A Quiet Strength
by Anon Allsop

-Part One-

-Thirty One-

The air was growing colder on the mountain, Etu knew they would need to leave very soon, or they wouldn't leave at all. He thought back to their battle with the bear, thinking it was probably doing nothing more than returning to its cave to hibernate.

Aponi and Etu had the last two weeks to practice their speaking, and in those two weeks, they had come a long way. Aponi had almost erased her struggle with speaking, the practice with Etu had exercised her voice better than any other thing she had done.

A Quiet Strength
by Anon Allsop

-Part One-

-Twenty Seven-

Her hair was in disarray, she had blood on her arm. Etu was unsure whether the blood was from an injury or the bears. He slowly entered, her terror filled blue eyes followed his every move. "Are you injured?"

She said nothing, only tipping her head slightly as he spoke. He glanced around the cave, Etu could tell that she had been living here for quite some time. He saw a pelt laying on the ground and started toward it to ease the bleeding from his wound. Having only taken one step, the female threw herself between he and the small pile of pelts.

The sudden move caused the warrior to pull up, it was evident that the female did not want him any nearer. Like the wild animal he just fought, she showed her teeth at him and brandished a sharpened piece of thin stone. He backed away slowly, at the same time she held it menacingly toward him.

Confused, Etu moved back and crouched upon his haunches. Under furrowed brow, he studied the woman he had spent so much time searching for. She glanced over her shoulder quickly and then backed toward the pile, still holding the stone knife toward the man.

A Quiet Strength
by Anon Allsop

-Part One-

-Twenty Two-

After half of a day, including a bit of trial and error, the beautiful young 'mother to be' discovered if she put feathers upon the opposite end of her arrow shaft, she would have much more control. It took several tries before she realized that there was only one way that they could be positioned to prevent them from being shredded off each time they were shot.

Attaching the feathers was simple enough. She went only as far as a nearby pine tree and utilized the sap as her glue of choice. Satisfied that it would work, she began to create over two dozen of the straight little wooden sticks. First by notching out one end allowed it to rest on the string, then she began the tedious task of gluing the feathers to the shaft.

She took a walk to her favorite location to find little shards of slate, she carefully placed the sharp stone into a leather pouch she had and carried it back to the cave. With a rounded stone, she would break off pieces to create a definite point at one end and a relative square on the other to attach it to her arrow shaft.

Her only problem from this point forward, aside from working around her distended stomach, seemed to be coming up with the correct weight of the actual arrow-tips. Too heavy and it would impede the accuracy, to light and it had no knock down power. It was a fine line between success and total failure, her very life depended upon the ability to provide food for her and her yet unborn child.

A Quiet Strength
by Anon Allsop

-Part One-

-Eight-

Each day the young female spent in her sanctuary, high in the hills, brought new changes to her young life. She had managed to create traps, kill and eat several types of the small creatures that dwell within close proximity to her shelter. As best as she could figure, it had almost been a full month since she was deposited on this planet by her body's former owner. Even though she was stuck with this form, she didn't have to like it. Unused to the small frame and appendages that seemed to just be in the way, she could only tolerate everything that seemed to come with being a female.

She cringed each time she had to respond with the call of nature, it was so degrading and hard to accomplish being that she had spent most of her young life with quite a different outlook. She wasn't naive, she knew that at some point she would have a monthly visitor, all females do, and now that she was one... she could expect it any day now.

It had become much warmer now, the heat of the day would build until it almost grew uncomfortable in the animal hide that she was wearing. Often she would remove it and slip into the water to bathe, but only when the moon was out and never in daylight.

Tonight was one such night, it was warm and she had just finished eating half of a small creature that she had caught. As the stars high overhead began to dot the sky, she slowly slipped down to the stream below her shelter. There, she carefully made her way to the edge of the stream staying within the shadows.

Pulling off the skins she slipped quietly into the refreshing water. She felt along the underside of her arm where the skin had begun to chafe her tender flesh. The cool water helped to take some of the soreness away. As she slowly swam, she heard several voices.

A Quiet Strength
by Anon Allsop

-Part One-

-One-

The young man stretched out on his bunk, pulled deeper into sleep by the constant hum of the ship's powerful engines. As the welcome sleep began to claim him, a electronic beeping pulled him back into the land of wakefulness. "Shit!" he groaned as he swung his feet outside his bunk. "Hang on, I got to get some clothes on!" He called out to the unseen visitor outside his cabin door. Once he had himself covered up, he called out to the computer. "Enter."

