Where Mary and her escort learn to fly…

Catch up with Chapter 28…

Start the series from the beginning…

“Mary Dryer is that you? What are you doing out here in Kansas?”

“Captain Forsyth? I can’t believe it.”

“You know this man?” Marshall asked with some shock.

“I do. He’s an acquaintance of my brother in law. Aren’t you?”

“How is dear Charles, and your sweet sister Janey?”

Mary bounced on her heels. She continued to block the sun as she tried to get a clear view of Captain Forsyth above them. He was a jovial older man with fluffy white mutton chops.

“How is it that we are out here, and you are having a polite conversation?” Marshall practically growled.

“Manners are always appropriate,” she responded.

“Quite right my dear, quite right. But your fellow here does have a bit of a point. How is it that we are both out here in the middle of well, in the middle of the middle?”

“It is an astounding story full of adventure and trials. I must say, it would take some time to tell it to you.”

“She could tell you all about it if we were up there,” Marshall pointed out.

“He is rather direct isn’t he.”

“Marshall Hunt where are your manners?” She chastised him.

“Do I have to remind you of where we are standing? We are not is a safe position to stand around and chit chat. Either your good friend up there has a refile and he can do some fancy shooting, or we need to go up there. What ever that thing is, we’d be safer on it.”

“This thing, as you call it is and airship!” Captain Forsyth proudly proclaimed. He threw his arms wide and then lost his balance as the basket he stood in swayed in the breeze.

The airship started to drift. Mary scurried under it, keeping pace. All thoughts of the terrifying saurans completely absent from her mind.

“Your air ship reminds me of the fantastical contrivances that Pythagoras Peters used to come up with.”

“You know old Py? Well, yes of course you do. That’s where we met the first time. I remember now. Fancy’s himself to be a gentleman inventor. Not sure I would necessarily agree…” Forsyth seemed to continue the conversation with mutterings to himself.

Busy as he was keeping an eye on the saurans darting around, Marshall had to scramble to keep up.

“Is there any way you can get this air ship of yours to hold still?” Marshall yelled.

“Hold still? Why I’m not moving you are.”

“Dear Captain, we are moving lest we loose you as you continue to drift. You called it a ship, might you have an anchor?”

“Smart thinking, Mary,” Marshall commented.

“Right, right, and anchor.”Forsyth began bustling about out of line of sight from the two on the ground. He leaned over the side of the woven basket, something clutched in his arms.

“Look out below!” He bellowed before dropping his bundle.

The anchor fell like the lead weight it was right next to Marshall’s face. He jumped before grabbing the excess rope and wrapping it around a rock out cropping. “That should hold it steady for a moment.”

Without having to worry about her footing, and having a conversation simultaneously, Mary took in the airship.

It resembled a rather enormous puffer fish strangled in a fisherman’s net, tethered to an excessively large laundry basket. Captain Forsyth scampered back and forth inside this long basket fiddling with ropes. There were so many ropes.

A set of fan blades rotated listlessly. She didn’t think they acted as a propeller of any kind. They seemed to barely be stirred by the air.

“It’s really quite amazing, don’t you think?” She glanced at Marshall, her eyes bright with wonder.

“I didn’t think you much went in for contrivances. I seem to recall you couldn’t get off that horseless driving contraption fast enough.”

“It was smelly, and it rattled about like an uncomfortable train,” she said with a sharp nod.

I don’t see any smoke billowing from this.” She gestured up.

“Oh look, I found a ladder. I don’t recall putting that there.” Forsyth continued to mutter.

“Did you say ladder Captain?” Marshall asked.

“Why yes, it it so I may disembark without landing.”

A swish sound caught both Marys and Marshalls attention.

“We need to get up there,” he said with some urgency.

“Captain, could we request to board by that very ladder? We seem to be in some peril at the moment,” Mary announced.

“Peril? Why didn’t you say, why I don’t exactly think a ladder is befitting a lady.”

“The ladder Captain! The ladder!” Marshall yelled.

A rope ladder unrolled in front of their faces. Marshall lifted Mary unceremoniously. She grasped on to the rungs. And stared down at Marshall.

“You don’t try to climb it with the rungs facing you. Twist it so it’s perpendicular to you. It’s less likely to swing out from under you. I’ll hold it for you.”

