A/N: DISCLAIMERS: Bleach and all characters belong to Tite Kubo. Story is unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine alone.
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The Unknown Future
The trail was a long dusty one. Nathaniel 'Coyote' Starrk was on the last drip from his canteen. He was still at least three days from the village. With a deep sigh he scouted the horizon for any signs of humanity.
There was something off in the far distance, but even with his excellent eyesight he was unable to tell if it was a town or a rocky outcropping. He really hoped it was a town because he hadn't eaten in the last two days and had just now drank the last of his water. He was going to be in a world of hurt if there was no town. Even the normal, plentiful wild game was scarce in this part of the desert. It was hot, dry and barren. A no man's land so to speak.
He urged the horse forward.
Even his poor horse was suffering. Starrk had done without much water just to ensure that his stallion could stay hydrated. Thankfully the place they had camped for the night had had a running stream where the horse had drank his fill, and Starrk had filled the four canteens. Three of those had been used today just so the animal could have water. His hat had made a great drinking bowl for the beast and when it was empty it cooled off the rider too. But right now everything was bone dry except for the sweat dripping off of horse and rider.
The thing on the horizon became clearer. It was a town. A small one but a town none the less. The sign on entry to the towns limit read "Lost Horizon New Mexico. Founded 1858. Population 150 souls." His horse sensed it and picked up speed as it sensed it's own kind and the lure of feed and water. It didn't take long to arrive on the outskirts of the town. The lone rider began to get looks from the townsfolk.
He always attracted attention when he rode into a strange town. He was a tall, rail thin man, with chestnut hair and stormy blue eyes. The horse was a huge black stallion that looked like it belonged to a very rich person. More than once he had been accused of theft. Luckily he had all the paperwork that showed ownership, it had saved his life more than once.
What really got him into trouble was his half native heritage. He had grown up on the tribe-lands and had a lot of the mannerisms of his red brothers. Most white townsfolk were uneasy around him because of that. He lowered the brim of his hat to avoid eye contact. If they didn't feel challenged hopefully there would be no problem.
He rode up to the town stable and dismounted so he could bargain the price of a stall and care for his weary horse. He knew he was being charged extra but didn't care at this point and time. After taking the saddle, blanket and bit out of the sleek steed's mouth he gave him a good brush down and draped a clean blanket over it's haunches. He was rewarded with his hat being snatch off his head and tossed across the room. Then the horse whinnied at him and nuzzled him with warm fuzzy lips.
"Look ya crazy bastard, quit stealin' my hat." he scolded the stallion. It simply blinked at him innocently. The livery man let out a tiny snort of mirth.
"That's some horse you have there mister."
Starrk picked up and dusted off his hat, setting it back on his head. "Yeah he's a real joker." He affectionately stroked the soft muzzle. "His name is Canyon. Don't turn your back on him, he'll snatch the clothes clean off ya." Canyon tried for the hat again as Starrk took two steps back. "Just make sure he gets plenty of feed, fresh bedding and water. Don't let little kids near him, and for the love of all that's holy can you point me in the direction of a bar or restaurant, my gut's trying to eat it's self."
"Well we don't have a fancy restaurant or nothing but the food at the saloon is pretty decent. Tell the guy behind the bar that I sent you."
With a tip of his hat Starrk strolled off in the direction the livery man had pointed. It was a typical western style saloon; right down to the swinging doors at the entry. Starrk stepped across the threshold and the room became quiet. [Typical] he thought to himself as he made his way to the bar.
A tall man, with long hair, eye-patch and facial hair glanced his direction and just set a glass of water in front of him. Starrk made a small noise of surprise but picked up the glass and finished it in a few swallows.
"You look like a man in need of a drink and food, what would you like."
"Anything, I'm not a picky man."
"Good our cooks not too picky on what he makes. Sit right there and I'll have something brought out for you."
"Appreciate it." Starrk drawled slowly. "Know of a place a body can get a bed too?"
"Right up those stairs, friend." The tall man set a glass of whiskey next to Starrk's hand. "Entertainment too if you wish." He suddenly ducked as a large book came flying out of one of the side rooms. "Now Now Nana... no need for violence."
Starrk watched in awe as a tiny woman stormed out of that room with another huge book tucked under her arm. "We do not run that kind of business, I've told you a thousand times, now I'm gonna beat it into that thick skull of yours." The big book was raised above her head and she swung at the tall man; aiming for his head. Starrk kept watching as the large man sidestepped the heavy book, grabbed the wrist of the girl and swung her around in a wide circle.
"Now now m'dear, you promised no more than one book at a time. Two's cheating."
She stomped her foot and shook a fist under his nose. "This was a special circumstance. You do not offer perfect strangers the use of the loose women that hang around this dump. We don't run that kind of place." The words poured out her mouth like running water. "I'll keep throwing books at you until you get it through that thick block you call a skull."
"Of course, of course." The tall man waved a dismissive hand. "I'll be a good boy, I promise." The tone was patronizing.
