Stories of Tie Up Games

Great interlude!

And finally more is revealed about the enigmatic Lady Maybelle. It seems she pulls the strings in both worlds, to some extent. Certainly explains why she is the type of person who seems to be used to always getting her way - this is even demonstrated with her own sons. Of course perhaps there is some rebellion brewing in that sense...

Shotrow wrote: 2 years ago "I know. You always do," Lee answered, "But I feel better knowing that for a few hours a day, you don't have to."

A touching line.

Overall an intriguing chapter that helps flesh out the world outside the confines of Happy Trails. Especially the periphery of it - as much as the implication might be of a perfectly ordered society, it is obvious this only goes so far, which certainly makes sense.

Thanks everyone! I'm glad you all enjoyed this chapter. I struggled with writer's block about it for a long time, so I'm glad it turned out pretty decently. I think what threw me off is I was trying to give each story a "purpose" in the overall plot. Once I started thinking of them as standalone stories, it became easier, and I think I still managed to work in some characterization and foreshadowing.

I hope this story isn't abandoned, definetly one of my favourites of all time on here!

Appreciate the interest! I haven't given up on it completely, but I've had a lot of other things on my mind lately. Thank you for the reminder though. I know there are others waiting for a conclusion. I can't promise I'll get back to it soon, but hopefully I will eventually.

Shotrow wrote: 1 year ago Appreciate the interest! I haven't given up on it completely, but I've had a lot of other things on my mind lately. Thank you for the reminder though. I know there are others waiting for a conclusion. I can't promise I'll get back to it soon, but hopefully I will eventually.

Glad to hear it!

"So you really think they'll let us through, after everything that happened yesterday?" asked Singing Laura as the sunny meadows of Rosewater faded into the shadows of the Brightleaf Forest.

Pretty Polly waved her hand dismissively from atop her grey pinto, whose name Singing Laura learned was Uluru. "I don't think we'll have any trouble with the Summer Campers."

The girls back at the ranch had explained to Singing Laura about the extortion scheme operated by the Summer Campers in the forest and how buying cookies from the brownskirts at the forest edge was the only sure way to avoid trouble. "I still don't have very much money…"

Singing Laura could hear the unnerving smile in Pretty Polly's voice, "Don't worry about it," Pretty Polly assured her, "This one's on me."

Singing Laura tried to take comfort in Pretty Polly's confidence, but if anything, it put her even more on edge. She kept a sharp eye out for anyone who might be a brownskirt. Sure enough, the sound of hoofbeats alerted the girls to the presence of such a girl, named Jumping Rosita Citrine, and mounted on top of a bay Welsh pony.

"Hello there, ladies…" Jumping Rosita greeted nervously, clutching the boxes of cookies under her arm tightly. "I was wondering if you might be interested in buying some tasty cookies today. All proceeds go to benefit the… Summer Campers…"

Singing Laura took a deep breath. "We don't want any trouble," she said and gestured back to Pretty Polly, "We'll take two, and she'll pay."

Pretty Polly nodded as Jumping Rosita rode up to her expectantly. "Yeah, just come a little closer. Right here…"

Before Singing Laura knew what was happening, her ears were split by the sound of a gunshot and Jumping Rosita slid off her saddle limply. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" screamed Singing Laura, "That wasn't the plan!"

"Relax," answered Pretty Polly nonchalantly, "They're not going to do anything to us. Half the Summer Campers are in jail, and the rest will be hiding out, licking their wounds."

Singing Laura glared as Pretty Polly dismounted to bind the stunned brownskirt.

"Look, if we hadn't done it, someone else would have. And maybe after a few unlucky travelers who hadn't heard about what happened yesterday go extorted for their hard-earned bits. It's just being a good citizen," she explained, "We should hang her up the way that weird forest girl did. Would really send a message."

"Can't we just… take her to the sheriff or something?" pleaded Singing Laura as Pretty Polly got to work.

"We don't know for sure she has a bounty here. Selling cookies isn't a crime. The game doesn't care about context."