She hauled herself up the first few rungs and then clutched tight.

“You got this Mary, now get up there so I can climb up after you.”

There was a hiss behind him.

He turned to see a dark green sauran, about the size of hound dog. It had a frill of yellows and orange extended around its neck, and it hissed. “Shit, climb Mary, climb.”

The thing spit. A glob of ooze landed on Mary’s skirt that hung down just behind Marshall’s shoulder. He turned and watched in horror as the spittle ate a hole in her skirt.

She screamed.

Marshall kicked the anchor free and jumped on to the ladder. His hands a rung below Mary’s feet.

“Captain, can you make this air ship of yours go? We really need to get out of here!”

With another hiss, the sauran launched itself. Its teeth clenched around the bottom of Marshall’s boot.

He shook his leg, and then wrapping his arms around the ladder to a better grip, he began kicking at the small sauran. He didn’t mind the big, gentle ones, but he was really beginning to dislike these small raptors.

He kicked it loose. It hissed and screamed as if fell back to earth. The airship had, indeed, gotten them out of there, and it had climbed to great heights to do so.

©2023 Lulu M. Sylvian

Tune in next time to find out if flying suits Mary and Marshall.

Could Mary and Marshall possibly be saved?

Catch up with Chapter 27…

Start the series from the beginning…

Marshall took a bite of the scrawny bird, relishing the taste of the tough meat. He knew that it wasn’t much, but it was all they had managed to catch.

He glanced over at Mary, who was eating her share of cactus with a determined look on her face.

He was proud of her. It was against her better nature to eat such meager fare, but she was learning to be realistic. Life was tough out here. She was a proper lady, and yet, once she got over her whining, as she was still want to do, she girded her proverbial loins and dug in.

They had to make do with what they had. Marshall had learned that lesson long ago, and now it was Mary’s turn. And she was doing an admirable job of it.

“So whats after this?” Mary gestured at the labyrinth of salt pillars around them.

“We keep heading west. We should notice the elevation changing soon, tomorrow or the next day. And then we’ll make it to Denver.”

Mary gnawed on a bone, trying to suck as much meat from it as she could.

“What’s in Denver?”

“It’s a city, Mary. It’ll have a Wells Fargo office. I should be able to send your grandfather a telegraph. Your family would have by now found out that your train got derailed, and you are missing.”

“I’m hardly missing. I’m right here,” she said with consternation.

“Yes, ma’am, you are.” Marshall chuckled at her fierceness. Her face was smudged with dirt, her clothes were torn and more dust colored than the smart blue they had originally been. But what mostly tickled his fancy was the way she gestured wildly with a bone in her hand. He knew her type, she would have been mortified to have ever eaten anything other than a cucumber sandwich wit her fingers.

But there she was, eyes full of fire, waving around a chewed up bone of some bird that she not only ate with her fingers, but caught, killed, and cooked as well.

Suddenly Marshall held up his hand, signally Mary to silence. He cocked his head, trying to focus in on whatever sound that had caught his attention.

They held still for a few moments, and then he kicked out their fire, and picked up Mary’s discarded coat.

“Time for us to go.”

“Now what?” Mary was on her feet and retrieving her cudgel.

“I’m afraid,” he whispered. “We’ve got company.

“What are you talking about? Company?”

From behind one of the pillars, Marshall saw a low sleek back rush past. He pulled Mary against the rock nest to him.

“Saurans.”

“But I though you said they wouldn’t follow us.” She covered her mouth, realizing that making noise would only alert the beasts to their location.

“Move,” Marshall directed.

It felt as if they played hide-and-seek, darting in and about the salt pillars for hours. Mary’s heart pounded in her throat, but she new time played evil tricks, especially when under duress. And this certainly was a situation of duress.

“I thought we were safe from these creatures.”

“Different creatures,” Marshall grunted. “They aren’t making that chittering nose.”

“You’re right, they aren’t. They aren’t making any sound at all.” She gasped and muffled her sob by biting down on her fist.

“Stay alert, and do as I say, we will get through this,” Marshall said.

“When will we get through this. It’s been days.”

“What do you expect? We are on foot and in their territory. The best we can do it avoid them. Right now they don’t seem particularly interested in us.”

