Wolf of the West

13.

The sun slowly slunk down into the sky, finally providing shade for the few townspeople of Dry Point and whatever critters there were, too.
The two boys were inside the saloon, finishing up their early dinner which was merely some toast, some beans and some stew. The food wasn't a problem at all for Rudy, as he loved everything on his plate. The main issue for him was that it seemed that there wasn't enough. He had already eaten two plates of everything, but still seemed to be quite hungry. The boy suspected his lycanthropy which made some gloom seep into his attitude, but he tried his hardest to push it back and thrive in the joyful company of Cibil. He let out a soft laugh as he wiped his mouth, "I don't know how you have so many good stories, Cibil. You've just about done everything."
The woman, sitting across from them and sipping on her water, let out a small giggle. "As much as a small town girl can do. But that's enough about me with this little ol town. What about you boys? Any fun things y'all like to do?"
"Mmm..." Will hummed as he chewed and swallowed a bite as his food. "Not anything half as interestin' as you, but— we eatin' out on the grass and catchin' frogs and stuff. We pretty much spent what free time we had relaxin' together, but we were always pretty busy because Rudy had a farm and my pa was always real demandin' even if my chores were a lot more simple. Other than that, I'm a pretty decent shot. And I recently found out that bakin' cobbler's pretty fun." He explained the things he liked to do, most, if not all of which was with Rudy. He dipped his toast in his beans and shoveled them into his mouth. "Am I forgettin' anything?" He asked his companion, covering his mouth as to not be rude.
Rudy's eyebrows twitched upward as he turned his head to look at him. "Hm? Oh, naw, I don't think so. We did those things almost every day, when we weren't in the schoolhouse." He stated as he took his last bite of toast and scooted his empty plate away from himself.
   "Want some more, sugar?" Cibil asked as she noticed Rudy's plate, to which he shook his head. "No, thank you." He flashed a small smile before taking a drink of his water. He would have loved more if there was enough to go around, but he already felt greedy enough with the extra servings he had.
"If you say so, love. But that does sound like you two have a lot of fun times together! Friendships like that are hard to come by, so y'all better cherish it." She told them sweetly as she stacked her empty plate atop Rudy's. "Wouldn't dream of travelin' with anyone else! I'm lucky I got 'im." Will said with a gentle elbow to Rudy's shoulder. By then, he knew Rudy could eat more. He saw how much he ate with Buddy and Kate and could only assume his appetite had gotten bigger. So he took another bite of his toast and slid his half eaten plate over to him. "Gee, I don't wanna waste, but I don't think I can eat anymore. Help a fella out, Ru?" He asked, even giving his belly a stuffed pat and sighing for the dramatics. He wasn't actually as full as he said, but he was satisfied with what he'd eaten.
Rudy's eyes flicked down to look at the plate, hesitation lurching as he gave a small look at Will. "You sure?" He asked, slowly sliding the plate over in front of himself as he wanted to confirm that he wasn't just playing.
While the boys talked, Cibil simply cracked a small smile at their back and forth and stood up with the plates, walking back towards the bar to set the plates on the top.
    "By all means. I think I'll get sick in the belly  if I eat any more." Will said, waving the plate away as if to tell him to eat his fill. "Not that it ain't delicious—thank ya again, Cibil!—I'm just fuller than a tick." He said, resting his head on his hand. "You think you can finish all that?" He asked his best friend, eyebrows raised in playful doubt.
Rudy hesitated once again, only turning his head to hear a soft giggle from Cibil at Will's interruption. A smile soon melted onto his face as he picked up his fork to dig right back in, "You bet'cha." The ginger gave a soft laugh, beginning to finish whatever was left on Will's plate. "Thank you" He told him with the smile still visible on his lips as he chewed his toast, giving his shoulder a few tender pats before going right back to using his fork to eat some beans.
