Untamed Savage
Chapter Two - The Decision
Disclaimer: I don't own X-Files characters, I just play with them,
and hug them and squeeze them and call them George, oh wait, wrong
story, Anyway, I don't own them but I like to play with them for free
of course.
This is an AU, set in the old west after the War between the States.
Walter is not in law enforcement though he does go with posses at
times. Fox is a half Indian boy of 9. This story is my own creation,
though there are other stories such as Darby and Wolf, Frontiers and
Independence that are along the same lines. This is not a take off on
any of them. I have however read and enjoyed the aforementioned
stories and only hope my creation is half as well received as they
were.
Warning: This story will deal with many issues, including the corporal
punishment of a child. If you don't like this then go on by.
The Indian words in this are Lakota Sioux, I have tried to put the
translation right beside the words. I will include a glossary at some
point in time.
Thank you to Bonnie May, Claire and Joey - betas extroidinare.
Feedback is my friend
It was almost dark when the boy woke again. He stretched and winced at
the pain in his sore foot when he moved it wrong. He was warm, so
warm, almost too warm. Fox tossed back the patchwork quilt in an
attempt to release some of the heat. He was still too warm, maybe it
was the shirt. He removed the shirt as well as tossed it to one side
of the room where it landed in a crumpled heap. Fox shifted on the
large bed as he tried to find a cool spot. For one moment he
stiffened, under him was a large wet place. He swallowed as he felt
the wetness and brought his fingers to his nose. "Please don't let me
have wet the bed like a baby." He thought to himself, with a lurch in
his stomach. The scent on his fingers was not urine but sweat. Fox
leaned back on the pillows in relief.
The wet spot was uncomfortable to lie in, and Fox was still very hot.
He swung his legs out of the bed and sat up. For a moment he swayed
but took several deep breaths to steady himself. He rose from the bed
on shaky legs, and moved carefully to the door of the bedroom. The
scent of roasting chicken filled the small cabin and made Fox's mouth
water as he remembered how hungry he was. But he was still so very
hot. It was only a few steps to the door of the cabin. He made it
without falling over and pulled the door open, it took him three tries
before he could work the latch.
The cold crisp air flowed over his heated body, it made him shiver a
bit as he stood in the doorway in the twilight. Fox swallowed once and
found he was thirsty. A short way in front of him he saw the watering
trough. Simple wood shaped in a long rectangle, with a pump on one
end, and filled with cool, inviting water. The water shimmered as he
stood there for a moment, then stepped forward, one step, his body
seemed to swell with thirst. Then another step drew him closer. He
wanted so much to lose himself in the cool water, the next two steps
went by as one. Then just as he reached the edge of the trough an arm
grasped him around his waist and lifted him. A hand found his bottom
with a stinging swat, then another burned though his nether regions as
he yelped out.
"Tarnation boy, what the devil are you doing out here in the freezing
cold, bare as the day you were born?" the growl was familiar and
welcome, even as it brought feelings of dread. Walter's hand swatted
Fox's bare bottom again sharply as he turned and strode with a purpose
to the door.
"I was hot and thirsty!" Fox protested this treatment, he hadn't done
anything wrong, he was just hot and wanted a drink. What was the harm
in that?
"I told you to stay in that bed."
"No you didn't, you never said I had to stay there." Fox protested as
the large man carried him back into the small cabin. His bottom stung
from the three swats. Truth be told it gave him a sense of comfort to
know the man cared enough to swat him, even if it did hurt. And he did
know better than to run around outside naked.
Walter carried the boy over to the bed and saw the wet spot on it, he
knew right away from the shape and smell that it was sweat not urine.
He grabbed the quilt from the bed and wrapped the boy in it before he
set him on the chair. "You mean to tell me that you didn't know not to
go outside naked?" Walter asked as he stripped the bed of the wet
sheet. "Are you telling me you don't have any more sense than a new
born baby?"
"I knew, but I was thirsty, it was so hot in here." Fox knew his
protests sounded feeble but he did NOT want his bottom swatted again.
"I am not a baby, I-I knew." The last part was whispered.
Walter knew the boy didn't have a fever, his body wasn't warm when the
older man carried him in the cabin. "I'm going to have to let this dry
in the air before you can lay back down." Walter went back to the old
carved trunk at the foot of the bed and opened it. "I think you and I
need to get some rules set boy. And one rules is you do not run around
in the cold naked." He pulled out a large, cream colored shirt from
the trunk.
