The Arterial spray of bright
red blood had barely stopped, as the Cherokee looted the dying outlaw.
His comrade to the North was being treated in the same fashion, a sight
that was familiar to me but not welcomed. Warnings from the North,
riders approaching, I once again took cover in the undergrowth with the
Cherokee, this time the Dandy Man joins us, still reeling from his
impressive kill shot on the outlaw. Two riders approach, one a military
man with a single-arm, he is flanked by a very dirty and peculiar
looking man. I couldn't distinguish what tribe he belonged to, nor could
I tell where his smell ended and the horses began. The one-armed man
introduced himself as one William Tanner and after some back and forth
between my new riding partners and him, we found that he was the father
of the children who were taken in town. After offering to pay us each
more money on top of the bounty we had agreed to, we set off East.
Tanners smelly companion, whose name I came to find out is Dog, turned
out to be an amazing tracker, and even with the fading light, we came
silently upon a cabin tucked into a rock formation.
A lone figure was spotted at the front of the cabin, an old lady sitting in a rocking chair, as I was looking for movement through the cabin windows I realized that both Running Bear and Dog were no longer behind me. Catching a glimpse of a fancy hat bobbing in and out of the underbrush to the West, I made the assumption that Henry was following Running Bear in that direction, but where was Dog? Crouched in the underbrush with Dalton I heard the old lady yell out for us to show ourselves, which I was not going to do until I spotted the Pastor and Joe standing in the street. Joe scares me, he is red hot with anger, he could get those kids killed and all of us in the process. Against my better judgment, I moved into the road flanking them both. She wanted to talk, as long as she was being friendly, we had a chance to end this without bloodshed. I've seen firsthand the persuasive power of these Pale Preachers and the equally persuasive power of their God, I urged the Holy Man to talk to the crone. As he approached I spotted movement high in the rocks to the West, hopefully, that was Running Bear, if not, we walked into an ambush.
At about the same time the persuasiveness of the Pastor wore out its welcome, I heard the sound of combat from the North East, I guess I found Dog. A shot to the West rang out and I heard cussing from the rocks above as a body slumped halfway across the cliff edge, this was now a fight. As Joe sprinted to the East of the Cabin, I sprinted to the West, trying to get into position to cover the Pastor. To his credit, the Pastor was holding his own, I watched him yank a pistol right out of the hand of a Hacker, who pointed it through the open door, just as a shot from Dalton blew through the same man's chest, dropping him in a pile. I heard the old lady yelling for someone in the cabin as I drew a bead on a Hacker through the window. My shot went wide right of the man and I felt a burning in my side before I even heard the shot from behind. Everything slowed down, I could hear a man in the midst of a Bloodlust to the East, possibly this Dogman is as savage as he smells. Calling on my ancestors I was able to patch myself up enough to make it to the back of the cabin.
Dropping my rifle and grabbing my club and Tomahawk I calmed myself and listened. I could hear the Preacher shouting indignantly, and heard both the Hacker and old lady scream in fear. From the East, I heard more screaming and begging, apparently, the Outlaws had never experienced fighting a man who was in a blood rage. I also heard the cussing of Joe as he was hit and the taunting laughter as he put his assailant down. As I made my way through the window and into the room hoping to flank the Hacker, I came face to face with the hag. She was no lady, she was a witch, the hair on my neck stood straight up as her face distorted and she cursed me and the Preacher. Her attempt failed however and the Good Shepard put a bullet into her, dropping her on her face and unfortunately for us, enraging the biggest man I had ever seen. This is who she had been calling for, he barely fit through the hallway, and he was fixated on the Pastor. Trying to hobble him, I wildly attacked his knee, to my surprise both of my weapons failed to even find flesh. I barely caught a glimpse of Joe behind the monster but I heard the unmistakable sound of brass knuckles against skull, yet still, the monster was unaffected. Hearing a shot behind me I turned to see Running Bear slay the other Hacker in the room, at the same time my hands started to tingle as Father Matthew caused some sort of power to pour into me, looking around I realized it wasn't just me, everyone was staring at the weapon they had in hand. The excitement was short-lived, I had to dodge out of the path of a raging madman, as Dog entered the room and finally brought the beast to his knees.