"Course, Ru." He responded casually, though a small smile inched its way onto Will's face as well, simply at the sight of Rudy's. Knowing Rudy was even the slightest bit happier made his heart feel warm, and made the small sacrifice of half his dinner seem like nothing at all. He took a small, content sip of his water, happy to sit with his best friend while he ate.
Before Cibil returned to the table, her head turned as she heard a distant thundering of horse hooves. Her eyebrows knitted together as she stepped toward the doors of the saloon. "That ain't right."
"Huh?" Rudy asked as he turned over his shoulder before swallowing, "What is it?" He asked in concern, to which Cibil gave the boys a quick glance before looking back outside. "There's a lotta men on horseback on their way here. It don't feel right." Cibil muttered to them and to herself, sensing danger. "I want you two under the bartop. C'mon." Cibil ushered the boys to get out of their seats and go behind the bar.
Rudy felt a flash of panic as he instantly stood out of his seat, giving Will a look of pure concern as he jogged over to the bar and slipped underneath it. It didn't even seem to be a problem for Gabriel who was behind the bar also peering around to try and see the men. Will immediately matched Rudy's gaze and quickly got under the bar next to his friend. He was suddenly glad he didn't eat til he was full, now that his anxiety began to churn his stomach and make him nauseous. "Lord— Please don't let it be him. Let it be some outlaw lookin' for a drink, just not him." Will uttered a barely audible prayer from under his breath and pulled his knees to his chest. He begged and hoped and prayed it wasn't his father, but he could feel deep down that it was, and that no praying was gonna make him go away.
Rudy gave a quick glance at Will as he felt his own stomach turn and twist. He knew now that his emotions would also control when he'd change, so he tried his hardest to shakily take deep breaths and calm down. His hand instinctively grasped Will's hand, trying to zone out enough as to where the anxiety wouldn't trigger any changes.
Will looked to his friend in slight surprise when he felt his hand be grabbed. "Rudy, it's gonna be okay. We're gonna be just fine." He whispered to him, letting his fingers slip between his friend's and giving Rudy's paler hand a squeeze. "Deep, slow, quiet breaths." He told him in hopes that it'd help.
"Gabriel. These two aren't here, got it? I know we have our little back and forth bickers but please. Just act like they ain't there." Cibil told the teenager, who had a similar look of concern on his face.
"I ain't gonna rat these two out. As obnoxious as they are, I like them. Unlike some saloon girl I know." He teased her to which she shot him a look before she watched the horses come to a stop. "They're stoppin. Okay, this ain't no thing. Just be calm and orderly." She muttered to herself, Gabriel, and the boys under the table. Cibil herself even decided to get into a stool to make it seem like they were just having an average, slow day.
     But it didn't take too long for some of the men to enter the bar and Will held his breath as he heard the familiar footsteps of who he could only guess was his father as he made his way to the bar. "Evenin', miss." Virgil tipped his hat to Cibil. Will put a hand over his own mouth when he heard his father speak, and he tightly held onto Rudy's hand.
Cibil kept it cool and collected while Gabriel seemingly tried his hardest to, mostly just cleaning glasses per usual. "Evenin'!" The woman greeted them like how she would any newcomer. "Anything I can help you folks with?" She asked as she pulled out her fan and batted her face. Chet stepped inside along with the other men, knowing that Virgil would mostly do the talking. The ride out to Dry Point was quite a journey, so like a few other men, he ordered himself a water from Gabriel.
"Me'n'my boys just rode in from Idle Dune. I'm sure by now you've heard how long of a ride that is. We mostly came in for drinks, but I also got a few questions to ask ya if you don't mind." Virgil explained calmly and coolly, arms resting on the bar.
   "I don't mind at all. Nothin' much else to do," Cibil shrugged her shoulders calmly as she raised her class of water up to her lips to take a drink. "Y'all lookin' for an outlaw?" She asked curiously as sat her drink back down.
"No, ma'am, not even close." Virgil said, finding the question to be a bit funny, but not laughing. "Me and ol' Chet here are lookin' for our boys, Will and Rudy. Will's a little Mexican boy and Rudy's a tall redhead. Inseparable, so they're hard to miss. Maybe you seen em?" He explained their profiles to Cibil, but Will could feel he knew more than he was letting on.
