Disclaimer: I do not own any recognizable works. I am not a member of Rooster Teeth Productions.
The sun reflecting off of the desert sand was blistering, and, despite sitting in a covered wagon, Skout's hands were red where they gripped the edges of the heated bronze spittoon. It was another long day of searching for the mysterious Nomad of Nowhere, but today, the Dandy Lions had gotten a tip from a nearby town. Captain Toth was sure that the Cajuput Cave was where the Nomad resided, and not even the last twenty or so dead-ends could dampen her spirits.
Of course, they'd find him eventually, Skout thought hesitantly, biting her lip, he has got to be out there somewhere. Don Paragon wouldn't just send us off on a wild goose chase, would he? These doubtful thoughts had been popping up even more recently of late, and Skout knew the other bounty hunters were having similar ideas. They were much more...vocal with their disbelief.
Ting! Skout jumped with a little squeak as the spittoon rattled a bit, reminding her why she hadn't put it down.
"Be careful there, little girl, you wouldn't want to drop the spittoon off the wagon, would you?" Red Manuel sneered from the front seat of the covered wagon, raising an eyebrow.
Skout frowned at him before directing her attention to the Dandy Lions whose wagon she shared today. Jethro and Null seemed almost as displeased with Red Manuel as she was, and when they noticed her attention, Null gave her a small reassuring smile.
"Why don't ya be more careful 'bout warning her then, Red? Being that you're so concerned and all," Jethro drawled back to the conceited man's irritation. Red Manuel turned away in a huff, turning his attention to the horses and drawing the dividing fabric back between them.
"He really needs to get a hobby," Null snarked, pushing his dark hair behind his ears and fiddling a bit with the gold piece on his necklace.
"Well, it's not like there's a lot to do out here," Skout muttered, "except pick on me, I suppose."
"Hey, that don't excuse him for being so darn mean all the time!" Jethro exclaimed, "And you ain't gotta put up with it, neither! Why, if you told Toth about how he's been treating ya-"
"But I can't do that! Toth doesn't need to worry about taking care of me; she should focus on her big important mission!" Skout said.
Null and Jethro clearly disagreed and gave each other a look.
The red-headed girl puffed her cheeks out in frustration, stating firmly, "Toth doesn't need any distractions right now, and I am not telling her Red's been bothering me. That's final."
"Okay, then you don't have to tell her," Null replied, soothing her irritation. His blond companion gave him a look of shock, but he returned it with a small nod. Skout didn't notice, satisfied with the verbal agreement.
After making a quick rest stop before reaching the cave, Skout was pleasantly surprised when Captain Toth requested her assistance with managing the various weapons and supplies in her own wagon, asking the shorter girl to ride with her afterwards.
Skout missed the glance exchanged over her head between Toth, Null, and Jethro when she trotted off happily to the lead wagon. She also missed the three glares cast Red Manuel's way.