≫ Barrow Peak │ GXB Western RP│ P

She had kept her eyes forward- paying attention to the path. She knew roughly how to get to Burkshire but she needed to see the visible cues if she wanted to get there on time- She'd never come from this direction, but it was the best she could do under her current circumstances. Her attentions turned however upon noticing him fall forward on the horse- and could see the pain etched into his face probably even if he didn't want to admit it. The eyes never lied.. But she looked around, and gently veered left- she knew of a spot they could rest, that offered some amount of shade from the sunlight. It was starting to get a bit dark outside however, and she bit her tongue nervously.

When she heard him speak however, she did gaze back at him- listening to his voice quietly but she wasn't sure really how to react when he commented on her joke and their eyes had briefly met. She too coughed, and quickly looked away. She did await the response to her last question, but even if he said that, it didn't put her much at ease. No one really wanted to shoot another person- except the loonies, so often people had terrible shots- she certainly did but more people left her alone when she carried a shotgun.

"I would love to think so. Hopefully he ain't headed this way... But I do suppose Burkshire is closest to here if you know where you are... but even you admitted you two were lost. Likely that he's headed back the way he came. People get turned around in the desert all the time."

She spoke softly- as if her voice could ruin the air of serenity here. But, she focused on their path again, she didn't want to end up backwards like she'd just pointed out, and it wasn't much further to the spot where they could take a short break. She came up on a few rocks jutting from the ground, sand that was pressured into hard masses that looked similar to jutting rocks, the wind had far pushed the loose sand away from it, but had begun to wear into the sand-stone. Shifting on top of her horse, she swung a leg over and landed on the ground. The horses would stay- unless spooked. Plus, there seemed to be a small abundance of desert grass that they could munch on.

She walked over to his horse, offering a hand to get him down hopefully without banging his arm, but she did look at it. She couldn't overly tell but it looked like blood was seeping through again... She didn't really want to risk trying to clean it- not with all of the sand blowing around. But, she could at least try and alleviate some of the pain by letting the man rest.

"So I have to know, and I guess pardon for me asking... But why choose the life of an outlaw? I know some do it for the risk but... its oughta be lonely."

She asked the question as she was headed for the cover of the sandy outcrop, settling down where the shade was darkest and gently pulling down the fabric. The wind wasn't nearly as bad under this cover. She did however shift to offer him room- if he chose to sit next to her. She reached behind her back shortly after, grabbing the canteen she had filled with crisp water- once cold but now heated by their journey. Still, water was water, and she offered it to him.

She had kept her eyes locked onto him as he sat next to her- she tended to look at a person when they were speaking, but she stayed quiet, curiously pondering what it must have been like. She only barely knew, just enough to know how to use a gun, but she still lonely herself. Even if she wasn’t an outlaw by nature, she may as well have been one. Her life was just as dangerous, and in all reality the only difference was she didn’t get paid to do the things she was.

“I guess during bad times you do what you can to survive,”

She replied, leaning back as she was handed the canteen. She stripped off her jacket but did place it across her lower portion, it offering some kind of extra relief from the winds even if there wasn’t much in comparison to a few steps away. It would die down… she didn’t seem startled however by his statement, she just looked away off to the side.

“I guess a part of me feels I have a lot more to lose than you do. But I suppose it isn’t entirely fair… what would you have me tell you? The more I say the more I put myself in danger- you… in danger.”

She looked back at him, and allowed a small sigh to escape her lips, pulling her hat off and placing it in her lap, running a hand through her dust ridden hair, the dark brown tinted a paler almost orange colour due to the flying sands. She did find herself staring at the swirls as the wind captured them, blasting them across the landscape…. But she could tell it was starting to settle… even in the desert the wind couldn’t keep up its strength all day.

“But… I guess you have been rather open… so I’ll answer your questions- if I can. But keep in mind Outlaw that even some questions are better left with no answers.”

She watched him carefully, watching the way he moved, and the way he’d show body language, but her eyes drifted down to his arm, and she gently sighed. She didn’t have much to help- but she looked over at her horse. Getting up, she wandered over before she came back with a flask. She didn’t really drink- wasn’t a huge fan and that was mainly because she was rather a lightweight, but most men did… especially when it pain so maybe it would help. It might not numb his arm but it would numb his brain to pain.