Meanwhile, Rudy sat under the desk as his palms trembled from sheer anxiety, especially after hearing his father's voice. He hadn't heard him before at Idle Dune, and pinpointing his voice to be right above them made him panic. He gritted his sharpened teeth together as he felt the familiar pops in his hands, flaring his nostrils as to not cry out. He buried his face in Will's shoulder to keep himself quiet. The familiar taste of blood from his teeth seeping into his mouth made him want to gag.
    Will put his arms around his friend and held him close, gently rubbing his back and non verbally hushing him in hopes it'd make the transformation go away. He was terrified himself, sure, but the way he rationalized it help him priority Rudy and his needs.
The redhead's eyes watered and widened as he felt a small crack through his skull. He tried not to grip onto Will as he felt his jaw and face contort and slowly snap and shift forward. At that point he would have been screaming, but it took everything to force it down as he simply held his widening jaw open and tightly held onto Will. His claws curled in slightly into his back, feeling his entire body torch itself in a sweating heat.
     Will flinched a bit at the the feeling of claws poking his skin. He tried not to look at the snout that was growing from his friend's face, but in lieu of holding Rudy, he let him go to put his hands over his muzzle, holding it closed the best he could with trembling hands. God, he hoped Cibil couldn't see them.
Rudy stifled a deep whine as his watery eyes clenched shut, opening to look at Will with a hostile golden that had seeped into the blue. It appeared that Curly and Rudy were mixing together momentarily, Rudy doing his best to still calm down while Curly let out a soft growl through his shut muzzle, looking at Will.
   Will quietly shushed his friend in hopes that it would stop or even delay the transformation until the men had exited the bar. He didn't know whether to be more worried about Curly coming out or their fathers and their posse of hunters.
While there are many amazing qualities to Miss Cibil, the best part about the saloon girl was that even though she was a mediocre singer, she was a stellar actress. So, with a calm and intrigued expression, she furrowed her brows and glanced between the two men. "I'm afraid not, gentlemen. Nobody comes to ol' Dry Point, especially two kiddos. Y'all are the first people to be by in weeks." She commented with a soft sigh, "But I am so sorry about your boys." Cibil thought that if the boys weren't coming out from under the bar with eager faces to see their fathers, there would be a good reason to lie and protect them.
"Hm." Virgil said, tapping his fingers on the counter. "I just wonder why the tracks from their stolen horse led all the way to town if there ain't been nobody around. But I reckon it is an empty little hole in the wall, so it wouldn't be impossible you haven't seen em." He said in thought, finding it a bit difficult to read the woman. He didn't fully believe her, but he had no reason not to. "Won't take long to search, so if ya change your mind on your answer, we'll be outside for a bit. Come on fellas." He concluded the conversation, giving the woman a small nod. On his word, the other men begrudgingly downed their drinks and followed him out of the bar.
Cibil watched the group of men step out of the saloon, still batting her fan occasionally until all of them exited. She let out a soft, tense sigh and sat the lace fan down on the bar. She knew that it would be risky to interact with the boys if the men were still outside, so she just gave a small glance at Gabriel.
The bartender luckily hadn't paid any attention to the boys, being busier with the men and their drinks. But he met Cibil's look and let out a quiet sigh of tension. "I'll step out and keep watch for y'all." He offered, surprisingly polite as he stepped around the bar to linger near the door.
Curly seemingly couldn't tear his eyes away from Will, growling still barely rumbling in his throat until his ear twitched at Gabriel passing by. The sound of the men leaving seemed to trigger the release of anxiety, making the golden fade from his eyes as Rudy blinked himself awake. He gave a quick glance down at Will's hands around his muzzle and felt a twinge of panic at seeing his long snout, letting out a small whimper as he pointed his claw at his hands to ask him to let go.
