Nicotine and Dark Ale

Lesley sat quietly as Jaxin scolded the two of them. Aurora and Jaxin both seemed to wield death threats with little care. Lesley thought it was all a bit hasty. She was only thinking that it would come to a little brawl. A brawl to her meant two people punching each other until someone coughed up a bit of blood, or fell and didn't get back up. Than maybe laugh about it later. It worried her a bit that everyone wanted to kill each other so soon. Especially poor Emma, though of course Lesley was the one who brought her up. Lesley turned to look at the girl, to see what she had to think about this little argument that escalated so quickly. The movement made her head spin, and her vision blur for a moment.

When Jaxin was done, she turned back and simply nodded. "Un'erstood." She seemed ready for the whole thing to be over. The sun was rising and her head was screaming a bit louder. Hands went toward her saddle bag almost automatically, but she managed to stay them before they went too far. Lesley didn't much like Aurora's attitude. She just didn't think it was nothing to kill her over.

Lesley's thoughts were interrupted when Adda screamed, and suddenly jumped forward. Lesley nearly fell off, but managed to grab onto her saddle horn and right herself. Why were they running? She saw the other horses moving ahead of her, they were running for some reason. Still, she didn't like Adda just running off without her command. "Whoa girl," she said beginning to pull back on the reigns. Adda looked over her shoulder at her crazy rider. Her eyes were big, and the whites showing. A truly startled horse. However, she did begin to slow. That was when the shot rang out, and it hit Lesley what had happened. "Shit, go girl go!" she said, digging her heels into her horses sides. Adda took off like her tail was on fire. "Att'a girl, keep movin' keep movin'", Lesley continued to urge. Lesley had a habit of talking to her horse, a lot.

After they had ridden for a bit, she glared over at Jaxin. "What was that for?" She asked. She could only hope that he didn't take too much. She didn't want that man sending anyone after them... Or coming himself. Her head was pounding, and she couldn't resist any longer. Now that the pace slowed from an outright run, she reached back and grabbed one of the bottles she had gotten from Rocken. Jaxin could of at least let them onto the plan. She wouldn't of spent her last six dollars on overpriced booze if she knew they planned to just take stuff.

Lesley had to laugh a bit at what Dell said. At least the first part, the rest she knew was a threat. She assumed it wasn't directed at her though. "Well, I'd rather know the horse will carry me before I jump on the poor thing's back," she said making sure her tone was light. Didn't want this man misunderstanding a simple jest. the rest made her a bit skeptical. "And where you goin' that's so important?" The words left her mouth before she could think. She was just surprised that this man would take off without getting the treasure first. "Eh, never mind," She said in a feeble attempt to unsay the question. She looked away and opened her drink, taking her first swig.
 
Aurora didn't pay any mind to Jaxim's lecture, just stared back into his eyes without flinching. She supposed since she wanted respect she could give him some in return by keeping her mouth shut for now. No use in continuing hostilities this early in the game, especially now that she knew for sure money was involved.

Dell's threat she gave little to no thought. It wasn't as though she thought he wouldn't attempt to follow through on his threat if he was bothered enough - she was sure that he would - but she had more experience facing death than any of these ragamuffins knew yet and she was pleased as punch to keep it that way.

At the sound of gunfire, Aurora's horse took off at a buck. She's already taken some time to secure Muffy to the saddle, time she was now glad she had spared since her mare's breakneck pace would have tossed the dog off. In seconds she was ahead of even Jaxim, and she didn't slow until the Pup was long out of sight. She pulled her horse up to a lone tree beyond the edge of town and waited for the others to catch up. Muffy sat panting happily, used to noise and confusion due to his mistress's former line of work.
"They think they know us, Muffy. They think Mama is a spoiled little rich girl," she whispered. Muffy, oblivious to the world, continued panting as her "Mama" lifted her canteen to her full red lips to take a long swig, then put it back in her saddle bag and tightened her wildly curly blond ponytail.
 
"And we ride," Jaxin said and started his horse up. Emma was confused by the whole thing. First the man, Rocken, started to raise his voice, next pulling his gun out to shoot.

"Whoa Mister you need to-" Emma was cut off by a gunshot, but luckily neither her nor the horse was shot.

Emma was wiping the reigns making her white beauty start and catch up with Jaxin.

"You sure are some sonsofbitch, aren't cha, Mister Jaxin?"Emma laughs at the man. Emma couldn't help but laugh at the situation, even if it involved her life in danger. Sometimes that's how she would handle things even if it wasn't a laughing matter.

