A Bloodborne Tragedy

Chapter 12

Just as Daniel had said he'd do the night before, he left early. He woke up with the sun, but Sho had already gone back to work In the bar. He got dressed in another outfit he had in his saddlebag, wearing a finer vest and hat he'd stolen not long before. Before he left, he went to the bar to say goodbye to Sho and ended up hearing him getting an earful from his angry boss. He was mostly confused, having thought Sho dead from the state of his home the week he checked on him. It didn't deter him from reprimanding him though, seeing as how he looked just fine and his house was as if it was never destroyed. He sent him to work when Daniel came in, grumbling, "Don't let it happen again," As he shook his head and Left. Sho was his most loyal, and only, employee. The only other person to take up for him and let him have breaks every once in a while.

Daniel walked up to the bar and stood in front of Sho, amused at the scene he was just early enough to see. "I'll be heading out soon." He could see Sho frown a little but it was relatively a small gesture. Nobody would notice it if they hadn't been paying close attention. "If The job goes well, I'll be back in a few days." Sho nodded, wishing him well. "Stay safe." He called after him when Daniel left. He got on his shire and rode out.

Half a day was what it took to get to another town with a gunsmith and a sheriff.  He stopped in and bought what little bullets he could before he walked to the bounty board. There were many names, none of which he recognized from his time traveling. He chose one name that paid particularly well. A man by the name of Willis, wanted for the murder of his wife. What a sick man, Daniel thought. To murder your own wife? What would have to be going through one's head to do that to the person they love. He pulled the paper off the wall and folded in, stuffing it in his satchel. He mounted his shire, saying, "Alright James, let's go." And spurred him on to the creek the man had chosen as a camp. The camp wasn't that big, so when he arrived, he could hear their conversation clearly. It turned out to be about the man's late wife.

"That whore.. tell you what. That kid wasn't mine. Damn her, damn that boy, and damn that fucking doctor." He sat around a campfire talking to hired guns or his friends, no doubt. "She ain't had a reason to be going out so much. Wasn't even sick. Boy am I glad I got to do her and that bastard in." Daniel waited, watched, listened. He wanted to catch them off guard, and now seemed like a great time to surprise them. In one rapid movement, he unholstered his revolvers, aiming swiftly and shooting two dead. The two remaining men hadn't even realized what happened when Daniel shot the second man. Willis stared in shock before turning to Daniel.
His eyes were wide as he fumbled with his gun, looking from his beat upholster to Daniel. Daniel gave him a moment to lose hope before he tackled him, getting the upper hand quickly and throwing away his bounty's gun. Willis didn't go without a fight though, flailing his arms around and attempting to buck Daniel off his back. It didn't work, though, he learned when Daniel pinned him to the ground with his knee, pulling out his lasso and hogtying him. He whistled for his horse and waited as Willis screamed at him. "Fucking bounty hunter! You'd have done the same damn thing if It'd happened to you!" He spat. Daniel just stared at him quietly, having not said a word to him. It was one way he always got the upper hand on people in these situations. He'd worked as a tried gun before, having to do just this for someone other than the law.
He knocked the man out before he put him on his horse, not wanting to listen to his voice like nails on a chalkboard the whole ride back to civilization. When he brought the bounty in to the officer and was awarded his money, a good take for a man like him being nearly seventy dollars, a poster on the general store's wall caught his eye. It was flashy with illustrations of booths and competitions. There was a fair happening in another town not too far away from this one in a few days' time. He couldn't wait to get back to Smith's Grove (he learned the town name soon after deciding he'd stay with Sho) and tell the man. It would be a good thing for them to do, spend time at a fair together, and see things they wouldn't have otherwise. He felt a sense of anticipation on his way back, looking forward to spending time with Sho. He hadn't ever been to a fair before, thinking it useless to see such meaningless things. But Sho changed his mind, and had been doing so ever since they first met. He hadn't realized it then, but now that he knew all the facts, he did.

He rode on through the night, arriving back to the town around late in the morning the next day. He was tired and exhausted from his bounty and the ride but before he slept he told Sho about the poster he'd seen excitedly. "I saw a poster outside a general store. There's gonna be a fair a little ways away in a few days. It might be fun, y'know. You and I could go, get out of this town for a bit. When was the last time you did that?" Sho looked nervous for a second as they both sat down on a few wooden chairs in what was the living room. "Well," He took a deep breath. "I think it was the last time, before the man at the bar, I had to eat." Daniel opened his mouth to speak, but Sho quickly cut him off. "But, the people? There'd be so many people..." Dankel Shook his head. "Ah, but what's it to them? You'd blend right in. It'll be fun." He tried to convince the vampire, but it was futile.

He yawned, holding a hand out to quiet Sho when he was about to argue his point. "Listen, I'm real tired. But I think this is something we could really enjoy. I'm gonna head to bed, why don't you think about it? Please?" Reluctantly, Sho nodded. "Okay, sleep well." And with that, Daniel got up from his chair and went to sleep on his bedroll, hoping Sho would agree with him. He couldn't make him, and he'd respect his decision if he disagreed again. But it was a good opportunity to make memories with each other, and it made him happier than he'd felt in a long time.