Will glanced to his friend at the sound of the small whimper and immediately let go. "Gee, sorry Ru. I didn't notice you were back." He apologized with a sigh of relief. Rudy, afraid and even too grossed out to talk with his muzzle, only gave a small nod in return as he continued to hold his claws over his muzzle as he felt a crack, turning his face away for his and the other's sake as it slowly reformed into his regular mouth and nose.
   Then Will came to the realization that there was no way in hell that Cibil wouldn't see at least a bit of Rudy's transformation and his eyes widened as he glanced over at the woman. "Ain't any of this odd to ya, Cibil? Why didn't you tell 'em we were here?"
Cibil stepped around to the side of the bar to where she could see them, giving a small glance at Rudy with his clawed hands and turned away face, then back to Will. "Because if y'all wanted to be found, you'd hop right up and tell em howdy yourself." She stated. "Is it odd? Naw. I already knew." She whispered to them as she tapped her temple to indicate her psychic powers with a small smile. "Gabe over there doesn't though, so keep it on the down-low, loves." She told them.
Rudy glanced back with tears of pain still on his face as he held his aching, slightly bloody mouth, nodding. It scared him that she knew, not wanting anyone besides Will to know. He was just lucky that she didn't care and wasn't scared of him. Will seemed to have a small epiphany over his belief in Cibil's psychic ability, but gave her a slow, grateful nod nonetheless. "Thanks, Cibil. And— please don't tell nobody. Rudy's harmless and we're both just scared. Soon as my pa found out, he shot a hole in his poor ear. We just want em to leave us alone." He explained their fear of others finding out, before turning back to his friend. "Sorry, Ru, I know you didn't want no one knowin'. Are you alright?" He asked, concern written so over his face as he gave Rudy's arm a comforting pat.
"I'm okay," He muttered, wiping some of the excess blood from his teeth off on his shirt to get the metallic taste out of his mouth. "I was just scared. I'm sorry I started doin' that." He muttered back to Will in an embarrassed apology of having Curly suddenly jump out along with a partial transformation.
Cibil nodded in silent agreement, "I already decided that I wouldn't let them get to y'all. Y'all are already too precious for me to give away, anyways." She teased them lightheartedly. Will gave Cibil a small, sheepish smile, but it faded when Rudy apologized. "Stop that, it ain't your fault, Ru. I know you were just gettin' nervous, I was too." He assured him, pulling him into a small, gentle yet comforting hug. "You're alive, I'm alive, and they don't think we're in here, so they should be leavin' soon and then we're gonna be just fine." He promised.
Rudy felt his freckled face flush red at the hug, a bit taken back by how soft and gentle it was. The boy hesitated before wrapped his arms around him and returning the hug, "You're right. Thanks, Will." He mumbled into his shoulder.
Cibil couldn't help but smile cheekily at the boys' interaction. "Here's what I'm thinkin'. After these folks leave, we'll head back to the house and talk things over. I don't want us havin' to sneak out of here with all of them out and about."
    Will was comforted by the reciprocation of the hug, and that Rudy felt at least a little bit better about the situation. So he patted Rudy's back and let him go before glancing at Cibil. "That sounds good. As long as we don't gotta go outside while our pa's are out there. It's too nervewrackin'." He agreed, shaking his head at the thought of trying to sneak away again. He didn't think Rudy could handle that either. At least, not without earning them a visit from Curly.
"I'd never make y'all do that." Cibil stated seriously as she fluttered her fan, "We're just gonna lay low then. Just for a little while." She stated as she went back in front of the bar to watch outside and wait patiently. Rudy watched Cibil round back to the front and he glanced at Will with a soft sigh, "That was a little too close of a call." He muttered to him as he ran his hands through his hair in an anxious manner. "I need to get some control over that."
   "I know." Will nodded in agreement, still feeling the after effects of the adrenaline and anxiety. His hands had barely stopped trembling. "But we're gonna figure it out. There's gotta be somethin' that'll keep ya calm. And it wasn't all bad. Curly came out for a minute and he just stayed there even though I had my hands keepin' y'all's mouth shut. It might've been because it was still you, too, but I like to think it was progress in some way."
