Honors And Redemptions Of The Outlaw

Chapter 12: The New Recruit

I bring Junior to a halt right by the hitching post before jumping off and tying him to it. I patted his neck saying, "Good boy". Looking down the street of the town I started moving towards a very familiar alley. The brick walls damp from the rain we had a few days ago with small puddles along its bottom, with the metal ladder that hung from the roof of a building. I walked over to the ladder, tapping it and I began to speak. "I got money and I ain't afraid to leave without giving to who I'm supposed to." A small grin started to form on my face at the sound of footsteps from the rooftop. "What do you mean you have money?" Iris questioned with a raised brow. She climbed down standing in front of me, her big blue eyes looked up at me with curiosity. "I don't wanna inflate your ego any more than it already is but seems everyone liked you enough to give you money for a new dress."

She tilted her head, looking at me for a moment before speaking. "Why? I mean not that I don't want it, but what have I done for you guys to give me money like this?" I shrugged, pulling the money from my satchel. "Well, that's a good question. I ask myself that question every day, why would Thomas help me or Elizabeth or even Shea?" I counted the money again making sure it was all there. She watched as my fingers flipped through the money. "Guess we're just those kind of people." I added as I placed the money in her hand. She looked up at me with a smile as I put my hand on her shoulder guiding her out of the alley, we turned left heading towards the tailor. "How much money is there exactly?" Iris suddenly said, I kept my gaze on the street taking a moment to think. "About fifty dollars, why?" She shrugged, taking her gaze from me. We stopped outside the store; I removed my hand from her shoulder before gesturing for her to go in. She walked up to the door opening it, the bells hanging from the door chimed as she closed the door. I sighed, taking a seat on a bench outside the store. Removing the small green journal from my satchel I began to write.

This town ain't as bad as I thought it'd be. Iris, the girl we met when we first got here, now being welcomed with open arms to live with us, we don't have anything a kid like her deserves, alas, not everyone gets what they deserve in life. Everyone pitched in a bit of money for her, even Shea as surprising as that may sound. Everything seems very, easy? Moonshiners right in the stable just waiting for us to get involved with. Oil businesses as well, two families fighting against another oil business, it just seems too easy. Maybe our luck has finally turned for the better.
June 4, 1866.

I sighed, closing the journal, running my finger across the material before placing it back in my satchel. I removed my Schofield Revolver from my holster taking a cloth with gun oil, I rubbed over the gun with caution as it was loaded. Making my way down its barrel to the very edge of the varnish, I placed the cloth down before pointing the revolver off into the evening sun, getting a better look at it. I was interrupted by the door opening with the bells hitting it, I looked over noticing what she was wearing.

She wore a pair of blue jeans with a white shirt, dark brown boots on her feet while a tan vest set over the white shirt. Her hair was done half down, half up with a black ribbon holding her wavy black hair in place. She walked up to me holding some money, I tilted my head at her. She stood there, her eyes flicked between me and her boots. "Here's what is left, I thought you might want it back." I shook my head, a smile painted across my face from the gesture. "Keep it, you need it more than anyone else does." Her face lit up as she placed the money in her pocket. I patted a spot on the bench next to me, she walked over taking a seat next to me. I watched the sun slowly fall behind the open field laying in front of us. I looked over at Iris with a half-hearted smile. "What happened to your parents exactly?"

She sighed, looking at her feet. She leaned over, placing her elbows on her knees, fiddling with her hands. "They aren't here anymore." That's all she managed to say, I could hear it in her voice. Someone had done something to them leaving her here alone with no one. I turned my gaze up to look at the mountain where the camp was, thinking for a moment. I stood up before speaking.