rub off a smudge. He frowned. I’m going to have to polish and sharpen this tonight, but first things first. He scrounged in his bag, found his last bar of soap, and went to the river.

The sunlight was fading fast but that didn’t matter. His vision wasn’t greatly affected by the darkness; he seemed to carry his own light with him wherever he went. He stripped off his clothes and his boots – his pale body shimmering in the twilight. He eased into the cold water, dunked his head under, and then came up gasping for air. He grabbed the bar of soap and began scrubbing. The weariness and fatigue ran down the stream with the dirt and grime. His golden blonde hair that Ryo was so fond of teasing him about was brighter and sparkled when the moonlight struck it. Sage grabbed his clothes and began giving them the same treatment. He hadn’t been able to do this for a few days now and wanted to be civilized again.

All this running around isn’t for me. He needed a place to call his own and stay put. That was going to happen soon. This bank job the three of them had pulled was the first and the last. With his share and the money he’d managed to save, he was going to buy a small ranch. Hopefully, Ryo and Rowan would decide to say with him. He felt comfortable around them and enjoyed their company. And although Rowan talked too much, it felt good to curl up beside him at night. Hell, maybe I’ll get married. Some hot little woman with cow eyes and plump lips. Sage began absently stroking himself. Hmmm. Could be good… He imagined a mouth encasing his sex, licking and sucking. Long, dark fingers stroking his flesh. Ice blue eyes and smoky black hair cascading around bronze shoulders. He moaned and pumped harder.

A large pop brought him back to his senses, and his muscles tensed. The sexual energy faded into his survival instinct. He readied for an attack, sinking farther under the water - his eyes just above the waterline. He scanned the shore. Ryo stepped from the darkness, grinning.

"Goddammit, Ryo! You almost got your ass kicked!" Sage blushed furiously. Those last few images had looked incredibly like the Indian. He couldn’t be attracted to another man…no way. Still…Ryo’s eyes…

"Yeah, right. I thought I was making enough noise to wake my ancestors, but you were ‘preoccupied’."

Sage pouted and stamped out of the stream.

"What do you want?" He grabbed a blanket and shoved on his boots.

"Dinner’s ready."

"Oh, thanks."

"You’re welcome, Blondie." Ryo scanned Sage’s body. "No doubt about that," Ryo leered.

Sage pulled the blanket closed. He wasn’t in the mood.

Ryo absently chewed on another mushroom cap he’d found in Sage’s bag. He watched him sullenly eat his baked beans and jerky. I thought the bath would help calm him down a little. Well, it might have if I hadn’t crashed the party. Ryo grinned. But he looked so good… He’d been relaxed and his hair reflected the moonlight, shimmering like a halo. Ryo chuckled. Ryo wanted to take Sage in his arms and never let him go…ever since the cowboy had saved his neck.

He’d been sold to Ringmaster Talpa’s Traveling Sideshow when he was nine, his parents killed in an unauthorized military raid on his village. He’d cried for weeks, but working for Ringmaster Talpa taught him that crying only brought more suffering. He didn’t cry anymore after the beatings. He wouldn’t. The lashes became less frequent and he did as he was told. Until…

Ryo led a somewhat comfortable existence. He tried to stay clear of Ringmaster Talpa and managed to make a few friends. One of which was a white tiger cub whose mother had died from malnutrition. He’d taken care of the cub and named him White Blaze. They began to do everything together and became an act. Ryo Wildfire and the Amazing White Blaze. Ryo had kept one of the promotional posters. Everything was going fine until Star Wolf showed up.

Star Wolf was a brown-eyed Apache with a mohawk and his specialty was knives. He could hit any target no matter how small. The girl chosen to do the knife act with Star Wolf didn’t trust him, and "convinced" Ringmaster Talpa that Ryo should be the one to get knives thrown at him. (Ryo thought she had it out for him because he told her that he wouldn’t kiss her, much less fuck her.) So Ryo had knives thrown at him for the next two years.

He learned a lot from Star Wolf. He learned how to throw knives, eat fire, and do the most amazing tricks from the back of a horse. Star Wolf was a patient teacher in everything, including sex. (Ryo finally realized why the girl was so upset.)

