---

After scribbling down his thoughts for the day, Elijah closed his small leather journal slowly then set it to the side, lifting his tired, bloodshot eyes to gaze out over the sheen crystal surface of the Tallahatchie Lake and the morning sun reflecting off the still waters. He was sitting on a hollowed out log near the water's edge, just a stone's throw from the camp, doing his usual morning routine of contemplating the rest of the day in silence. A lit, slightly crumpled cigarette dangled precariously from his dry lips, which he soon took between his fingers, giving a slow drag of it and exhaling a thin wisp of smoke into the damp morning air.

Despite the peacefulness of the early morning, the distant sound of birds chirping and fish splashing in the nearby lake, his mind was troubled Eli's. All the man could think about was that last job in Dodge City, how it had gone so horribly wrong and led to the death of two of his best men. Indeed his heart grieved for Mack and Roy, for they were like his brothers, as were they to the rest of the gang. Alas, Elijah didn't dare to show any remorse upon his grizzled face. To do so in his mind was to show weakness, and right now...of all times...he needed to be a strong leader.

So entranced in thought was Elijah that he did not notice the old codger toddling up beside him, until he heard the sound of Gus's spurs jingling with each heavy, lumbering footfall. The old man hacked a rather nasty cough before speaking in his accustomed jovial and upbeat manner, "Well shit the bed, boy! What you doin' down here by your lonesome? Mopin'?"

Elijah muttered, turning to the old bastard with a grim expression on his face, "I ain't mopin', you old drunk. I'm just thinkin' is all." He turned around then, facing the waters once more with a sigh as Gus plopped down beside him and fished from his leather satchel a flask of Tennessee Whiskey. The old man unscrewed the cap, taking a big gulp, then he offered it to Elijah, the younger man respectfully declining. Elijah resumed, "We've been chased all over for weeks, Gus. I ain't had much time to sleep or do anything else." And it showed. Elijah's pale blue eyes were flecked with jagged veins of crimson, and his eyelids were dark and droopy with heavy bags under both.

"Hell, when do we ever Eli?" Said Gus taking another swig of his flask. "The law's been mighty tough on us ever since we left Dodge City. I can't believe them damn Pinkertons were there just waitin' on us."

"It's strange, I know." Elijah nodded in agreement. "It was like they knew, Gus. They knew damn good and well we were gonna be there. I'm beginning to think..." His eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"About what?" Gus's bushy brow furrowed, his dry lips curling into a frown beneath his peppery beard. "That one of us told them government boys?" He was silent for a moment. Suddenly, he laughed out, slapping Elijah hard enough on the back that he nearly fell out of his seat on the log, "Shit, Eli! You're gettin' paranoid! Not a goddamn one of us would sell this gang out to them damn Pinkertons, even if they offered us money and whatnot! We're family through and through! We'll stick together no matter what! Besides, only a fool would betray you son."

Elijah gave him a wry smile, replying, "It's nice to hear you say that, old man. I'm glad you and the others are loyal, despite what we've been through these past few months." Then, with a lengthy stretch and a yawn, he stood up, throwing his cigarette down into the wet sand and crushing it under his boot. "Well," Said Elijah as he looked towards the camp. "Let's get to it then, old man. We got a big day ahead of us, I reckon." By then, everyone else was stirring from their tents. It amused him honestly. Half the time, he was the one getting out of bed late, but surprisingly this morning, he beat everyone else.

Walking back to the camp, Gus followed behind Elijah returning as he took one more swig of whiskey before screwing the cap back on his flask and stuffing it in his dingy overalls, "That we do, son. That we do. By the way..." He noticed of the gang, Claudia wasn't among them. "Where's your woman, Miss McCullen?"

"Oh, her." Said Elijah bluntly. "Ah, she's over on the other side of the lake takin' a bath. Kept complainin' all night about not bein' able to bathe. She'll be here soon." And with that, both Elijah and Gus continued on to the camp.

---

Meanwhile on the other side, Claudia ambled down the path through the forest that led to what she considered the perfect place to bathe.

The lake emptied into an open glade of the secluded forest far from the campsite, at a pond of crystal waters sparkling amidst the first golden rays of dawn casting ethereal light through the thick veil of pines and cedars. Frail, dappled shadows danced across the smooth, polished rocks, and the flowers, so many lovely shades and wondrous hues of color, were brimming to life at the first warm kiss of morning upon their petals. Twas nature's beauty, innocent yet untamed, just as the songbirds chirping and singing their morning praises that culminated with the gentle pitter-patter of the waterfall snaking through the sheer rock-face and diluting so tranquil into the shimmering pool of crisp, clear water.

Claudia relished the sight for a moment or so, taking it all in with equally dazzling eyes so warm and pleasant. After all, it was in nature she found her peace, her solace. She then removed her garments and her weapons, leaving them to rest beside the bank as she tiptoed in a tad skittish. Twas the midst of summer yet the water was cold, a chill creeping through the woman's toes and all throughout her body. Even so, Claudia took a deep breath and dove in, swimming deeper into the mysterious fathoms of the forest spring, a new world seeming to await under the glassy surface as she opened her eyes.

She rose to the surface once more to catch her breath and rest her back against the rocks, staring into the sky and sighing to herself blissfully.

After her bath, she dried off quickly and got dressed, slipping her gun belt back over her dress, a leather holster dangling off the side that held her LeMat revolver and plenty of bullets. Claudia wasn't much of a sharp shooter like the rest of the gang, but she was learning enough thanks to Elijah. Once she was dressed and her hair was fixed, she returned to the camp well rested and well pampered with a pleasant expression crossing her lips. Twas a beautiful morning, yet she could feel the sun wouldn't stay for long. Clouds, gray and billowing loomed in the distance, and she was sure she felt a tiny drop kiss her cheek softly.

Nevertheless, she wasn't one to let a little rain spoil her day. Walking up to the camp, she greeted her fellow gang members with a smile, chirping pleasantly to them, "Morning, everyone. How'd you sleep?"

Upon awakening the next early dawn Kira the outlaw yawned, stretching out the tense arms and legs that held aching bones beneath their flesh like that of a limber feline. She sighed once her first task was completed, exiting her dark, emerald mossy green triangular tent in a crawl like motion before attempting to stand to petite, bare feet which were softly planted firmly in the soft, green foliage.

She sighed once upon, supporting her full 110 pound weight upon them, her slender legs that many a man would die for and lastly her curvy hips. She was indeed with child but it only showed to be of a slight bump, her beloved was off hunting in the Hunting Cabin's lands for the crew. She wanted to be in his arms, her hormones all over the place and her feeling ever so lonesome for his embraces and kisses.

She traveled for a short amount of steps, seeing one of her buddies staring out at the lake as if deep in thought about something. He looked peaceful, wild almost, as if she were belonging of another world. She approached him with silent steps, her booted footwear making soft footfalls with it ever so gently, sounding so foreign to her ears to the loudness she normally she usually did with them whenever she was with her men in the presence of war itself fighting against the enemy clan. "Hmm ..?" She muttered, deep in thought as if unable to do anything else.

