[i] “What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.” – Blackfoot tribe member 1870 [/i]
[b]---the day before---[/b]
The Hot sun beat down on the courtyard of the fort. It was hot today, so hot that it almost made Ra’tara wish for a new clear winter, but he wouldn’t annoy his company with mentioning such an idiotic thing. He looked around at his company a follower by the name of Joshua and a member of the King’s member by the name of Frank.

Frank was an odd looking man. His hair was greased back that gave his black locks a shiny gleam. He wasn’t sure if it was some sort of gel or if it was sweat, perhaps both. He wore worn out Jeans with a leather jacket. Ra’tara almost cringed at the thought of that jacket in the heat.

“Ayy, man it’s hot as balls out here.” Frank commented casually as he checked his S.M.G was loaded for the 17th time today. 

Ra’tara gave the King’s member an angry glance before turning to Joshua. Joshua was one of the Key members of The Followers and was a very no-nonsense sort of man. Ra’tara liked that about him Joshua knew when words needed to be said and when talking was not necessary. Joshua had given Frank an equally dirty look before muttering something offensive under his breath. You could tell from appearance Joshua was feeling the heat. He had taken off his white lab coat to show a dirty, checker short sleeve shirt with the top two buttons undone. Beads of sweat formed around his hairline of thin grey hair speckled with brown and white hair. 

“What are we doing here anyway? We’re just waiting for nothing.” Frank said in his annoying Brookelyn accent. 
Ra’tara hated Frank’s accent but the context of his annoying voice was worse and Joshua gave an angry sigh before looking at the dim-witted Kings member.

“For the third time Frank, we are waiting to see if a medical shipment gets in if it’s more than 3 hours late we have to go investigate the disappearance.” Joshua nagged in a justified condescending tone.
“Well how long has it been then?” Frank moaned.

“Unfortunately 3 hour and 10 minutes so we need to go investigate the highway.” Joshua sighed looking at his watch.
Both Frank and Ra’tara both gave a small grin. Finally something interesting was going to happen.
“I’ll go get changed into my armour then.” Joshua said standing up from the black stool he was sitting on.

 [b]---6 hours after that---[/b]

The twilight of the Mojave Desert had cooled the trio down. Not significantly but enough so that Frank would stop bitching about the heat. They had found some sign of the shipment easily enough unfortunately it was just two dead Caravan guards and a follower’s mangled corpse. Know that they knew the shipment had been intercepted it was there job to hunt them down. There secret weapon was Ra’tara and his tracking skills. So Ra’tara had dragged the two Freesiders through the desert to a small cave.

From one look you could tell the cave belonged to raiders blood covered the entrance and flayed body was hung above. “Keep out.” was written near the body, if it was in blood or excrement Ra’tara was particularly sure.
“The Raiders are in here.” Ra’tara spoke softly pulling out his war club.

“Aww man it’s an old fashioned shoot out.” Frank said loading his S.M.G finally using it for something.
“Don’t get yourself killed Frank.” Joshua said loading his service rifle.

“Na man, I got my piece loaded so no punk ass raider is going to get past me.” Frank replied walking in side. Joshua let out another sigh more audible then the last before he and Ra’tara followed him in.

Once you walked the cave for 5 or 10 minutes the Cave opened up in to a large room. Big enough for several people to live comfortable, but comfatble was used as a relative term as the place was in shambles a destroyed pool table burned slowly lighting the cave in a dark orange glow. Ra’tara noticed that the cave wasn’t smoky so there must have been some form of ventilation on the roof. In the corner the two Brahman slumped lifelessly together, bullets in their skulls and the medical supplies from their packs were strewn all across the cave. In the opposite corner two raiders slept restlessly on disgusting couches. Syringes and bottles of pills surrounded them.

“Take them out.” Ra’tara whispered to frank who stood wide eyed at the astonishment of the luck of avoiding a gunfight.

“Okay Mr.Indian, man, sir.” Frank whispered mockingly before pulling out his S.M.G taking it by both hands and firing a clip sloppily at the raiders. Bullets pierced the side of the cave, the couch and the raiders. Enough bullets met there mark that the raiders didn’t have time to wake up before they died, but the ringing of the bullets deafened the trio as the noises bounced off the small cave walls.

“I meant with your flip knife you Brahman shit eater.” Ra’tara yelled half deaf.

 [b]---later---[/b]
The gangster, the doctor and the Indian walked back up the highway all with large rucksacks weighing them down. After the druggies had been disposed of, they packed the medical supplies into large bags put them on and began to make their way back to The Old Morman Fort. It as dark now and Ra’tara had stopped listening to Joshua and Frank who were argueing about something unimportant. In the distance a securitron drove down the middle of the highway the three men were walking up. Once the securitron reached Ra’tara he noticed the screen was not of a U.S solider but of a man in a fedora smoking a cigarette. 

“Hey there,” the Secruitron said in a New York gangsta accent. “I’m here to tell you, Ra’tara have done been invited to the lucky 38 penthouse for a meeting with Mr. House and Mr. Tenpenny. You’re presence is mandatory.” And without another word the securitron turned away and drove away to the direction of New Vegas. 

“Well, the Great Spirit must have something in store for me.” Ra’tara stated, in a surprise tone.

 [b]---that day.--- [/b]
Ra’tara stepped into the suite he felt out of place and quite vulnerable when he couldn’t see the sky. He wanted to go on this adventure but was scared of what might become of him. 
“I am Ra’tara of the Osweg people where may I find Mr. Tenpenny?”
 He spoke loudly so the group would here and then he noticed the nightkin his people were not trustful of super mutants but in his travels he had grown a begrudging respect for there fighting capabilities and strength. 

“…but you may call me Stalking Bear.” He finished but said it directly to the night kin.