"Just be glad we weren't killed Miss." Emma commented on Lesley's question, as well blowing her a quick kiss. Once hidden, Emma jumped off her horse and walked in front of it.

"I'm just glad you weren't hurt at all, Blue." She murmured to the horse, as pet and kisses it.
 
"Of all the things Rocken has done, this one ain't the most drastic one, yall hear? I don't know if yall have been to his shop a lot, but that kinda thing is a usual. You take something from him, make him upset, he'll get all crazy and pull out an entire army out of his back pocket if he had to. Yall just be lucky your brains are still in your skulls." I didn't bother to turn around and address the group while I monologued. There was no need to, really. They all heard me just as fine as if I was right up to their ears. It was starting to sound like a classroom with students passing hushed whispers to their friends even though the teacher told them to quiet down. It seemed like they all took the time to talk to their horses. I chanced a look down at Derby, but the mare didn't bother to even snort in my general direction, probably still angry about putting her life in danger.

Oh well. We got the ale.

"So, which one of you have the butterfingers in the group? That kinda skill will come in handy in the long run, ya know?" I cracked a smile and slowed Derby to a small trot so that she and I pulled along side both Dell and Lesley. Dell didn't look like the type to steal something from Old Rocken. He was always in that Pup, anyway, and I'm pretty positive that if he wanted ale that much, he would have just taken it from one of us when we're sleeping or some sneaky nonsense like that. He spoke up and started talking in that weird dialect again. I tried to listen in on what he was saying, but gave up halfway through. Yeah, Dell was simply too smart to steal something from Rocken. Whether that's a good or a bad thing, I have not the slightest idea.

My name rang out in there air sort of sluggishly, and, automatically, I looked over to Lesley. That was some woman, that Lesley Craw. She had the build of a woman with the height of a man; odd combination, that was. She had some long hair on her that she was smart enough to pull back in some kind of tie. The sun would beat across her head all day with as much heat that hair absorbed. I wouldn't be surprised if it turned blonde like Aurora's in 2 days time.

"Me? I didn't do anything, sugar. Nothing but bunch of thieving nobodies up to get some money, is all. Is that cause for you to be angry?" The sun moved over head and did exactly what I knew it was going to do, shine right down on top of her hair. Her horse huffed in disagreement and Derby did the same, sharing the same disgust in the large star. Those two were just going to have to suck it up. I heard my name again from another female and turned to find Emma smiling at me in that strange way she had of smiling.

"Am I? Might be. You haven't seen all of it yet," I gave her a small look before my throat cleared itself as I addressed the rest of the crowd. "So, first stop is Colorado border where we have to prove we're not immigrants. Theres gonna be more sherrifs out there than gnats on a sweaty pig so be on your best behavior." I couldn't help but switch my gaze between Dell and Emma. Those two were gonna get me in trouble. Oh, and Muffy, of course. That is, if the little rodent survived past sundown.

"Any of yall know the way?" Heh. Some leader I am.
 
"I know the god damn way to Colorado," said Aurora, trotting her horse past Jaxim's again, "Y'all just try to keep up."
 
Adda slowed with the rest of the group without Lesley needing to pull back on her reigns. Lesley patted her steed on the rump, knowing that Adda was more than likely still riled up. From what she knew of horses, they didn't calm down right away after a crisis like people usually did, but remained jittery and nervous for a while after. "A'tta girl, it's all done now," she murmured in the softest voice she could manage. "I ain't promising you we won't be seein' trouble like that again girl, but I'll try an' keep your hide alive." She spoke so low, it was doubtful anyone else would hear her.

She took another swig of her ale, before taking the time to reply to Jaxin. "Guess I shouldn't have gone accusin' you a somethin' without knowing for sure. My apologies." Lesley wasn't the type to get too hard headed to admit when she was wrong. She also wasn't one to get bothered for too long over things. She considered herself rather simple, and she liked it that way.

A sweet voice caught her attention and she looked again at the one named Emma. The kiss, blown in her direction, made her shift in her saddle a bit uncomfortably. It made her feel a bit odd getting that kind of attention from another woman, though in the scheme of things it was innocent enough. She managed to smile back. Emma was strange to her. It seemed she liked to tease and flirt more than anyone she knew. More than most whores Lesley encountered. "You're right on that account. Let's see how long we can make that last."