He grabbed her hand and began running. With the saurans distracted, maybe they could make it through this section of terrain. Mary stumbled. With a cry she fell to her knees. “I’m sorry, I can’t.”

“You don’t have a choice,” Marshall commanded. “You must.”

He hauled her back to her feet. This time she limped along behind him, unable to run. Maybe she should stay behind, let the beasties have her. After all, being eaten alive by nasty little lizards couldn’t be any worse than marrying whomever her grandfather had lined up for her.

Suddenly, an ominous shadow fell across them, casting the area into darkness. Marshall looked up, his hand went to his hip. He wished he had his revolver, but it was lost with the rest of their belongings when they had to jump from the derailed train.

“What is that contrivance?”

“I think he’s flying, but I don’t know how.”

“By jove! It can’t be. Miss Mary Dryer, whatever are you doing out here in Kansas?”

©2023 Lulu M. Sylvian

Who could have discovered Mary out in the wilds of Kansas?
And how are they flying?  Tune in next time…

Where Mary refuses to allow them to go hungry…

Catch up with Chapter 26…

Start the series from the beginning…

“Is that one edible?” Mary mumbled to herself. She tried to remember what local fauna was edible.

She gathered what few berries she could find. And there were prickly cactus that she seemed to recall from her studies that could be eaten.

She had remembered that cactus contained water, and right now, that was probably more pressing than actual food.

There were old nests and other signs of small creatures that lived among the barren stone pillars that formed the canyons she currently explored.

After taking care a bit of personal business, she had immediately returned to where Marshall lay sleeping. He was exactly where she had left him, safe as houses. And she hadn’t gotten lost.

Feeling confident with a successful first expedition, she ventured forth in an attempt to find some form of sustenance. They hadn’t had time on the ability to forage for a breakfast this morning. Marshall had emphasized the need to be clear of the carnivorous sauran territory above all else.

Mary wasn’t sure which need of her body was greater at the moment, the need for sleep, or food.

Her stomach grumbled with an unladylike sound that reverberated through the air.

“Fine, I guess it’s food.”

She located a nest that looked like it wasn’t completely abandoned and set up a snare. She hoped for a rabbit, but at this point, she wouldn’t say no to something more unsavory such as a vole of some type. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

With disappointment in her personal fortitude, Mary realized she had drifted off as she sat in wait for her snare to catch something. The struggles of a pitifully thin, mostly gnarled skinny legged, bird brought her out of her dreamless sleep with a jolt.

“My, you are pitiful. But if you are my only option, you will have to do.”

The poor thing didn’t look to have enough meat on it for even a taste. With a grimace and girding of her mentality with steel boning as in her corset, Mary did the needful thing, and dispatched the creature.

“If there are birds, then maybe there are eggs.” Eggs were always so much easier to deal with.

She continued her scavenging until she heard her name in the distance.

Without much to show for her time she hurried back toward where she had left Marshall asleep.

“Mary!” She heard him bellow.

“I’m returning post haste!” she called back.

“Where are you? Mary?”

“Marshall, stay put or we shall both be lost in this maze.” She could only hope he heard her and listened to her, two very different things she was well aware of.

Marshall’s voice grew more concerned with each call of her name. She picked up her pace as she threaded her way back through the labyrinthine rock formations.

Suddenly she was wrapped in Marshall’s embrace. He held her and breathed heavily.

“I thought you had gotten lost,” he finally admitted before releasing his hold on her.

“I’m right here. I was out looking for food.” She triumphantly held up the scrawny bird she had trapped. “You were so deeply asleep, I thought I’d be back long before you woke.”

“Don’t ever go wandering off like that without telling me first.” His large hands cupped her face, and his eyes searched hers.

“You were asleep. And we need sustenance before we both collapse.”

“I could have gone out hunting after I woke up.” He scooped the bird she hand dangling from her grasp. “It this supposed to be food?”

“It has more meat on it than any of the little field mice out there. It was the best I could do.” She didn’t fold under his scrutiny, something she was proud of. She had done a good job and she knew it.

“Oh, I also found these. I’m not sure which of anything is edible.”

She opened the front of her skirt wide. She had gathered it into a giant pocket to carry the various cactus and berries she had found.