She walked over to the log that Elijah was perched in sitting upon, sitting down upon. "Mornin' Elijah." She said simply, tipping her hat to him. "Nice day ain't it?" She watched the beams of blinding sunlight shine off of the crystal clear Tallahatchie Lake, admiring it's beauty and majesty.

She was waiting for her husband to return, becoming quite impatient with him because he left without his morning kiss. She wanted to pace but right now all she did was remain where she sat because she was feeling quite nauseous and she feared she would vomit if she moved even a single inch of a movement.

Her long, sharp nails tapped on the tough bark of the log remaining silent as if the dead itself. She was restless, her eyes searching each setting that they had place their wild gaze upon. As she moved to awaken her trusty, once soundly slumbering companion Feather who was slumbering nearby.

Her empty stomach rumbled, echoing so loud in her chambers she was surprised a maid didn't hear it. She clenched her stomach as she felt the heat of a blush paint her cheeks a bright pink.

Her eyes glanced up at her reflection, Her long black as ink hair fell down along her back. It was tousled with curls framing long strands around her shoulder and face. The light curls falling behind her almost making it look like she was shrouded in darkness. Her outfit was nothing more than a simple dress.

The log had become her safe space, The log and the water. She could see flowers growing beyond the dead foliage, trying to grow through weeds. She knew that it wouldn't be long until they were drained of all their beauty and destined to die just like the others had. The dead trees, broken and unloved.

She felt a sense of relatability with how they felt, trying to bloom and survive only to be shadowed by darkness.

Still, with all the dead, it gave her hope. Hope for what? She wasn't sure, but it was hope nonetheless.

However, this window..the flowers..they would reignite it for her.

She was a beautiful woman, at least that was what her mother told her. She was always told her hair was worth every ounce of silver it resembled, Her body would make any man happy but her mouth would get her smacked. She was always the type to jump in the mud puddles when it rained, she loved working on farms and laying in the grass with the animals. She was not your typical beauty.

As she grew she never let her father go without making sure he knew what kind of man he was. She could still feel the sting on her face from the last night she spent in her room.

As a thunderstorm raged within the depths of her mind the rain was pouring down within, turning the world of her thoughts into a grim, gray fog. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Actually, the streams of water that came down from the sky looked quite intriguing. Something the woman was tempted to paint, though only with paint it was difficult to get that image sometimes.

She hummed as she rubbed her stomach with a dainty hand, she thought as to if it calmed the unborn life within her womb, a life soon to be blossomed into a child. She smiled at the such thought, wondering as to if it would be such to it. "Hmm? .. I am wonderin' if ya will be a girl or a boy?" She said softly but out loud, not knowing that she was doing such. She would usually say such out loud once she was alone or with her beloved husband. "Papa will love ya either way but he be wantin' a little girl he can spoil."

She gently patted her belly.

As per usual Anna had fallen asleep sketching in her journal, which consisted more of various stages of illustrations than actual words. So when she woke up in the morning the book slid off her chest and onto the ground which she grumbled about before picking it up and putting it back on her bed under a wad of cloth she used as a pillow, before brushing the long red hair that had gone wild from sleep. Anna was usually the first to wake in the camp which worked out nicely since she was the one that provided the bunch decent meals, that would just eat canned beans if it weren't for her, she swore. This morning in particular it seemed the gang's leader had risen before her. He must not have slept well as he was writing away in his journal when she stopped out of her tent to make breakfast.

After a few minutes of fighting with a small cooking fire to start she got one going and started making some coffee, for both herself and Elijah, she didn't see Miss Cullen so she would make her up cup later if she asked. When the coffee was finished she left her cup on the table near where she would start cooking in a few minutes and brought the cup she had made for Elijah over to him. Setting it on the log beside him.

"Gotya some coffee if ya need it." Was all she said as she placed the cup near him and walked away. She wasn't much of a talker in the mornings so she figure she would leave him to his thinking and go back to cooking. After about an hour of shooing people away from the unfinished breakfast it was finally done. A simple blend of meat, egg, cheese, veggies, and beans, a hearty breakfast that would make sure the gang was, at least nutritiously, prepared for the day.

"Soup's on!" Anna called through the camp as she was serving two bowls, one for herself, and one for Kira. She had taken to making sure the other woman got a decent serving of all the meals, knowing the hungry men would rush to the food like vultures. Anna took the bowl she had prepared for Kira over to her.

"Here you are doll, should be plenty for you and the little sprout you got growin in there." She winked that the pregnant woman afterward and wondered off to find Elijah once more. She found him fairly easily.

"Eli, we had to leave in such a rush a barely got enough stuff to make a good meal for breakfast, let alone lunch. I was wonderin if you had some camp funds to spare so that I could do into town and get some supplies?" She had her own money to use if she needed to however she generally liked to use that to keep the "non-essential" snacks that she kept stocked up, either way she would be going shopping, she would just prefer not to use her own cash for the endeavor if she could help it.

Ben woke up to the typical sounds and smells of a camp getting ready to start a new day. People were talking softly and passing by his tent while someone was coughing badly close by. He got up on one elbow and pushed aside the cloth that closed of the entry to his tent. The smell of coffee hung in the air and he stuck his head out the opening while squinting and sniffing the air, like a bear who had just woken up from his winter sleep. He yawned, closing off his mouth with the back of his hand before he tried to rub the sleep from his eyes.

Few moments later he walked through camp in his boots, pants with suspenders and his white long johns, smoking a quirly on his way to relieve himself. A short distance from camp he found a tree he liked and unbuttoned his pants, letting out a sigh of bliss.

He washed his hands, face and hair in the cool water of the lake, pondering what a good spot it was they had picked to camp. He nearly wished they could stay here but that was not the life they wanted or had chosen for themselves, to be able to stay in one spot for long. He looked at his reflection in the water which was grinning back at him. He seemed older since last time he had stared at himself but perhaps that was because of him being tired still or because of what had happened during that bank job in Dodge City. They had lost Mack and Roy to the damn Pinkertons. Good and strong men both of them. Fighters. Though Roy could be a jackass at times, they would both be missed. Ben frowned and splashed the water in anger. Mack and Roy had still owed him five dollars each since their last poker game. Ten dollars he would not see anymore.

God DAMN Pinkertons!

He decided not too dwell on it anymore since it was of no use to do so. Dead is dead and life goes on. His empty stomach growled, just in time to hear the voice of Annabelle telling them there was breakfast. Ben went back with a smile on his face, grabbed a bowl and scooped some food from the kettle into his bowl. It smelled delicious as always when Annabelle cooked.

“Annabelle, ma Belle yer truly a godsend.” He said more to himself than to her since she was already gone doing other things. He sat himself down on a log near the pot, visibly enjoying his food. Soon he should check on Elijah and take over the lookout shift to guard the camp. All of them sincerely hoped that no Pinkerton, lawman or trigger happy bounty hunter followed them here. But if they did, Ben would be more than happy to put a few of them in the ground, granting them a one way ticket to hell. His fingers ached when he thought about it.

Miss McCullen came walking over to them, looking as radiant as ever. Ben ran his fingers through his, still a bit damp, hair. In her presence he always felt as if he was a boor and a mess. An ill mannered farm boy. In truth he was all of that. But he tried his best not to be when she was near.

