"The tongue is not always a reliable thing, and that is why love cannot be determined by words. Pay attention to one's actions if you desire to know if they truly love you or not. The tongue may lie, but one's body language never can."

— Forbidden Fruits

CHAPTER EIGHT

»»☆««

The following morning, Marinette felt a little more at ease. For one, the chills that the desert night brought had vanished, giving the rising, morning sun the opportunity to kiss the earth with a comforting warmth. When Marinette awoke, she felt toasty underneath her thin blankets, and when she peeked an eye open, it was then that she realized the spot Chat Noir had been in beside her the previous night was now vacant.

She quickly jolted upright, her eyes surveying her surroundings in a sweep. Marinette watched as several men busied themselves as they passed back and forth, each tending to something different. From what she could see, it seemed they were all working together to pack up their belongings. Nervously, her eyes tried to pinpoint Chat Noir amongst the crowd.

But much to her dismay, he seemed to be missing.

"Hey little lady, no need to fret." Startled, Marinette whipped her head around to the newcomer's voice. To her right, a young man with dark skin was saddled up on his horse, a piece of straw in between his clenched teeth as he grinned, "The boss is simply out huntin' with a few others. He'll be back soon."

Still, despite his assurances, Marinette found herself cowering behind her blankets. She didn't even trust Chat Noir (despite the fact that he made her feel the safest) let alone any of his men.

"Who are you?" She asked with a slight tremble in her voice.

The man slowly dismounted his steed, tying the reins onto the log that stretched out behind her. He wore a red ringo hat on his head, something she found rather stood out than it did blend it. For his reputation, she would've thought that to be dangerous. Along with his darker skin, this man's eyes were brown, open and friendly. He even went to remove his hat, and she realized that when he did so, his dark brown hair had been shaved almost to nothing.

"They call me Nino," he said, his smile genuine as he slowly took a seat beside her. She flinched when he did so, and he offered her his placating hands when he noticed. "Ya have no reason to worry. I am the right-hand man to the boss. He left me here to watch ya while he's'a gone."

Marinette relaxed a little, but the tension in her shoulders had yet to fully dissipate. Nino's smile remained tender as he quickly gave her a once over; an innocent one, she realized, which made her feel a bit more comfortable.

But he said nothing more, as if he thought she would prefer the silence. However, Marinette rather preferred to get to know a stranger rather than sit in silence with one. So, she looked over his shoulder, finding his beautiful horse in her sights. She smiled when she realized just how magnificent the beast looked. "What do you call your horse?"

Nino followed her gaze by looking over his shoulder, his smile proud. "This here is Wayzz. He's an Appaloosa I stole from a merchant who tried to cheat me the price of his mother, so I stole them both. He was just a foal back then, but he's grown into a mighty fine stallion."

"That he has." Marinette stretched out her hand to him. Wayzz, seemingly friendly, stepped forward to nuzzle his nose against her fingers. She chuckled softly at the interaction. "What happened to his mother?"

"She passed away many moons ago. She was an old mare."

Marinette hummed a bit sadly at that. Wayzz nibbled softly at her fingertips, the gesture tickling her skin.

"He seems to really like ya." Nino commented as he watched the interaction fondly. "Are ya familiar with horses?"

She nodded, "You could say I am."

"Do ya ride?"

"Occasionally."

"Occasionally my ass," Nino snickered, and his friendly banter actually caught her off guard. She turned to meet his gaze with wide eyes, only to find his wide smile. "I can tell an experienced rider apart from the average man. What is the name of ya steed?"

A smile slowly tugged at the corners of her lips, and a chuckle escaped past them as well. "My mare's name is Tikki. She's a Tennessee Walker."

"Is she now?" Nino seemed genuinely interested. "A gentle steed for a feisty woman, eh?"

Marinette shook her head, somewhat amused. However, a small frown found its way to her lips despite Nino's friendliness. "You already know who I am, I'm assuming?"

"You'd reckon right." Nino nodded, his own smile slipping a bit to match her seriousness.

She glanced down at her hands in her lap, her fingers twiddling nervously. "Then you must also know why Chat Noir took me?"

"That I do."

"Could you please tell me why?"

Nino offered her a confused furrow of his brows. "He told ya himself what his intentions with ya are. I'm confused as to what ya wish to know."

Marinette waved a hand. "I know what he said back at the inn wasn't true. He doesn't want to use me as a bargaining chip for money, and he doesn't wish to force my hand into marriage with him either."

The young man beside her arched a single brow, impressed. "Ya are one clever woman, Marinette. I'll give ya that."

She ignored the compliment. Instead, she met his eyes pleadingly. "So then, if you know I'm right, you must also know Chat Noir's true intentions. Please, I beg of you, tell me what they are."

