Tales of Yeehawler Mountain - Part 1, "Always Respect a Woman and her Boundries"
"Give me a water, on the rocks. As for the squirt, give'em a glass of milk- and make sure it's warm too," he said while leaning against the back of the seat.
His head was touching the wall before quickly readjusting himself, grumbling to himself that the space was a bit tight for someone tall like himself. The one sitting next to him stifled a giggle while he looked down at them, patting their little fluffy head.
"Once you grow up, you will know the struggles of being big, Kit."
"Like you, Slim?" The small one named "Kit" asked.
"Oi, not like me-tall, son. Maybe like an appropriate height like "Boots," or maybe as big as "Muscles,"" the so-called 'Slim' replied, letting out a chuckle, setting his gaze onto the rest of the room before him.
Out of all things, the two were in a saloon. It wasn't normal for someone whose height was equal to a toddler to be in a place that was suited for "grown-ups," especially this particular saloon that is well known for its wild bar fights, long yet absurd tales of drama, alongside nasty rumors that are worthy of the entire place in general to shut itself down. Surprisingly, it was still running in business despite the trouble it had received. It could be the regulars who often come in frequently that keep the only place here in this damn Mountain going, Slim thought to himself as he scanned the entire room before him.
The saloon itself was large, and there was a staircase not so far away from where he and Kit were seated. He could see the doors along the way behind the railed wooden fence, of which he could make out the so-called "rooms" that guests can rent out for the night, or at least that is what he thought. Could these really be rooms as an inn, or could it be behind these doors that they contained booze, or were these rooms used for storage? He could not really know the truth himself, for he wasn't here to rent out one of the rooms himself, nor did he have a little care in the world about rooms in particular. He was here for a different reason, while Kit mimicked his action as they too surveyed the room.
"Say, Slim, why are we here again?" Kit asked before being nudged gently by the arm.
"Keep it down, son," Slim said, his voice low and almost a whisper.
"We don't want anyone else to know that there are a pair of 'Outlaws' in the Saloon."
The two kept themselves quiet as the servant walked towards them and placed the drinks on the small table in front of them. Slim gave them a nod before the servant hobbled away back where they had come from. Kit passed the glass of water to Slim before claiming the glass of milk for themselves.
"Now listen here, Kit. I took you here for an important reason," Slim said as he held the glass of water in his hand, examining it before setting his watch onto the small fennic fox.
"Am I in trouble?" Kit asked as they cocked their head to the side before Slim stifled his laughter.
"Trouble? Who said that you're in trouble? Stop being so pessimistic. You're never in trouble. I took you in here to teach you something." Slim said as he rubbed his other hand on Kit's head, making their hat fall off.
Kit scrambled to fetch their hat before sitting straight in their chair. Their attention was undivided as they looked straight at the cactus- their little ears were perked up, ready for whatever Slim had to say. Lessons were always a big thing for Kit, as they were always fascinated and drawn in whenever the leader of "The Outlaws" had something to share his knowledge with his one and only obedient student. Fascinated by Slim's wits, his intelligence, and swift actions, Kit looked up to him the most and wanted to dedicate their life to be just like the one who raised them when they were a couple of days old, despite calling him by his name rather than calling him the title that fits him the most: "Dad." Most of the citizens around Yeehawler Mountain pity the young fennic fox being raised by a group of delinquents, forever ruining their childlike innocence and purity of soul, transforming them into someone who would become "foul" like them, especially the well-known Sagurao Slim, whom they all feared the most. But who are they to blame when he stood up to become their father when no one else dared to?
Slim leaned closer to the table, the lamp above them casting a shadow over his face, his hat making him look more ominous. He set his arm on the table as he pointed before him:
"Take a look around the saloon, son. Tell me what do you see," he said as Kit looked around their surroundings while sipping their glass of milk.
"I see people in here. Sitting down over there, in tables or up at the booth- kinda like us," Kit replied as Slim gave them a stern look.
"You made right there son," Slim remarked while Kit gave them a confused look.
Before Kit could even ask, Slim quickly drank the water from the glass before wagging his finger in front of him:
"You see, when looking around, you're not supposed to turn your body and head around. You're causing a commotion over here, and many people are gonna look at you. It doesn't even help that you're an Outlaw- heck, both of us are," Slim said as Kit nodded their head slowly, understanding what they had just done.
"What you gotta do is to blend within the enviroment, and scan your surroundings with your eye. Your body always stays still, but you may move your head. You have to make sure that you don't jerk and turn your head around too much, just very lightly at an angle- like this, see?" Slim added as he demonstrated his example before the young fennic fox.
"Even at a postition I am in, you see how I don't move at all?"