“Mornin' Miss McCullen.” He said as he nodded to greet her. “Jus' dandy.” He put another spoonful into his mouth. “How about you?”

@TheFox

youtube.com/watch?v=kTItEuJ3gAs

Miss McCullen came walking over to them, looking as radiant as ever. Ben ran his fingers through his, still a bit damp, hair. In her presence he always felt as if he was a boor and a mess. An ill mannered farm boy. In truth he was all of that. But he tried his best not to be when she was near.

“Mornin' Miss McCullen.” He said as he nodded to greet her. “Jus' dandy.” He put another spoonful into his mouth. “How about you?”

"As well as ever, I guess." Claudia replied with a sigh, sitting down beside Ben. It always amused her how every time she was in his presence, the dusty old cowboy felt he had to gussy himself up for her. Naturally, she didn't think anything of his appearance, nor did she care much if he was some hick. After all, before Eli found her, she was nothing but some dirty old saloon whore. "I couldn't stop thinking about Mack and Roy, those poor boys... I wish there was something we could have done. Eli said they knew what they were getting into, but still..." Her bright red lips curled into a sullen frown as her dazzling emerald eyes gazed deep into the crackling flames of the campfire casting a warm vermillion glow across the ground. The delectable aroma of breakfast simmering in the cast iron pot tantalized her senses. She couldn't remember when last she ate. Thankfully, if it wasn't for their cook Annabelle, she and this whole bunch would have likely starved long before.

@LostDestiny

"Smells wonderful, Miss Belle." Claudia grinned to the woman. "I sure am glad we found you, hon. I don't know how long I could have gone just living on canned fruits." Though Eli seemed not mind them, but he was of a different stock the outlaw. It was understandable to Claudia she chose to go with him, to follow the life of a wanderer, a vagabond. Still, even if that saloon back in El Paso was a horrible place, filled with horrible men who did horrible things to her...sometimes she missed at least having a warm bed and a warm meal.

She decided then to fix her a small bowl of food and a cup of coffee, something to at least nourish her decadent figure and alleviate the gnawing hunger growling in her shapely stomach. As she sat down again beside Ben and ate quietly, taking small bites, she noticed their other lady friend, the beautiful as ever Miss Blackthorne, already showing just after a few months. Despite not knowing herself, Claudia would assume it was both a blessing and a curse to bear children, as she watched the woman struggle a little with the weight of her pregnant belly. However, she couldn't help but smile to herself as Kira gently rubbed said belly, pondering if her new offspring was going to be a boy or a girl.

@Silentfeather

"I'm sure Mister Blackthorne would be happy either way, darling." She chimed in on the woman's silent reflections with a sincere look of her own towards the pregnant lady. "By the way, where is he? I haven't seen him or the rest of the boys all morning."

At that time, her man Elijah answered gruffly as he and the old man Mister Gus stepped into the scene, Elijah looking intimidating as always despite his shabby, unkempt appearance, "I sent him and the rest huntin' up near the mountains. We need some more meat if Miss Lockhart's gonna keep feedin' us. Mornin' all. Darlin'." He tipped his hat to everyone with a curt nod before fixing himself a hearty helping of breakfast, sitting in front of them on a tree stump and chowing down as he resumed addressing them and their....well at least Annabelle's....grievances. "I know what y'all're thinkin'. It's been hell these past few weeks. Not a goddamn one of us can catch a break around here. I miss Mack and Roy too, but them boys knew what they were gettin' into when they joined up. Still, I can't keep thinkin' that job was a setup. We were guaranteed to walk in and get that money without any trouble. I ain't gonna point no fingers here, but somebody had to know." His steely eyes were upon the gang, like those of a wolf, dangerous yet calm.

Gus soon cut in, his mouth full as he spoke, "Now now, Eli. We don't need to start this in the mornin'. I'm sure not a damn one of us said anythin' to them damn gov'ment boys. Besides, I believe Ma Belle here was needin' to go to town for some supplies and whatnot. I can take her in later, as well as anybody else that feels like goin'. Ladies?" He turned to the women with a half cocked grin, yellow teeth and all beneath his scruffy beard.

"I'll go, Gus." Said Claudia setting her bowl aside and standing up to dust her dress off. "Besides, it would be nice to get out of this dreary camp for once and see some civilization. Would you like to come too, Miss Blackthorne? I bet a little fresh air would do you and the little one some good." She smiled at Kira.

"Now listen." Elijah interjected however, clattering his plate and his mug down beside him as he spoke with a stern tone of voice to the women, especially Claudia. "This ain't gonna be no shoppin' trip. Y'all're just gettin' supplies and that's it. I don't want y'all runnin' all over the goddamn place, especially when we don't know a lick about where we are. Annabelle," He looked over at the woman, their camp cook. "Take what you need from the camp funds, within reason. Ben." He then turned to the man beside him with a firm glance. "You go with 'em and make sure they stay out of trouble. While y'all're there, find out whatever you can about this state, New Hanlon, who the big players are, the rich and whatnot. Find out about any banks, trains, or stagecoach routes. If we're gonna stay here a bit, we might as well make use of our time here."

"I reckon you're right, son." Said Gus with a sigh. "I'll hitch the wagons up and we'll get goin' Closest town to here's McKinley, I believe." He was about to amble off and do so before Elijah stopped him inquiring, "And just why the hell are you goin', Gus?"

Gus turned around, nervously tittering as he scratched the back of his balding head, "Well uh....y-you know, Eli..."

Eli's eyes narrowed sharply, "You're headin' to the saloon, ain't you, you old drunk?"

"Just for a few drinks, boy!" Gus guffawed. "Don't you fret now. I'll take good care of these ladies, me and ol' Ben. Besides, I like havin' me a few pretty faces to look at 'round here. Beats lookin' at y'all's ugly asses all day! HA!" Jovially, he slapped his knee, his wrinkled old face beaming with laughter as his enormous belly jiggled beneath sullied overalls and a union suit.

"Whatever." Elijah rolled his eyes with a glower. "Y'all just remember what I said. In the meantime, I'll wait for John and the others to get back. They should be here soon, and hopefully with some deer." He soon stood, briskly walking away from the group and disappearing behind the flap of his rather large tent.

Claudia frowned slightly, watching her man leave like that. Ever since Dodge City, Elijah had been in nothing but a bad mood. It was starting to wear on her honestly. That damn fool still suspected one of them ratted out the gang, and he just wouldn't let it go. Claudia was worried, fearful the outlaw was gonna drive himself bat dab crazy with such notions. Either way, she dismissed the thought, shaking her head with a brief sigh as she finished the last drop of her coffee and set her cup aside, turning to the women of their dastardly gang with a warm, cheerful expression, "Well girls, what do you say we hit the town? Let ol' Eli have some peace and quiet for once?" She joked, giggling to herself softly. It would be nice for once, to be able to see the country at least, to not be cooped up at camp all day, bored out of her mind.

"Why thank ya kindly Miss Anna." Kira replied back to her new and only female friend of the crew, reaching and tipping her hat to the woman.