"I know that rule," the boy protested. "I'm not a baby."
Walter fixed a glare at the boy though his wire-rimmed glasses, the
look was hard and caused the boy to still immediately. "You know not
to run naked in the cold but you did it anyway." The statement was
flat, and Fox could sense the hidden danger behind it. Fox looked down
at the quilt and traced a pattern with his finger. "You said you know
that rule, yet you broke it, is that what you said boy?"
"Ho," Fox whispered softly, he was not a baby, he knew better than to
run in the nude when it was cold. "Yes," he repeated in English. "I
knew, I just was not thinking, I was just thirsty."
Walter got a cloth and a bowl of warm water, he washed the small lad
down from the sweat and dried him briskly, then slipped the shirt on
over his head. It was huge on him. "I already swatted you for that, so
I won't spank you for it again. But hear me young man. Just because I
haven't said something is a rule doesn't mean it's not one. I expect
you to use common sense and not do anything foolish that will endanger
your safety or heath. Are we clear on that youngin'?"
"Ho." Fox said resigned, as he pulled the shirt straight.
"You say `yes sir' in English." Walter corrected the lad.
Fox glared at the big man in defiance, then thought about it. This man
was a medicine man with all the magic he had in the small lodge, Fox
dropped the defiance and simply said. "Yes sir."
Walter smiled big and ruffled the boy's long hair. "Good boy," he
praised the youth. "We're going to get along fine. You just mind your
manners and I'll try to remember you're just a boy."
"I'm a MAN!" Fox shouted and stomped his foot. Unfortunately it was
the injured foot and he howled in pain. A string of explicates came
from his mouth that shocked the older man and he had been in the army.
"ENOUGH!" Walter roared over the boy's cursing. Fox was shocked into
silence the look of pain clear on his face. "Not one more word, not
one, I don't tolerate any of that vulgar language in my house and if I
hear even one more word of it; I'll wash your mouth out with some good
strong lye soap and give you a sound spanking. Is THAT clear boy?"
"Yes sir." Fox said though the tears, his foot really hurt and all
this man was worried about was some words? That didn't make sense.
Walter knelt down and gently lifted the sore foot, he swiftly removed
the bandages and checked that no further harm had been done, the
tissue was cut in several places, one of which was seeping a little.
Walter efficiently smoothed some salve over the cuts and rebandaged
the wounded foot with clean strips of cloth. Then Walter scooped the
cussed little brat in his arms and hugged him. "I know your hurting
right now, but I have made all the allowances I am going to. From now
on, if you misbehave, your are going to be punished, Understand?"
"Yes sir," the boy whispered, his bottom tingled in anticipation and
his stomach sunk, but his heart felt light. "I understand."
Walter smiled and dropped a kiss on the dark head. "Good boy, are you
hungry?" he asked as he felt his own stomach grow as the aroma from
the chicken registered in his consciousness. The enthusiastic nod told
him the boy was just as hungry as he was. "Good, let me set you down
at the table, while I dish up supper."
While he had been out in the barn Walter had thought a great deal
about the small boy in his charge. He knew he was not going to let the
boy leave. It was not safe for him in the outside world. If the boy's
story was to be believed, and Walter saw no reason it shouldn't be,
then the boy could not go back to his tribe. The Indian's Walter had
known were proud and honest people, but very stubborn. If the boy was
told he could not go back then that was it, he could not go back.
Unfortunately, he also couldn't go into the white world, not alone. He
was too young and Walter could not think of this boy in an orphan
asylum. He would be beaten and worked. No, that was not going to
happen. That left Walter only two choices. One was to keep the boy and
the other was to find a family to take him. No, there was only one
choice. Keep the boy, no family would take a half-breed as much as
Walter wished it was different he knew that fact was certain. The
moment Walter realized he had to keep the boy he let out a breath he
didn't know he had been holding and a feeling of relief at the
decision filled him. The boy would stay with him for now, he couldn't
let a child wander over the countryside alone.
Walter left Fox at the table while he pulled the roast chicken and
vegetables out of the oven. With practiced movements he made gravy out
of the drippings, flour added to some butter for a rue, then the
drippings stirred in, don't let it lump, he thought with a smile at
the memory of his mother's admonishment, from when he cooked at her
side. He set the table and dished up the food. He had barely set the
chicken on the table and turned to get the potatoes when he heard a
sound. Walter turned back around and there was his charge, the whole
chicken in his hands ripping it apart with his teeth as he tried to
devour it. Walter was shocked at the display and stood stock still for
a moment in dismay. Then he was galvanized to action, even the most
wild of Indians he knew didn't fall on food like this.
