Blood-Lines

Chapter III -- Calm before the Storm

Spring, 1875 / Goblins Toe, Wyoming

With the sun just clear of nearby hills, Sheriff Augustus Poe and Running-Deer got a much clearer view of their new home, bathed as it was in the light of a new day.

A large collection of weathered buildings, two water towers, stables, and the gaping mouth of the Donnetelli Scaggs mine looked back at them like the maw of a great beast hidden within the hillside.

Donnetelli Scaggs was perhaps the sole reason that the town had grown from a simple trading post into what it had become today.

Tediously dangerous work over long hours under arduous and deadly conditions had resulted in tunnels dug deep into the earth and rock to surrender whatever it was that the miners could harvest from the darkened depths of the interior that the owners could sell in the light of day.

The top of what was rumored to be a large mansion appeared through the trees of the hillside opposite the mine; which lead Poe to assume that the current owners of Donnetelli Scaggs would live there to enjoy the view of their business interests and activities of the town below.

With Demetrius Donnetelli long dead and buried, it undoubtedly now served as the home of his surviving partner, Luscious Scaggs.

Comfortable as comfort would allow with the brace on his leg, Poe wondered how it would affect his ability to keep law and order in this town; where according to what he'd read of it, history had been full of plenty of loose misunderstandings not only of what the law was, but also of how it was to be enforced as it often hadn't been along the way.

After much argument and discussion, it had taken the combined efforts of both Poe and Bracna to convince Running-Deer that acceptance into their new environment would go that much better if she were to accept the loose white blouse and long brown skirt that she now wore.

It had finally occurred to him to point out that she would in fact be his official deputy, which in the end had helped to finally tip the scales in their favor; although her favored spirit necklaces remained hidden just beneath the white fabric of her blouse to show hint of color rather than bare skin to the casual observer.

The boots, however, had taken a bit longer for her to agree to; however, once they'd crossed that bridge and in a surprise turn of events, she'd selected the wide brimmed flop hat from the post store which she began to wear without any cajoling from either of the two men along the way.

Both had to admit that her appearance would be nothing short of stunning to anyone who saw her.

Poe looked at the city ahead and sighed. "I suppose we better just get this over with and be done with it."

Turned toward him in her saddle, Running-Deer appeared genuinely surprised at his words. "You are not looking forward to being among these people?"

That she ever so eloquently had managed to avoid referring to them as 'white people', showed her willingness to adapt and correct her views, at least while in public or to amuse him as the case may be.

Something that Bracna had subtly suggested as a way to avoid offending those that they would have to live among and work with on a daily basis.

Through mutual effort and much practice, he learned to use the mixed French and Sioux languages that she'd grown up with under the guidance of the Indian healer Crazy-Bear.

Such efforts would allow them a certain level of privacy if they did not want those around them to know what it was that may have actually being said.

While her grasp of the English language had improved markedly, both had become far more comfortable speaking in her language rather than his.

Poe tried to come up with something that would explain the current situation in a way that she could appreciate, and that language would allow.

"Before a big storm arrives, the wind tends to settle and the air becomes very still which we have come to call 'the calm before the storm'. It will be a lot like that when we arrive. There are going to be people happy to see us and those who just won't care one way or the other. However, with all that, there will also be some who will begin to make plans to bury us; or at least me, by sundown ... if not sooner."

He paused while in thought.

"Such is the nature of weather like that or the people who live in small remote towns like the one ahead of us. We will undoubtedly see a dead calm of sorts once they know we're there."

Running-Deer nodded.

"I suppose it will be as when I arrived in our village for the first time long ago and the healer Crazy-Bear took me in."

Poe smiled wryly. "Something like that, only this time there might be guns and hot lead involved."

"You obviously do not know the people of my village as well as I do." She mused as they made their way down toward their new home.

Suddenly, Poe was far less apprehensive than he had been and now actually looked forward to their new posting as a good deputy with proper attitude was all a sheriff ever really needed.

With any luck, there was also a chance that they could take a shine to her with her rather exotic nature and charm.

However, should they come looking for trouble, they would find it in spades.

Of that, between the two of them, he was more than sure.