Kira beamed up at Miss Anna with a shy smile from her place of sitting on the log, gently taking the bowl of hearty, soft, chewy meat which was deliciously mixed with a generous amount of veggies, eggs, cheese and beans. She made it her mission to pay the woman back once she had a generous amount of money in her possession. She ate her meal silently, watching the woman walk off.

She hoped that the unborn child, the early but still developing offspring within her womb was eating alright and gathering nutrients alright. They would be eating a lot more but this was for what they could do for now.

The woman whose name she now knew by her first name as Anna had been nothing but sweet as a kitten to her and Kira had nothing to offer to her and that made her feel lower than the dirt beneath the soles of her elegant but hardworking light brown and tan designed cowgirl boots.

She ate and consumed with slow bites and swallows, savoring the hearty, juicy and meaty taste that it provided to her once complaining belly. She sighed softly, muttering between bites. "You are delicious I reckon." She savored the delicious taste alright, knowing that if she asked for more that there would not be enough for the rest of the crew so she refrained from doing such things.

She sighed and waited for her beloved husband to return, becoming more and more impatient with his absence as time passed on by like what seemed like many many many years. She knew that he was only gone a few hours but her hormones made her emotions haywire because of the pregnancy and she was all over the place. She sighed softly, wanting to be in his arms and just sitting or laying with him for a while.

She licked the spoon when it seemed as though no one looked in her direction and then the bowl as swiftly as she could, making sure that she got each and every last morsel that the soup provided. She was glad when the woman had provided seconds to her and her belly was full.

"Yes, I reckon you're right Miss Claudia." She said, a hand rubbing her own stomach affectionately as she smiled. "And my husband went off huntin' to the Huntin' Cabin. He left before the first light of dawn." She said, holding her now empty bowl.

She set the bowl off to a side on the ground, getting up to her feet. She too wanted to see just how refreshing the water was on her heated flesh.

She got up to the shore of the water, squatting down as she washed her face to cool herself down. "It is mighty hot out here, a nice horse ride into town would do much wonders."

"I would love to go with you into town, Miss Claudia." She replied to one of the other women.

"Very well, we will be off gettin' supplies as ya said Mister Elijah." She said to Elijah, nodding her head. She was shorter than him and she was always imitidated with tall people, especially men but she became friend attached to Elijah and the crew she was around.

She felt a dull nausea in her stomach but knew that it was because of the pregnancy. She rubbed her stomach, closing her eyes and focusing on her breathing softly to force it to pass and fade. "Thank God." She muttered low beneath her soft, next blown out breath when it did.

She arose back up to a position of standing, walking around the camp as she awaited her husband's return, she hummed to herself, feeling as if she would never see him until night if he was unable to catch prey.

Pete wiped the sleep from his eyes at the mention of food being ready. His tent was army issue, but that didn't stop him from calling it his canvas mansion. His gear and equipment were all kept in good condition and his guns were always within arms reach from his cot. As he rose, he grabbed his gun belt and put it on, making sure his pistol was holstered but on an empty chamber. With that done, he walked out of his tent, seeing a few of his fellow gang members enjoying breakfast.

"Good morning." Peter said as he got a nearby bowl and spoon. He even managed a sly wink at Annabelle as he got his grub. He had absolutely no clue if she was even into him, but why not try till he knew for sure. "Is there anything going on I may have missed? Sorry for sleeping in late."

Though Anna was more than thankful that they were headed into town she couldn’t help but notice Eli’s edge. She understood him being angry about what happened, and she was more than aware that he suspected someone of ratting them out, the problem was, Anna couldn’t see a single member of the gang doing such a thing. They all cared for each other like family. Nonetheless she pulled out the money she was going to need to get some more cooking supplies as well as a little extra just in case they found something else the gang needed. Didn’t intend on spending it all but it was better to grab a little too much than too little. Though she was sure if Eli saw her doing this he would likely blow a gasket which is why she made sure he was distracted with other people before she did so.

After grabbing the money she needed she went back into her tent to grab her hat but decided instead to leave it. She was after all, trying to not look like an outlaw on the run and that hat was pretty much her signature thing when they took her out robbin. So, reluctantly she left it behind and instead just grabbed her bag that had her personal money in it. She shoved the camp funds into the bad as well but was careful to keep them separated. From there she walked over to her horse Delta and began the process of hooking him to the cart. She was in the middle of taking his riding saddle off when Peter finally exited his own tent and headed for the food.

“Just heading out to get some more supplies, food and the like, used the last of what I could gather before we ran this morning for breakfast.” She caught his wink and gave him a small smile. The man had been casually flirting with her pretty much since the gang found her. She didn’t mind, but after what happened with the Bannon Boys she was more than a little hesitant to risk even flirting with anyone here. She knew these people were different, but it was just something she couldn’t bring herself to do.

“Would you like to come along? Seems like most everyone is comin.” She added as she finished hooking Delta up. “Prolly gonna need a second horse Delta is strong but he can’t pull all of us plus the wagon and the supplies. Unless some of y'all are gonna take your own horses in.” If it was just her Miss Claudia and Miss Kira the horse would most likely be fine but that was the limit. If the men were also riding along it would be a struggle for the poor horse alone.

“And he is right.” Came the calm, almost cold, reply to Claudia. “We're all gonna miss them boys but Elijah is right. 'T is the life of an outlaw. We all live and die by the gun.” He did not look at her but instead kept his eyes to his bowl and put another spoon in his mouth. For a few moments they sat there in silence, to each their own thoughts. More joined them around the cooking pot, amongst them the young and very pregnant miss Blackthorne. Ben had his own opinions on having pregnant women running with the gang but he kept them firmly to himself in case his words would grant him the wrath of said woman or her man. Especially when the man was John Mercer Blackthorne. Ben had seen what John had done to face of some stupid excuse of a man who had spoken ill of his wife. Not even his own mother would have recognized the poor fool when John was done with him.

And even though Ben Masters did not have a mother anymore, he still was very fond of his own face.

His eyes rested on miss Blackthorne's belly and he wondered how it would work out to be on the run, with how things were now, with a newborn baby among them. But those were worries for the parents and perhaps Elijah but Ben knew their leader would find a way to make it work. He always did.

He turned his eyes away to see Gus and Elijah walking over and joining the little breakfast menagerie they were having. Ben listened attentively to Elijah's words, nodding as he spoke or replying with a grunt. The thought of there being a rat in the gang angered Ben, it was something that had crossed his mind also but he could not think who could have the stones to rat them out to the Pinkertons. If Ben would ever find out if it was true and who had done it, they would not find enough left of that person to bury. He also had his ways.

Gus wanted to go into town to get drunk as usual, Annabelle needed supplies and the rest of the girls wanted some time away from it all, which Ben could not blame them for. Most of all he had wanted to go out and rob a coach or something similar, you know, to take the edge of but when Elijah ordered him to keep an eye on the girls, his mood went down a slight. He did not feel like playing the chaperone but he agreed.