“We’re going to rest here for tonight. It’s going to get dark fast, and once this wind dies down, I’ll get around to making a fire.”

She met his gaze when he brought up danger, her eyes showing her seriousness even if she did give a small chuckle, “Yeah… you could actually.” She replied. She looked away at the horses, watching as they gently snorted and ate the grass, her mind lost in thought, but the various noises he made drew her out, and she looked back at him. She couldn’t even entirely remember why she chose to live out alone. She could have lived with someone but she had refused… guess back in that moment she didn’t think she could trust anyone- especially not that person… silly mistake, if she thought back to it. She could have avoided all of this. She did feel bad involving him, but she had no other choice when she needed to do what she needed to do.

She watched the man drink- smiling a touch noticing he seemed quite happy to have it. Slowly she blinked, sand caught in her lashes before she looked back out at the desert landscape. “Well I reckon for that exact reason,” She gently put her hat across her face as she leaned back, mainly to hide her expressions. “My old man was killed by an outlaw… he was tryin’ to do some good in this world and someone else saw fit to shut that down. I didn’t stay for long- hell I didn’t even see him get shot, but I heard it.” She closed her eyes, slowly breathing out… it was starting to get cold. “So I ran to the desert- not many people go out there, and I figured that outlaw knowing I ran out east he’d assume I’d be dead by morning anyways. I’ve held up in that shack for 4 years… but with all of this happenin’ lately and the fact I’ve noticed more outlaws like yourself out in the desert… I had to act.” She seemed cautious with her words- even though she seemed rather relaxed.

“Plus… who would suspect a woman livin’ out in the desert by her lonesome? Most just expect me to be off my rockers. But it’s just safer… anyone I care about seems to wind up hurt or dead.” She gently rolled her shoulders in a sort of shrug, but before he could really respond to her story, she rose to her feet. “I’m gonna find some kindling- before the chill takes me.”

With that, the woman walked away, pulling her jacket back over her shoulders but she had left the shotgun, who would be out in the bloomy desert at this time other than them? Perhaps it was a false sense of security, but she didn’t feel like she had to go far to get kindling… so it was fine. She could see some dead trees a little ways away. She did glance at the sky however, and gently bit her lip. To think one day had already gone by… this was going to be a long adventure. Yet she cursed herself for thinking it would be better with company. Wishful thinking like that is what got people killed.

She didn't seem overly concerned about him following- but she guessed she understood why. Perhaps she was too quick to assume that it would be safe... But living out alone for so long, you just tended to become numb to caution, since you never ran into anything of real threat normally. She bent to pull a knife from her thigh, and began scraping at one of the bushes that was closer than the trees. She gently bit her lip as she gathered the tinder, and focused entirely on grabbing as much as she could. In all reality, she could then break apart this bush, and though the sticks were small, they were rather thick, and it could likely do well to keep a fire going throughout the night, even if it would not offer a whole lot of heat, it was better than nothing at all.

She began breaking off the limbs shortly after she figured she had enough tinder, but suddenly paused. Looking around she seemed anxious- she had heard something. To her utter surprise, which was evident enough in the way she jumped, it was just a desert mouse, which quickly scurried away from the bush she had been working on. Taking a slow, deep breath she got back to work.

Somewhere from behind Clyde however there was quiet coughing- the wind tended to carry sound, and it was hard to pinpoint its whereabouts when it really was just blowing aimlessly. The horses however didn't seem spooked, they just lifted their heads for mere moments and then went back to eating. "...he....o?" The voice was coarse, hard to make out, but the same sound poured into the wind again and again, until the entire word ' hello ' was crisp- and very close nearby. Then, it stopped. Marigold had stood up at that point, and though she didn't make a move to go towards Clyde- she knew it would be better to not make a sound at all than risk being heard. Slowly she turned to look at him, and her lips parted to speak but the voice that slurred from her lips were not her own- no... this was a man's voice.

"Well now what do we have 'ere?"