Singing Laura sighed and slid off of her saddle to help. "At least warn me before you're going to start a fight again."

Pretty Polly shrugged. "Whatever you say, boss."

---

It wasn't hard for Singing Laura to understand why the Summer Campers had chosen these woods as their base. She could see a half-dozen shadowy spots where an attacker might be lying in wait at any moment. The thought kept her tense and alert despite Pretty Polly's reassurances. There's no question that the woods made tempting cover for bandits. At the same time, Singing Laura wondered if, deep down, any of the Summer Campers had truly appreciated how beautiful their home was.

"So what's the plan?" asked Singing Laura.

Pretty Polly blinked. "I was following you."

Singing Laura sighed in frustration. "I don't know what I'm doing! I started three days ago!"

"Really? I mean, I knew you were new, but three days… wow," replied Pretty Polly.

Singing Laura stifled her annoyance. For a moment, the two rode in silence, broken only by the hoofbeats of their horses and the sounds of the forest. Finally, Singing Laura spoke, "At least give me some options."

"Well… I guess it depends on how much of a hurry you're in. We can either rush to Fort Mallow and hope we don't run into any trouble along the way. Or…"

Singing Laura cocked her head inquisitively. "Or…?"

"Or we could stop in the forest town and acquire the checkpoint so we can respawn here tomorrow in case we don't make it all the way tonight. Normally, that would be a terrible idea, but with the Summer Campers out of the picture, things might be different."

Singing Laura pondered for a moment. "Let's go to the town. We don't really know for sure that our Forest Queen is at Fort Mallow… and maybe we'll meet someone in town who can help us. At least tell us more about who we're looking for or what's on the way."

Pretty Polly nodded. "Alright," she answered, "If I remember right, it should be just…" She looked ahead and then over her shoulder.

Singing Laura's stomach twisted, "You don't know?"

"I… it's been a long time since I went there, ok?" Pretty Polly answered defensively. "I know it's a bit off the main highway. There's a sign marking where you're supposed to turn, but it's easy to miss if you're not looking for it."

Singing Laura groaned, "And you weren't looking for it…"

"I told you, I was following you!"

"Well, I wasn't looking for it either I.." Singing Laura's heart leaped into her throat as the air was split with the sound of gunfire.

Pretty Polly seemed torn between wanting to comfort Singing Laura and laughing at the startled girl. In the end, she put her hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "It's ok. Whoever that is isn't shooting at us. They're probably just clearing varmints off their ranch."

Singing Laura took a few deep breaths. "Right…" she panted, pondering Pretty Polly's words. "Well, if there's a ranch around here, maybe we can go and ask them where the town is…"

Pretty Polly averted her gaze, clearly hesitant. "Maybe…" she agreed.

"What's wrong?" Singing Laura asked cautiously.

"It's just that it came from deeper in the woods. Leaving the highway is risky if you don't know the forest. We could end up wandering around lost until the reset," Pretty Polly answered. Suddenly, as if sensing that Singing Laura could see her anxiety, she pulled herself together. "But…no, it wasn't *that* far away, I think we can risk it. Come on, this way!"

Singing Laura followed Pretty Polly down the narrow side path, somewhat emboldened by the older girl's sudden confidence. She seemed to at least have an idea where the shots came from. At the same time, Singing Laura could understand why Pretty Polly had been so hesitant. The path was so twisted and windy that she had already lost sight of the highway and wasn't confident she'd be able to find her way back.

Suddenly, as if by magic, the cluttered forest landscape gave way to a bright and spacious field. The contrast was one of the most beautiful things Singing Laura had seen in Happy Trails. It was definitely a ranch; not nearly as big or lavish as Clever Anne's, but tastefully decorated and loving kept. Singing Laura' attention was drawn to a a herd of colorful deer creatures frolicking and feeding in a small pen surrounded by a short wooden fence. With almost no direction from her brain, Singing Laura felt her body directing her horse to the pen for a closer look.