The emotion that passed across Nino's face was that of sympathy. An apologetic smile pulled at his lips, and the look in his eyes only further conveyed his apology. "I'm sorry, but I can't tell ya. To betray the boss would cost me my head. I'm loyal to him, and it ain't my place to tell ya such unless such permission is granted to me."

Marinette huffed out a defeated sigh through her nose. She should have anticipated that answer, and yet, she had still hoped that Nino might give in to her request considering how friendly he was. However, he was loyal to Chat Noir, as he should be considering he was the bandit's right-hand man.

She forced herself to smile. "Could you at least answer me another question?"

He matched her smile once again. "If it is in my ability, sure thing."

Marinette found herself searching his eyes closely. Nino genuinely seemed like a man with good intentions, another name she could add a list of only two people she could trust (if Chat Noir as number one even counted). Nonetheless, if she was going to be a prisoner here for the rest of her life, she wanted to have at least one friend.

"How did you come to meet Chat Noir?" She asked curiously.

She watched as his grin widened, seemingly eager to share this story with her. "Now that is a question I can answer." He chuckled softly, "It's a rather amusin' story, actually. Ya see, I was a stable boy workin' for that bloody merchant I told ya 'bout earlier. He had a business for sellin' reliable horses to any interested buyer, but mostly to wealthy men like ya father."

Marinette nodded to assure him that she was listening. Truthfully, she was genuinely interested in his story.

"One day, I decided I had earned me enough coin to consider buyin' me a steed of my own." Nino continued on. "So, I went to the merchant askin' if I could buy one of his horses. I wanted a reliable source of transportation to and from work. He presented me with Wayzz's mother, who was a fine, healthy mare. I woulda purchased her on the spot... until he told me the price."

The piece of straw in between Nino's lips shifted as he switched it to the left corner of his mouth. "I'd been tendin' to this man's horses for many moons. I knew what his prices were like, so I figured I knew what to expect. He wanted to sell her to me for more than he'd ever sold a single horse to anyone before in his entire life. It made me so mad that I decided to steal her and her foal that night. I rode off into the desert night and never looked back... but the merchant sent riders after me. I was almost caught by those sons of bitches too, had it not been for the boss's intervention."

Marinette found herself leaning forward. "What did he do?"

Nino's grin widened even further as he recalled the story. "Chat Noir rode in on his black Mustang like a rush of wind. He came outta nowhere, covered from head to toe in black. He raised his pistol and shot one of those bastards right in the head. It sent the rest of his comrades scramblin' back into town like whinnies."

A part of her was amazed, really, but the other half of her was shaken up over how easily Chat Noir had killed a man. She swallowed the heavy lump that had somehow formed in her throat, and asked, "So what happened after that?"

"Well... I was wanted for stealin' another man's livestock." Nino said with a sheepish smile. "The merchant made sure to plaster my face all over town. I couldn't go back there, so Chat Noir offered me a place at his side. I accepted, and I've been his right-hand man ever since."

Truly, Marinette was amazed at Nino's story. He was considered to be an outlawed thief himself, and when most people saw such a label over a man's head, they tended to judge him for his presumed reputation. But from talking to Nino now, Marinette realized that even despite what everyone called him, Nino was simply a misunderstood man and truly had a kind heart. He had stolen, yes, but only because someone had wronged him first. Before that, he'd been a man making a living through hard work. It made Marinette realize that a lot of these men had possibly been in similar situations before they decided to embrace the outlaw life.

It also made her wonder if that same thing applied to Chat Noir.

"Do you regret this life you've chosen?" Marinette found herself asking. Truly, she simply wished to know if living a life of thieving was worth having to keep yourself hidden for eternity.

Nino considered her question with a thoughtful purse of his lips, but it didn't take him long before he simply shook his head. "Nah. I didn't really lose much leavin' the job the merchant gave me. I actually gained more than I lost."

He didn't have to tell her for her to know what he gained.

He gained his freedom.

Marinette found her eyes wandering once more. She watched as the men continued to busy themselves with simple tasks. Some chatted with one another as they worked while others found ways to indulge their friendships with playful mannerisms, all the while remaining productive. The sight had her smiling just a tad. These men, despite the bounties that all hung over their heads, seemed like one big happy family. It seemed that here, amongst others just like them, they were accepted for who they were.

Her eyes slowly narrowed, however, when the woman came into her sight. Kit was her name...? Marinette truly couldn't remember. She watched as the young woman busied herself with her own tasks. She was thankfully so occupied that she didn't notice Marinette's stare from across the campsite.

Marinette couldn't help but frown at the sight of her. She wished she could understand where the woman's hatred for her resided. In fact, what she truly wanted to know was her story. What had brought her here? How did she come to know Chat Noir? Who was she?