“Alright, boss. Jus' need to get my shootin' iron and get myself ready to go. I'm sure the wagon will be ready by the time i'm back.” At that last part he nodded at Gus with a grin. On his way to his tent, he passed Peter who was still adjusting his belt.

“So finally awake from yer beauty sleep eh?” Ben laughed. Peter was a survivor, much like Ben, having lost his family at a young age and having to fend for himself. Ben could relate to that and he gladly took him with on jobs or when needing the extra gun.

By the time he had gone to his tent and put on his vest, hat, belt and holster and went back, Annabelle was already hooking her horse to the wagon. Ben looked to see if he saw Gus but heard Annabelle ask Pete if he wanted to come with. “The more the merrier I'd say. An extra pair of eyes and ears is always good to have.” He said as he slapped Peter's back and continued in a softer tone: “These women are quite the handful.”

He chuckled and walked towards the wagon. “Well then, boys and girls.” He lifted his hand in the air, pointing his index finger up and turned it around

“Saddle up and let's go! We are burning daylight!”

Hannah Bennett
LOCATION: Town of McKinley; above the Saloon

The golden hues of dawn were slowly creeping along the floral wallpaper and the cool morning breeze fluttered the lace curtains. All outside was quiet and unmoving, save for the stray dog that trotted neatly down the dirt road; it was a stark contrast to the night before where hollarin', guns, and shattering glass filled the street around the Saloon in the typical evening cacophony. The peace of the twilight was only minutes from being broken as town folk would start their days and prairie folk would head into town.

With a startled gasp, Hannah sat straight up in bed, her long brown hair matted with sweat against her face and neck. The little room had witnessed yet another night of tossing, turning, and muttering all night long. Blinking.... blinking... and a with a bit of rubbing, the woman tried to shake the horrible nightmares from her memory, to no avail. With shaking hands, she reached over to the flask on the nightstand and quickly unscrewed it for a drink... empty.

"One more thing I gotta do today..." She muttered as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed, knocking over a boot that was precariously left next to the bed.

Without much more sound, Hannah quickly shimmied out of her night gown and into her clothes and boots, brushed her hair and braided it out of her face, put her knives and belt with the pistol on, grabbed her hat, and headed downstairs. Below was a dimly lit room that had been standing room only the night before, now only filled with motionless chairs and an old upright piano. Behind the bar, the owner was busy unboxing a shipment of various liquors that had come only moments after Hannah had woken up.

"Well good mornin', Miss. Did ya sleep well?" The man with the handlebar mustache asked, sliding a bottle of tequila onto the shelf.

Hannah nodded quietly, sliding onto a bar stool. "Well 'nough, anyway. Are y'all serving breakfast yet? Or at least some coffee? I would take both if'in ya are."

"What kind of a Inn keeper would'n I be if'in I didn't offer food at any time of tha day?" He said with a chuckle... Hannah mentally scowled at him for it, it was too early for this level of energy. "I'll go get ya some coffee and some sausage and toast going.... OH, but before I get to it, I did some askin' around last night 'bout that red headed bounty man you asked after. A couple of folks had seen him 'round here but couldn't remember win. You might'n be in luck if you keep diggin' around."

To that, Hannah managed a soft smile. "Thank ya. Do ya mind asking 'round tonight and seeing if anyone else has heard of him. I don't wanna waste my time if he ain't no good. Or if'in anyone mentions anyone else that can help me hunt down this Thunder Hill Clan... I just got a few men to put behind bars..." Or six feet under. she added mentally, her hand unconsciously dropping to touch the cool metal of the Smith and Wesson at her hip.

Kira stood up, reentering her tent and redressing in the proper attire for the horse riding journey ahead. She then joined the others. "Hello, my dear girl. Did you miss me? I missed you." He said to his most favored horse as she gently patted her side a few times, softly stroking her long snow white colored mane. Feather was her life. She knew that as her belly would grow she would know it would become increasingly harder.

"I'll be takin ol' Feather into town with us, ill ride her." Kira said, walking to her noble steed and stroking her mane gently. "I do not mind." As they thought about who would ride into town Kira felt more calm and less jittery, causing her to become more lesser and lesser worried as well. She sighed softly, feeling at peace and becoming one with nature. She felt nausea creeping upon but she shook her head, shaking it off.

She followed the women, only helping once she was needed and did not touch anything. She hummed softly to herself, keeping her gun with her just in case they needed a quick getaway instead of forking over what was of her own currency and paying. She was greedy and was eager to gather up her money into a large amount and saving it. She wanted to be rich and able to live in the lap of pure luxury for herself and her new friends but sometimes life was hard. Life was so very hard to go through sometimes but she was glad she gained friends like the ones she has.

She rode her beloved pure white coated horse who was Feather around nearby, waiting the others to choose. She expressed a warm smile to his future beloved, soon glancing to the horizon as he heard the sound of birds chirping ever so joyfully and beautifully heard from overhead.

She gently guided Feather the horse in the directions she wished to go with a gentle tug on her reigns, feeling as though he were his old self.

She smiled, never fretting nor frowning for a single moment. She breathed in the fresh air, the breeze was a bit warm since it was soon Fall and Autumn was causing the many many many dependent leaves of trees to leave their mother's branch like open hands and float in the air before hitting the ground in large clumps of them.

As she rode through the fields and into the seemingly empty woods very nearby to let her hooved companion stretch her legs she could tell that her own demeanor seemed to be more relaxed and more at peace, which made the woman happy. Whatever had bothered her earlier, it had seemed to be forgotten for now or at least had moved into the back of her mind. She loved nature dearly and wanted to know everything about it, down to the leaves and the grass to the pebbles in a lake or rocks in a river.

She assumed about an hour had passed when she stopped her horse next to a small pound to water the animal, getting off its back before she led it close to the water so it could drink minute by passing minute.

While she waited for her beloved John she had wanted to travel into town to get something to possibly snack on. She smiled, feeling the presence of one of the men's eyes upon her belly but she did not feel shy about it.

She was proud of being pregnant even though she was through the beginnings of it. The familiar feeling of nausea had creeped from her stomach and up the length of her throat, causing her to stop her horse and dismount, retching in the grass for a minute or so.

After she was finished she wiped her mouth, spitting for a moment or so. She fluttered and opened her eyelids, keeping his caramel colored eyes focused on her horse, noticing how they gleamed. She sighed once more, mounting her steed once more. Perhaps she would take the lead first. The other horses were fully fed.

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“Prolly gonna need a second horse Delta is strong but he can’t pull all of us plus the wagon and the supplies. Unless some of y'all are gonna take your own horses in.”

He chuckled and walked towards the wagon. “Well then, boys and girls.” He lifted his hand in the air, pointing his index finger up and turned it around

“Saddle up and let's go! We are burning daylight!”

"Y'all heard the man, ladies! Civilization awaits! YEEHAW!! Fine women and whiskey, here we come!" Gus was practically bouncing with joy as he hollered across the camp, loud enough that anyone within earshot could hear the old fool. Hell, he was just happy to get away from this dreary old camp, especially with Elijah in his sour mood as of late. The damn fool just couldn't let go of Dodge City it seemed, and now he was spending the rest of the day in his tent moping, when he should be out here leading the gang. Gus would never understand what had got him all worked up, Elijah. Oh well, thoughts for another time he supposed. Maybe it was best if he got out of the man's hair for a while. Besides, that saloon and all its sinful joys were just calling his name, and he was eager to begin the long trip up to McKinley, the sleepy little cow town nearby.