The door quickly slid to the side, making a sound of air escaping as it moved. The man looked into the eyes of his visitor and took a step backward.

"First Officer Stockwell, the High Commander requests your presence immediately." The stoic security officer advised.

"Let me get dressed first." Park replied as he began to search for his uniform pants.

"Now, sir." The Officer stepped inside the room, "I have been ordered to bring you right this minute– just as you are."

"Did he indicate what the reason for this unusual request was about?" Park complained as he tossed the pants on his bunk, "I just finished sixteen hours on the bridge, I really need to get some sleep." He pulled on a thin robe and fastened it closed.

"Sir." He said as he motioned for the young officer to exit ahead of him. As he passed the Security Officer, he noticed him place a hand upon a phaser that hung from his hip.

Blood, Dust, and Silver - Chapter 3

Tanson walked out of the Alchemist's with a swing in his, now wider, hips and a smile on his, now fuller, lips. He spent three bars worth of gold, but his body now felt right to him and that's worth more than all the gold in the Wastes.

Blood, Dust, and Silver — Chapter 1

Tanson, a dark skinned Verandi Shaman, leaned against the wall of the town saloon. The shade covered most of his upper body, which he kept bare.

Jesse has inherited his Grandfather’s ranch and now must fight his father to keep it while on a quest to find Coyote and his spirit animal.

Jesse has inherited his Grandfather’s ranch and now must fight his father to keep it while on a quest to find Coyote and his spirit animal.

Jesse has inherited his Grandfather’s ranch and now must fight his father to keep it while on a quest to find Coyote and his spirit animal.

Eerie Saloon: Seasons of Change -- Winter
By Ellie Dauber and Chris Leeson

Part 3 -- March

Sunday, March 3, 1872

Trisha pulled her nightgown off over her head and tossed it onto the bed before quickly stepping into her drawers. Church services began in about 90 minutes, and she wanted to get there early, to bask in the praise for the dance the night before. As she reached for her camisole, she looked over to see how Kaitlin was doing.

"Trisha," Kaitlin said loudly, pointing, "what the devil is that on your chest?"

Eerie Saloon: Seasons of Change -- Winter
By Ellie Dauber and Christopher Leeson (c) 2010

Part 1 -- January

Monday, January 1, 1872

"Happy New Year, Mama," Ernesto and Lupe yelled, running into the room.

Maggie sat up with a start. "Not-not so loud, Ernesto." She tried to
shake her head, but stopped. The way her head hurt, she was afraid that
she'd shake something loose inside -- or maybe she already had.
"Please." She closed her eyes tightly against the brightness of the
morning.

"We are sorry, Mama," Lupe said in a whisper. "Are you sick like Uncle
Whit?"

This is a fan fiction set in the Firefly/Serenity universe created by Joss Whedon. It takes place soon after the events in the television series and the companion motion picture that followed, and is also the fourth part of a sequel to Firefly: Connecting Flight. This means it has SPOILERS, folks, and major ones at that. So please don't read this unless you get the chance to see the series and the movie -- and read my first Firefly story (and the first three chapters of this one).

In the fourth part of FIREFLY: DOUBLE BOOKED, the crew finds out where the cargo's destined for, and ain't none of 'em are happy about it. A lot happens between pick-up and delivery -- folks get inventive, Wash learns more about herself than she'd like, and everyone wonders if, just this once, Mal's plan will finally go smooth. *snort* As if.

Teaser: The adventures of the ladies of the Eerie Saloon continue. A mystery is revealed. Laura tries to adjust to her new condition. And two more transformations occur.

* * * * *

Eerie Saloon: Seasons of Change - Autumn
By Ellie Dauber and Chris Leeson (c)2005
Part 2 - November

Sunday, November 5, 1871

Milt Quinlan walked directly to the bar. "Good afternoon, Shamus. Do you mind if I talk to Jane for a few minutes?"

"I don't see why not," Shamus said. "We isn't exactly swamped with customers right now. Sit yuirself down someplace, and I'll be sending her over to ye."

The House of the Rising Sun

by shalimar

There is a house in New Orleans
They call the Rising sun
It’s been the ruin of many a poor girl
And me, O G_d, for one.