At Sunset

Warm Blooded

It was dawn, and Cap had already been awake for several hours. He was out in the woods with his rifle, doing his best to make no sound while he hunted through the bush. Others of the Hatfield's clan were out scattered out in the woods as well, paired off while in search of intruders on their land. It wasn't just McCoy's they were watching for, but also predators. Either wolves or coyotes had been poking around the Hatfields lands, digging by the fences and stealing their chickens. They had set traps, but none of the ones Cap had checked had been tripped.

There wasn't much chance of spotting the pesky invaders now that they would be retiring before the hot sun of the day would break, so Cap kept his sight on finding some breakfast instead. He wasn't alone. Cotton was with him, trailing behind with clumsy steps that was making far too much noise for Cap's liking. He didn't reprimand him though. Maybe because he was feeling a little on edge himself.

He halted when he spotted a light brown hare crouched in the low brush, nibbling on grass. Cotton bumped into his back, not noticing he had stopped until he got a mouthful of his coat. Cap shot his cousin an annoyed look over his shoulder as he gestured at him to be quiet, with a finger held up to his lips. Cotton followed his gaze towards the rabbit, a despondent look growing on his face for the animal. Cap had the hare lined up in his sight, but before he could take the shot, a twig broke beside him as Cotton took a step forward. The rabbit fled, never stopping to look up as it disappeared back into the forest.

"God damn, Cotton," said Cap as he straightened up to look out into the quiet wood.

"Sorry," Cotton mumbled, his bottom lip protruding as he looked at the ground.

Cap sighed with his rifle rested at his side. He hadn't meant to snap at his cousin. "S'all right. Wasn't hungry anyway." He ruffled Cotton's white hair until he smiled again.

"Cap, I don't think I could kill animals."

"No, I reckon ya couldn't," Cap agreed. He remembered the one spring a few years back. Uncle Ellison and his Pap had been in the slaughter house when Cotton had stumbled upon them by accident, after escaping his Ma's supervision. He had cried so hard over seeing the dead carcasses that he had made himself sick. It had taken Uncle Ellison a week to finally get him right again. "Good thing you n' yer daddy's land hasn't been plundered by dogs."

"Hey Cap?" Cotton asked. "Would it be easier killin' a person, ya think?"

"That's not sumthin' you should ever have to know," Cap answered, glad at the moment that his Uncle had kept Cotton out of the McCoy fight. "C'mon, let's start headin' back."

Cotton lumbered beside him. "Are you seein' Clara today?"

"I don't know." Cap frowned. In truth, she was the reason for his foul mood. Not her directly actually, but rather her absence. Since she and her father had attended supper at his family's home, he hadn't seen or heard all from her. It was pissing him off. She had kissed him...and nothing. Of course, he hadn't gone looking for her either, nor had he been within sight of her porch. If he was to properly court her, he should have done that. Maybe that's what she was expecting. He just never had time, between working at the timber yard, and helping out around home. If he was being honest, he missed her something terrible.

"I think you should," Cotton piped up. "She sits outside all day, rockin' in the chair, jus' starin' ahead. I don't know wut she's lookin' at."

"Really?" Cap envied his cousin the view from his home. If Clara was only a field away from his window, he'd constantly be sneaking out to be with her. A piece of him understood Johnse, though his elder brother had constantly been enamoured with a number of girls. Clara was the first for Cap, and maybe the only one. He was serious about marrying her, and Uncle Wall's courthouse was getting harder to walk by every time.