An even bigger man walked from the direction of the kitchen and placed a bowl of stew in front of Starrk. "It ain't pretty, but it'll fill a growling belly." He strode back in to the kitchen. Starrk picked up the spoon and dug in. It was flavorful and his stomach growled loudly after the first bite. He shoved more of the stew into his mouth to keep his screaming gut from being too annoying.
The tall bartender stood to the side, shining a glass until it sparkled in the sunlight. "So what brings Starrk the bounty hunter to this little town or is your goal beyond this?"
"So you know who I am, yet you're feeding me?"
"Customer's a customer!" The broad shoulders shrugged. "Your money's just as good as anyone else."
"Ironic words from Sean Kincaid; former soldier and now owner of "The drunken flower" saloon.
"I see my reputation has proceeded me once more." The brunet chuckled. "I have no wish to interfere with your job. Maybe I can even be of assistance. I've been in this town for a long, long time."
"I've no need of your help." Starrk mopped up the last of the stew with a piece of crusty bread the cook had included with his plate. "It's a simple job."
"Is this town your destination or are you passing through?" Kincaid pushed. "Sometimes local help is a necessary evil."
"I need no help, now quit asking." the reply was clipped. "I don't like people nosing into my business. Just give me a room key and set up a bath, I'm filthy and need to wash." He lightly tipped his hat. "Maybe a bottle of whiskey for later on."
Kincaid gave him a key for the last room that was open and called to the man in the kitchen to get bathwater going for the guest. "Top of the stairs, directly to the right."
"Thanks!" Was Starrk's terse reply. He made his way up the stairs with little moans and groans because frankly his backside was killing him from being in the saddle for so long. Maybe after the bath he'd check on Canyon.
His room was standard issue saloon accommodations. Slightly saggy bed, dresser that had seen better days and a mirror that had shadows in it. It looked like Kincaid had put no effort at all into the upkeep of this place. Lazy man.
But then again Starrk reasoned to himself, he probably wouldn't do much better. He put as little effort into doing anything that some complained he was doing nothing at all. His Cheyenne grand-dame called him "the lazy wolf in the tribe". He couldn't really blame the man, the transient nature of the guests of this place would make it difficult to put a whole lot of upkeep into it. Who'd want to give filthy cowboys and lecherous drunks good beds? Replacing crap was easier than replacing new.
He heard the staff treading up and down the stairs as they were bringing the hot water from the kitchen to the bathing room. He didn't envy them this task. It was tedious work. He'd have no patience for it. Lounging against the headboard of the bed he waited for them to finish and someone to let him know that the tub was full. Sadly with a full belly and surprisingly soft bed he drifted to sleep.
At the unexpected knocking on his door his gun was in his hand before he even realized it was there. Remembering that he was in a saloon and the knock on his door must surely be about the tub being ready for him, he holstered the gun, slid his feet off the bed and made his way to the door. The man from the kitchen was standing there with several towels and a bar of soap. He thanked the man and followed him to the bathing room. Steam rose in gentle ribbons from the big tin tub.
"Thanks." Starrk said in dismissal. "I'll let y'all know when I'm done." The large man nodded and left him to his business.
He wrinkled his nose in displeasure as the clothing started coming off his body. He really hated this crummy feeling. On the tribe-lands they'd bath in the large pond that spread out from the stream that fed into it. The had dammed up the stream to form the pond and it was constantly still flowing over the top of the dam to keep the water from stagnating. Women bathed together as did the men. It was the best way to do things. When the women bathed there were always two fighters who would stand on either side of the pond; with their backs turned, in order to keep the women safe. Many of the women complained that it was unneeded and that they could fight for themselves. But eventually they all gave in when the tribe elder said it was still a tradition and they were not going to change it now. He honored those women who could fight by saying that tribe women are the most fearsome warriors because they have precious things to protect. The elders words usually dismissed any distress the women were feeling. But every couple of years the subject would come up again and had to be settled in a large group discussion. All decisions were made by the whole tribe, not just one person telling the others what to do. It seemed very fair to Starrk's mind. Even his pale skinned mother was included in these talks, even though she was an outsider. His father was ridiculously proud of his pale wife and son.
Not that Starrk had an easy childhood. There were still those that shunned or picked on him because of his half-breed status. Until he learned to fight back. Once he started to beat the older, bigger boys they left him alone and eventually became friends.
Sighing with a deep pleasure he stepped into the tub and sank up to his chin in the hot water. This was one thing they did not have on the tribe-lands, scalding hot water. It felt so good. He could feel the sweat and grime floating away. He quickly washed his hair before the water became too fouled. Even the towels were a luxury. He loved the knobby feeling of the fabric as he dried his body. Secretly he thought, this was one of the reasons he became a bounty hunter, being able to take part of these tiny conveniences.
Once he was in his clean clothing he felt like a new man.
The man must have been listening for the sound of splashing to stop for when Starrk opened the door, the large man was there waiting. "Will ya be needin' anything else, mister?"
"Just the bottle of whiskey I asked for."
"Mr Kincaid saw to that himself not too long ago."
"I see." Starrk did not like that someone had been in his room while he was out, especially that nosy ex-soldier and current bartender Kincaid. His belongs had best not have been messed with or he was going to have words with that owner. The door opened with a slight creak as most doors do in a place like this.