Marshall reached into the collection of fruits. He began picking the berries and tossing them. “I don’t know what those are, and I don’t eat berries I’m unfamiliar with. Now this”— he held up a piece of cactus she had broken off— “we can eat it, and drink the juice. Some folks make good booze from this juice.”

He broke a few of the spikes off, and put his mouth around the piece and sucked. He let out a contented sigh as he held it out to Mary to try.

She gathered her skirt, still holding more offerings, in one hand and accepted the cactus. She was thirsty, and now that Marshall has taken a drink, she knew it would be safe for her to do so as well.

It was sticky and warm, but it felt good on her throat.

“Let’s see what we can do with this. Well done, Mary. We’ll have a decent lunch with all of this.”

Marshall smiled at her, and suddenly she felt very proud of her self. If not slightly flustered at the sudden attention.

“But, I’m serious. Don’t go wandering off again, you had me worried.”

©2023 Lulu M. Sylvian

Now that they won’t starve to death, what is in store for Mary and Marshall? 

Keep reading to find out!

Where Mary has to keep going no matter how tired she is..

Catch up with Chapter 25…

Start the series from the beginning…

Mary stumbled as she crossed the terrain.

Marshall had been quiet, not even chastising her or teasing her about wanting more sleep. He kicked the fire to ensure it had burned itself off and then they were off.

He had wanted to get out of this territory. Yesterday he had wanted to get to it.

Mary tried to understand, but she was so tired, every bone in her body ached. The caves had been safety for the night, but they were not a long term solution to their problem. They were deep in the middle of sauran territory, and apparently not the kinds of megafauna plant eating saurans Mary was familiar with.

“Can we please rest?” she whined.

“We’ve got to keep going. I’m tired too, last night was a long one.”

Marshall didn’t pause or stop. He kept walking. The terrain didn’t change much. It was rocky with intermittent scrub grass. The prairie and its endless miles of tall grass was somehow gone.

How would he know when they were safe? How could he tell if they were beyond the range of the saurans that would eat them for lunch?

Mary trudged, half asleep. She couldn’t keep going. She fell to her knees with a cry.

“I can’t.”

Marshall took the few steps needed to be by her side. He lifted her with relative ease, even though she knew he was tired. He hadn’t slept at all, he had to be more than exhausted.

He pointed some where in the distance. “Let’s make it to there, and then we can rest.”

Mary whimpered and clutched at his jacket. She had to be strong for him, herself, for their survival.

Marshall eased her to her feet. “You can do this, it’s not that far.”

She held to his arm, uncertain if he was supporting her, if if she was supporting him. They reached a row of low dark trees. Mary had assumed they marked the banks of a stream, but there were only more rock formations like a scar in the land.

“We should be safe in here.”

“Marshall, won’t the saurans follow us?”

He shook his head as he slid more than walked down into the formations of eroded rock.

Mary scrambled after him, careful to not fall. When they reached the bottom, Marshall sat. “I think this is a fine place to rest.”

Mary looked up at the edge where the land had given way. She turned and in front of her was a labyrinth of towers of rock.

“Are you sure we’ll be safe here?”

Marshall didn’t answer. When she twisted to look back at him, he had tipped his hat over his face. He was already asleep. That was her answer. If Marshall felt safe enough to sleep, she had to accept they were safe enough.

Curling up by his side to nap with him was a very tempting thought. But she had been traveling with him long enough to know that wasn’t an option. She needed to find them some food. But first, a rest wouldn’t be unreasonable.

Mary perched with her back straight. Good posture helped her to stay awake. Her eyes drifted closed. With a jerk, Mary brought herself back to attention.

“Enough of that.” She stood and brushed off her skirts, more out of habit than actually getting any form of dust or dirt off.

“Right.” She propped her hands on her hips and looked at her surrounding, memorizing the spot exactly, so that she could return to Marshall without getting lost.

Marshall had kept them safe last night, it was her turn to now make sure they survived another day, and that meant water and food.

She looked at her walking stick-slash-emergency cudgel that lay discarded on the ground near Marshall’s sleeping form. She picked it up. No need to go about without any kind of protection.

©2023 Lulu M. Sylvian

Tune in next time to find out if Mary locates food and water.
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