She opened her mouth to ask Nino this, but a whistle sounded like an echo through the trees averted Nino's attention to the side, and her eyes quickly followed. Amongst the clearing, several men mounted on horses emerged, Chat Noir amongst his all-black stallion leading them forward. A few men behind him held hard-earned kill, deer in which they would gorge themselves for a meal that morning. The rest simply kept her their rifles raised forward. She didn't understand why until she realized there was a man tied to the back of Chat Noir's horse, being dragged each time his steed took a step forward.

Marinette moved to stand, but Nino quickly threw an arm in front of her.

"Stay here." His voice was full of concern as he commanded her this. He stood to his feet before she could object, untied his reigns, and quickly mounted his horse with just a throw of his leg over the saddle. Wayzz whinnied in giddy anticipation as his rider gently nudged him with his heels. Marinette watched in concern as Nino rode off to meet his leader halfway. A few other men, realizing what had been brought back to camp, readied their rifles and their horses.

Chat Noir dismounted his horse as soon as he reached the middle of the camp. The men behind him followed. In his gloved hand, he held the end of a line of rope. When he tugged on it, the young man behind him stumbled forward.

"Who is this?" Nino asked as soon as he reached Chat Noir. He remained mounted upon his horse with a skeptical brow raised at the poorly clothed foreign man in unfortunate bondage.

Chat Noir met his gaze with a stern, cold look of his own. "This man was followin' us, poorly so. He seems to be a spy of the Reaper's."

The men who had gathered around from the camp gasped. Even Nino's eyes widened in disbelief. "How is this possible? We were so careful."

"Apparently not careful enough." Chat Noir snapped his fingers, and with that, the men behind him raised their rifles higher. Their leader began his calculated trek to the center of the camp, and with every step he took, he roughly yanked on the rope that held his prisoner. Blindfolded and gagged, the young man could do nothing except blindly stumble forward, unbeknownst to what lay ahead of him.

Marinette watched with wide, fearful eyes as Chat Noir forced the man to his knees. The young man couldn't have been any older than eighteen, just barely exiting the stages of boyhood. The men with their raised rifles surrounded him in a matter of seconds. She realized rather quickly that the only reason they hadn't shot him yet was due to them waiting for their leader's next command.

Chat Noir circled this man like a predator cornering his prey. Marinette could do nothing but merely watch the scene unfold before her.

"You have one last chance to disclose the Reaper's location." Chat Noir circled him until he finally stood before him. His own pistol was raised and pointed at the young man's head. The click that followed was a sign that he'd undone the safety and implied that he wasn't bluffing. "Where is he?"

Chat Noir leaned down to remove the gag. The young man gasped, but his eyes remained downcast, and his lips quickly pressed closed. It seemed he had no interest in betraying his master.

Chat Noir clicked his tongue in disapproval. With a sneer, he said, "Silence is the wrong answer, lad."

And then, his finger pulled the trigger. A silent gunshot left his revolver. The young man fell forward a moment later, dead at Chat Noir's feet.

Chat Noir blew at the end of his revolver. Smoke rose from the bullet's exit. His men lowered their weapons, slowly scattering from the circle they had created. A few stepped forward to drag the body away. Marinette simply watched in horror.

Chat Noir had just killed a man. She'd just watched it happen.

Suddenly, Marinette felt sick. She leaned forward to empty whatever contents were left in the pit of her stomach.

"He couldn't have been much older than Kit," Nino said in horrid disbelief. His eyes followed the body as the men moved to bury it. "Surely there could've been a more merciful solution—"

"He had the option to live or die, and he chose death." Chat Noir's voice held iciness that would send chills down any man's spine.

Nino's eyes hardened ever-so-slightly. "So, what do we do now?"

"We continue East." Chat Noir gestured for one of his men to come. As he approached, he offered the man his full attention. "Have ten units remain behind us at all costs. The leftover five will be in charge of carryin' the game until we can find time to prepare it for consumption. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

The man took his leave to complete his directed orders. Chat Noir turned his attention back to Nino. "Inform the men that we will be leavin' now."

Nino nodded once, his expression just as stern.

"And while you're at it, fetch me one of the packhorses."

Nino's expression molded into one of confusion. "May I ask why?"

With a jerk of his head, Chat Noir gestured to the woman whom he currently loved with all of his heart—the same woman who was probably traumatized by what she had seen unfold. He didn't need to look in her direction to know that she was probably already looking in his direction. He didn't want to see the pain or rather the fear that clouded her features either.

"The horse will be used for Marinette. It shall be tied to my steed. Understood?"

Nino nodded again, confirming he understood.

With that, they parted ways. Nino guided his steed off to a group of already huddled men to inform them of the news. While he did that, Chat Noir mounted Plagg and headed over towards Marinette. It only took a slow trot for him to reach her in just a matter of seconds.