The bottle of whiskey and a glass were on the dresser top. There was a note with an elaborate script 'Enjoy!' He tossed the note in the trash and poured out half a glass of the amber liquid. That first large gulp burned as it went down. He rather liked the heady sensation. It was a good whiskey too. The flavor bloomed in his mouth with each subsequent sip. A really good whiskey. That damned man had given him a bottle of some of the best whiskey that was stocked at most saloons. This crap was expensive as hell. Starrk let out a resigned sigh. It wasn't that he couldn't afford it, he just knew this 'gift' had an extra price attached to it.
It be best if he could just avoid being in the same room as that sly man. Kincaid was not stupid, not by a long shot. He didn't get to his position with out some sort of underhanded, wily ways. The man did have one hell of a reputation after all.
Yes avoiding him would be best. At least until his bounty was brought to heel.
Soon the whiskey began to have a secondary effect, Starrk began to doze off to sleep. It was a happy drunken stupor. A feeling he had been longing for the entire ride to this tiny town. Before he went to bed he wobbled his way to the door and made sure it was locked securely from the inside.
The bed felt like a small cloud despite it's age. It smelled of clean linen and lavender. Slumber came easily under these conditions. He literally dreamed he was floating away on a pleasant smelling cloud. The buzz from the liquor made his thoughts fuzzy and pleasing.
Hours later his sense of self preservation kicked in and woke him from his sound sleep. Fully awake he automatically reached for his pistol. Someone was just outside his door. The saloon downstairs was quiet and had likely shut down for the most part. So who ever this was, was an intruder. The floorboard squeaked and his doorknob jiggled several times. Luckily he had locked the door.
The sneak thief apparently realized they weren't getting into this particular room and moved on to another door. Wandering thieves were a common problem with saloons since most didn't have standard doors, but those silly swinging doors that let anyone wander in off the street.
Well it wasn't really his problem. Starrk tried to drift back to sleep.
There was a high pitched yelp followed by some really foul language, then Kincaid's deep rumbling voice interrupted.
"I believe I told you it was no use trying to steal things here, youngster." That was followed by some more very colorful words. "I ought to wash that mouth of your out with some good old soap."
"You just try it, ya old geezer." Was the defiant, childish answer. "I'll kick ya in the nuts again."
Starrk exited his room just in time to see words put into action. Kincaid lost his grip on the collar of the child, who loped out the the door in a flash. He blinked, not quite believing his eyes. The child looked just like the etchings of his bounty.
He slowly meandered his way to the main floor where Kincaid was doing a rather pained looking dance. "Seems like you've had a bit of a problem, General."
"You could say that." The man wheezed. "That child is a brat."
"Who was that?"
"She drifted into town with a wagon train a few months ago, wild little thing. Won't listen to anyone and obviously can damn well take care of herself." Kincaid hobbled over to a chair and sat down with one last wheezing moan.
Starrk scratched the tip of his nose... maybe he was going to need this man's help if that was indeed the bounty he was supposed to catch. "Tell ya what, let me give it a crack, I'm pretty good with kids."
"You'll regret those words with that one. Our much loved school teacher, who is kindness personified has given up trying to get her to be reasonable. Seriously that man has the patience of a god, and everyone here adores him." Kincaid twitched on his seat. "That child is nearly feral, it's like she was raised by a pack of wolves."
"All the more reason for me to try. Our tribe honors the wolves, I might be able to get through to this wolf-child." Starrk was trying not to show his hand too much at this point. He was being well paid to bring that wild child back to her home. "She have a name at least?"
"Lilynette Gingerbuck."
Bingo, quarry acquired. Starrk grinned to himself. This had gone easier than he had thought. "Where's she hang out during the day?"
"Joshua claims to see her outside the school sometimes, like she's trying to learn what he's teaching but won't come inside."
"I take it that Joshua is the teacher you were mentioning."
Kincaid nodded. "Joshua Ulrich. Sweetest man ever born." He let out a half whine when he shifted position. "Damn that girl can kick. I haven't had someone take me out like this in a long time, and I'm an offensive flirt. Slaps, punches, books to the head those I can deal with. Kicks to the tender bits are mighty painful."
"I found you need to hold kids further away from your body, When you have a longer reach than their legs, you can usually avoid injury to those parts."
"Advice appreciated. I'm going back to bed I suggest you do the same."
Starrk watched as Kincaid made slow progress toward his bedroom. Shaking his head he found he felt a bit sorry for the old guy. That had been a vicious blow. He had to be hurting. The stairway back to his room seemed a lot longer in his half sleepy state. He'd figure things out in the morning.
A rather loud, clanging bell interrupted what was turning out to be a really special dream. [Damn these small towns and their loud school bells.] Starrk was in a foul mood now. Pulling himself together he strolled downstairs, the soft bed had done wonders for his aching haunches. He could walk with ease again.
Kincaid was behind the bar again and damned if the man didn't look refreshed and down right perky. "Breakfast coming right up." He greeted the thin stranger with a broad smile. Starrk just grunted at him in return. "Add a pot of coffee to Mr Starrk's tray, will you Enos?"