"That's a white hind!" observed Pretty Polly with her voice full of excitement. "One of the rarest forest pets. We could get a pretty good price for…"

"Don't move. Hands where I can see them!" demanded a voice behind them.

Here it is, almost a year later! Thank you to the people who continued to express interest in the story over its long hiatus.

I think one of the reasons I had so much trouble with it is I was trying to hard to make the plot fit a certain plan. Throughout most of this story, I've just been improvising as I go, and I think that works better for this story. Later I had a vague idea of the direction I wanted the plot to go, but trying to force it just made things difficult.

Once again, I appreciate your patience and continued interest in this story!

It has been well worth the wait, too! Singing Laura is almost a magnet for trouble no matter who is alongside her. There just seems to be nothing but chaos afoot in Happy Trails.

Pretty Polly acts smarter and more knowledgeable than she really is, and that's a massive flaw to have in such a dangerous game.

Glad to see this story is not dead

An interesting contrast between the enthusiastic newbie and the bored veteran - obviously an extension of their previous dynamic, but it does work. Especially the last part where Polly is suddenly interested by the rare pet - something Laura probably doesn't even fully understand/appreciate/care about the value of.

Of course it instantly gets them into trouble - typical comedic timing. Nicely matches the type of pairing, even if it is a little stereotypical (but hey, there is a reason some things are stereotypes).

And 'brownskirt' is an amusing way to phrase it

Shotrow wrote: 1 year ago I think one of the reasons I had so much trouble with it is I was trying to hard to make the plot fit a certain plan. Throughout most of this story, I've just been improvising as I go, and I think that works better for this story. Later I had a vague idea of the direction I wanted the plot to go, but trying to force it just made things difficult.

Indeed, it seems like the type of story that works better when you go with the flow (while keeping the general themes in mind).

Nice to see you (and all the horse girls) back in action! The cliffhanger indicates we are in for some fun...

Beaumains wrote: 1 year ago Nice to see you (and all the horse girls) back in action! The cliffhanger indicates we are in for some fun...

Could not agree more! Great Job!

So glad to see this one come back!

Singing Laura was beginning to wonder if she'd ever have a friendly encounter in this game. She raised her hands cautiously, giving Pretty Polly a sideways glance.

"Turn around, slowly," commanded the voice.

Tension coursed through Singing Laura's body. Her body was telling her to run, but the thought of the stranger's calm but commanding tone turning to anger kept her in place. The leaves crunched under Singing Laura's bare feet as she turned to face the stranger, taking comfort that they might not be as scary once Singing Laura could see who they were.

The sight of a starry purple poncho and charro hat disabused her of this notion. Singing Laura didn't even need to check her name before recognizing her.

"…You! You're the one that took Sweet Becky! What are you doing here?"

"I should ask you the same thing," answered Shy Sarah, with one of her revolvers pointed at Singing Laura and the other at Pretty Polly, "Or did I not just hear you talking about how you were going to…"

"It was a joke!" cried Pretty Polly, "I actually know the ranch owner. We…"

"Shut up!" hissed Singing Laura with uncharacteristic harshness as she kicked the other girl's leg. She could only take so much. She took a deep breath and addressed Shy Sarah. "Look, we really didn't mean any harm. We were lost and looking for directions to the town."

Shy Sarah narrowed her eyes, "I remember you. You came into the cantina with Sweet Becky."

The intimidating bounty hunter looked at Singing Laura for an eternity.

Shy Sarah took a step forward, and Singing Laura felt her own foot step back reflexively.

"I'll take you to the town," pronounced Shy Sarah, "In ropes. Along the way, I'll give you a chance to explain what you're really doing out here. If your story checks out, then you go free. Sound like a deal?"

"Come on, there's no need for that!" protested Singing Laura, "Look, I know this looks bad, but we didn't mean any harm, I promise!"

Singing Laura quavered as her pleading eyes met Shy Sarah's cold gaze. Behind her steely eyes, Singing Laura could sense something. Sympathy, or perhaps guilt?