Marinette stood from her mound of blankets as soon as he reached her. He quickly dismounted, barely sparing her a glance as he moved to hastily collect her things. "We are leavin' now."

Marinette watched his movements unsurely. "Where are we going?"

"Still East. Our destination has not changed simply by what you saw."

Wrapping her arms around herself, Marinette stood frozen, unsure of how to proceed. "And what exactly did I see?" She decided to be bold and ask him this. "Justice or murder?"

"There is nothin' just 'bout this life, milady," he said rather solemnly. It seemed he planned to leave her question unanswered, but only a second passed before he went on to explain himself nonetheless. "But what you saw was simply a leader protectin' his people."

"Protecting them from what? He was just a boy!"

"He was workin' for the enemy, lad or not." His stern gaze turned to meet her fiery irises. "Allowin' him to live puts all of us in danger. I look out for my people first before I consider sparin' a random lad's life."

Marinette wanted to argue, but in truth, she couldn't even defend the boy without insisting he was innocent—and she couldn't do much if she knew nothing about him. It would be pointless anyway considering her argument would do nothing to convince Chat Noir that his actions had been wrong.

Instead, she folded her arms across her chest. "Whom did he work for?"

She watched as he completely froze in the midst of folding her blankets. For a moment, she thought he'd dismiss her question, but she was astounded when he actually considered it, and answered, "A man who calls himself the Reaper."

She quickly filed that name into her mind, though she couldn't say she'd ever heard that name before. In fact, it sounded rather unfamiliar to her. Marinette pursed her lips in confusion. "I'm not familiar with that name."

"As to be expected. He is not a regular visitor in the town of Deadwood."

Marinette licked her dry lips. "Where does he come from?"

"No one knows. He's a rather private man."

"What does he want with you?"

"Simply his revenge."

Marinette considered his cryptic answer for a moment. His brows furrowed in slight concentration. "And what do you want with him?"

"Nothin'." Chat Noir insisted with a huff. "I simply want him to leave me be."

"What did you do to him to make him want revenge?" She found herself prodding. In truth, when it came to Chat Noir's reputation, Marinette knew there had to be a reason behind this man's spite.

"I took out his left eye."

Well... that answered that.

Marinette gaped at him in bewilderment. "Why would you do that?!"

Chat Noir simply turned to face her at that, his unamused expression pulling a grimace at his lips. "You ask too many questions."

She opened her mouth to object, but Chat Noir turned his attention away from her once more. What averted his gaze was Nino, walking on foot with a smaller horse in toll. The young horse's back was bare now and all the supplies that it had been carrying had been moved. She watched as Chat Noir threw a saddle blanket over the horse's back. Then, he moved over to Plagg, and began to remove his own saddle from his own horse's back.

Marinette wanted to ask why he was doing such but decided against it.

When he was finished, Chat Noir moved to tie the young horse to the small saddle bag still fastened onto Plagg. Then, he turned to her and extended out his hand.

He said nothing, and neither did Nino. He simply waited for her to take his hand. With her wrists still bound together with rope, Marinette unsurely offered him her tied wrists.

His gloved hand took hold of her ropes. Chat Noir gently pulled her towards him and gestured to the saddled horse with a jerk of his head. "You will ride this young mare, here. Attached to mine, of course."

Marinette's eyes glanced at the calm, young mare. She was a beautiful horse. Her coat was white and freckled with light brown spots, and her hoofs were all black. She looked too pretty to just be a packhorse. But then her eyes found his horse once more, the black stallion no longer adorned in his black, leather saddle.

"What about you? You don't have a saddle anymore."

Her eyes widened when she realized... was she expressing concern for his well-being? Since when did she care about Chat Noir's well-being?

Chat Noir seemed to be just as surprised by the question. His eyes widened briefly as if he hadn't expected it, but he quickly schooled his expression before she could make any comments about it. "I'll be fine. I know how to ride bareback. You, on the other hand, do not."

Before she could argue on the matter, Chat Noir moved his hands to her waist. She was about to voice her protests, but his hands didn't remain there for long. He quickly lifted her onto the saddle... and just as fast as his hands had been on her, they were gone in a matter of seconds. She blinked down at him, stunned at how effortlessly he had lifted her up, but Chat Noir had already looked away from her, his attention slowly focused on Nino.

"Is everyone ready?"

Nino silently nodded once.

Chat Noir matched that nod. Then, he quickly mounted the bare back of his stallion and took hold of his reigns. "Good. Then we ride."

_______________________________

Happy Friday ya'll! How has your week been? Mine has been busy... but I did go to see The Bad Guys in theaters on Tuesday and I really liked the movie hehe.

Anywho, according to my calendar, the next update for Forbidden Fruits will be on 5/27/2022. See you then!

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