"Shut up... how can you be so merry after what happened last night?"
"Oh that! I heal really quickly. Plus it's not exactly the first time I've been walloped there."
The man called Enos brought out a tray laden with food. It was a good thing he didn't suffer from hangovers, or this would be the shortest breakfast ever. The main plate had several fried eggs, a couple of pieces of bacon and one of the crusty yeast rolls like he had with dinner the previous night. On the side was a bowl of buttery grits, the coffee pot and a large coffee mug, with two separate containers of sugar cubes and cream. He poured a cup full of the steaming brew, dropped in three sugar cubes and just a splash of cream. He had grown to like his coffee, hot, very sweet and slightly light. It was the only way he could stomach the stuff. He dug into the grits and sighed with delight. They were light, fluffy and buttery, just the way he liked them. Next he polished off the eggs and bacon, once more using the roll to swipe up the left over run off from the eggs and bacon.
He poured a second cup of coffee and pushed the dishes to the side. He was quite full.
Enos made a return trip to collect the tray and plate, "Did ya want anything else, mister?"
"I'd pop if I did," Starrk smiled at the man in thanks and took another sip of the coffee. "That's some mighty fine cooking, sir."
"Aww! Ya don't gotta call me sir, just Enos'll do. I'm nothing but a simple cook." He strode off to the kitchen.
Starrk was a curious man, he wondered about that firecracker of a girl from last night. So far she was the only female that had piqued his interests in a long time. Taking the coffee pot and cup he settled himself at the bar.
"I'm a little surprised not to see that little spitfire from last night, I take it she doesn't live here?"
Kincaid's eyebrow shot upward, then he scowled. "No she doesn't, and don't even think about it." He warned. "Her mother would skin me faster than Enos can filet a fish."
"Oh she's your girl, I had no idea."
"Why would you? My reputation is based solely on my military career, I keep my personal life to myself." Kincaid's tone was dark and foreboding. Starrk decided to move on to a different topic.
"Any laws against a man having his coffee out on the porch?"
"None that I can think of, but you do get a lot of dust in the face sitting out there." The former general warned.
"I just want to get the lay of the land, I was too hungry, tired and thirsty to take much notice yesterday." Cup in hand Starrk strolled through the swinging doors.
It really was a dinky town, but they had their own general store, livery, saloon and undertaker's office. Oh and the school. He turned to survey the building. As expected in a small town, it was a small school. The children were outside running around the grassy mounds. It must have been recess.
Starrk had hated the white schools his mother made him attend. If he thought being treated badly by the tribe folk was bad, the school was so much worse. He vowed to never go back to that building again.
A tall-ish, very slender man caught his eye. That had to be the teacher he reasoned. He was playing with the children, genuinely enjoying the playtime. He was quite striking in looks. Even among the pale townsfolk this man was almost snow white, from the top of his head to presumably the soles of his feet, he stood out. So that was Joshua Ulrich; beloved school teacher and all around saint. The man had the looks of a saint in that he had an ethereal beauty to him. Starrk almost bolted from his seat on the porch when the man suddenly stopped playing and began to cough. It was a deep wracking cough of one who bore a long time lung ailment.
The children seemed to gently guide their teacher to the steps for him to sit then they scattered to gather various items. One came running with a pile of cloth, another was carefully carrying a glass of water and one was heading toward the saloon.
The child barreled past him and began to rapidly speak to Kincaid. Starrk heard some muttered cursing and soon the big man was making his way to the school with a long, loping jog. He decided to trail along just out of pure curiosity. The children glared at the tall stranger but left him alone. Kincaid was sitting next to the pale man and gently rubbing his back as he handed him what looked like a pill. The coughing spell was soon over and the children began to relax again, some even started to play.
"You kids might as well get along home, I'm pretty sure Mr. Ulrich is done for the day." There were some groans but they marched back inside the building. Soon they returned carrying their belongings. Each one stopped to give the ill man a kind word or even a quick hug. These kids really seemed to love and respect their teacher.
Out of the corner of his eye Starrk saw what looked like his target, sitting near the wooded area behind the school. His trained eye took in all the details as he surveyed the area. She did stay to herself, and didn't seem willing to leave yet. Was she also concerned about the man's health? Starrk decided against pursuing her right now.
Kincaid helped Ulrich to stand and motioned for the bounty hunter to follow him. While it was an odd request, Starrk had no objections and tagged along behind. They ended up in front of a small neat house, Starrk waited outside while the bigger man helped his friend inside and presumably to bed to rest.
"It's none of my business, but is he gonna be alright?" Starrk asked once Kincaid exited the house.
"Yeah more or less, it's something he's been fighting his whole life, his lungs are bad and sometimes it's very difficult for him to breath."
"I saw you gave him some type of pill, is that his medicine?"
"Partly! He also has a special dispenser and special liquid that he has to inhale. I keep the pills on me, and the other is here at his house." They were walking side by side. "I keep telling him that he should keep them on his self, all the time, but the man is stubborn."
"Why the sudden interest in our lovely teacher?" Kincaid side eyed the bounty hunter.
