Bed and Wine: Part 2

By Kaynara

A continuation of the Bedlam series. Inara’s back on board, and Baby Raven’s keeping the crew up nights. As always, there’s sex and violence (not at the same time). Serenity *spoilers.*

***

They touched down after sunset, left the ship on a dusty stretch of desert and headed for town.

When they reached the main square, River tied her hair back and took up her axes. Gideon helped her adjust her belt, securing the guns there.

“Our sources say they landed three hours ago. Probably resting now. Full.”

“No.” River shaded her eyes from the last glares of red and gold, squinted across the common to the small, white church. There. That’s where they waited. “They never stop. Nothing satisfies the hunger.”

“One ship. Shouldn’t be more than ten.”

“And still they killed half the town.”

Gideon had to sprint to keep up with her now. She ran over the cobble-stoned road, tore open the church doors. He aimed his gun, watching from the corner of his eye as she attacked two with her axes. She took them down one after the other: a clean, slicing arc over the female’s neck, a fatal blow to the male’s chest. Gideon found himself unable to look away, mesmerized by her movements, so graceful as to be almost a dance. He didn’t see the one come at him from behind, sink teeth into his shoulder.

He screamed.

River turned, taking a glancing blow from a Reaver knife. She felt the blood drip down her arm, ignored the pain and put a bullet to the guilty party’s head. She leapt over two human bodies like a creature of flight, landed next to Gideon. She drew his attackers away, teased them as she inched closer, stepped just out of reach. She killed them both with their own swords, letting them fall together at her feet. Then she went back for Gideon, extended a hand.

He took her slender white fingers, let her pull him up.

“You’re hurt. Need a doctor.”

“I’ll be fine,” he said. He watched as she tore off a slice of her skirt, used the fabric to bandage his neck