Adda shuffled back as Aurora's horse trotted by, nickering a sort of soft greeting. Lesley simply took a final sip, knowing they were gonna be moving for a while.
 
Dell shot Lesley a freezing glare, one that penetrated even his eye-obscuring goggles. Even the rest of his face, and the way his body tensed slightly, told anyone that it took a bit of restraint for him not to say anything. He recognised it was a simple slip of the tongue, or so he hoped. He'd made rules when he arrived. He'd held onto the hope that people would at least respect those rules, lest they get treated to the taste of unforgiving fist. Sighing in a manner conveying some form of annoyance or other, he pulled his hat over his eyes, extremely tempted to down a bit of the drink he'd stored in his canteen. But, he wouldn't drink just yet. He was tolerant, but he wasn't risking anything around a group of people he wouldn't trust as far as he could spit. He understood that the were looking for something, and they had had the courtesy to let him ride with them, for whatever amount of time he needed. Or was allowed. It didn't much matter to him, he had bigger things to think about - not which yellow-belly would try to kill him in his sleep.
Again.

Aurora was really beginning to get at Dell, her cocky attitude being something of a lit fuse to his powder keg. he hid it well, and his anger was usually just let out in short, sharp bursts that could easily be mistaken for something trivial - stubbing a toe, biting his cheek, that sort of thing. A reminder of just what he was prepared to do, his revolver bounced against his side, always ready to be drawn and utilised at a moment's notice. People didn't like strangers who looked like he did, that much was certain. And he liked to be prepared. Had he his bearings, Dell would have been able to navigate his way across a decent portion of the country. Given that what he got his bearings b had been destroyed and used for things 'more beneficial' to the town, he had nothing to navigate by. As much as he hated to admit it, though, nobody had been using it for years - not now that people had found something far more efficient than it.
 
I kinda just let Aurora do her own thing. If she wanted to take the lead to the border of Colorado, then she could be our guest. It was quite clear that I had absolutely no idea where the hell we were going. Why else would I let her lead us around? If I had a clue about the way there, I would have picked someone who I could have a little ounce of trust in. Aurora didn't gain much from me but a bad look and some sarcastic words, i.e, already on my bad side. Yes. There is a such thing. I have a bad side that tends to get irratible, but, with a little bit of space, the right amount of ale, and the quality of a cigar, I can be as calm as a cucumber. Besides, with her in the front, if anything decided to jump out and shoot us all down, she'd be the first to go. Either her or Muffy.

Didn't matter which one.

Emma had gotten quiet, and, somehow, that didn't settle well with me. That woman could have been the sneakiest snake of the group; the way she always blew kisses to people. If she hated being known as the common whore, she was doing a horrible job of hiding it. I looked behind me to see her playing with her hair like a little girl. Her lips were moving so I figured she was talking to her horse. Or herself. Lifting a brow, Lesley spoke over to me and I smirked when she puckered her lips and took yet another swig of ale. That woman drank more than I did in the morning! She had to have a iron liver or no liver at all to be guzzling the dark liquid down like that. Most woman I've seen have been the pansy kind, always making that sssaaahh! sound every time they swallowed ale. Lesley took her drink like...well...like a man.

"Slow down there, sugar. I need at least one more sane person with me on this here trip. Or maybe we're all crazy. 'Pology taken. We ain't dead yet, so we're coverin' some good ground, ain't we?" I made sure to keep glancing at Aurora's back to make sure she wasn't leading us on no blind trail. If I didn't see a paved road by the time the sun twisted in the sky to mark mid day, I was planting a bullet in the back of her head.
 
Aurora kept her eyes on first one landmark and then another, tracking their progress from the horizon to her to make sure she was riding straight. She was accustomed to riding through back country, but the horses would travel better on a paved path and she wasn't wanted or even known in this state, so she was aiming for a certain road she knew of maybe a three hour ride east. This lot was all itchy to be distempered and distrustful and it struck her as arrogant. Someone could only be so paranoid about other people being out to get them before it meant they thought they were worth the getting. When Jaxim made his comment to the Lesley girl she called back, "So what makes you think I'm not sane? People can be plenty disagreeable without being nuts."
 
Emma followed the group on her horse, not even listening to their chat and became more interested in her surroundings. She felt herself starting to sway, but didn't bother to control it and decided to listen in on the group.

"So what makes you think I'm not sane? People can be plenty disagreeable without being nuts." She heard Aurora asked. Emma waited for answer from Jaxin and kept looking forward.

