Grizzlies West Just touched down into the Grizzlies, snow-capped valleys and sub-zero temperatures can make even a seasoned outdoors-man long for greener pastures. Can't hunt anything when snow is falling hard like this, gotta find some place on this Artemis is tough yet stubborn mare, but its getting rather rough for her to hold ground due to the fresh snow and cold conditions. Only a couple of rations of canned food is left and with no game in sight.. its clear I'll have to keep trudging through until I find a homestead or an unoccupied building to lay low for now. Snow falling, yet its in the middle of goddamn May...
Ambarino
1899
Benjamin's POVHolding the lantern in one hand and checking my pocket watch in the other I position the lantern's light to better tell the time. Some snowflakes drop on my mustache as I wrinkle my my mouth a bit to get the excess snow off.
"3:24 AM..." I tell myself, closing the watch and pulling on the reigns for Artemis to continue on the path for a dry place to stay at until the snowfall at least calms down a bit. The animals won't feed in a blizzard like this thats for sure.
Artemis whinnied from the snow, patting her gently on the head as I rode the mare north, across some snow covered trees and a shallow lake.
An hour has passed since going north and I finally come across what seems to be a modest homestead, light and noise coming from inside yields that the occupants must be up. Here's hoping their feeling generous tonight. I got off of Artemis, in doing so I see a few other horses tethered up near the house. Upon closer inspection it appears to be a ranch as a barn is not too far from the house.
Opening up the saddlebag I rifle around the weathered oak colored bag to find my throwing knives, in case things turn ugly… gotta be practical in situations like these. I learned throwing knives properly from a mountain man up north a few years ago…
Nice feller he was… said his name was Hamish Sinclair or something like that.
Can't be thinking about that right now, I crouch down to scout my surroundings. Snow crunching with each step I took getting closer to a wagon. Taking cover behind the wagon something smelled off like rotting meat.
Undoing the cover draping over it was a corpse of a man no older than me. Shot right in the head and left here to rot.
My eyes narrowed at the house, drunken laughter and music from a record player emanated from inside. The door opened revealing a gangly looking man indistinctly muttering drunken gibberish while lighting a cigarette. His accent sounded Irish and I've seen that green colored scarf before belonging to an Irish-American gang of outlaws.
The O'Driscoll Boys, lead by Colm O'Driscoll. A murderer with no empathy for anyone including his own gang from what I hear, goes through more members than the pox.
I sneak my way around the wagon, hunting knife in my right hand as I wait for the O'Driscoll to loo away. He fumbles with his cigarette as it oafishly fell from his mouth… idiot.
Seeing him pick it up I took my chance, clasping my left hand over his mouth the knife went through the bastards throat, gargling for his fellow gang members to aid him I stab him once more in the back. His lifeless body fell over in the snow turning white into red with his blood.
Time to go loud… I reach into my satchel and pull out a cigar as I lit it with a match I knock on the door. The music stopped.
"Who the hell is it, Vincent quit pissing around." One of the O'Driscolls loudly jeered, the door opened wide as the man met my expressionless gaze.
Within seconds I threw a throwing knife, hitting dead center to his head. Two more O'Driscolls fired drunkly
I smashed one over the head with an empty whiskey bottle, broken glass shattered as the bloodied outlaw fell. The other oaf tried firing off with his revolver… nothing came out as his weapon was empty.
Drawing out my Cattleman Revolvers I fired twice shooting both of the drunken outlaws dead. Holstering my sidearms I look around the homestead, finding a couple of canned food from the counter top.
Five minutes of searching for supplies I go to the right side of the house, my eyes drifted over to a portrait. A married couple, poor bastard was married. Turning the frame around I see writing etched on the back of the photograph.
September 7th, 1896
Jake & Sadie AdlerI put the photo back on the shelf, I don't remember seeing his wife on that wagon. She must still be alive… hopefully at least.
Gandering around the home once more I notice a ladder leading up to a cellar, climbing the rungs of the wooden ladder a blanket was draped over in the corner. Walking over slowly to the small form I clear my throat to speak.
"Mrs. Adler? You're safe now. Those men are dead." I assured her as I peel the blanket off of Sadie. Dressed in a nightgown and long blonde hair, she shivered in fear as fresh tears rolled down her face.
And my mind is racing trying to figure out how to handle a situation like this. As in the past life I took husbands away from wives and now sits a widow from a gang that I was once no better than a couple years ago. I let out a sigh as I reach a hand out to help Sadie up, reluctantly she did as I helped her down from the cellar and cleared out the bodies of her husbands murderers, dropping them outside.
Closing the door behind me I could hear Sadie's sobbing, she sat on her kitchen table chair crying. I walked over to her pouring a whiskey I had from my satchel. Setting the cup down I offered her the beverage. "You need to drink something, this'll help calm you down some." I tell her.
She took the metal cup and drank the whiskey slowly while I lay out a few crackers from my satchel as she had to eat something. She ate a couple of them.
"I'm sorry ma'am, truly. I'm not so good myself but I ain't them." I say gently.
Sadie hadn't said a word as she sobbed some more before she looked at me.
"He was my husband, w-why would they… they shot him and just laughed..." She tearfully recounted the traumatic experience.
I said nothing but sat across from her, letting her grieve in peace at the moment.
Some hunting trip this has turned out to be… -Hunterous
Hey everyone, hope you enjoyed the chapter. A bit surprised it turned out longer than I thought lol. Just wanting to say thank you to all who have followed and favorited my little story thus far. Also again big thanks to JaneValentine007 for drawing Benjamin, hope you especially enjoyed this chapter. See you all next time!