"Alright," said Shy Sarah, "I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt because you're new. So no ropes. But I've got my eye on you. Both of you. Especially this one." Shy Sarah pointed to Pretty Polly.

Singing Laura breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. I promise this is all a misunderstanding…"

"We'll see about that. Walk in front of me. Leave your horses."

—

It took all of Singing Laura's willpower to focus her attention on the serene forest surroundings rather than the looming presence she could feel behind her. She did everything she could to not think about being trampled under the hooves of Shy Sarah's roan mustang. She wasn't entirely sure how the game would handle it, but she wasn't in the mood to find out.

"So… as I was saying, we were just looking for the town and we got lost…" she started to explain.

"And what did you plan to do when you got there?" asked the voice behind her.

"Well…" Singing Laura took a deep breath. She had resolved to be honest. "We're looking for someone. Someone who lives around here. We were hoping to…"

"Turn here," interrupted Shy Sarah.

Singing Laura had to squint at the treeline to see the path that Shy Sarah wanted her and Pretty Polly to go down, but she soon spotted the dark road. And there, in the shadows, was a pair of bright green eyes.

"LOOK OUT!" Singing Laura cried.

Everything seemed to happen in an instant. A shot rang out, sending a yellow duck charm whizzing over Shy Sarah's head as she ducked down in her saddle in response to the warning. Without hesitation, Shy Sarah returned fire, stunning what Singing Laura now realized was one of two strangers lurking along the path.

Singing Laura barely had time to draw her own weapon before another series of shots rang out next to her from both Shy Sarah's and Pretty Polly's charm shooters. In the dim shadows, she could just make out a silhouette crumpling against a tree.

For a moment, no one seemed sure what to do. "Who was that?" Singing Laura asked, holstering her weapon.

Shy Sarah shrugged. "More prisoners to take to the town, I guess." She slid off her saddle, watching Singing Laura and Pretty Polly out of the corner of her eye as she approached the two stunned girls.

Singing Laura could sense movement coming from Pretty Polly's direction. She stuck her arm out to block the other girl from raising her revolver just in time and shook her head. Shy Sarah was slowly starting to trust them. She wouldn't have turned her back on them otherwise. Singing Laura was sure they had a better chance of talking things out than out-shooting the experienced bounty hunter.

"We'll handle this one," she volunteered, running toward the second unconscious stranger with her hand on her rope. Pretty Polly soon joined her while Shy Sarah busied herself with binding the first stranger, who Singing Laura could now see was named Daring Emily Daffodil. Singing Laura rolled the second girl, named Magic Mary Onion, onto her stomach and forced her arms behind her, using her plain brown lasso to tie a simple box tie over the stranger's bright orange coat.

Singing Laura finished tying her just in time. Singing Laura finished tying her just in time, the captive stirring as she pulled the last knot tight. Singing Laura quickly shifted her weight to pin down her unbound legs, while Pretty Polly grabbed her head to gag her with a spare bandana.

Singing Laura turned her attention to Shy Sarah, studying her expression carefully - the bounty hunter seemed lost in thought. Singing Laura could tell she hadn't entirely earned Shy Sarah's trust yet, and that wasn't going to be easy. Nevertheless, the older girl wasn't nearly as guarded as she had been a few moments ago.

"If you expect us to trust you, you need to be honest with us," said Singing Laura, "So I'm asking you once again: Who are they?"

Shy Sarah turned to look at Singing Laura out of the corner of her eye. "I told you, I don't know!"

Singing Laura persisted. "Maybe you don't know, but I'll bet you have an idea."

Shy Sarah was silent for a moment. "My best *guess* is that they're Summer Campers out of uniform," she answered. A sigh followed her answer, "Look, we can find out when we get back to town. We'll ask around or interrogate them then. You still haven't finished telling me what *you're* doing out here."

"She told you we're looking for someone. What else do you need to know?" interjected Pretty Polly.

"Who you're looking for, for a start!" retorted Shy Sarah.