Rudy scratched the side of his neck, "I hope it was progress, anyways. Anything to make this get better." He sighed, clearly still a little anxious and self-conscious about his condition. "I hate havin' this happen— why is it when we find somewhere safe, they show up?" He muttered irritably.
"Well, they were bounty hunters before. And I'm guessin' by how Chet sounded in Idle Dune, he doesn't know about your Curly yet, so I'm sure he wants to know why we ran off. I don't know about mine, though. I can't tell if he cares more about findin' me or killin' you. Which is just—it's crazy soundin'. I can't believe it." He admitted, shaking his head. Will had opinions about his father, but he never would've expected him to want to hurt Rudy no matter what was wrong with him.
"It's kinda clear that your pa hasn't told any of the other fellas about me. Yet, anyways. We know Virgil saw me when I was changin', so there's no doubt that he knows. I wish I could just tell my pa, but I couldn't even get near him without yours being around. I just... I don't know why Virgil ain't told them. If I was to walk in and see my son's best friend growin' hair and breakin his bones, word would be all over town. It's just odd how he ain't even told my pa." He muttered as he tried to piece together the answers he couldn't seem to find.
"I'm sorry about him, Rudy. Really. I don't know what's wrong with him or what he's hopin' to get outta all of this. And— And I wish I could just make him stop. I don't know what I'd do if he hurt ya worse than he already has. I hate knowin' you can't go home or talk to your pa because of him." Will shook his head, trying not to sound as emotional as he felt. He knew he wasn't responsible for his father's actions, but he couldn't help but feel horrible for them. He hated it.
"Don't feel like it's your fault, Will. No offense but your pa's always been kinda... scary. And touchy. So none of this is your fault and I don't want'cha feelin' guilty." He sighed as he looked back at Will, "It'll all be okay. We just gotta keep bettin' on that, as negative and worrisome as I might be sometimes."
Will sighed and leaned on him for a moment as he collected his emotions. "I know, Ru. Thank ya." He said honestly, knowing it was something he was just going to have to get over, since it wasn't something he could change. Hearing it come from Rudy did help a lot though. "And you ain't more negative and worrisome than you deserve to be." He told him, not even being able to imagine how much more difficult it had to be for him.
Rudy couldn't bite back the smile that seemed to spread across his face at the comforting nature of Will, giving a few small pats to his back before turning his head as he heard Cibil approach. "I think they're leavin' town now. We should sneak out the back." She told them quietly, still occasionally glancing back up over the bar to see if they were truly leaving.
Will sat up and gave a small sigh  of relief before cautiously standing up and dusting himself off. "Right, thank ya, Cibil. Lead the way." He gave her a nod of his head as he extended an arm to offer and hand to help his friend to his feet. Even if they were leaving, he was still nervous and he planned to stick to Rudy like glue until they were safe for sure.
Rudy grabbed a hold of his arm and pulled himself off of the ground, letting out a soft sigh of relief as he rubbed his sore hands together to ease the tendons. Cibil picked up her dress and walked to the back of the saloon, creaking open the door as she stuck her head out to try and see if they were gone. Luckily, she let out a sigh of relief as she saw the group of men already riding away in the near distance. "Good, good. Alright, now let's get home." She told the boys as she stepped out and held the door open for them to follow.
Will nodded and felt a weight leave his shoulders when he heard Cibil's verbal green light of safety. "I'm glad that's over. That plum wore me out." Will admitted as he stepped out of the saloon with a small stretch of his short legs. "I think I might lay in bed when we're home if that's alright." He said as he started the short walk to Cibil's humble abode.
   "I could hit the hay." Rudy commented as he let out a soft yawn, putting his hands in his pockets instinctively as he strode alongside Cibil. "Y'all deserve it. Get all the rest you need, sugars." Cibil told them as she put her arms around the two boys, which made Rudy chuckle at her amount of pure affection. "But before you do, I'm gonna have to talk to y'all once we got inside. Nothin' serious— just about living arrangements and such."