"It's the eyes that move, son. They never rest. You always have to be aware of your surroundings, and be aware of them too. You will never know what's gonna happen next, whether or not you're in danger or not."
Kit quickly mimicked his adoptive father's actions as Slim nodded his head in agreement, taking sips from the glass of water. His ruby-colored eye sparkled and gleamed with joy as he watched Kit demonstrate their new skill. He set his free hand behind Kit's back, giving them a pat on the back. Kit almost choked, and they spat out their milk as he moved on:
"I also want you to know this. It is not always the environment you gotta look out for, such as the exit, y'know? You also gotta keep an eye out on the people before you and make assumptions 'bout them, 'cause you'll never know which one of them people here are the good guys, or the ones that are after us-"
"You mean the guys that are after the bounty on our heads?" Kit asked as Silm hushed them quietly.
"Kit, you'd better practice being a bit quieter whenever we're in spaces like this. One more loud peep from you and its the end you and me, you understand?" Slim replied as he took a quick look around him before letting out a sigh of relief that no one around them paid any attention.
"Pipe down the excitement, you can bounce off the walls when you get back, alright? That is another thing I want you to keep in mind. You gotta keep quiet everywhere you go, so that no one makes assumptions about you. One action of yours could also give away who you really are. Just like you said, you will never know who here is a bounty hunter after our own souls," Slim said as he looked around while staying perfectly still, and his voice low and quiet as ever.
"So you better keep quiet, don't do anything stupid, and blend with everyone else around you."
"It is like adapting and camoflauging, isn't it?" Kit asked while Slim nodded his head.
"Exactly like that, son," the cactus replied before leaning in closer to Kit, pointing at someone in front of them.
"Take a look at this guy. You don't know who he is, or what he even is. But you can tell who he really is by just observing what he is going to do next, and determine your next move- whether or not to take action or not," Slim said as he and Kit looked at the one sitting by the booth, his back was hunched, his shoulders slumped down.
"What about this one over there? Remember to look with your eyes, not with your body," Slim reminded his adoptive son as he gently set down the glass of water and placed both of his hands on the small fox's shoulders, making sure they kept still and not repeating the same mistake as before.
"He's a drunkard, he can barely handle himself. I can tell by how he's laying his head on the table and his arms are on his sides," Kit said as they sipped their milk while Slim smiled under the bandana that covered half of his face.
"Hey, not bad. One more for you, what about that guy, the bartender?" Slim asked as he watched Kit's eyes look at the one behind the counter, who was busy polishing shot glasses.
"He seems pretty laid back, just cleaning. Nothing much to me," Kit said while holding the glass of milk with both of their hands.
"Now, from what you saw, what does that mean about the environment overall?" Silm asked Kit, while the young Fennic fox pondered the question they had been asked carefully.
"It means that the place is alright and it has no bad guys? Well, besides us?" Kit asked while Slim nodded his head before taking a quick sip of water.
"Right you are, son. You're a quick learner," Slim complimented while giving Kit a pat on the back.
"We shouldn't have to worry about anything, not even a fly would dare to hurt us while we're here. I want you to remember this, even when it is this calm, never let your guard down. Always stay vigilant and alert. Your idiot of an uncle, "Muscles," learnt this the hard way," Slim said as Kit let out a chuckle.
"Always be alert, check your surroundings, and stay still. Got it," Kit said to themselves in confidence as Slim chuckled and patted their back.
"That's the spirit. You're learining fast to be like your 'ole paw here."
"Slim!" Kit hissed under their breath as they looked away. Their face were getting pink as they hid under their cardigan poncho, clearly embarrassed by the family title. They also could not blame Slim for taking care of them when they were tiny, and he took the title of "father" seriously, holding it close to his heart with pride.
"Stop being so tough, even though I may look funny to you, I am still your dad," Slim reminded Kit while grabbing his cup of water.
"But not in here when it is full of people," Kit replied, sounding a bit annoyed.
"Oh, you say that everywhere!"
Before Slim lifted his glass of water and removed the bandana from his face, there were shouts, shrieks, and crying noises coming from afar. The sounds got closer and closer- All of a sudden, everyone within the saloon set their eyes on the entrance as they all looked at a man dragging in a woman. The man looked shaggy; maybe it was the dirt that smeared all over his shirt and pants. The way he held the woman by the arm was a beauty as one could easily judge, but dragging her as she cried for help and begged for mercy? Slim shifted in his seat uncomfortably while tiling the brim of his hat lower. Something inside of him felt off. It's best if I leave these two alone; it has nothing to do with me or my son, Slim thought to himself as he took a sip of water. Even Kit looked uncomfortable seeing such a sight before them.
