Age of The Understatement

Part 6 - Only The Truth

Chiricahua Peak, AZ
shortly after breakfast

After finishing up their bowls of plain oatmeal, Alex and Miles started to pack up camp, leaving Pearl to just watch as she continued to sit around what was now a just a small fire from cooking the oats.

"What do you think she's on?" Alex whispered to Miles as he strapped his blanket to his horses saddle, the bowls they used for the oatmeal were already rinsed out and tucked away into one of Alex's many satchels.
Miles shrugged.

"Not sure." Miles turned back to Alex seeming to have figured it out. "Although it probably is that opium stuff. Big town doctors seem to prescribe that shit to just anyone. I've heard it's supper addictive." Miles whispered back to Alex, glimpsing back over to Pearl who was just contently staring at the small fire. "All I know is that she's starting to freak me out a bit."

Alex looked over at Pearl, she was still in a pretty deep daze into that fire. "I dunno, she seems really sad."

"She's high Al, of course she's sad. That shits what they call a downer, just like liquor. Just makes you sadder. Hopefully she sobers up enough to figure out how to mount her horse once we decide to hit the road. I don't want to put this off any longer." Miles said, adjusting his horses saddle.

Al continued to watch Pearl, his heart sank. Loosing her husband, he couldn't even imagine. Almost every day Alex was afraid he was going to loose Miles, he was always getting them into some sort of trouble. Hell, last night he was almost killed.
If Miles was murdered, maybe I'd become an opium addict too. I don't blame her. She's got a right to be sad. Alex thought to himself, although he didn't know the first thing about Pearl.

"Come on, let's finish packing up." Miles said, playfully slapping Alex on the ass before walking over to the fire.

5 or so hours later

The sun was growing hot, nothing but desert sat ahead of them, it was going to take them at least half a day in order to get to the next town over, and a total of twelve days (give or take) in order for them to get to Cripple Creek. Alex truly dreaded the travel ahead of them, especially with Pearl joining the journey, there would hardly be any wiggle room for Alex to spend any quality time with Miles.

Miles wiped at his forehead, beads of sweat just dripping from his scalp and down his back. He couldn't wait to get to Colorado, he had heard the weather is nice and cooler up there. This is the farthest he's ever traveled. Alex lead the group, Miles following behind him, and Pearl just behind Miles.
Miles adjusted his hat as he looked at Alex's back, just ahead of him. He missed his touch, it had only been a day since Pearl showed up but damn, he missed the way Alex's body felt against his. Maybe they might be able to sneak away when she's fast asleep. Miles slapped his spurs against his horse, catching up to Alex's side.

"Hey." Miles called out, trying to grab Alex's attention.
Miles turned his head to face Alex as his horse continued to trot. "Hey." Miles smiled.

"I was thinking.." Alex looked back at Pearl who was lazily trotting behind them before looking back to Miles, getting his horse as close as he could to Miles' so he didn't have to yell. "We might be able to sneak off later, be alone."

Miles cocked an eyebrow, liking what he was hearing as he glimpsed back in front of himself, the horses mane flowing slightly against the soft wind.

"I miss you Mi." Alex said, adjusting his cowboy hat. The sun was really beating down now. "I reckon if Pearl has another opium night like last, we will have our chance to sneak off for a while."

"I miss you too Al, you looked spectacular this morning." Miles cleared his throat, bringing his necktie around his nose again. "It was hell to try and keep my hands off of you– don't know how Pearl would react." Miles looked back over to Alex. "We will need to sneak, she'd turn us in if she found out. I'm sure of it."

Alex nodded back to Miles before looking out into the desert ahead of him. Maybe Pearl would understand? She's been in love before, hasn't she? Or is she like her cop counterpart? If the wrong people found out, they would be killed. Best not to try their luck.

Alex and Miles continued on, Pearl following not too far behind, complaining every now and then about the heat. She had never in her life traveled this much, she'd only been as far as twenty miles outside of Tombstone. Pearl pulled her hat off of her head, fanning herself with it as beads of sweat trickled down her forehead. "You said Cripple Creek will be cooler?" Pearl yelled ahead at anyone who would listen.

"Yeah, that's what I've heard." Miles chimed back, turning around to face her. She was riding side saddle, as most woman did. It didn't look too comfortable really, looks like she would fall off at any given moment.

Pearl continued to fan herself. "When will we stop next?" She asked, the sun in its highest peak.

"Well, we need to travel until dark. So whenever dark is. We're gonna cut between Mount Baldy and Whitewater Baldy. Should be some flat areas in between the two, should only be an hour or two away at this point." Miles yelled back at Pearl, pointing ahead of themselves. "See ahead?"

Pearl looked to Miles' pointed hand, beautiful mountain peaks starting to poke out along the horizon. The terrain was slowly starting to change into a more rocky landscape, few pieces of greenery here and there littering the ground.

"There should be some river that we will have to cross, then we will make our way between. Once we get to the river we can stop." Miles said. Pearl didn't respond, just stared at the lush landscape ahead.

Large trees shot up ahead of them, gorgeous evergreens giving off a little bit of shade as the sun still sat at its highest point, small wiry flowers placed just at the stumps. Miles looked up at the trees as they passed them, pulling his necktie off of his face. He took in a deep breath– the fresh pine scented air filling his lungs. He couldn't wait till they set up camp. Miles looked over at Alex, who was already staring back at him. Miles gave him a small smile, knowing Alex was thinking the same thing he was.
Alex's mouthed the words 'I love you', to which Miles quickly mouthed back before hitting his spurs against his horse, making them go into a full gallop. He couldn't get to camp fast enough as he shot ahead of the others.