Thread: In the Mojave [Lady Grimoire x rskde]

In The Mojave The Land of the Bear and the Bull Some tell the tale of a Courier, who awoke after what should have been a mortal wound and set off into the Mojave in pursuit of a platinum casino chip. From Goodsprings, through to Primm, Nipton, and Novac, they touched more than a few lives. However, word of mouth fails to say what happened after they set off for New Vegas. None have seen hide nor tail of the Courier, or the platinum chip they were after since. Dead in a ditch, or wandered off to greener pastures? Who knows. What people do know is the Bear still holds the Dam, with the northern Mojave and the Bull still has its eyes upon it while it roams to the south. Clashes are frequent and brutal, some are saved, some are dead or wish they were, as it is in war. War never changes. Another such clash was just beginning, wrought in misunderstanding. Two tales of others entwining, for now, neither worthy of even a footnote in history. In time, perhaps that would change, perhaps they would be spoken of like the Courier, perhaps even more pivotal than what the Courier could have, or should have been. Only time would tell. It was another hot, humid, and sun-drenched day. Molerats hid in their burrows awaiting nightfall, and the Radscorpions lurked about looking to make a fresh meal of the only ones dumb enough to be tackling the desert at its worst--people. There was no short supply of people about, from NCR patrols, wastelanders looking to get lucky, caravans from Crimson Caravan shuttling between towns, and Legion raiding parties. The lattermost, coupled with a touch of psycho-pumped gangs and roaming slavers were what left Ashley most on edge. Lone women in the Mojave didn't get the luxury or mercy of a quick shot to the brainpan when they proved a bit difficult, no, they just got it worse afterward. If nothing else could be said of her, Ashley certainly was someone difficult. Fucking raiders Ash muttered under her breath. One hand gripped the rifle she peered through the scope of, while her other adjusted the sights. Tight leather armor covered her thin form, buckles and belts holding the dark protective material to her body. A body which was covered by a tan-covered tarp as she laid out prone on one of the dunes overlooking the canyons Nipton-side exit. Despite her words, she had a little smirk on her ruby lips as she pushed up on her elbows and cosied into a more proper position to brace and control the rifles kick. About damn time, she thought as she sighted in on the lead man. She had let a dozen people pass her by the last two days. Wastelanders and traders, or peoples identities she couldn't be sure of. Even an NCR patrol, the last people she wanted to deal with. Half the damn reason she came down to Nipton was because she's heard the NCR abandoned it after the Legion torched it, and that turned out to be true. What she didn't hear was most everyone else avoided it too out of fear of the Legion coming back, leaving her to trek out in search of supplies. It not only had been two days since she set up shop, it had been two days since shed eaten. Her stomach groaned and grumbled at the thought, and Ashley took a breath. You bastards better have food.. Some water and some ammo was all she had left, and she had no qualms against putting down some raiders or slavers to get some more. These men didn't seem to be carrying packs of supplies or clothes like traders would, they were dressed light, like Legion, but not wearing Legion colours. Each second that passed as she debated their identity was another second for them to spot the glare off her scope, or get somewhere she didn't have a clear shot, but she needed to be sure. Fortunately the more she observed, the more she became sure they were just some Vipers who were known to stalk the canyon, and who she had gotten other supplies from. Exhaling, her finger started to squeeze the trigger as she aimed for center mass on the lead man. Right before she put a piece of hot lead into him, something suddenly snagged her foot and yanked. The rifle shot off, the bullet hitting the dirt near the group while Ashley rolled, and kicked. Her motion threw up the tarp, and her boot connected with the side of the canines head making it whine and back off. Hairless, and mutated, vicious dogs weren't uncommon but fuck did it have the worst timing. It leapt toward her now unprotected front, and Ash quickly pulled her revolver and pulled the trigger with abandon. The beast slumped onto her leg, dead, and she kicked it off. Her ankle ached, but the dog hadn't made it through the tarp and her boot combined. Quickly she rolled back to the rifle, picked it up and.. found the dirt kicking up around her as the distraction gave her position away and the men zoned in on her. Fuck! Fuckfuckfuck! she hissed, ducking down and blindly tugging her rifle back to her body. When the shots stopped, she peeked up, and got another pair of shots in answer making her duck back down. Ashley kept still a moment, and when the shots stopped she slung her rifle over her shoulder and kicked the dogs remains again. Asshole! she hissed before spinning around and getting on her belly, crawling her way a bit further down the dune until she was low enough from the top she was able to get,up in a crouched position and start scurrying away. In a second she went from thinking she was eating tonight, to getting the hell away so she wasn't some raiders cocksheath tonight. However, the people she shot at weren't so quick to give up. The next hour was harrowing, brief exchanges of fire between both groups as Ashley found herself chased back in the direction of Nipton. Cursing under her breath the whole way for the stupid mistake. Outnumbered, she knew she was screwed in a straight fight, so she kept running. Up until the point she came upon the bombed out buildings on the edge of Nipton. Eyes quickly scouting them, she dashed into the first one that appeared to be isolated, and up the stairs to the second floor. Tossing her pack down as she reached the top, she went into her pack and took out a pair of mines. Arming both, she set them down slightly covered by the mat at the top before she slipped into a nearby room and closed the door. A couch near the window was perfect, and Ash quickly set herself upon it, rifle barrel resting on the couchs arm with the tip poking out the broken window. Aiming through her scope, she waited, they had been following her pretty close and she was certain they would be coming from the direction she now set her sights on. Maybe this time she could do the ambush right, or she was going to go down trying. No way she was letting four raiders take her alive. No fucking way.