“Prolly gonna need a second horse Delta is strong but he can’t pull all of us plus the wagon and the supplies. Unless some of y'all are gonna take your own horses in.”

"That sounds like a job for 'ol Rufus, Ma Belle!" Said Gus rather jovially as he motioned towards...well...what could only be described as the nastiest looking creature on the face of God's green earth. The mule was about as big as a full grown horse, but he stunk to high heavens. His muddy brown fur was matted with dirt and God knows what else, and buzzing around his dull head were flies attracted to his awful stench. "I'll go get 'em real quick, and then we can get this show on the road!" Gus soon waddled off to fetch the stubborn old mule. As predicted, he began to buck and rear his head back, unleashing a cantankerously loud "HAW!!" from his mouth full of crooked teeth as Gus tried to wrangle him in by his reins, shouting and cussing at the unruly beast, "Now c'mon Rufus, you stupid mule! Don't be an ass! Move it!"

Meanwhile, Claudia was about to climb up into the wagon, when she saw Gus fighting with the animal, the fiery redhead shaking her head and heaving a bothersome sigh. "Mister Gus!" She yelled over to the old man as he resumed his struggle against Rufus. "Why don't we just use Mister Master's horse or Pete's? I guarantee none of us ladies want to go to a nice little town like McKinley smellin' of mule now." She said as she whipped out her ornate Chinese hand fan, vigorously waving it in her scrunched up face in a desperate attempt to wave off the mule's acrid stench as she turned to the rest of the women, "Ain't that right, Miss Blackthorne? Ma Belle, wouldn't you agree?"

"Oh don't be actin' so goddamn fancy now, Miss McCullen!" Said Gus with a glower, a hearty grunt given as he drug the reluctant mule over to the wagon, trying his damndest to hold Rufus still and yoke him in. "I bet 'ol Rufus here can pull this wagon all by his lonesome. He might be dumber than a sack of rocks, but I reckon he's as strong as a goddamn ox he is."

"Hmph! An ox would probably smell better too." Claudia scoffed rolling her eyes, continuing to fan away Rufus' horrible musk from her face. With a sharp nailed finger, she pointed at the mule, a dumb, clueless look on its scruffy old face. "Just make sure that dumb mule knows where to pull us. God help us all if he takes us all into a goddamn river." With that, the woman pulled herself up into the back of the wagon and sat down closer towards the front. Her hand rested on the handle of her LeMat as she patiently awaited for the rest of the gang to depart. However, just as the old coot Gus, she too was eager to get going. For the time being, the redheaded woman was content to just sit there and take in the atmosphere.

Even if Elijah's cold shoulder this morning had put a damper on things, everyone in the camp was as happy as could be, smiling and conversing so joyfully. In truth, it made Claudia somewhat sad that her man couldn't join them, merely just letting his own guilt and anger consume him as he stewed away in his tent, an exile of sorts. Claudia had hoped that when they returned from McKinley, her Elijah would be in a much better mood than before.

...Alas, she could only hope.

Gradually, her smile began to fade, her lips contorting downward into a sullen frown. She sighed to herself, craning her neck upward to gaze up at the blue sky above, the puffy white clouds quietly hovering overhead amidst the gentle breeze whispering through the trees and the song of birds chirping and cawing in the treetops.

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Unfortunately, elsewhere on the rolling plains, all was not well...or peaceful.

Thundering across the plains, the three men and their horses were trying their damndest to outrun their pursuers. John was leading the men as he spurred Blackjack hard in his muscular side, shouting to the beast, "Hyah, Blackjack! C'mon boy!" Galloping alongside him was Seth and Jamie, two of the men from his gang who went hunting with him up north. Sadly, they didn't find anything...other than the outlaws who were relentlessly chasing them down. Seth rode closer to John, Jamie holding tight onto his back, as tight as he could at least. John could see the blood seeping through Jamie's shirt where the bullet had pierced him.

...it was from those goddamn Thunder Hill boys. An ambush.

"John!" Seth yelled over to him as they pushed their steeds faster, galloping hard across the plains but making no headway whatsoever in eluding the pursuing gang. "John, we gotta lead them away from the camp! You hear me?! We can't lead these boys back to where we're hidin'!"

"I know, goddammit!" John hollered. He quickly reached back with his sidearm, firing a volley of four shots towards the men riding after them. "Jamie's gonna bleed out if we don't get him help soon! Goddamn Thunder Hill Gang! I can't believe they were waitin' for us!" He fired off another few rounds before swiftly turning back to face the road ahead of him, the countryside flying past his vision quicker than a blur it was. Suddenly, "GYAH!" John felt it, the biting, searing pain of a bullet ripping through his back and out his left side. "Fuck! I'm hit!" He cried out, hastily grasping his side as he felt the warm trickle of blood down his skin. Still, he continued to urge his horse along, Seth doing the same. "John! You alright?!"

"Yeah, it's just a scratch!" John called back. He soon took the reins and pulled them hard towards the left. "Alright, let's head left towards the ridge! We'll take up a defensive position there! There should be plenty of boulders for cover!"

"What about Jamie?!" Seth hastily replied. "He's gonna die if we don't make it back to camp soon!"

"He's a fighter, Seth! He'll hold on!" Said John, albeit grasping his own painful wound. If anyone needed to survive this, it was certainly him. He couldn't risk leaving behind his wife and child so soon.

As soon as they reached the ridge, John hopped off Blackjack quickly, reaching into his saddle and pulling out his favorite double barrel. He broke the shotgun open, slipping in two shells and cocking it back, ducking behind the rocks and taking aim just as the first man topped the hill and came into view. With one squeeze of the trigger, the shotgun rang out like a canon blast, the outlaw flying off his horse in a cloud of red mist. Seth meanwhile followed suit, placing the wounded and weary Jamie carefully behind cover before firing on the opposing gang with his repeater. "Keep shootin', Seth! Bastards 'll run eventually!" John called out. Despite the pain of his own terrible affliction, he continued to load shells into his shotgun, firing round after round towards the men coming after them.

All the while, bullets zipped and whizzed past his head, mere inches from the lobes of his ears. "Goddamn! We're gonna need some more guns at this rate! These boys ain't lettin' up!"

When invited, Pete was all too happy to saddle up Kaiser and join everyone on their trip into town. He even shrugged as Ben gave him a slight ribbing, though he decided to keep his retort about how no amount of beauty sleep would do Ben any favors to himself.

Kaiser stayed still while Pete set him up with saddle and bit. After a quick once over of his saddlebags, Pete slung his rifle over his shoulder and mounted his horse. When the call went out to get going, Pete gently touched his spurs to Kaiser to get him going.

Pete liked to ride a few yards ahead of the wagon whenever they went out like this. There was something about a view of open country and big blue sky that made him glad to be alive. Not that he didn't like spending time with his fellow gang members, especially Annabelle.

