The rouge gunslinger

2

It's been about a week since they have been here and everything went down.
I honestly assumed my horse would have come home by now, maybe he's lost.
Every night Hosea would invite me to join them for tea and most night I refused, sometimes I would go over but I wouldn't eat their food.
I met everyone in the camp.

But today is different, today I was woken up by the sound of shouting and hooves.
I get up and look around the corner only to see my horse being held by three of the men.
"Move out the way! I'm gonna shoot the thing!" Micah says pulling out his gun.
My horse stops rearing and stares at the gun as I run infront of him.
"Put your damn gun down!" I shout at him as Bill and Lenny holds my horses reins.
"Move out the way!" He shouts at me as more people get up.
"Micah, put your gun down" Dutch tells him.
I glare at Micah and move forward the tip of the guns on my head. He stares at me before swallowing hard and putting his gun down.

I turn to my horse and stoke down its small thin white line down its face. I give myself a second to check his white socks and dark orange fur before turning back to everyone, ignore the fact that his black saddle that I brought a while back was absent from his back and pray that it was in my cart.
Despite his head collar being in its normal place.

"This is my horse! He's just shocked, no need to waste a bullet" I tell them as I walk over and take my reins.
I pat his neck to calm him as his weird blue eyes stare at me.
"Alright, shows over people! Let's get to work!" Dutch shouts as the group breaks apart again.
"Your one crazy girl" Hosea states as he puts a hand on my head.
"Don't act like you don't love it" I joke.

"Arthur I was wondering if you could pop into town for us, mr Pearson is complaining about food again" Dutch says.
Arthur nods.
"I'm heading into town too, how about you give me a minute and I'll ride with you?" I suggest to Arthur.
"Alright, hurry up or I'll leave without you" he says walking off.

I lead my horse, bandit, back to my tent and jump in the back of my cart opening the empty fruit can  that I stashed my money.
I take out the money I need and put it at the bottom of my food box before putting my corset on quickly and flinging myself off my cart and onto my horses back.
He rears as I grab my hat of the cart door and put it on my head.
I lick my lips and kick his side as he slowly trots to the edge of the woods.
"Come on old man, I'm waiting" I joke as Arthur pulls himself onto the shopping cart.
"Bite me" he says as he pulls his reins.

"I get the feeling you don't like me" I tell him.
"You wouldn't be wrong" he states.
"Do you even know the way to the village?" He adds.
"I've lived here since I was 12 so I sure hope so" I tell him.
"12? Ain't that a bit young?"
"Dad died in the war and mom left. Me and my brother found hosea and he told us about this place, he set us up for life and disappeared saying he needed to help his friends" I shrug as I speak.
"Sorry for your lose"
"It was years ago" I say shrugging again as he snorts.

"Hosea and Dutch took me in" he states as I glance at him. His face is straight but I can also tell he's a private man, maybe he feels pushed to tell me about himself after I opened up.
"You know what? I can see that" I say with a smile.
"The hell you mean woman?" He asks.
"Oh nothing"
"No tell me"
"No, no, trust me"
"I don't trust you as far as I can throw you"
"Well I am small so it's not exactly hard to throw me"
"Just shut up" he finally grumbles as I laugh at him.

"Hey, you wanna ride back together or you gonna go Lone Ranger on me?" I joke as he jumps from the cart.
"I'll wait, just be quick" he tells me.
"Sure thing" I say jumping off bandit and tying him to a post. I pat his shoulder before walking over to the gun shop.

"Hello! What can I get for you?" He asks as I smile.
"I got robbed, so I need a new pistol" I say looking over the wall.
"Of course, my guns are brand new. May I suggest this beauty?" He asks showing me a gun that shines in the light.
"Can I hold it?" I ask as he hands it to me.
I test out it's balance and look down it's aim before smiling.
"How much?" I ask.
"35 dollars"
"Had worse I guess" I say pulling my money out and giving him his money.