Walter reached to the boy and pulled the chicken from his hands. Fox
fought for his meal not wanting to let go. And sunk his teeth into
Walter's hand to show his displeasure. Walter winced and cuffed the
boy sharply on the ear, not enough to harm him just to startle him. It
worked, the boy released his hand and rubbed the stinging ear.
"We do NOT fall on food like animals young man! I know you didn't
learn that from your people, they would be ashamed." Walter set the
chicken back on the platter and grabbed a towel, he cleaned off his
hands. "Did your parents let you eat like that?" The brown eyes glared
at the small child as he demanded the truth.
Fox squirmed but didn't lie. "No, they didn't let me. I was just
hungry."
"I'm hungry too but you don't see me falling on the food like a wolf.
I will not tolerate that young man, do I make myself clear? You knew
that was wrong didn't you?"
"I knew." Fox admitted, and he was ashamed, he had attacked the food
like an animal. His mother and father would have been ashamed of him.
His father would have ignored him as is the way of his people for that
display. His mother would have scolded and fussed and made him behave.
Suddenly strong hands grasped him under the arms, he was lifted out of
the chair. Fox was startled as he was carried to the large chair.
Walter sat down and placed the boy face down on his lap. This kind of
behavior was not going to happen under his roof. He secured the boy
with one arm over his powerful thigh. Then lifted the large shirt to
bare the small bottom to his hand. It was at that moment the boy
seemed to realize what was going to happen and began to kick and
struggle "NOOO let me go!! Don't, you can't. Stop!!"
Walter ignored the cries and brought his large, work hardened hand
down on the pale bottom sharply. That first swat stopped the boy's
cries for a moment as the pain registered in his mind. The second swat
brought his verbal skills back with a vengeance. "STOP! PLEASE DON'T!
NO! OWWWWWW!" were the cries as Walter rained several more spanks on
the now pink bottom. He had not planned this to be a long spanking,
just one to get the lad's attention and focus his mind. He stopped at
the end of a dozen swats and lifted the teary-eyed lad onto his lap.
"We eat properly here boy." Walter said sternly, he wanted to hug the
boy but he had to get the message across. "You know how to eat, you
said so yourself. My pa would have sent me to bed without supper and
with a stinging bottom for doing something like that. But I want you
to eat, so you can just sit on that sore bottom for supper. And then
it's right back to bed with you."
"Yes sir." The boy said as tears slowly ran down his face. Walter
looked at the little lad and couldn't resist. He enveloped the boy
into a tight hug. "Now, lets go back and eat like civilized people."
Once they were seated at the table Walter dished them both up, he made
sure the lad had enough of everything, but he didn't want him to get
sick either. Moderation in all things his father had told him
frequently. Walter believed in that, moderation is what he would teach
the boy as well. Walter watched as the boy fell on his food again.
That and some table manners.
By the time supper was over the boy looked dead on his feet, his green
eyes were at half mast and the yawn that over took him nearly split
his face in two. Walter smiled and reached over, tousling the lads
long dark hair. "Tired?" He asked more out of habit reminiscent of
polite society than the fact that he wasn't sure. Anyone could see the
lad was nearly asleep.
"No, not tired." The boy lied, then ruined it with another yawn.
Walter chucked as he cleared the table. "Sure your not. Lets get you
to the necessary then into bed, it should be dry by now."
"Not a baby." Fox muttered when Walter picked him up out of the chair
and carried him out to the outhouse. But Walter noticed he seemed to
snuggle into him a bit as he did.
"I know that, but you're injured." Walter placated the lad. The trip
there and back was uneventful. And after the bed was made and the boy
tucked in, Walter sat on the edge of the bed. "I am not going to lie
to you Fox, we have some rules to establish between us, and I am not
an easy man to get along with. But if you try and meet me half way,
then I will do the same. I only ask that you mind me and use the
common sense you were born with."
Fox yawned again and burrowed into the blankets a bit more, his eyes
already closed. He was warm and full, what were a few rules. "Ho," he
said in Sioux, "Oglu hemaca (I am good)" and was asleep.
Walter chucked. "Sure you are." He thought and went to clean up the
kitchen.
to be continued