Annabelle Lockhart. He had been casually flirting with her for some time, but he had zero clue if this was even serious. Was she even interested? Maybe she was already spoken for?

Either way, he decided to ask Ben about it later. Pete knew that he had much more experience with women.

As he enjoyed the gorgeous vista laid out before the gang, Pete heard a loud pop, far in the distance. He thought he was imagining things at first, but soon the sound was followed by many, many more.

"Boss." he said, turning back towards Elijah. "Sounds like gunfire." Pete was already bringing his rifle off his shoulder. "Want me to check it out?"

There was trouble in the air. Ben could smell it on the wind as trouble was the keyword to trigger his senses. He narrowed his eyes and looked back over his shoulder towards the sounds. Those were definitely gunshots. He had heard plenty during his life as an outlaw to mistake it for anything else but that. A gunfight. Another gang that had ran into a posse of lawmen? The shots were too many to be those of hunters.

Suddenly he remembered that some of the gang had gone out to hunt and had not returned when Ben and the others had left for McKinley, one of them being John Blackthorne.

Damn. Damn. DAMN!

"Check if your guns are loaded, ladies." He said as he took his rifle from his lap and cocked the lever. He was sitting shotgun next to Gus who was driving the wagon and he shifted on his seat with every shot that rang. He felt torn to what he should do. He was aching to go and take a look but Elijah had said that he had to keep an eye on the women. He cursed once again but louder this time. His eyes went to Kira while he wondered if she was thinking what he was thinking or rather feared. They had barely left camp and now this. If he had known the day would start like that...

Finally he made up his mind and jumped down from the wagon, gritting his teeth. His blood was pumping in his veins and he could feel the pounding of his heart in anticipation for what was going to come.

"Miss Blackthorne! Let me borrow yer horse for a moment and get into the wagon. No complainin'. Jus' do what I say!" He held out his hand to help her down as quick as she was able to. "Miss Annabelle! You take my place next to Gus! Keep the wagon going but do not rush. I'm sure even you can manage that Gus. I'll be back soon."

Most of the gang was now headed toward town. It was a great relief to Annabelle as she needed to get into some sort of civilization for a breath of normal. Or as normal as her life could get. Though she was a little annoyed that Ben had somehow managed to take the shotgun spot. But she didn't let that annoyance show instead she reminded Gus that Delta needed a firm hand. The horse was as stubborn as they came toward anyone but Anna, this was only because she had rescued the big brute when she fled her old gang. Or rather, they had rescued each other. Anna never would have made it out of there if it wasn't for Delta and the same went for the horse.

She was lost in thought when the sound of gunshots entered her ears. It was an unmistakable sound, one she had been around long enough to know it from any distance. She looked toward Ben and then to Pete both who seemed ready to make a move. Though Ben seemed more in thought than the other male. Eventually he seemed to have come to a decision, telling Anna to take his spot on the wagon, which she easily slid into as soon as the seat was available but not before reaching to grab her own rifle, just in case the trouble made it to them.

"Be careful Mister Masters we don't need anyone else gettin hurt if it can be helped. That goes to you too Mister Tailor, be safe!" She called the last bit to Pete who was a little ahead of them. "The rest of us will keep headin to town, join us afterward if you can." She looked to make sure everyone was situated before motioning to Gus to keep them moving. Hopefully whatever was happening wasn't too much trouble for them. She would hate to have to pack up and move so soon after getting here. It would be a huge pain especially after only just unpacking.

All across the camp, the gunshots rang out like distant bellows of thunder from an oncoming storm, rousing the attention of all including Gus and Claudia...and of course Elijah.

Elijah soon burst from the flaps of his tent, gazing towards the north from where the rancorous pops and bangs resonated. Somehow, he had a feeling in his gut, a sick, gnawing feeling that John and the others were in trouble. Alas, from who? They were just out hunting is all. Surely John, even a man as dumb as he, wouldn't have done something to gain the ire of a few lawmen. Nor would those other boys, Seth and Jamie, the two brothers. Unless...it wasn't lawmen. Elijah's brow furrowed. It better not be those goddamn Thunder Hill boys he thought, a cold, determined look in his eyes. If it was, God help those sorry, murdering sons a bitches when he got a hold of them, especially if their leader was with them.

"Alright fellas!" He shouted over the clattering gunfire in the distance, quickly giving a shrill whistle to call Boudica to him. With one foot in the stirrup, he hoisted himself over the mare's saddle, reaching down to grasp the stock of his prized Winchester. "Change of plans! Miss Lockhart, you and Claudia watch over the girls!" His sharp eyes then turned towards the two men at his side. "Ben, Pete, you ride with me! I don't know what the hell's goin' on, but I got a feelin' our boy John is in deep shit! Saddle up!"

And with that, Elijah gave a swift kick to Boudica's side. However, before he raced out of the camp with two of his trusted guns by his side, he halted Boudica just short of the wagon, leaning over to give Claudia a quick kiss on the lips. "If anything happens, hon, I love you." He said to her. "Watch over the girls, and goddammit, don't get yourselves killed now."

"You watch yourself too, Elijah." Claudia replied hastily, a deep pang of concern wearing upon her beautiful face and slightly marring her charming good looks. "I love you. Now go! Go get John!"

"I shall return!" Said Elijah loudly, spurring Boudica into a thunderous gallop. "Let's ride, boys!"

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Meanwhile, out on the prairie, the bullets continued to fly between John and the rest of the Thunder Hill Gang. He had already been shot once, feeling the stinging, burning pain throb in his left side, yet he grit his teeth and continued to battle throughout the overwhelming agony. He loaded another two rounds into his shotgun and quickly snapped the barrels shut, taking aim over the boulder that was his cover and firing. "You goddamn bastards!" He hollered over the raging sound of bullets whizzing and snapping, men shouting and guns firing back at him. "I'll send you all to Hell!" Throughout the firefight, he made sure to keep a close eye on Jamie. Thank God the boy was still alive, but he was holding on by mere threads. Already, the young man's skin appeared pale as a ghost to John, his eyes glazed over with an empty, cold stare into nothing. "Jamie! Jamie, hold on!" John shouted to him, but the other outlaw gave no response, not even a curt nod. John gulped sharply, assuming the worst.

"Seth!" He then called over to the other man, Seth hastily ducking down as another flurry of bullets came screaming towards him. Little, tiny puffs of dust and debris erupted from the thick granite boulders, casting shards of rocks in every direction. To describe the scene, the only word was...chaos. "Seth! I think he's dead! Look at him!" He pointed to Jamie quickly before returning fire with his shotgun. Seth paused for a moment and looked down at Jamie. He soon fell to his knees, placing his hand over Jamie's blood-soaked chest, only to look up at John with terror in his trembling eyes.

John's face went pale as his own eyes met Seth's. He knew then it was true. "Goddammit!" He cried out, his voice choked by tears of both sadness and pure anger. He quickly reached down to his holster, yanking his Schofield loose and firing madly at the Thunder Hill boys, his eyes burning with rage. "You killed Jamie, you sons a bitches! Now I'm gonna kill all you!" One by one men were falling, either their chests bursting with a shower of spraying blood or their heads popping like liquid filled balloons. John was pissed now. If only they had made it back to the camp in time. If only they had not gone hunting like Elijah insisted! He was furious, and he was letting all of those bastards taste every bit of it.