There was a short cackle to the voice, and behind him there was another man. He looked thinner, not nearly as threatening, and looked like he had seen a ghost. "Wasn't mighty nice of ya to ignore this man's poor plead." He said as he lifted up a revolver, cocking the gun, and watching as the barrel slid one of 6 bullets into place. He held the gun at Clyde- while the frightened man quickly scampered over to the shotgun at the side- he reminded Marigold of a coyote.. she hated the damn things.

"Now, the way I see it, y'all are gonna give us what you've got, and we might let you two lovebirds live, but, then again, we might kill you." He was looking at Marigold, and the man behind him laughed almost hysterically. "They're better when they can't move!" His voice was high-pitched, and his comment made Marigold recoil in disgust. But then the brute looked at Clyde, and he had daggers in his eyes, his jaw gently clenched- clearly he was trying to look intimidating. "So what'll it be, boy?"

(( no worries ! ))

Marigold could only watch- without a weapon she was basically useless... and seemed to be more in the way than anything. She did glance at Clyde's hand however, watching him reach for his holstered gun- was that really that smart? Especially against two men who both had guns. She stared as the men seemed momentarily confused when he said he had nothing, and the man holding the revolver laughed sarcastically. "You want me to believe that y'all are out here with nothin' but them two horses? And a pair of guns?" He questioned, amusement clear in his cold grey eyes.

He paused however when he heard Clyde ask what it would take to get them out of here, and he seemed to ponder that before he gently narrowed his eyes, looking at the other man's hand as it held onto the gun. He did notice one of his arms was bandaged, and he just gently scoffed. "I can't say you're in much position to negotiate, partner." He boasted, his arm still held out with the gun, but he did shift a leg, putting it up on a rock and leaned across his knee- his eyes drifting over to Marigold. "Plus, you've got a bounty on your head kid." He looked back at Clyde, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "You might not have gold... but plenty sheriffs do... and hell I'll be a set man with how much ya are wanted."

Yet the outlaw seemed to keep glancing at Marigold, squinting gently as if he was trying to figure out how she looked familiar... "Hold up now... Isn't that-" He was cut short as Marigold shifted. She might be a distance away but she couldn't let him continue. "Clyde!" She exclaimed, hoping the man would use her distraction as an advantage, she might not be able to do much but she could do something. Taking the knife she had in her hand she shifted, throwing it at the skinnier guy. It flew past his hand, but he dropped her shotgun, and in the motion the safety popped, and when the shotgun landed it did so with a deafening bang, shrapnel in the form of pellets flying outwards- Marigold didn't feel any sting fortunately, but she was caught off guard by the howl of pain that came from the bigger brute with the gun, who soon dropped his gun- his shoulder and arm blistered and bloody. The skinnier man seemed panicked, and quickly back-peddled. He turned as quickly as his body could manage, collapsing to the ground before he scrambled back up. "Stop him!" Marigold pleaded- no he couldn't get away... She began to run past Clyde to go after him. The other man just stayed on the ground where he dropped, spewing out as many curse words as he could think before he struggled to his feet and attempted to flee as well. He doubted he'd get far, but at least he wasn't just giving up.

(( sorry it took so long for me to reply, I was at work ))

Marigold’s demeanour relaxed when she saw the fleeing outlaw hit the dirt- he didn’t get shot, but it had skimmed his leg and it was enough to frighten him. Being so close to the horses, she grabbed rope, and quickly tied him up before she dragged him towards Clyde and the big guy- struggling a little even to drag him along even if he wasn’t overly heavy- it was more because it was awkward. She did however pause to throw the rope at Clyde, and then continued to pull the guy along. He wasn’t fighting- he just stared at her like a horror-stricken deer.

“Why in the hell are you helpin’ her?” The bigger brute barked, staring at Clyde furiously. He didn’t dare try and move however- not when he has the business end of a pistol only inches from his face. Arms could heal- faces were a little bit harder. “Don’t you have any idea who she is?” He muttered something under his breath- almost sounded like a prayer, which was ironic coming from the guy who has just tried to rob and kill them. But he was watching Clyde carefully, and listening to his buddy being dragged over as well. “If you’ve got any bit of sanity you’ll pull the trigger on her. You think ya had a bounty on your back before you gon’ have every man in their right mind firin’ your way if you don’t smarten up.” He still sounded furious, but he was purposely talking quietly. It was evident Marigold didn’t want this man to know- and well he’d use that in his favour.