"Might I suggest another gun?" He asks.
"No, I could do with some ammo though" I comment.
"Of course a gun with no ammo is as useful as a horse with no saddle" he jokes as he grabs a box.
"Make that two boxes please" I say and he nods.
"You seem to be missing a gun belt, would you like one?"
"Come on man, I'm gonna be broke... you know what go ahead, how much for all this?"

"I'll round this stuff down to 50, just because you are so polite" he says smiling.
"Oh thanks" I say giving him his money, I put the rest in my pocket and try my belt on for size.
"Perfect" I say as he laughs.
"Only the best from me" he states as I put the gun in the holster.
"Thanks I'll see you around"I say walking out.

I look straight across the road at the shop as Arthur comes out carrying a box of vegetables.
"Looks heavy, need help?"
"Nah, I've got it" he says putting it on the cart.
"If you say so, I should probably get some food aswell" I say rubbing my neck.
"Stick it in here if ya need too" he says signalling to the cart as he lights a cigarette.
"Alright thanks" I say before walking into the shop.

"My, you look like you've had a rough day" the shopkeeper says.
"I do? Maybe I should go take a bath" I joke as I picking up a few cans and some coffee.
I put them on the counter and grab some fresh food.
"Can I have a box please?" I ask as the man counts up the items.
"Of course. That's 26 dollars "

"Damn, when did living become expensive"
"Not living, But candy is three dollars now" he says pointing to the two bags on the side.
"Really?" I ask grabbing 26 dollars.
"You seem shocked"
"I am, but hey, can't live without regrets" I joke again as I grab one of the bag of sweets and eat one.
"That's what I like to hear" he says putting them in a box for me.
"Actually talking about regrets, can I have a bottle of whiskey please?" I ask.
"Of course" he says as I hand him the money and put it on the box.
"Would you like me to carry it out for ya?"
"Nah I got it" I say grabbing the sides and picking it up.
"Alright, have a nice day" he says as he waves.

"Took your time" Arthur says as he finishes his cigarette.
"Yeah sorry, I was busy making bad life choices" I joke as I put my box on the cart.
"It's not like the worlds gonna end because you couldn't decide what alcohol you wanted" he says as I shrug, grabbing my bag of candy's.
"Want one?" I ask jumping onto the cart door and sitting on the edge.
He snorts and takes one as he puts his cigarette out.
"Thanks" he grumbles.
"So any question about the town?" I ask as he shrugs.
"Actually, a friend of mine asked me to collect a few debts, do you know these people?" He asks handing me a sheet of paper.
"You work with a loan shark?" I ask holding the paper.
"I got dragging into it, okay?" He asks as I shake my head.

"Yeah I know where these people live... mr downes went to a loan shark?"
"I don't make the deals sweetheart" he says as I roll my eyes.
"Ill... I'll pay for him"
"What? why?" He asks snatching the paper.
"Mr downes is an ill man, he's dying. I'm pretty sure his wife and kid don't want to have to pay his bill when he's six feet under"
"... I never knew that, otherwise-..." he cuts him self off.
"Otherwise what?" I ask.
"I wouldn't have took the damn job" he finishes with a glare.
"My advice?... roll that piece of paper up and shove it up the loan sharks ass, he wants to start the dirty work then he can finish it" I say putting another candy in my mouth.
"Don't worry, I intend to do just that" he says putting the paper away.
"Alright, we should get back. I've got to get back to work soon, I'm turning broke" I joke as I jump off the cart.

"What exactly do you do again?"
"I hunt. Sell to the butcher down there" I say pointing to the butcher stand.
"That has good money?" He asks slamming the back door of the cart close.
"On a okay day, I get a good 20 pounds. The good days hold the money" I say smiling as I walk around my horse and open his saddle bag.
"Bastards took my cigarettes" I snarl as Arthur jumps on the cart.
"Nevermind" I grumble closing it and jump on my horse.

"Here" I hear to my side.
I look over to see a pack of premium cigarettes in Arthur's hand stretched out to me.
"Thanks" I say as I take one.
He does the same before lighting a match and holding it out to me.
I inhale the smoke before slowly releasing it.
"God I miss these" I say as Arthur snorts.