"What do we do about them, Slim?" Kit asked while the cactus shook its head.
"Just ignore them. We have nothing to do with them, as much as they don't have anything to do with us," Slim replied as he set down the glass of water onto the small table.
He glanced at the woman who was not too far from the bartender as she was being dragged up the stairs by the man who demanded that she keep quiet and follow him.
Kit watched as Slim stood up and pushed his chair back as he took long strides towards a pillar that was not too far from him. He then leaned his back onto it while propping his leg behind it, and the other leaned out at an angle. He folded his arms as he did so, while the hat covered his face, making him look mysterious yet serious at the same time. Kit could see the gun that was around his waist popping out a bit as if Slim were ready to pull out the first shot. They knew that whenever Slim posed like this, it meant something serious was going on, and they knew that he was going to do something about it, and it meant solemn business.
"I want you to stay there, Kit, and move when I tell you to. Do you understand that?" Slim asked in a low voice. It was uncertain if he was going to snap back or explode in an angry flurry, but Kit knew better as they nodded their head in response.
The tall cactus locked his target in front of him, the woman struggling before the man in front of her, battling against her will to go up the stairs with him as she did her best to break free from his grasp. She struggled to do so, for how could someone like her overcome the sheer strength of a man whose power is twice as strong as hers? He heard how the man demanded that the woman keep shut and move along, but she retorted.
"I would never accept anything from you, let alone being your wife!" She shouted back as the rest of the people within the saloon, but their lips were uncomfortably dry, and their eyes darted in another direction, for they could not handle the sheer grit of the situation at hand.
Forced marriage, eh? Sounds tough to me, Slim thought to himself as he paid attention to the abuser before her. He paid close attention to his hands as he watched the man tug on her dress, shaking her violently, sneering at the woman to keep her lips sealed or else a fate worse than any punishment shall come to her if she did not come to terms with him. What kind of punishment? What kind of fate? That is something that Slim did not want to know, for he knew what was going to happen next by seeing the man's intentions to drag the woman up to one of whatever those rooms might be on the next floor. He watched as the situation escalated when the man raised his hand, about to slap the woman across the face. The man was about to do so before he was interrupted.
"Hold it right there. Don't you think it's a bit too far to hit a lady?" Everyone at the saloon turned around and looked at the tall figure leaning against the pillar with his arms folded across his chest.
"This ain't none of your damn business," the man snapped back as he held the collar of the woman's dress tightly. The woman wrapped her hands around the man's grasp as she tried to pry them out. It looked as if he was choking her rather than holding her close to his body.
The man kept his eyes locked on the tall figure as he watched him walk towards him. One of the spectators looked up, and their face had grown pale, their eyes were wide as an open window. They respectfully moved out of the way as the cactus took long, yet slow strides. The belts around his waist and his legs jingled against his thighs while the sounds of the steps echoed around the saloon. The other bystanders held their breath while his full image came into view under the sunlight that lit up the center of the saloon, their faces too turned pale, and they all held their breath, afraid to let out a little bit of air from their lungs. He still has his arms folded while looking down at the man from his immense height.
"Too bad, it is now my business also," Slim replied while sounding calm.
"If I were you, I'd let her go and have a whisky on the rocks. It's not worth it."
The man pointed his finger at the cactus as his face scrunched up like a raisin, raising his voice even louder as if he had authority:
"Who are you to tell me what to do? What are you? The Sheriff? Get out of my sight, this woman here is mine 'ya hear?"
Slim set his foot on the staircase, his leg forming a ninety-degree angle while leaning his arm onto it. He leaned closer to the man before him as his red eye twinkled with mischief.
"You'd better be careful who you're talking to. What did your momma say about manners?" Slim asked as he was grinning underneath the bandana that covered his mouth.
Kit squirmed in their seat as they watched what happened. Slim was very close, too close, they could say. Slim was no farther than a couple of inches away from the man's face. What he did next made everyone in the saloon gasp. The man was furious, angry enough that he would explode like a volcano. He reached for his side, grabbing his pistol as he pointed it right at Slim's forehead. What in the world is he even thinking? Is he out of his mind? Kit thought to themselves. Surely, Slim is laughing at the face of death- that man is going to pull off the trigger, and that is the end of him! Kit held their breath as the man looked straight at Slim while clutching the woman even harder.
"Get outta my way, ya punk or I'll shoot your brains out," he snarled as Slim looked at him playfully.
"We can be here all day, just you and me on these very stairs. Besides, this is a good stretch," Slim added as he was being cheery about it. He bent his leg and knee back and forth, demonstrating his "stretching" exercise. He must be grinning very wide underneath that bandana of his before he leaned in closer to the pistol that was pointed right at him.