I now sit here, applying a proper bandage to myself, bullet missed my liver, but barely. I'm listening to children crying into their father's chest and watching his tears fall into their hair. We did a good thing today, won't make up for all the bad I have done, but maybe it will allow me to secure a horse and head West, preferably alone, but it's been a long time since I rode with others, can't say I didn't miss this.
A lone figure was spotted at the front of the cabin, an old lady sitting in a rocking chair, as I was looking for movement through the cabin windows I realized that both Running Bear and Dog were no longer behind me. Catching a glimpse of a fancy hat bobbing in and out of the underbrush to the West, I made the assumption that Henry was following Running Bear in that direction, but where was Dog? Crouched in the underbrush with Dalton I heard the old lady yell out for us to show ourselves, which I was not going to do until I spotted the Pastor and Joe standing in the street. Joe scares me, he is red hot with anger, he could get those kids killed and all of us in the process. Against my better judgment, I moved into the road flanking them both. She wanted to talk, as long as she was being friendly, we had a chance to end this without bloodshed. I've seen firsthand the persuasive power of these Pale Preachers and the equally persuasive power of their God, I urged the Holy Man to talk to the crone. As he approached I spotted movement high in the rocks to the West, hopefully, that was Running Bear, if not, we walked into an ambush.
At about the same time the persuasiveness of the Pastor wore out its welcome, I heard the sound of combat from the North East, I guess I found Dog. A shot to the West rang out and I heard cussing from the rocks above as a body slumped halfway across the cliff edge, this was now a fight. As Joe sprinted to the East of the Cabin, I sprinted to the West, trying to get into position to cover the Pastor. To his credit, the Pastor was holding his own, I watched him yank a pistol right out of the hand of a Hacker, who pointed it through the open door, just as a shot from Dalton blew through the same man's chest, dropping him in a pile. I heard the old lady yelling for someone in the cabin as I drew a bead on a Hacker through the window. My shot went wide right of the man and I felt a burning in my side before I even heard the shot from behind. Everything slowed down, I could hear a man in the midst of a Bloodlust to the East, possibly this Dogman is as savage as he smells. Calling on my ancestors I was able to patch myself up enough to make it to the back of the cabin.
Dropping my rifle and grabbing my club and Tomahawk I calmed myself and listened. I could hear the Preacher shouting indignantly, and heard both the Hacker and old lady scream in fear. From the East, I heard more screaming and begging, apparently, the Outlaws had never experienced fighting a man who was in a blood rage. I also heard the cussing of Joe as he was hit and the taunting laughter as he put his assailant down. As I made my way through the window and into the room hoping to flank the Hacker, I came face to face with the hag. She was no lady, she was a witch, the hair on my neck stood straight up as her face distorted and she cursed me and the Preacher. Her attempt failed however and the Good Shepard put a bullet into her, dropping her on her face and unfortunately for us, enraging the biggest man I had ever seen. This is who she had been calling for, he barely fit through the hallway, and he was fixated on the Pastor. Trying to hobble him, I wildly attacked his knee, to my surprise both of my weapons failed to even find flesh. I barely caught a glimpse of Joe behind the monster but I heard the unmistakable sound of brass knuckles against skull, yet still, the monster was unaffected. Hearing a shot behind me I turned to see Running Bear slay the other Hacker in the room, at the same time my hands started to tingle as Father Matthew caused some sort of power to pour into me, looking around I realized it wasn't just me, everyone was staring at the weapon they had in hand. The excitement was short-lived, I had to dodge out of the path of a raging madman, as Dog entered the room and finally brought the beast to his knees.
I now sit here, applying a proper bandage to myself, bullet missed my liver, but barely. I'm listening to children crying into their father's chest and watching his tears fall into their hair. We did a good thing today, won't make up for all the bad I have done, but maybe it will allow me to secure a horse and head West, preferably alone, but it's been a long time since I rode with others, can't say I didn't miss this.
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