Until then, Ryo had managed to keep his distance from Ringmaster Talpa. He didn’t seem to take much notice of the half-breed. Then he started watching Star Wolf and Ryo together. One day, Ryo could feel Talpa’s icy gaze staring at him while they practiced. He began to feel uneasy. Star Wolf threw menacing glances at Talpa and continued to sharpen knives. The Ringmaster snorted and stomped off. Ryo gave Star Wolf a quick peck on the cheek and hit the bull's eye. The Apache’s eyes stayed on Talpa until he was gone from sight.

"I don’t trust him," Star Wolf growled, his eyes burning fire.

"If we ignore him and stay out of his way, he’ll leave us alone." Ryo threw another knife.

"I don’t think so. He’s got a taste for you, Wildfire. I don’t think he’ll let this go." Star Wolf grabbed Ryo’s arm. "We’ve got to leave. You must come with me. We’ll leave tonight. Bring White Blaze and meet me by the cages."

"Star, I can’t…"

"Ryo, please. He’s not looking at you, scouting you to be the next big draw. He wants you for himself, for his pleasure." The last word made Ryo’s skin crawl. "Meet me tonight when the full moon is at its zenith. We’ll leave and never look back." The urgency in Star Wolf’s dark brown eyes scared Ryo. He nodded.

"Uh, okay." Star Wolf’s lopsided smile sent shivers down Ryo’s spine. He kissed Ryo, full on the mouth, and in broad daylight! Ryo melted when Star Wolf’s tongue parted his lips and ravaged his mouth.

"Tonight, we will be free." Ryo blinked as Star Wolf made his way to the big tent. What was that all about? Oh, well, better get White Blaze and tell him the good news!

Ryo sat underneath the pale moon waiting for Star Wolf to show up. White Blaze slept contentedly by his feet. He patted the white tiger. "He said tonight. I’m sure he did. So why isn’t he here?" he whispered. He’d been waiting for over an hour and Star Wolf still hadn’t shown. Where could he be? Ryo had thrown everything he felt was valuable into saddlebags and was anxious to get away from this sideshow. What if he got cold feet and is waiting for me back by the tents? No, he would have at least come to get me. Where is he?

"He’s not coming." A lone figure stood at the edge of the lion cage. White Blaze growled.

"He told me to give you this and to give you his love…" the last word was spat out.

"Where is he?!"

"Talpa wants you for his own, boy. You’d better get used to the idea. Star Wolf is never coming back. He left you. He left you to Talpa."

Ryo bent down and picked up the knife case. He unwound the leather cord and stared at the knives glinting savagely in the moon’s pale embrace. There’s something… He noticed a stain on the inside of the case. One of the knives had a dark smudge. He rubbed it with his thumb. The copper smell filled his nostrils as his finger smeared the warm liquid. No…that’s blood… Dread and revulsion spread over his body in waves. He vomited fire and bile. Those bastards! I’ll kill them! Talpa and all his henchmen! They’ll pay for what they did to you, Star Wolf. I swear it.

Ryo crept silently up to the ringmaster’s wagon, the bloodied knife in his grasp. The fires from the lanterns danced in his eyes and reflected his fury. He froze in his tracks. The door to the wagon was opening, and he heard voices.

"Did you take care of him?"

"Yes. He won’t be back. Oh, and I fed the lions. They enjoyed their little snack." A figure stepped into the lantern light. At the sight of the dark clad man from the lion cages, Ryo screamed and sprang into action. The knife glittered as he struck. The man whirled, his duster thrown back and a pistol in his hand. At the sight of the murderous intent in Ryo’s eyes, he fired. Ryo screamed as the bullet tore through his shoulder, but his knife found flesh. The man cried out as the metal tore through the skin on his face, hitting bone. Ryo sank to the ground, clutching his shoulder. He pushed himself to his feet. The man stood clutching his face, trying to stop the bleeding. "Why you…I oughta…" He pulled back on his pistol’s hammer.

"Enough! Don’t kill him. I want him alive."

Ryo whirled to face the new threat just as a pistol grip hit him square in the jaw, knocking him unconscious. "I knew it was only a matter of time before he came to me." Talpa leaned over the unconscious Ryo, grinning.