"I'd like to see you try, you wuss!"
The man had had enough. He pulled the trigger as everyone in the saloon could not bear it and looked away. The woman let out a cry as she closed her eyes, but to everyone's surprise, they heard clicking noises as the man tried to pull the trigger. There was a shocked look on his face as he tried again, but it was no use as the gun kept on clicking every time he pulled the trigger. The man grumbled out loud to himself about what was going on until Slim leaned away from the man as he held out his other hand, which was closed in a fist. He slowly opened his hands out as the bullets dropped to the ground, making them fall like raindrops as they bounced off the stairs and onto the floor. The cactus cocked his head to the side as the man before him checked the gun in his hand.
"Oopsies!" Slim said as if he were an innocent child who got into trouble.
To his surprise, the barrel was empty! How could that cactus do such a thing so quickly? That was when he felt his blood go cold before setting his eyes on the cactus before him. It was about time he understood who he was truly dealing with!
"No... Saguaro Slim, the Outlaw!" The man exclaimed before he threw a punch at Slim with the empty gun in his hand.
To his surprise, Slim caught his fist, making him drop the gun while he returned the favor by slapping the man's face, creating a long scratch across his cheek. The man immediately released the woman as she fell backwards. Luckily, some bystanders caught her in time and ushered her away from the scene as things escalated even further. Kit watched as Slim blocked every throw, punch, and kick the man attempted, but only to be beaten up badly afterwards. He was tossed onto the floor, pushed against the stairs, and tumbled afterwards. How could someone as small as him go against a tall person, especially when it's Sagurao Slim?
"Let me teach you a lesson," Slim said as he cracked his knuckles while slowly approaching the beaten-up man before him.
"When a woman says no, she means no. You know better than that."
The man struggled to stand up and crawled backwards from the cactus while looking at him with fear.
"You don't grab a woman by her hair, or hold her by her neck. You gotta respect a woman and her boundaries- always respect a woman and her boundaries. You should know better- you hear?" Slim asked as he was getting closer to the man.
Kit watched in awe as they watched their adoptive father got onto one knee and held the man's leg tight with their hand. Slim really knew how to scare someone to death, even better than the Grim Reaper himself, they reckoned. The man looked up at Slim, and both of their eyes were puffy and bruised. Blood was dripping down their mouth, revealing a couple of broken teeth as it soiled their outfit even more. He shook his head profusely as he looked at the De-Facto of The Outlaws himself, begging for the utmost mercy.
"One more thing I want to tell you," Slim added as his voice was as cold as ice, sharper than a knife close to the throat.
"I don't want to see you dragging your ass in this place, or any other place ever with a lady, you hear? You're lucky this time that you're alive."
Slim pulled out their big iron from their hip, their finger was on the trigger as the gun made a loud clicking sound. He aimed the gun right at the man's chest and slowly moved it up towards his face. Slim then had the guts to rub the barrel of the gun on the man's forehead as if it were a massaging stick. Slim's eye was cold, yet showing no remorse or emotion as the man cried into tears. The man held his hands together as if he were praying, shaking them as he begged Slim not to shoot him. Kit stood up from their chair as they were trying to get a better view.
"The next time I ever see, or hear that you're doing this again, bang," Slim added as he then released the man from his clutch. He watched the man scramble onto his feet and fled out of the saloon as if he saw a ghost.
Slim slowly stood up as he wiped off the tip of the gun before putting it to the side of his waist, while everyone else in the saloon was too afraid to applaud and cheer for being a hero. Slim's eye glanced to his right as he saw the woman trembling in fear as she was being seated down, while a couple of bystanders stood around her like a shield. He then spotted a tablecloth as he swiped it off the table and walked towards her direction. The bystanders were shaken as they made way for the tall cactus gunman, leaving the woman alone. The woman then closed her eyes, petrified about what was going to happen next, until she felt something being wrapped around her.
"Use this to cover yourself," Slim said as he draped her with the tablecloth.
"You should also go home. Your parents might be worried about you, and another thing: be careful."
Everyone at the saloon was shocked that someone as vicious as he had a heart for something sensitive. They all expected him to claim the lady for himself, but to Slim, he had little to no interest in women in general. He had other things that he valued, and more things that he cared about. Everyone watched him stand up, turn around, and was about to leave the saloon.
"Come on, Kit," Slim said, acknowledging Kit's request not to refer to him as his son in public spaces.
As Kit tagged along with his adoptive father figure, the woman was about to speak up and thank Slim for saving her life. To her surprise, he was already gone.