"Just curious, I'd never seen anything like that before. It's kinda natural to be curious of the different."
"Lordy... you sounded just like my Lisa right there." They paused at the threshold of the saloon.
"Another one of your girls?"
"His wife actually." Was the stern reply from just on the other side of the swinging doors. Kincaid rolled his remaining good eye.
"Yes lovely, my wife of course." He lifted her had to his lips and planted a delicate kiss on the back. "Mr Starrk allow me to introduce my better half, Lisa."
Starrk tilted his hat and made a little bow. The woman was tiny and dressed like a saloon girl, a very scandalous saloon girl. Above the bounteous bosom was a pair of startling turquoise eyes, just barely covered by a pair of wire rimmed glasses. She had a very no nonsense demeanor about her, yet she put up with Kincaid's outrageous flirting, so she couldn't be all business.
"Get your lazy ass behind that bar and stop fooling around." She gave the man a hard pinch to the skin just over his ribs. Kincaid yelped and practically galloped behind the bar. Starrk let out a small snort. Tipping his hat once more he backed out the door, he was long overdue on checking on Canyon.
His horse kicked at the enclosure and neighed loudly as he walked through the door. "Yeah I know, I took my sweet ass time getting here, you get one free hat toss." He moved closer and predictably grabbed his hat and tossed it away from him. He fetched it back from the hay pile and rubbed his hand over the velvety muzzle. Canyon used his lips to nuzzle the hand, it always felt odd when he did that. "Come on lets get you into the yard and let you run for a bit. Starrk removed the blanket, grabbed the halter and lead the stallion to the circular exercise yard. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the muzzle shoot forward again and he sidestepped briefly. Damn horse was trying to make a grab for his hat again.
Starrk lead the big black stallion into the ring and began to let the lead out, giving the beast more range to run. It was nothing like being able to stretch his legs on the open plains but it kept the horse from being fidgety in the stall. He let the animal have it's way in the small area, and leaned back against the railings. It was always a wonderful site to see Canyon going through his paces. That creature had been the best in the herd of wild horses they had rounded up on the prairie.
"That your horse, mister?" A voice sounded at his elbow. "He's sure great."
"Yeah he is, and you'd better step away, he doesn't like kids at all." He had a mild shock as he glanced to the side, it was his bounty. She was watching Canyon with barely concealed joy. She had even climbed up on the top rail and was sitting just off the point of his elbow. "I'm serious, he's got a powerful hate toward kids. He bites." She paid no attention.
Canyon came racing over, Starrk could see the hate in the horse's eyes. He got ready to snatch the child back, away from the large animal.
To his surprise Canyon stopped in front of the child and bobbed his massive head. Starrk hissed at her as she reached out and scratched between his eyes. He then lip nibbled on her knee and she patted his soft muzzle.
Damn horse.
"I think he's really nice." She stated. "He doesn't seem all that mean to me."
"Trust me kid, I've seen him take fingers off of kids who didn't listen." He was glaring at the animal. "I don't know what it is, but he senses something about you."
"Yeah I'm fucking special." Her reply came out flatly.
Starrk elbowed her hip, "What's pissed on your grave?"
"It ain't nothing to do with you, nosy."
"Hey no skin off my teeth, just asking." Starrk gave a lazy shrug. "You from around here?"
"Nah!" That same flat tone was in her voice. "If'n I tell ya a secret will ya tattle on me?"
"Who am I gonna tell, I'm just passing through." She glanced around several times, then leaned over to whisper in his ear. "I ran away from my family."
"Why?"
"They wanted me to do something that I didn't want to do." She pouted.
"That's part of what families do,"
"They ain't really my family though, I'm an orphan. The rest of the family wanted me to marry some old wind bag because of the money." There were tears in the corners of her eyes.
Starrk was nearly ready to give up this bounty. It had sounded fishy from the start but the money was good. He had an idea he wasn't being told the truth though.
"I heard a rumor in the last town that they had hired some famous bounty hunter to bring me back, so I ran. Who'd think to look for me in this dinky town?"
"A smart bounty hunter."
The girl fidgeted. "Ya think?"
"Pretty damn sure of it. If it's a famous bounty hunter, that means he knows all the little tricks. Running from town to town is just drawing more attention to your self."
"Dammit."
"Just my advice kid, stick to one place and learn to blend in. Go to the school. Hell get a job. Establish yourself and make yourself indispensable to the town folk. Be all friendly like."
"Besides, running and always looking over your shoulder gets tiring and makes you sloppy. A good bounty hunter knows all that. Finding a random strange brat in a town is no big deal because they don't fit in." He scratched his nose. "Blend in. Be a normal kid."
She hopped down from the fence after giving Canyon a last rub on the muzzle, "Thanks mister, you sure know a lot." She waved as she ran off.
Dammit he hated moral dilemma's. He'd already used a good portion of the up front fee that he charged, but he really wanted to just let this one go. It had a bad flavor from the start. Canyon nuzzled him for attention.
"You!... What the hell was that all about? You hate kids. I bet you'd have even eaten a sugar cube if she gave it to you. Ya damn traitor." He grabbed the harness and pressed his head against the sleek black head. "You don't want to take her in either, do you?" Canyon whinnied at him.