Marigold dumped the other guy next to the one Clyde had a watch on, and quickly picked up her shotgun, clutching onto it like it was the only thing holding her to reality. She could feel the barrel’s heat just from one shot, and the way the air sizzled atop its dirty casing. “What do you reckon we do with them?” She asked Clyde- she was apprehensive about the idea of killing them… even if she should. This wasn’t why she was out here. She was trying to get away from this. But she’d leave it to Clyde to decide- if they left them like this… the desert would take them anyways, even if they tried to flee on foot. But she did glance at the sky- it was nearly black now and she could feel the chill slowly taking grasp of her muscles, her hands and arms feeling stiff, and the wind only felt like it was ripping through her.

He growled painfully, glaring over his shoulder at Clyde. “Well don’t you have a soothin’ touch,” he sneered- sarcasm strong in his voice. He wasn’t pleased that he had been beaten- and all because his stupid idiot of a partner dropped a loaded gun… sorry excuse of an outlaw. His eyes wandered to Marigold however as she dragged the rat over, and he only looked down at him as he was basically thrown at his knees- the smaller man not even struggling. What a back-bone he had! But he did notice that he wasn’t hurt- and despite how much he hated him, he was glad. Maybe they’d have a chance.

The man seemed to be weighing his options and whether or not to answer, but he did gently clench his jaw, and stared at Clyde as he responded. “Yes.” They did have horses- 3 of them. Two for riding and the last just to carry their things. But he did look over as Marigold left them- searching for the horses. “I don’t see them,” She muttered, and the man gently shifted. With a whistle that blasted above the sound of wind, the horses came trotting into view, stopping a small ways away from them. Well, she had to admit that was impressive...

Marigold shifted however, casting a glance to Clyde. What did he have in mind? Maybe he wanted to strap them to the horses to be dragged? That’s what came to her mind. It was a way to die that was for sure… but she still felt uneasy, the way the bigger man shifted his weight between his two knees- almost as if he were getting ready to spring but now they had the advantage- not the outlaws. Shifting, she got closer to the two, and held her shotgun close, staring down at the men. There seemed to be a burning hatred in her eyes, and both of the men seemed to rattle- angered by her own fury. “I reckon you don’t know much about the lady, and trust me she’s more poison than gold. Ain’t it the most appealing that is the most dangerous?” The man pressed, meeting Clyde’s gaze and holding it. “You don’t know nothin’ ‘bout her-“ he was cut off as Marigold took a step forward, and he smirked slightly. “What’s wrong darlin’? Snake bitin’ your tongue?” He let out an amused laugh- this really was interesting… no wonder she wanted him to be quiet.

The man had grit his teeth, cursing mentally as he was talked back to. He did watch as Clyde approached his horses- way it was going it damn near looked like he was going to kill them... But he had taken Marigold's relaxed posture as a sign he wouldn't. He didn't like the ideas of this, but seeing him take the horses... Why did he want them? They already had two. They truthfully didn't need more. His eyes however shifted to the saddles he had cut off, looking at the items that spilled out of the pockets of bags attached to the front. In some of the bags there was coin- but it was visibly mainly flasks, bullets... and a few extra guns. Marigold left the two men to wander over, gathering the bags- they could use them. She went to toss the bags to Clyde, but then noticed his arm, and how bloody it had become again. She had to move this along. Walking back over to the two men, leaving the bags to the side, she placed down a pistol. "Suppose you two can pick who gets it... or I guess it's whoever gets outta that rope first." She said as she kicked it a bit closer, and made her way over to Clyde.

The smaller fellow glanced at his partner, but did try and struggle- he wasn't injured, so moving around was a lot easier for him... And Marigold hadn't done that great of a job tying him up, all he had to do was shimmy out of the rope, and he was smart enough to have bloated himself while she was tying... So relaxing and breathing out was giving him some slack to reach for the gun. "Let's just leave 'em, Clyde... Birds gotta eat." She decided- since neither of the men had spoken up. She ambled towards her horse, but stopped at Clyde's side, looking back at the two men- the smaller one still trying to get free but he was rather close to succeeding. "Maybe shoot him in the leg," She proposed, watching as the man instantly stopped moving and stared helplessly at Clyde. "It'd only be fair, wouldn't it?"

