Fire and Silk

Chapter 1: Colter

     Arthur was miserable. The wind this high in the mountains could already cut the warmth from even the hardiest man, but to add a damn blizzard to it? If he didn't know any better, he'd swear the very skin on his face was ready to fall off.

     They didn't have much of a choice but to be up in these mountains though, not after the massacre they had left back in Blackwater. He still didn't understand what happened, the job was supposed to go off without a hitch. It had been so planned out and thought through that he had confidently opted out of working it to instead work on his own con with Hosea. A real estate scam the two had uncovered and knew could mean big money for them both as well as the gang. But of course, from what he gathered nothing went to plan and now they were running again from the mess Dutch and the others had made. 

     The train of wagons was somewhere further behind him, making slow progress in this blizzard. Since he was on horseback, he had decided to scout ahead, hoping beyond hope to find some sort of shelter all of them could hole up in for the next few weeks. 

     Shit, he really hoped they wouldn't be stuck in this godawful cold that long. 

     It didn't take long for him to come across Colter. An old mining town that looked like the ghosts of those miners probably still lingered in the snow covered buildings. Sliding off his horse, Arthur decided he had better check the buildings before bringing the wagons here. Didn't need any nasty surprises jumping out at them. One by one he made his way to each building, giving each a quick and thorough sweep before finally he found himself standing on the front steps of the church. The final building he needed to check. So what was stopping him?

     His hand was hovering over the handle, an invisible wall holding him back from simply reaching that last few inches to open it. As he struggled to force his hand forward, a tightness grew in his chest that he recognized as panic. "What the hell?" He mumbled to himself, pulling his hand back dragging his eyes up and down the withered doors. It was just a damn door, what was his problem? Why the hell is the thought of opening a door filling him with so much pure panic?

     Shaking his head as though to shake away the feeling, he reached to his hip and drew his gun. A cattleman revolver that he proudly maintained like it was a precious gem and not a lethal weapon he had used to take countless lives over the years. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he once again reached forward and hit no resistance this time as he swung the doors open wildly and pointed his gun into the darkness.

     Pews were haphazardly pushed around the floor, the ceiling had multiple holes in it letting in the falling snow, and in the very middle of the room lay a woman. Arthur stilled for a moment, his breath caught in his chest. She couldn't have been very old, late 20s maybe. Her long brown curls were splayed underneath her, her chest rising and falling in deep breaths signaling she was definitely not conscious. 

     Approaching the woman let him get a much better look at her while he lowered his gun, realizing she was obviously not a threat. In the light of his oil lamp he could make out soft skin, the color of those fancy lattes he had seen rich people drink in the cities when they would add a heavy dose of creamer, giving the coffee a light tan color. Her lips were plump, matching the rest of her body from what he could see, with the softness of her belly pressing against the skin tight fabric of her top. The sight of her uncovered legs caused him to blush and turn his head on instinct. 

     Her clothes were unlike anything he had ever seen. Her jeans were much too short to be in this type of weather, and the top she was wearing had no sleeves and came quite a bit down her chest, gifting any man that saw her a beautiful view of her cleavage. What the hell was she doing all the way out here? He didn't see a horse or any horse tracks for that matter outside, and there was no way in hell she walked all this way. Valentine was the nearest town and it was still a few hours away, and she didn't even have on shoes! A violent shiver racked through her body causing Arthur to reach out and touch her hand. She was cold as ice, the beginnings of frostbite couldn't be far off. How long had she been laying here?