Sighing he lead the horse back to the stabling area to brush him down and drape the blanket back over the broad back. With Canyon tucked in for the night he headed back to the saloon.
Kincaid was in his usual spot behind the bar, Lisa was acting as barmaid; serving drinks to the tables. The one he had referred to as the spitfire was no where to be seen, but he assumed she was in the back room again. Kincaid seemed very protective of her and tried to keep her out of the active bar it's self.
Starrk chose to sit at the bar this time and ordered a glass of whiskey.
"No food? I'm pretty sure you haven't eaten yet today."
"You're not my mother." Starrk replied dully. The glass was clunked down on the bar in front of him.
"Compadre, you're gonna have to get use to us around here, we tend to worry about other people, especially when we see them in turmoil."
"Sounds nosy to me." Starrk sipped his whiskey.
"Six of one, half dozen of the other." Kincaid grinned.
Heaving another heavy sigh Starrk finished off what was in the glass. "I found my bounty."
"Oh good for you."
"Only now I don't want to do it."
"Oh moral dilemma?" Kincaid poured more liquid into the glass. "What will you do?"
"Hell I don't know."
The bar began to fill up and the former general was called away to fill more drink orders. Starrk sat in silence for a while.
"Hey handsome, you look like you need another refill." The woman with the turquoise eyes was beside him. "I see the lazy bum is off playing nice with other folk, what's your poison?"
"Whiskey, straight." He replied. She swung behind the bar and grabbed the bottle to fill his glass. "It wasn't this busy last night, is this normal or is there something drawing folk in."
"Weekend, all the farmhands are getting their relaxing in for the next few days. The rooms upstairs will be busy too, but don't tell Nana that, she'll have a fit."
"You two look so much alike."
"She is my daughter, thank god she doesn't look like her father." Was said with a wink and a chuckle. Starrk nearly snorted whiskey out his nose. "He's a good man, but he's better suited for being behind the bar. It accommodates his lazy nature, plus he's too stubborn to admit that anything else gives him flashbacks to all the fighting. I assume you know about that?"
"I know of his reputation. Amazingly strong fighter, lost his eye and it did something to him in the head."
"He was a mess when he rode into town. We slowly got him straightened up enough to function on a daily basis." She nudged the glasses back up the bridge of her nose. "What about you? Staying or leaving?"
"I'm not sure yet." It was getting rather dark outside, and the farmhands were being lead upstairs buy some of the barmaids. He wasn't going to get a lot of rest tonight.
Lisa chuckled softly. "If you're worried about the noise don't be, they do their business in a different section of the saloon. Serious customers get the better rooms at the front of the building. They go to the back."
"Maybe I should bed down at the livery."
"Not to worry, Things will be fine." She winked again. "Of course I'm sure one of the girls would be happy to help you out for the night."
Starrk wrinkled his nose, "No thank you, but I'll pass."
"Figured as much."
"I'm gonna head to my room and I'll take your word for it on the noise." Starrk nodded to the owner's wife and made his way upstairs. It was pretty much a repeat of the previous night, minus the attempted break in.
His sleep was interrupted by someone knocking on his door, not knowing the time he simply growled; not a mumbled curse but an actual animal like growl. Usually that drove the intruder off.
The knock came again.
Sighing he stood up, pulled his jeans on and answered the door. It was the child from yesterday. She looked very angry.
"Is it true?"
"Ya gotta be more specific this time of day, is what true?" he rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. "Ya woke me up, don't expect me to know what the hell you're yammering about."
She punched him right in the gut. It wasn't a light girly punch either. It was the punch of someone who was use to fighting. He doubled over in pain, coughing and clinging to the door frame.
"What... the... hell?" he managed to gasp out. "Are ya... nuts, ya can't just haul off and slug a guy like that."
"You lied to me." Angry tears rolled down her face.
"I did no such thing."
"YOU'RE THE DAMN BOUNTY HUNTER." She screamed. "I trusted you." She punched him again, and raced down the steps.
He was going to try to explain to her that he had changed his mind, and not turn her over for the bounty. He could always tell the employer that he wasn't able to find her, or that she had gotten away. There was even the option of saying that she had died..
As soon as he got his breath back he ran after her, disregarding the fact that he wasn't fully dressed. He saw her vanish around the corner; heading to the back of the livery. Hopefully she was just going to cry out her sorrow to Canyon who really had taken a liking to her yesterday.
That's where he found her, curled up in a ball just outside his stall, on the floor. Canyon had extended his head downward and was lip nuzzling the top of her head. Starrk approached slowly. He didn't want to scare her off again.
He flipped one of the buckets upside down and sat down on that. Just far enough away to not be threatening.
"Kid." He called out softly. Her head shot up and tear stained cheeks grew red with pent up anger. "Settle down, let me explain something to you."
"Why should I listen to you?" She glared balefully at him.
He took a deep breath, "I came to a discussion last night after talking to you yesterday. I'm not gonna take you back."
"W-what?"