Emma was so deep in thought, for once in a long time. Just daydreaming about what else type of mess will they lead themselves into, or what it will be like when they get or find the loot Jaxin was tellin' about. But who knows, she just hopes it'll be fun.

Emma giggled to herself to her thoughts, not even caring if the others heard. For some reason she just felt so excited.

 
Dell didn't reply to the comment on the sanity of people, but he accepted that he was at least a touch crazy. He didn't speak to people, he threatened to punch them, and he was quicker to anger than a rattlesnake at happy hour. Even if he didn't usually display his anger, the tension when he was could be thicker than the little Missy leading the way (he thought). Though he did not respond with any discernible phrase or one-liner, he did offer a noncommittal shrug, and an indifferent demeanour. The question about his past was probably just a slip of the tongue, and he saw no need in getting riled up - for now.
 
"Woah now, don't go putting a bullet between my eyes just yet!" Lesley cautioned. Dell was shooting her one mean look. Not that she could see his eyes through those goggles of his. Unless maybe she was nose to nose with him, somewhere she never imagined she'd have reason for being. You just didn't have to be very perceptive to feel the cold fury practically coming off of him in waves, and she had the misfortune of being the focus of it. "I'd like to live maybe... ten or twenty years after I strike it rich. Just long enough to go broke again." It didn't seem like Dell was the type to get over his anger quickly, so Lesley's attempt to lighten the mood would most likely fall short of success. In fact, she'd probably made it on his shit list for here on out.

Adda made herself comfortable somewhere in the middle of the group, falling behind Aurora. Fortunately the mare wasn't very pushy about leading, as some tended to be. Lesley stretched her legs out of her stirrups, already long ago adjusted to Adda's swaying gait. "Don't worry about me. I gotta second liver," she responded to Jaxin. "It took care of my headache anyway... now if only there was something I could do about this heat." She'd left her hat behind a long time ago, and the sun really broke through the cold of the morning fast. She returned her feet to the stirrups, and slumped over Adda's neck resignedly.

Emma's giggles carried themselves over to where she sat, and Lesley looked back over at her questioningly. Funny she didn't seem to mind being called crazy. Aurora did though. Lesley was tempted to answer for Jaxin, saying it was probably because she carried a rat everywhere. "So, what does that thing do anyway?" She settled on asking. "I mean, I like critters, but I only like 'em when they're doing something useful. Like Adda carries me around. You don't look much like a farmhand, and that dog sure don't look like a cattle dog. Can it catch a rabbit? I'd respect it if it caught a rabbit."
 
The silence never lasted long. There was always something or someone who figured they had the right to ruin the silence that nature had worked so hard to give. I was not surprised in the least to find that the one who interrupted the silence was none other than our border leader, Aurora. Her question did give me a smile, though. I had to scratch the back of my head because the heat liked to make my skin itch like crazy. That, and I simply didn't want to be pegged an asshole for how I was about to answer.

Ah well. Fuck it.

"I agree with the second part. I can disagree and have a helluva head on my shoulders. How do ya think I got all of yall together? Invitations? Nah, Miss, I am a mastermind and probably the best damned liar yall have ever had the displeasure of meetin'." That was as honest as I could make it without passing the boundary of man to asshole, though I supposed Aurora wouldn't care. She wasn't on the trip to look for a friend. She was here for money, dry sex, and ale, I bet.

I was a good gambler.

"I can easily tell you're not sane, but don't make me write out a novel for ya on it. You brought a damned pup to the Colorado border where all the cops and wild things hunt and prowl. You're either insane or a potential serial killer. You see any difference?" Emma's laughter stopped my speech, bringing my eyes over to her. She was staring back at me and, man, I swear, that was the scariest shit I had to ever look at.

"....What?"
 
"Muffy is my friend. I'm used to travelling alone other than her. She also keeps away snakes and wakes me up if anyone gets into my things. Also, you can kill plenty 'a people without bein' crazy."
 
Little Joe continued to follow from a safe distance matching the group's pace. He didn't know exactly where they were headed but he reckoned he'd figure it out sooner or later. Not that it mattered really. It was Flounder Land or...what was that saying he heard once? Or bust. That was it. It was Flounder Land or bust for him now. He didn't really know what the saying meant exactly but he figured it probably meant somethin' close to Flounder Land or nothin' and if that wasn't what it meant he sure as hell didn't like the sound of being busted.

Ghost bore him faithfully never making a sound.
 
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