@LeiaHair

"-And what with the new influx of fellas coming in from the east coast, workin' their way up to New Hanlon fer bigger plots of land, broader business ventures...why, until this place gets civilised they practically ain't got a choice 'cept to use a horse, and a horse, gentlemen, is a long-term investment."

A group of well dressed men entered McKinley Saloon quite early in the morning, talking loud and proud about their latest business venture. The largest man, more fat than muscle, was dominating the scene; this was Mathias Quinn. The little young woman near the back of the group - that was Annalise Quinn. Out of the two, the latter was the biggest surprise of them all. It had to have been at least six months since she'd last been spotted by any of the locals outside of her husband's property. She was decently dressed but seemed to just radiate discomfort and fear, from the way she clutched her hands at her front to how closely she was kept to Mathias.

When Annalise's husband and his colleagues sat at a table, the man looked up at his wife with a big, toothsome smile. "Come now darling, today's a celebration. Why don't you go and set about making friends? Order yourself something good to eat." He waved a hand across the saloon. "Me and the boys here need to iron out a few things over breakfast anyhow."

This was an even rarer occurrence. She was usually kept at his side on a short leash; bewildered, the young woman sat on a bar stool not too far from Hannah. The barkeep looked at her with a strained, sympathetic smile. "Spot of coffee for you too, Mrs Quinn?" He asked. The waif nodded once.

From her position at the bar, the cuffs of her sleeves rode up just enough to see the greenish bruises underneath.

Kira was very much aware that she was indeed pregnant but she would not let that be of a burden to her, she wanted to still be an outlaw. It was her miracle thaat her body was entrusted to bear for a whole nine month span. She knew that she was in for one hell of a nine months but she knew that her husband would be by her side through it all but what she did not know was that he was wounded by a gunshot.

She felt like a walking side show attraction, looking down at Feather's long white mane which looked as if it was styled to one side where she gently brushed it at a few times earlier in the day before the sun came up. She was used to rising up with the sun each and every single day and trained her body to do such things. She felt as though she was silently being judged and mentally scolded buy she did not care, all she cared about was creating a new life for her unborn child and her such friends that she made a life on the run with.

She noticed that some of the men have stared at her stomach as if they had no other thing to do but that was just her being paranoid, knowing even more that they probably had a few words to say of the such situation but she did not ask any questions of the such matter. She sighed softly, wondering why her husband hadn't returned, perhaps he had gotten in trouble with a grizzly or fell down and gotten hurt, millions of thoughts ran through her worried head. Perhaps they were worried about her being a pregnant outlaw but to be honest she could hold her own.

Ben was the one who was staring but she did ignore his stare and knew that he was probably just being thoughtful or curiously guaging about just how pregnant she was, she also noticed that the number of men and women were indeed steadily growing in numbers in their once little gang. Some were outlaws but others were lawmen and women. She was excited to be able to head into town and be able to see new sights.

When Gus said to prepare with saddling up she nodded, mounting Feather and following after the other women and men. She hummed softly, wondering as to what in the world was talking her beloved husband so long.

Her impatience grew to worry and then jittery nervousness. "In Gods name above .. where is that man .. he should have returned right about now?" she muttered to herself softly beneath her next also gentle exhaled of breath. She opened and examined her pistol, making sure that her bullets were all in, yes they all were. Check. She closed it, putting it back into its holster.

"Yes Sir." She said, doing as what she was told to dismount which she did without any sas, it was as if she could practically sense the tension in the man's body and she took the such and that was ordered by him, landng on her boot dressed feet.

She got in the wagon, soon hearing the sound of gunshots. She thought nothing of it at first but when others rang out she began to become worried because it was in the direction of the Hunting Cabin. She sighed heavily, the scent of trouble was heavy in the presence of air.

With Elijah and Ben riding with him, Pete spurred his horse forward. He was almost out of earshot of the wagon when he heard Annabelle wish the trio good luck. He gave a nod in her direction and continued onward, towards the sound of gunfire.

The further they rode, the louder and more pronounced the gun shots became. It definitely sounded like a firefight, with two parties exchanging fire with one another. At that thought, Pete gripped his rifle tighter. He remembered that John Blackthorne was out here, along with a few of his fellow gang members, headed up this way. Did the law catch them? he thought to himself.

When Pete reckoned they were close enough to the fighting, he drew up his horse next to a mound of stones. It wasn't much in terms of cover, but it could provide a good sightline for his rifle. "I'll cover you from here." Pete told Elijah and Ben. "Watch your backs out there!" he said as he dismounted Kaiser, rifle in hand.

The rock pile gave Pete a good view at the chaos laid out before him. Sure enough, John Blackthorne was there, giving hell to the men that came his way. From what Pete could tell, the outlaw was in pretty rough shape. If Seth and Jamie were nearby, he couldn't see them from where he was.

Pete's rifle, a Remington Rolling Block, was as efficient as it was simple. A bit of a rifle nut, Pete spent a good deal of money to customize his weapon with a good scope to ensure his shots would be accurate. As the former soldier put the crosshairs of his scope over the first man he could see shooting at John, he exhaled and pulled the trigger.

*crack*

The enemy gunslinger fell backwards, clutching his throat with blood pulsing from between his fingers. "Good start." Pete said to himself before loading another round. Hopefully Ben and Elijah could take care of themselves while he kept these guys busy.

They were riding hard, Ben hanging low in the saddle of the white mare miss Blackthorne had lovingly named Feather. Though he was not used to ride any other horse but his own, Feather proved to be very nimble. A fine horse indeed. The colour of the mare however would stick out like a sour thumb if he would gallop into the fight guns blazing and he sincerely hoped no one would get the funny idea of putting some holes into him or the horse, plastering the white with shades of red.

The horse was foaming at her mouth and shook her head as the sound of rapid firing came closer. Ben felt glad and confident having both Pete and Elijah there. Who ever would be waiting out there, they would not stand a chance.

Ben quickly dismounted as they arrived and slapped the horse's rear to chase it away so it would not catch a stray bullet. Pete, always the first and always ready, already provided them with covering fire. Ben ran behind some boulder, keeping his head down, rifle in hand. He felt the adrenaline rushing through his veins and he laughed out loud. These guys will never know what hit them

He exhaled and carefully aimed with his rifle from behind the boulder, pulling the lever and squeezing the trigger in a fluid motion. He shot the hat off of one of the attackers, with a second later the next shot through his head. The man fell like a rag doll and in his death fired a shot in the air as his finger twitched on the trigger of his pistol. Ben watched it with amusement before he had to duck behind cover again when pieces of debris flew in his direction where bullets hit the boulder he was hiding behind.

"The cavalry has arrived ya bastards!" He yelled and he took off to find another boulder to take cover behind, all the while shooting from the hip. He was having fun.

He was making his way over to John but also closer to the other gunslingers who must've been in quite a disarray now that the trio had arrived.