The End to a New Beginning

I breathed in a long breath, tossing my braid to the side behind my shoulder and hefted up the bucket full of water, grunting at the effort it took to lift it. I needed to get back to town, my mom was expecting me soon I was sure but the bucket being heavy wasn’t the only thing that was slowing me down, the heat from the sun that was bearing down with full force didn’t make things easier. 

I hated the heat, always had, and living in the desert where you couldn’t even escape the sun certainly wasn’t helping. Grunting again I shuffled to the side, the water sloshing in the bucket as I took even measured steps, the blisters on my hands stinging from how heavy the bucket was from where I held the handle and started to count in my head. 

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 I chanted in my head, refocusing when kids ran past me, almost knocking me over. I muttered a little curse when some water was knocked out of the bucket and stopped to take a breath trying to regain my bearings, before starting the countdown again. 

‘6, 7, 8, 9- 

Gasps and whistles echoed into my ears and my eyebrows knitted, once again knocked out of my head space. I glanced behind me, wincing when the skin stretched on my hands at the movement making the blisters feel worse, only to see a group of men entering town on horseback. 

If I hadn’t been as disciplined as I had when I was younger I would’ve sneered- it was the Anderson Mad Dogs. 

The gaggle group of ‘men’ that was only two years older than me, the same men a lot of people in town were convinced would save us from a gang that terrorized us to no end. My brother, Charlie, had insisted that they would save us from the gang who demanded money and property; me and mom hadn’t been convinced, frowning at each other over Charlie’s excited chatter while my sister sat at the dinner table with a wistful smile on her face. Our father hadn’t said anything though instead he just quirked his lips up and let Charlie go on and on about them.

I turned back around blowing a stray piece of hair out of my face and took another step, ready to start counting again 

10, 11, 12

“Ellie” a familiar voice washed over me as it called and I tensed, knowing exactly who it was and dreading turning around to face it. Luckily, or not, said person decided to step right into my view hopping off his horse with a grin lighting up his face that just made me frown and my stomach tighten. 

Isaac Anderson, the leader of the Anderson gang, and a big pain in my ass. He was handsome, with his brown skin, black curls, and cognac eyes- tall too. Almost 6’1” compared to my 5’6” and I tsked’ stepping around him to continue- 13, 14, 15

“Ellie” Isaac’s tone was teasing now, stepping a couple of steps back before whirling around to keep up with my stride, “Didn’t you miss me?” 

“No” 

Curt and straight to the point. I didn’t need to look over towards him to know he frowned at it, catching from the corner of my eye as Isaac flicked his Stetson hat back, the wide brim moving back enough that I was sure his curls were peaking out a bit from where it was definitely pressed against his sweaty forehead. 

“C’mon Ellie” He muttered lowering his voice and reaching out with his hand to snatch the bucket out of my hands but I held strong, the bucket only splashing more water out but still very firmly in my grip even while he was holding it now too. 

“I don’t want to fight about this” He breathed leaning down so he was towering over me more than usual and I pursed my lips, giving a quick glance around even though I knew damn well people were eavesdropping. 

“I told you not to go there, I begged you even” I hissed my cheeks heating up and my eyes watering. I had stooped lower than I ever had, broken a golden rule I had made for myself to never beg, to never be like my auntie and uncle as they begged that horrible gang to spare them before they had laughed and taken a sledgehammer and shattered my uncle’s leg making it impossible for even me to heal it. 

“I had to, he threatened you Ellie” Isaac’s voice was the lowest I ever heard it, pleading, and I sighed finally letting the bucket go. I knew he had to, the sheriff wouldn't have done anything, the bastard never had before, and Billy needed to go. He had to die. I knew that man had meant what he told me, that he would hold me down and- 

I swallowed, remembering the crude and ugly words from that miserable twat.

 The ruckus he had made not just in this town but in others had stirred people either way, it had scared people, and the sheriff being paid off made everything so much worse in the end. 

People were desperate for any type of help, even from a dragon rider. 

“Your dragon ate him?” I asked wearily not offering a vocal apology for my hysterics and Isaac, as he always did, accepted my words for what it was and grinned, lifting the bucket up easily. 

“Yeah but only after I won the draw” 

My stomach plummeted at the words and I gaped at him, what draw? There wasn’t supposed to be no draw, no chance for Billy to kill Isaac at all. Isaac was supposed to ride his dragon and quite literally just kill the man and his gang then and there, swoop down and eat them or cook them alive; whatever came first- 

“Draw?!” My voice shook even when I demanded to know with just that simple word. 

“It's honorable darling, you know that”

“Billy Campbell didn’t have no damn honor” I sharply replied, my anxiety making me sweat even more than the sun did at this point. 

Isaac didn’t disagree, simply inclined his head in silent agreement and started to walk towards where my parents home was. I bit my lip and stumbled after him, silence encasing us both as I picked at my hands and thought about what I would have done if I lost Isaac, what type of life I would've had to live if Campbell had lived. The thought made me shiver and nauseous rolled in my stomach- there was no point in what if’s, I reminded myself, because Isaac was right here and Billy Campbell was dead.

“Let's get married” 

My head snapped to the side, my heart thudding and my cheeks heating up as I took in the sudden words. 

“What?” 

Isaac glanced down at me, a genuine smile now on his lips, “Let's get married”  

“Isaac I, what?” I stumbled and the smile on his lips grew, rocking to the side to knock his shoulder into mine 

“C’mon El” He told me gently, stopping in front of my family’s home “I’ve been wanting to ask you since we were 17, Billy is gone now and we can live happily, have a family in peace” 

He winced suddenly, as if remembering something;

“That's if you don’t mind possible dragon riding babies”

I snorted at that, even with my heart racing as fast at that steel train that was a couple of towns away ran, 

“You don’t mind possible magic wielding babies?” I retorted and the smile I received made my heart flutter further, it wasn’t hard to see the love in his beautiful cognac eyes. 

“My children being healers would be a blessing” 

My heart surged.

While the town hadn’t outright scorned me because I helped a lot with the wounded, they all gave me a very wide berth, weary about the magic wielder in their midst amongst them humans and when I first started to see Isaac it only got worse- no matter the fact that both me and Isaac had been born here and raised, we were still the magic wielder and the dragon rider. People who did not belong in the desert, did not belong in small towns, we belonged in the city where the rest of the ‘freaks’ were. 

Our children would suffer here, I knew that, and I was sure Isaac knew that too, but this was where our family was. Where everything we knew was. 

“Alright” 

Isaac’s face lit up, a smile so wide that his lovely dimples popped out on his cheeks 

“Yeah?” 

I nodded with a smile, a giggle tumbling from my lips when he leaned down to kiss me gently on my lips. Isaac spun quickly when we separated, the water again spilling from the bucket and honestly it was a miracle there was even any left at this point, and he opened the door with a cry of 

“Mrs. Mccoy, she said yes!” 

Cheers coursed out of the home and I sighed, he must’ve asked permission sometime ago. Distantly a loud familiar roar filled my ears and I grinned, imagining the large black wings that was in no doubt waving back and forth in happiness the way it always did when its rider was happy. 

Glancing up at the blazing sun, I decided that maybe this barren hot land wasn’t the worst thing in the world.