"Oh, sure, of course." Will said with a small nod, giving a small smile at the affection of the motherly woman. She and Rudy were probably the only two people in the world who've been affectionate towards him without making him feel uncomfortable. In fact, he felt more comfortable around Cibil in one day than he had with Virgil his whole life. "We ain't in trouble are we?" He asked half jokingly as they walked down the street.
Cibil gave him a look before giggling and giving a ruffle to his hair, "Soooo much trouble. I mean, you didn't tell me your buddy here was a pup."
    "Hey." Rudy pouted, his freckled face turning red which got a good giggle out of Cibil as she pulled him into a side hug. "I'm just playin'. You're perfect how you are, Rudy." She told him, which made him grin wide and shake his head with a giggle while they stepped up onto the porch.
Will broke into laughter over her calling Rudy a puppy, but not in a mean way. He found it sweet, and it made him feel nice that she was able to make some light on something they'd been stressed about for weeks. "You're too much, Cibil." He said as he opened the door for the both of them to head inside first. "After you."
"Why, thank ya." Cibil gave a small nod of her head as she stepped inside, Rudy following in with his freckled face still glowing pink. "Looks like Henrietta is still doin' just fine!" Cibil smiled as she petted the chicken's head, which was nestled on a cushion in her rocking chair inside. "I think she loves ya, too." Rudy let out a soft chuckle at seeing how the chicken looked so pleased with getting her comb pet by the woman.
Cibil continued to smile with a soft giggle as she heard this, before turning back to the boys. "Alright. Now, here's what I wanted to talk to you boys about. I know I've only known y'all for so long, but you two boys have given me such joy—I don't know how to describe it." She sighed out with a smile which made Rudy grin as well. "I was gonna offer to let y'all stay here in Dry Point permanently. Then again, this place really is an eyesore from what your pa said, huh?" She teased Will about Virgil's words back at the saloon. "I was thinkin' we pack up a few things and we all head out of here. Together."
Will's face went red and he scratched the back of his neck. "Aw gee, don't pay no mind to him. He's real rude like that to everybody, especially ones he's tryna scare the daylights outta." He explained apologetically. "But are you sure about somethin' like that? I mean, not that I don't appreciate it—that'd probably be the nicest things anybody's ever done for us—but I wouldn't want ya to have to drop your whole life here. And I definitely wouldn't want ya to get hurt, neither. We're bein' hunted, Cibil. I couldn't ask to get involved in that."
   Cibil let out a soft snort as she put her hands on her hips, "Life here? Hun, look around at this place. There ain't even life on the ground." She stated, "And luckily you ain't askin'— I'm wanting to go with y'all. Somebody's gotta keep you boys safe."
"But... what about your family? I think they'd be mighty worried to see you gone from home." Rudy pondered to her, to which her cheerful demeanor seemed to fluctuate. "Honey, I hate to tell ya this but... well. My family left. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier— I didn't want y'all to feel sad for me or anythin'. Especially now. But yes, Jesse left when the drought hit and took Dorothy with him. Ain't seen em since."
Will felt his heart break in two for the woman, and his face didn't hide it. "Gosh Cibil, I'm so sorry. I know you don't want us to be sad for ya, but that's just awful." He frowned, shaking his head as he tried to picture what that must feel like, and he felt awful for asking her about it earlier. "I can't believe they'd just leave someone like that. Especially someone like you. You're the kindest woman I've ever met in my sixteen years of livin', and I ain't ever have a mother of my own, but I think that any kid in their right mind would be lucky to have you as one. And I bet Jesse feels real stupid, cause he lost a real gem." He said, still in disbelief that she was just abandoned like the rest of the town. "On that note, if you wanna come with us, I'd be happy to have ya, as long as Rudy is too."