"I had some misgivings about the job from the get go, things sounded shady, but a jobs a job and a man's gotta work, so I took it." He scratched his nose. "I can't in all honesty take you back to that. The job just ain't worth it."
"So you're really not gonna turn me in, I can leave?"
"Yeah! But here's a suggestion, stay in this town. It's nice here. You could go to the school instead of hanging out by the window. I'm pretty sure someone'd be willing to take you in. Maybe even that teacher. He seemed really nice what I saw of him."
"Ya think?" She reached up and patted Canyon's muzzle where he was still nuzzling her. "What'll you do?"
"I'll figure something out. One that won't send another bounty hunter after you, one that doesn't have moral dilemma's like I do. But I'll make it clear that there's no way for you to come back. I hate seeing kids used as pawns like that."
"I can't believe it. How do you know I was telling the truth?" She narrowed her eyes. "I could have made that all up."
"You could have, but I find people that are trusted by the most dangerous horses are most likely telling the truth. Canyon was trained from an early age to not trust anyone but me. He's not a friendly horse. I wasn't kidding when I said he's taken off fingers of kids who didn't listen to me. I've had to train him that way because of his looks, a lot of no good people have tried to steal him from me because he's such a magnificent animal, So far he hasn't killed anyone that I know of, but he's come close." He stood up and brushed some of the fore-mane to the side of the stallion's face. "He likes you. So I can trust you and believe that you're telling me the truth."
"Besides like I said the job sounded off from the start." He patted her head. "How about we head back to the saloon and get some grub. Now that I'm up, I'm hungry and need coffee, how about you?" She nodded.
"I"ll be back later Canyon" She gave his nose a rub. Canyon whinnied at them both, "Yeah he'll be back later too." Looking up at Starrk, "Hey mister... can I have a ride sometime?"
"We'll see." He strolled out the door. It was only when he was getting strange looks from passersby that he realized he was only half dressed and picked up the pace. He wasn't embarrassed but he didn't wish to expose himself to the more modest folk more than he already had. The girl picked up her pace to keep up with him.
Kincaid was behind the bar and raised an eyebrow at the two of them, "Everything alright?"
"Yeah!" Starrk replied. "We're gonna have breakfast, but first I need to get changed." He took the stairs two at a time. The girl sat at one of the tables and scrubbed at her face. Kincaid stepped out from behind the bar; first he went to the kitchen, then he went into the one side room.
When he returned a young girl was following him, looking like a thundercloud. but as soon as she saw Lilynette sitting at the table with her tear stained face she gasped and hurried over to the table. Grabbing her hand she tugged the child along to the side room. There was a small wash station off to the side and Nana handed Lilynette a wash cloth and soap.
"You poor dear, was those tears off your face. Geez men are so stupid." The younger girl couldn't help but giggle. "How about later on you come back here and I'll make sure you get a nice hot bath and some clean clothes?"
Lilynette nodded but added, "I ain't wearin' no dress though." Nana chuckled this time
"Deal."
When she finished cleaning up, Lilynette made way back to the main room of the saloon and saw a table loaded down with food. Her stomach growled so loud that Kincaid let out a snorting laugh behind his bar. Not waiting for Starrk she dug in and began to eat.
A fully dressed and groomed Starrk made it to the bottom of the stairs before he saw her chowing down. "Hey ya greedy brat, leave some for me." Lilynette stuck her tongue out at him. He strolled over and plonked down in the empty chair and began to shovel food in his mouth, trying to catch up to her. He paused occasionally to gulp down some coffee. They squabbled over the last bits of food, with Lilynette winning in the end and declared herself winner. Starrk grumbled that it wasn't a competition in the first place.
True to his nosy nature Kincaid asked, "So now that you found your bounty, what're ya gonna do with her?"
"Leave her here. My mission was a failure." He grinned at the young girl, who grinned back. "You wouldn't happen to have a sheriff who'd be willing to sign a death certificate would you?"
"He might, depends on the circumstances" More people began to drift in for breakfast, including Joshua Ulrich. Starrk perked up and asked to speak to the man privately. Joshua was slightly taken aback but as soon as he heard the story he agreed.
Starrk came back to the table, "Now where would I find that sheriff?" Everyone pointed to Kincaid. Starrk groaned out loud. "That figures, you just couldn't keep away from protecting everyone, could you?"
"It's part of my military training. I don't get to play sheriff too often here though, it's a quiet town." The tall man spoke quietly. "Now how is it that your mission failed?"
Geez the man had no tact, Starrk hadn't wanted to do this in front of everyone. But since it was out there now he went through the whole story. There were a few shocked gasps when he introduced himself, but by the time he was finished and with Lilynette adding her part the townsfolk agreed that his plan was a good one. "So what I need is an official death certificate that I can take back to the family. That way they won't send someone worse than me after her. Mr Ulrich has already agreed to take her in, so that's settled."
"You'll need more than a note from the sheriff if you want it to be legitimate." One man spoke up. "I'm the doctor that serves this town. I just happen to be here this week and was going o move on to the next town tomorrow." He adjusted his thick glasses. "But under the circumstances I'd be willing to fill out a death certificate for the young lady. It's clear that the family back east does not have her best interests at heart. I don't happen to believe in forced marriages. I'll get started on the papers as soon as I've finished my breakfast." He nodded to everyone and went back to his meal.
