Chapter Text
The woods that in spring must be a real piece of art with vivid greenery and birds chirping happily was now a still, snowy desert with no signs of life. Not even wind dared to blow in Vi’s face to mock her when she treated through the knee-high snow alone. Light reflecting from the white powder stung her eyes mercilessly, frost bit her nose and throat, even seeping through leather gloves. Not even whiskey that she always carried could warm her up. Her jeans were so drenched that they felt two times heavier, adding slowness to her already sluggish movements.
Times like these, where she thought she was at the brink of death, reminded her of just how lonely she really was. She wasn’t a part of a gang, didn’t have a partner to travel with. She was a lone wolf, independent and tough. Had to be. But it had its positive side- she didn’t have to share food, water, money, or risk anybody’s life other than hers, to avoid any further guilt that creeped up when she could finally let her guard down.
She was almost sure that she wouldn’t make it. It looked like she walked into the depths of wilderness with little to no resources and the closest human soul was hours away.
But she didn’t have hours.
Which didn’t mean she’d just collapse and wait for death. That wasn’t Vi’s style. Vi’s style was determination, testing the limits - never giving up.
Letting death catch you instead of making it chase you was not what she considered as living.
Although, dying far away from any living soul, not being a burden to bury and identify, didn’t sound all that bad. At least no one would rush and fight about who’s first to collect the bounty that’s set on her head- dead or alive.
Nevertheless, she continued to part the snow, paving the way into what she considered her own deathbed.
Time passed, and Vi barely noticed from beneath the rim of her hat how dark it already was. She finally looked up and around, scoffing as every tree looked the same- as if she was walking in circles.
But one thing was different this time- a distinct smell of smoke coming through the woods. Almost warm in Vi’s face.
She looked up but it wasn’t visible on the misty-gray sky. Trees covered it anyway. So she followed it, a spark of hope for warmth and comfort pushing her to continue. It might be a bandits’ camp, hidden deep in the woods with all their goods far away from where they can be robbed, or a remote native village of the strongest that managed to survive years of harsh winter, or an eremite’s cabin who has been outcasted for whatever reason.
Nonetheless, she was almost sure she wouldn’t get recognized here. Hopefully. Even if, the need for a shelter was stronger than a potential burden of a gunfight.
She passed a few tree stumps and noticed a faint footpath like hers, carved in the thick snow, just not as fresh. Still visible though. She followed it carefully, more alert. It felt like when she was hunting, following animals’ lead. But now it was as though she was the vulnerable one. She had to hurry- time wouldn’t stop for her.
The path eventually led her to a small wooden cabin, faint light escaping through the cracks of the curtain into the darkness, smoke curling between snow-covered branches.
An eremite- clearly. An outcast.
But did that matter to Vi? Absolutely not. Besides, it’s not like she was any less of an outcast herself. Hell, she didn’t even have her own place. Always traveling, always wandering.
But what mattered the most now was warmth and a shelter. Sure, eremites could be aggressive, ill and wary of strangers, but it all couldn’t matter less now. She had to knock and ask.
And she did so, knocking on the door with enough force to be heard but not enough to startle. And waited. Waited. Too long. She knocked again. Faint shuffling, but the doors were still closed.
Hence, she grabbed the doorknob with her cold hand and gently opened the wooden door. That was definitely not what she should do, considering her vulnerable state and basic manners, but survival was now a priority.
The inside was just as the hoped- warm, cozy, lively. The corridor had a few coats hanging on the wall, a few pairs of shoes with one of them still slightly damp. Someone was here for sure. Maybe just asleep. Dangerous situation.
Still, Vi shook the snow off of her shoes as best as she could, not quite comfortable to take them off entirely. She took slow and measured steps further into the cabin, her eyes exploring more of the inside. On her right was the living room with a lit fireplace. The walls were decorated with antlers and pelts, embroidery and guns. Various type of guns- rifles, shotguns, revolvers… you name it.
Vi prayed whoever lived here was friendly enough not to shoot her brains out.
But from what she could see, the decor clearly indicated that a woman lived here. Maybe with a husband, which was never a good sign. They were always aggressive, but who wouldn’t be with some shady looking stranger in their house at night?
Besides, Vi knew her face wasn’t a pleasant one anyway. Scarred, rough, sharp eyes and mouth… not a very friendly sight. Especially with those posters exaggerating all of it.
She wandered with her eyes in the living room, hoping for a picture frame or anything that could tell her about the owners, but to no avail. Books, plants, blankets, carpets, carved wooden figurines, but not one goddamn photo?
She scoffed and turned around, only to be met with a tall woman pointing her rifle right between Violet’s eyes. Insane precision, she had to admit that.
“Drop your guns. Slow.”
The other woman stated firmly, her blue eyes narrowed sharply.
The outlaw analyzed her for a quick second and obeyed, slowly reaching underneath her jacket, placing her two revolvers on the floor and kicking them towards the house owner.
“You’re here alone? You better be.”
She took a step closer, focused on the stranger entirely. That face wasn’t of some innocent wanderer, she could tell. Rough features, clothes a little too big with too many holes, no bags, no horse… Clearly a runaway. But her eyes.. soft as an early summer sky. A sharp contrast to her overall appearance.
“Sit.”
She pointed with her weapon to the wooden stool by the fireplace, watching the other woman obey and move slowly. She sat down and leaned towards the fire as close as possible, letting the warmth hit her skin and clothes.
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“It’s not ma’am- it’s Caitlyn.”
Violet sighed softly, shifting on the stool. She tried to stop her teeth from chittering but to no avail.
”I really just need to spend this one night here and I’m out. I promise.”
”This snowstorm isn’t going to last just this one night. That’s the problem. I don’t want to keep a stranger in my house for a few days.”
Vi clicked her tongue, her leg twitching slightly. It’s not like she wanted to be a burden to some… eremite, either. God knows what this woman was all about. She rubbed her hands together near the fire, thinking whether she could find her way back, considering that she survived finding this place alone. But that wasn’t a pleasant thought, knowing that the storm will probably get harsher.
“I’ll… be useful. I’ll prove myself. Please?”