As God Intended

Prologue #2/ The Letter

"Letter to Michael Paglory?"
[Time written:
December 19th, 1908
Time received:
January 22nd, 1909]
"Here you are sir"

"Thank ya kindly"
Vincent thanked him in a mellow tone as he grabs the letter and leaves the post office quickly with his hat over his head, going over to his horse as he pats her while unhitching the lead before hopping on her back. He placed the letter in his satchel and proceeded to leave town, taking what was probably his last look at his old home while his mare took her time getting to the road but once she did, Vincent urged her to bolt with a click of his tongue and quite soon he was high tailing it outta there like his life depended on it, running past the refurbished wooden sign that reads
"Valentine"

The hours past as the night sky looms over the cowboy while the moonlight gives off her glow to aid him on the dark road.

Visions of that hellish day still weighed in his head heavily as if he's been holding a mountain of sorrow on his neck.

January 23rd 1906
[Flashback]
The group runs over to the pile of bodies and flipped stagecoach but didn't see any of their people
"Wha- I swore, Givvy was right here! This snake shot him! Tell them"

The newcomers, a brown rat named Lex and his pregnant wife, Delilah, nod their heads but the male was the only one to speak
"We ran the moment Denzel told us, we heard gunshots but we wanted to hurry to your camp so we could bring back up"

Vincent looked at the sight, his eyes filled with rage...but tried vigorously to keep himself composed-the people around him needed him to be strong.

However not all were as blind to Vincent's true feelings, Calico placed a hand on Vincent's neck as he approached, rubbing it gently as he could feel Vincent shaking.

Chan took a knee by a set of wheel tracks and wide eyed as he scoped out the rest of the area from where he stood
"There's more stagecoach tracks..I think I can track em. Vincent-"

"It don't matter"

All heads turned to the elder chipmunk as he huffed and dragged his hand across his face
"My brother is a fool, got himself and some of our friends killed...and put the rest of us in danger..."

"W-what? Vincent that's-he was your brother, you'd seek vengeance for my mom but not him?"
Chan was bewildered, thinking that he never quite understood Vincent, who simply looks at the cloud mouse and says
"My brother wasn't innocent"

Vincent immediately was turned around and slapped by Calico, the strike meaning to knock some sense into the leader but only achieved making him irritated as the feline spoke
"That's YOUR little brother, you taught him these things"

"Then perhaps I'll go out in a similar fashion, nonetheless, we gotta keep moving.....I'll fulfill my promise of keeping you all safe but we're gonna have to remain intact, avoid confrontation before it kills us like it did Mikah, Givvy, and Denzel"
Vincent rubs his cheek as everyone else nods reluctantly

"I informed Sunny that by the time we get back to him we'll be headed towards Orange Grove, so he's got a head start now-let's mount up and go meet him"

Everyone was reluctant but didn't wanna argue, even Calico held his tongue as they all turn to go back to their horses when suddenly Chan's ear flicks from the faint sound of someone mumbling.