   Rudy's head turned to look at Will and nodded in agreement, "I'm in the same boat as you, Will— I can easily say that you're the nicest woman I've ever met. And funniest." He added with a sheepish smile. Cibil felt the tears come to her eyes as she fluttered her fan, along with fanning her face with her hand. "Goodness, don't make me cry y'all— my makeup'll go all runny." She sniffled as she gave both of the boys a hug. "Of course I'll come with y'all. Let's rest up for the night and we'll pack up and hit the road tomorrow." She smiled at them before pressing a kiss to both of their foreheads. "Y'all better go hit the hay, hm?"
Will felt his cheeks warm with content at the kiss to the forehead, and he couldn't hide the grin on his face as his heart swelled for adoration of this woman. One day with her felt like it made up for a lifetime of lost time with whoever his real mother was. "Well alright, Cibil. We'll see ya in the mornin'. Rest easy." He gave her a happy wave as he retreated towards the his and Rudy's bedroom.
   "You as well, sweetheart!" Cibil waved them off to bed, Rudy giving her a small wave as he entered in the bedroom and closed the door behind Will as soon as they were inside. The boy let out a deep sigh of relief as he looked at Will, "Did we just get taken in?" He half-joked softly with a giggle, the bashful pink blush still across his face.
Will let out a giddy giggle and plopped face down onto their shared bed. "Guess so! Ain't she the sweetest?" He asked, scooting to the left side of the bed so that he wasn't taking up all of it. "I can't believe she's so on board with everything, neither, feels too darn good to be true." He shook his head as he tried to process the eventful day, though he was clearly worn out.
   "She is, I swear." Rudy let out a tired sigh as he kicked off of his boots with a stretch. "I thought she'd be scared of me when I was changin'— but she already knew? And she didn't go crazy? That's what's crazy to me." He muttered as he crawled up into bed, plopping down on his back with a tired sigh of a groan. "Maybe she can help us find somethin' too— if she knows what werewolves are."
   "I know! I'm gonna be honest— I didn't believe the psychic mumbo jumbo at first. And it scared me a lot because—Well you know, but I'l be darned if she ain't good at it! She read me like a book. But we can ask her about the werewolf stuff tomorrow. Maybe she can tell us more than what that dumb book could." Will blabbered on, excited for what laid ahead for them. "You think Cibil can see the future?"
"I think she can! I'm bein' completely honest— she knew so much about us within the first five minutes. She even had a suspicion about the hunters! Like come on. That's gotta be real." He rambled as he turned over on his side to face Will as he spoke, his face nestled into his pillow. "I just hope she can help us get more answers."
"Yeah, it's real weird. But we're gonna find answers no matter what. If she knows the future, she's at least gotta know someone who knows about werewolves and things." Will said with a happy shrug as he kicked his shoes off and pulled the covers over himself, pulling them up to his ear before turning back to face his friend as well. "And as scary as it might be, I'm glad we ain't the only two that know about it anymore. Or— I'm glad someone so understandin' knows." He admitted, instinctively tucking his feet under Rudy's legs as he grew drowsy.
"Me too. It's real nice to have someone else knowing that doesn't wanna shoot me—" He let out a 'whoo!' in response to how cold his feet were. "Damn, Will, your feet been in the Boston?" He laughed softly at how cold he was, but he still didn't move his legs. "No wonder you sleep on the left side, yer like a little ice cube." He chuckled as he closed his eyes.
Will's cheeks blushed with light hearted embarrassment, but he just shrugged and tucked the blanket in behind himself to trap in heat. "Well we can't all be walkin' around with skin hotter than fire, Ru, and I told'ja this side's warmer. Now hush and lemme warm up on ya before I die of frostbite over here." His eyes didn't open back up when they closed tight in preparation of his yawn.
   "Mhmm." Rudy mumbled through the pillow of which now he was face down in, already drifting off into a deep, much needed sleep. His face still ached from the partial transformation back at the saloon, but it soon seemed to fade as he slipped into slumber.