As God Intended

Chapter 6/ Seasoned Grasshopper

"You- you what?"
Chan didn't believe those words at first and turned around to look at the chipmunk- his head still pounding but this caught his attention and pulled him away from his own health for a moment.

Denzel tapped the chest of his feline feller with the back of his hand
"Tell em, Mikah"

"Well..uh"
Mikah started as he tried to be brief
"Last night I started asking around and it turns out there was a porcupine feller watching over your house just before your ma came to get the chili"

Chan knew the individual in question and gritted his teeth as he leans his head and spits in the grass
"You have my thanks...so I suppose your outburst last night wasn't some more crazed ranting...you were right, Lenard had a part to play"

Though it was Denzel being called out-Mikah didn't take that too kindly, huffing as he shifted where he stood but stayed where he was
"Denzel rants, yes...but he's not crazy, he lined up his instincts perfectly"

Chan rubs his head as he sighs, now seeing why Denzel took such a liking to the feline
"Maybe not crazy but definitely not subtle either, I suppose he was right though so I'll have to give it to him"

Denzel rolls his eyes
"Can we just all agree that I'm the brains and you lil lackeys would be lost without me?"

Mikah turned to his friend and glared
"I was the one that confirmed your claim..."

"And I adore you for that, now-Chan, let's go. I much rather get there before he leaves his home"
The mouse listened while Denzel spoke- his head still was pounding but the opportunity to go after the person that possibly had a hand in taking his mother from him was far too important to just let pass.

Chan didn't care if he wasn't feeling good and simply nods as he walks down the steps with Mikah and Denzel close behind him- looking back at them with tired eyes as he lets them pass him.
"Well- lead the way"

Chapter 7:
"Seasoned Grasshopper"
January 21st 1906

The three walked casually down the dirt road that led them out of the town but chatted amongst themselves as they did so to pass the time.
"So what did exactly happen to you, Chan? If you were working the ranch today, you'd be headfirst in cattle manure"

Chan rubbed his head and grunted
"Oh you're so f**kin' funny eh? Well you pretty much guessed it earlier, just the result of us drowning our sorrows in liquor"

Mikah looked at Chan, sighing as he heard this. It's exactly how his father dealt with the pain after his wife died, Mikah's mother. Mikah remembered crying a lot but his greatest coping mechanisms were things he did on his own time outside. Planting flowers from the wild near their home and watching them spread and carving pictures into the tree trunks.

"Vinny always had a knack for helping folk, especially when they're at their lowest point...even though sometimes it's not the right call"
Denzel stated but only earned a grunt from Chan

"You should listen to Vincent more- maybe if you did...I don't know- you'd probably be able care a bit more and possibly less likely to do something reckless"
Chan argued but yet again, Denzel's name was defended by Mikah
"He does care..he's just trying too hard to be a horse's ass"

"Nonetheless- doing this the right way is what Vincent would have wanted"
Chan continued to hold his head in pain as they walked and as much as Denzel grew frustrated, he kept his tone, somewhat, calm
"You forget Chan, Vinny is MY brother. I know him more than anybody on this earth and I know he didn't always see the world the way he does now"