Singing Laura started to explain. "They call her the…" her voice trailed off as her gaze happened to meet with one of the two bound captives. The desperate, pleading look in the eye of the tied-up girl made her voice catch in her throat for a moment.

Shy Sarah followed her gaze. "You're right. Not in front of these two."

"No, it's ok," answered Singing Laura, "It's not a secret. I mean, I don't think it is. We're looking for the Forest Queen, the one who beat all the Summer Campers."

That meant something to Shy Sarah. Singing Laura was having trouble reading her expression, but she was sure it changed when the topic of the Forest Queen came up.

"And what do you want with her?" asked Shy Sarah with a sharp edge to her voice.

Singing Laura started to explain, "We heard she might be in trouble. We hear they…"

Shy Sarah held up her hand. Her gaze once again fell on the two bound girls. "You know what, never mind. We are NOT discussing this further in front of these two. We'll talk when we get to town."

"You two can whistle for your horses if you like," Shy Sarah continued, gesturing at Singing Laura and Pretty Polly. She took a few steps over to the captives. "As for you two, hope you're in the mood for a run."

I really want to thank @Mineira1986 and @BlissfulMisery for giving me excellent feedback during the writing process on this one! I also want to thank @AlexUSA3 for (unknowingly) influencing my decision to break my pattern of going back and forth between Singing Laura and Sweet Becky and just focus on the former for now.

You know how they say it's hard to write for a character that's smarter than you? That's kind of how I felt writing this chapter, trying to write a character that's more socially capable than me. XD

Shotrow wrote: 8 months ago I really want to thank @Mineira1986 and @BlissfulMisery for giving me excellent feedback during the writing process on this one! I also want to thank @AlexUSA3 for (unknowingly) influencing my decision to break my pattern of going back and forth between Singing Laura and Sweet Becky and just focus on the former for now.

You know how they say it's hard to write for a character that's smarter than you? That's kind of how I felt writing this chapter, trying to write a character that's more socially capable than me. XD

Great to see an update on this story. It was a nice way to move the plot along, and we got to see a new side of all three girls.

You are back! Great! I love to read more of this wonderul and unique tug-world you have created.

Shotrow wrote: 8 months ago You know how they say it's hard to write for a character that's smarter than you? That's kind of how I felt writing this chapter, trying to write a character that's more socially capable than me. XD

Hah - I am fairly certain I know the exact sentences you are talking about (where you tried to do this), as they did make me 'hmm' during reading (not in a bad way, just that I immediately got the distinct impression of dissonance between the point of view interpretation and reality/authorial intent).

-

Perhaps I am misremembering (it has been a LONG time since I read the original chapters of this story), but it seems Shy Sarah is more then a little irritated at the Forest Queen given how their last encounter worked out. Perhaps not the best thing for Singing Laura to mention it, but of course she would have no way of knowing.

Curious that Shy Sarah happened to be at this ranch in the woods - if she were the owner, why not call out Pretty Polly's obvious lie immediately? My assumption would be that she was hired as a guard of sorts.

Similarly, it is odd that Shy Sarah seems to have no idea who attacked them. I would normally assume she is hiding something (as it is quite a strange encounter), but her reaction did not obviously indicate this (of course could be a question of point of view, ie Singing Laura misinterpreting the signals). But it would not be the normal reaction of a liar to appear to consider the situation/be concerned about it - usually they would just quickly make up another lie to assuage any (in this case Singing Laura's) concerns. But of course perhaps Shy Sarah is just *good* at such deception.

You're doing a great job with this story, keep up the good work, can't wait to see where everything goes!

Beaumains wrote: 8 months ago You are back! Great! I love to read more of this wonderul and unique tug-world you have created.

I agree- absolutely!

Shotrow wrote: 8 months ago I really want to thank @Mineira1986 and @BlissfulMisery for giving me excellent feedback during the writing process on this one!

Always happy to help this amazing story!

Glad to see you at this story again!
It seems like you still have plenty of good story beats to present