"They'll have no reason to doubt certificates from both the sheriff and regional doctor." Starrk was glad that his plan was coming together. "As long as all this is alright with Lilynette." He glanced over at the child sitting across from him. There were tears streaming down her face again. He just shook his head. It was understandable that she'd be overwhelmed by the entire town standing behind her, giving their blessing for her to remain here, trouble free. "I'll take off in the morning so I can get it over with as quickly as I can. Even with my very brief time here, I feel like I've found a second home, I'd like to be able to stay here when I'm not staying with my family in Montana."
There was a round of applause. Starrk blushed.
Six full months later Starrk made a return trip to Lost Horizon. The town hadn't changed all that much but a few new buildings had sprouted up, and the livery stable had expanded. People waved at him as he road into town this time. Canyon shook his head, sending his mane flying. He wanted to get into that stall and eat. Starrk chuckled and let him have his way.
After seeing to his horse's needs he made his way back to the saloon. Kincaid gave him a warm, merry wave and poured a glass of whiskey for him. He sat at the bar and caught up on what was going on.
Lilynette had adapted to life in the town quickly and was in school at the moment. Ulrich claimed she was one of the smartest children he'd ever met. They got along well at home too, especially when the pale man had one of his spells. Lilynette was right there to help him out, after she had been trained.
"How'd things go with her family?"
"What bastards they were, really." Starrk shook his head. "They didn't even blink when I gave them the death certificates, I was just handed the rest of the money and shoved out the door, almost literally too."
"Some folk are just unnecessarily cruel." Kincaid refilled his cup.
"That they are." He gulped the liquid fire down. "If they treated me: a highly respected bounty hunter like that, I can just imagine what they'd have done to the kid."
A bell sounded in the distance.
"Oops schools out. I'm sure you were seen riding into town, you'd better brace yourself for what you see."
"What's that even mea..." before he was able to finish he was knocked off the bar stool by a flying tackle. He let out a grunt of pain as he hit the floor. He couldn't believe how much she had changed in just six months. She was no longer the skinny, tiny girl had filled out. She looked almost entirely different.
"You made it back." She squeaked at him. "I'm so glad you're here. Is Canyon in the stable?" She threw questions at him rapidly. "What took you so long? How'd it go? Did they even miss me?"
He answered them in order. "Yes Canyon's in the stable, It's a long way from there to here, It went as expected, And I don't think they missed you quite frankly."
She gave him a small half pout.
"Look kid you're much better off without that bunch. They have no interest in anything but money. I gave them the certificates, the read them, handed me the rest of my money and showed me the door. There's no life for you there."
"Oh well," She sighed. "I like it here anyway. How long are you going to stay?"
"I thought I'd winter here, Montana gets really cold this time of year. I like it here where it's warm."
"YAY!" She bounced on his stomach that she was straddling. He could hear his spine creak and snap.
"Okay, okay get off. We'll catch up at dinner later on if that's alright? I need a bath and some rest first."
"Ya sound like an old geezer talkin' like that." She rolled off him. "I think Joshua was going to have dinner here anyway."
"You call him by his first name?" That was a bit of a shock to Starrk.
"Well not in school, I gotta be respectful there. Miss Lisa would punish me if I didn't."
"At least someone's got control of you." Lilynette stuck her tongue out at him. Starrk slid back onto his bar stool. Kincaid had set out a room key beside his glass and Starrk could see the staff already running hot water and empty buckets up and down the stairs.
"My staying here that long isn't going to be a problem, is it?"
"As long as you're paying." A voice from his right side spoke up. He looked into the eyes of Nana; Kincaid's daughter. "We don't take freeloaders"
"Plenty! As long as y'all don't get sick of me."
"As long as you're paying we won't get sick of you then." She stated matter of factually. Turning quickly she wandered back into the room she was usually found in.
"That girl..." Kincaid moaned. "All her mother and none of me. I have no idea how that happened."
Lilynette gave him a quick hug, waved to Kincaid and skipped out the door.
"So what'd you think of our girl?"
"She's grown up a lot since I left." He sipped the whiskey again.
"That she has. She gets along with everyone, Joshua's been great for her, and she's been a big help to him also. They make a nice little family."
"I'm glad. Maybe sometime I could take her to meet my family in Montana, they'd like her."
"I'm sure she'd like that too."
Starrk picked up the room key; it was the same room he had six months ago. "I've got to get this filth off me and get some rest, my ass is tired from so much riding."
Kincaid howled with laughter. "Everything's in the same place they were before, just let someone know when you're done."
With a small salute Starrk headed up the now familiar stairway and unlocked the door to his room. Everything was in the same place as before, it looked just the same as it had.
He made his way to the bathing room and sighed happily at the site of the steaming tub.
Being here in the winter was going to be a treat, rather than being on the frigged tribe-lands. His family would understand. He'd been away from home for a long time, a few more months weren't going to make that much difference.
He peeled off the grubby clothing and sank into the tub.
Definitely better. He sighed contentedly.