Dixie had been curled up against Wayne’s warm body, sleeping soundly, when the loud cries rang out through the Fort. Her pale eyes snapped open and she looked up at Wayne, confused and slightly fearful. What was happening? Before she could ask, Wayne was running from the room, urgency clear in each step. Growling with impatience, the small woman jumped up and grabbed a long rope and her newest weapons, pulling the quiver over her neck and shoulder as she ran up the stairs. The long length of rope rested on one arm, a lasso tied and ready at the end. It was clear what was going on by the time she reached the front doors of the courthouse, and a genuinely pissed of snarl crossed her usually sweet face.
Hearing the whinnies and cries of the horses that she considered to be just as much part of the pack as the other canines had her blood boiling. Running out into the courtyard, Dixie began to search for Duke, wanting to mount and ride out to find the assholes that were trying to mess with her family. Instead of her small stallion, however, she came across a much, much larger creature. Someone had let Vito from his pin, and the huge horse was running around in circles, head tossed high and body sweaty from hi nerves. Whistling sharply, she got his attention and ran over, holding her hands out and cooing to him softly. I need yer help now, Vito! We gotta save Gypsy an’ Fern! She knew that most horses couldn’t understand much of the language, but Vito was a very smart horse.
Without asking for him to allow her up on his back, the girl leapt up, grabbing onto his mane and balancing herself on his wide back. Digging her heels sharply into his sides, she urged him forward towards the fray. As soon as they burst through the front gates, Dixie saw the mounted man slam his club down onto Wayne’s shoulder, and her man went down. Crying out in fear for his safety, she kicked Vito again and the monster of a horse charged forward, screaming his annoyance and rage filled confusion. He had seen the hit on Wayne as well, and Wayne had only ever been kind to him, with everything.
Wayne, git outta the way, damnit! Get up! She was infuriated, the mounted man was about to get a taste of really pissed off Dixie. With one hand holding onto the length of rope, she used the other to begin twirling the lasso above her head. It was sloppy and rough, but would do perfectly. Heel commands, something she’d been training Vito with for a few days, also came in handy. She used her legs to guide the spotted stallion around the back of the intruder’s horse and threw her rope. Jackpot. Slamming her butt down on the stallion’s back and crying ‘whoa’, he slid to a stop and backed up a few feet. Holding tight to the rope, Dixie gave it a sharp tug and ripped the idiot horse thief from the back of his mount.
The moment he hit the ground, Dixie slid from Vito’s back and ran over, slamming her little fists into his head and neck, totally disregarding the stamping horses and other pack mates. This one had hurt her man and possibly one of her horses; he was going to pay dearly. The hard fall had stunned the huge male, but her little punches weren’t doing much. Sure he was getting bruised and cut up, but she wasn’t physically strong enough to cause that much damage with her body. Grinning as he shook his head a bit, the man reached up and slammed his hand across Dixie’s face, effectively tossing her at least three feet in the air and off to the side where she landed in a heap of dirty fur and splatters of their conjoined blood.
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