Once they had finished dealing with the two, she helped Clyde onto his horse if he needed it, and pulled up onto her own. She didn't overly humour the idea of traveling at night, but thanks to those two, they didn't much have a choice. She supposed it was good the moon was casting its silver light, but God help her it was freezing. She gently shivered atop her horse, and let out a slow breath, watching it bellow out in a small white cloud, and soon found herself listening to the gentle chatter of her teeth. "What was he saying to you?" She questioned, her eyes shifting to peer at him without really moving her head.

The man howled in pain, bent over in sheer agony, and it seemed to shock his body enough he threw up, wracked by the tensing and horrid release of his stomach fluid- whatever he had eaten now laid messily in his lap and on the ground, and he just simply groaned and slowly rolled onto his side, giving up his struggles for the moment. Marigold found that extremely disgusting, and the way she held her lips firmly together proved that she herself was trying not to puke from the vision of what was before her.

Marigold took one of the horses on her own, but as much as she wanted to focus on the travel ahead, hearing him grunt and seeing him wince in pain didn’t make her heart sit well. Shifting her own horse closer to his, till their legs brushed with every gait forward, she reached over, taking his bad arm softly. “I can’t say I can do a good job, stuck up here but honestly? Better than leaving it.” It was tricky to maneuver like this, but at least the horses didn’t really seem to mind, they kept a nice pace, and that definitely helped. She ripped a piece of fabric from her arm- the sleeve of her blouse would have to do… she held it gingerly between her lips and undid the bandages, pouring the water in her canteen across his wound, before she started using the blouse to wipe off the dirt that had accumulated underneath. She knew it must hurt, but an infection would cost him his arm, or worse: his life. When she finished off, she pulled out bandages from her pack on the side of the saddle, and wrapped his arm up. She softly pushed in the last bit of the wrap to keep it closed but her hands stalled in letting go of his arm, producing a small cough as she finally let go. “…thank you, and try not to move your arm yeah?” Was all she said before she spurred the horse into a trot. That would help warm them up a little.

She just prayed Burkshire would come quickly- it was a two day journey, but riding through the night insured they would get there faster, at least. But still… she looked over at Clyde a little, contemplating something. Should she be honest? Yes, he deserved it, especially when he had the chances to be rid of her but didn’t do so. “…you know, if you felt like you owed me- we are even.” She muttered, her eyes gently scanning the horizon. “We’ve both saved one another’s lives, now.”

"For an outlaw, you have quite the manners," She joked, watching as he trotted next to her, but she still felt a pit in her stomach. She was betraying this man, in a way... and though she had done many things wrong, she didn't want to be another mistake to him. Her own thoughts were catching her off guard, and it made her pause, losing rhythm with her horse, and causing it to stumble- which nearly threw her forward off its neck- luckily she managed to catch the horn, and pulled herself from the creature's neck. She quickly refocused, and tried to ignore what had just happened, even if she expected the mock that was sure to come... Honestly, she would welcome it. It would lighten this air of distraction she had clouding her mind.

Marigold fixed her jacket across her shoulders, gently rolling her limbs to loosen them as the cold was beginning to get to her, even if it wasn't overly chilly during the night, it was a drastic difference compared to the morning. "Well... I won't need you for too long," she felt a pang in her chest and just gently placed her hand on hat to push it back down to secure it atop her head. "There is someone I'm meeting just outside of Berkshire, an old friend of mine... I'm hoping he can help me." She explained, glancing in Clyde's direction, she slowly breathed out, chest falling with the exaggerated movement. "I'll pay you then... and you can then consider your debt paid in full." Part of her wanted to have him stay, but she barely knew him, and she didn't want to keep him involved... and she was sure he didn't want to stay with her- ...stay involved. "Hey, Clyde... lets play at a few things and picture some possibilities. Say I was... an outlaw, like you, maybe a little worse... would you still stay? I mean, I reckon outlaws stay away from other outlaws unless there's a partnership but the last one you had soured," She wasn't sure why she was doing this, or why she was bothering to test the trust they'd barely built, but she felt it was now or never. She didn't know what would happen in Burkshire, and perhaps she just wanted a clean bill before she met her makers, so to speak.