Of Sinners and Saints

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝟣

A light misting of rain cast a thin sheen of fog over the town of Valentine. Wagons and shadows cut through the precipitation, and teasing whispers of fleeting words were lost amongst the gentle thrum of rainfall. Mud squelched beneath tattered boots as a lone man approached the general store through a series of hurried strides. The jacket he wore caught in the wind, whipping to and fro as he struggled to maintain his balance in the inches of mud he was treading through.

A quick glance towards the sky showed nothing but the fat and heavy clouds that had been blotting out the sun since he had arrived there. It was a far cry from the warm glow of the sun that he was used to. He remembered the smell of dew and lemongrass that had lingered in the early hours of the summer mornings. The wild aromas had only lingered for so long before the usual stench of animals and people soured the air, but to him, it was heavenly compared to the noisome smell of smog and industry.

He drew his hat lower over his eyes as he scaled the wooden steps leading to the door. An older gentleman cast a venomous glare in his general direction as he removed his hat, sending fine droplets of water fanning across the man's once dry blue jeans. Sparse strands of copper hair fell over his eyes as he made his way up to the counter of the general store. Brushing them back, he was met with a tightlipped smile from the clerk.

"It's been a while since I've seen you last. I thought something must've happened to you." The clerk moved to rest his hand on the counter as he drummed his fingers against the counter, licking his lips as he glanced towards the shelves lining the wall. "As always, tonics are on the shelves and foods kept in the front. Take whatever you need, I'd say I owe it to you after you helped me last."

The man offered the clerk a polite smile, and proceeded to load his arms with whatever goods he could manage to fit within them. Tonics clinked together as he swept them into his arms, turning towards the back of the general store with an inquisitive hum. His movements were languid as he perused the rather lackluster variety of goods that lined the shelves. It was better than nothing but it was still a far cry from the variety he was used to.

"Say, what's your name again? It's been so long since you've been around I can't remember," the clerk asked.

The man paused mid step, brow furrowing for only a moment before melding away. His face gradually relaxed into a smile. "Cairo. My name's Cairo."

Cairo knew that his name was nothing more than another oddity among the other unique features that he possessed. It was memorable, but no one ever seemed able to pronounce it quite right. The drawl that the usual accents provided never quite emphasized it enough.

Even as he returned to browsing, he knew that the clerk would forget it within the passing minutes. Both a blessing and a curse considering his current predicament.

After solidifying the fact that he didn't need to pay for the goods, he opened the door across the room and returned to the outside world. The clouds above were still spitting rain in gentle spurts, but the wind had died down enough to allow an aura of calmness to descend on the town. No one wandered the street, and the few wagons populating the streets earlier had since gone. A rare moment of peace amongst the gentle tapping of rain.

Cairo traversed the waterlogged street with about as much grace as a three legged horse on ice before finally reaching his horse. A soft clink sounded as he began to fill his saddle bag with tonics and food alike, attempting to avoid the sodden envelope that was pressed against the edge.

"Relax girl, I'm almost done," Cairo murmured as he placed a hand on the neck of his fidgeting horse, "I'll steal something from camp for you when we get back."

With reaffirmations of rewards to come, Cairo finally pulled himself up onto his saddle. Having forgotten that his saddle was wet, he was rudely awakened to the fact that he himself was now sitting in a glorified puddle. And now he'd have to ride home like this. Cold, wet, and irritated.