Chapter 2: A Wild Frontier

Hello journal, it has been a long time since I have written anything. I know Riveria wants me to write in you all the time, but I do not like writing too much. Words are hard for me to understand and even harder for me to use. I do not know how to express myself. So, I will not be expressing myself here. Instead, I will be writing about the strange boy I just met named Bell Cranel. He is a funny boy, if a little weird. We have been at his home for a week now, and he still has not talked to anyone besides the absolute necessities. I think I want him to open up, but I am also unsure. Things were not this confusing before; why did they change?

The Morning:

Eventually, the snowstorm had let up, and Ais was able to walk around and examine the little manor in its entirety. There were signs of a garden and a chicken coop, to her great surprise. It took quite a bit of staring, but eventually, Bell explained that the whole place was almost self-sustaining. The only thing that he and his grandfather would go into town for was higher-quality supplies. Things like hair pomade and candies. Bell only really liked the candies, apparently. He snuck a couple to Ais at one point. They were sweet and made her smile.

Eventually, though, food started to become a problem. They had gone through the supplies they had brought from Agris. So, now they had begun to eat Bell's stores. Ais felt bad about it, but they really didn't have a choice. That is until Bell stepped forward one day.

"If it's food you need, I know a hunting ground near here," he said to Finn one day.

"Oh?" said Finn. "What kind of hunting are we looking at?"

"Some deer, maybe some rabbits and pheasants," replied Bell.

The young boy had come to Ais in the morning, asking if she could take him to Finn. She didn't see anything wrong with it; they were on his property after all. So, she led him through the snow-laden front yard, where the white powder came up to his knees and her thighs. They both chose to ignore where Cruz had been buried in the ground. He had only lasted to the first morning but had passed away soon after. Ais hadn't known Cruz very well, but he had always seemed like a kind guy. Even when he was robbing banks, he never mistreated nobody.

Still, though, that left one less enforcer for the gang. Ais would always do as much as she could, but even she couldn't do everything. And Bete was still injured and recovering. Realistically, that just left Ais, Tiona, Tione, Alicia, Aki, and Raul. Gareth, Riveria and Finn were all gunmen, but they didn't really count. They were more about the planning than anything else. They would show up for the big heists, but that was about it. But maybe Bell would join up like Finn had said. The thought made her happy but also real sad.

Ais was shaken from her thoughts when Bell spoke up again.

"I'd be willing to lead Miss Ais here out for some easy hunting." He looked over at her. "I mean, if she's comfortable with it and knows how to keep quiet."

Ais frowned. She might not have been as good as Bete, but she was plenty quiet!

"I have a couple of bows and arrows. I promise I can bring back two deer at the very least," finished Bell.

Ais's frown deepened. Yeah, bows and arrows were not her strong suit. She opened her mouth to object to being put on the hunting team, but Riveria beat her to it.

"This sounds like a fine idea to me," she said, hair tied in a long ponytail down her back. "Ais, go with Bell. The rest of us can focus on looking for the next big score or where we'll end up going after these God-forsaken mountains."

Gareth stroked his beard and nodded along. "True enough. We've all had enough time to lick our wounds; it's time to start thinking about where we're heading next."

Finn smiled. "I have a couple of ideas." He looked to Ais and Bell. "But in the meantime, you two are going to head out and find us some food."

Internally, Ais threw a fit. She hated doing hunting and supplies gathering. Because that usually meant interacting with people she didn't know. But externally, Ais just nodded and began making her way down from the loft. She heard Bell follow, and she continued to groan. Ais was just about ready to run off for the wolves to take her. But she didn't do that. Instead, she followed Bell out to his old rickety shed. On the way, they passed Aki and Raul having another argument while they tended to the horses.

"Raul Nord, you listen here! I don't want none of your gosh darn excuses!" said Aki, hands on her hips. "There ain't no way on this good green earth that you're taking the horses out there into the wild!"

"But they need to move Aki. They need grass and freshwater," replied Raul meekly.

Aki narrowed her eyes in a cat-like way. "We've already lost enough good people. If you went out there…and something happened to you…well, I just don't know what'd I'd do with myself."

Raul let it go, slowly pulling Aki into him. He settled his head on top of hers, slowly stroking her hair. Aki was not crying; she was just standing there quietly. Ais saw how Aki's hands gripped Raul's sleeves even tighter. Meanwhile, Raul seemed like he was taking his first true breath from the last couple of days. Ais realized that she had been clenching her fists. She tried to take deep breaths through her nose, pretending that she wasn't jealous. But the thought still lingered in her head.

How come they had someone to lean on?

When their friends died, how come Aki and Raul still had each other? Or Tiona and Tione? The camp girls? Finn, Gareth and Riveria? Even Line and Bete had been talking for a while now. And Ais…she had no one. Nobody to help her grieve. It wasn't fair.

"Ummm…Miss Ais, the bows are this way," said Bell, pulling Ais along.

She let herself be taken to the gardening shed. Bell handed her a bow and quiver with some arrows. He then grabbed the same for himself, along with a knife or two and a hatchet. Finally, he grabbed a weird sack with a funky little aroma.

"What's in there?" asked Ais.

Bell, checking the bag's contents, turned his head to Ais. He had a shocked little expression on his face, eyes wide and mouth partially parted. Apparently, Ais asking a question had surprised him.

"Oh, well, this is my bait. We can use it to lure some deer over to us," replied Bell. "I use it all the time. It's like when you go fishing." Bell looked over. "Have you ever gone fishing, Miss Ais?"

Ais shook her head very quickly. She refused to partake in any activities involving water or its many forms. Just standing here in all this snow made her trigger finger nervous, if she was honest with herself. But the gunslinger was going to stand tall in front of this little boy. She had to be brave for him.

"Let's get going," replied Ais, pulling her hat low. "We need deer before the sun sets."

Bell nodded along. He threw his bow over his shoulder and followed Ais out into the snowdrifts. The two of them walked over to the makeshift stables, where Aki and Raul were doing what they could to tend to the horses.

Just as always, Aki's seemingly supernatural senses kicked into gear. She whirled, both pistols drawn. Raul jumped, trying to do the same with his rifle. Aki relaxed when she saw it was just Ais walking across the yard.

"Gosh darn it, Ais, can't sneak up on a gal like that," replied Aki, putting her guns back in her holsters. "I could've shot you just now. Gotta be more careful."

Instead of an apology, Ais felt her cheeks puff up.

"You wouldn't've hit me," she replied. "And I would've shot you first."

Aki's eyes narrowed, and her shoulders rose to their hackles. Ais was reminded of a cat before it pounced. Before either woman could let their nerves get the better of them, there was a confused tumbling sound from in the stable. Raul practically shot forward, falling face-first into the snow. By the sound of it, he had tripped over some tack trying to get between the women.

Raul pulled himself to his feet. "Now come on, this is just the cold and the hunger talking, girls. Let's all just take a break and try to get along, right?" He looked to Bell. "What are you two up to? Do you need something?"

Bell nodded, happy to try and defuse the situation. "We need some horses, I think. Finn asked me to take Ais to go hunting for food."

Aki finally looked away and snorted. "Wow, sending Ais out to do the hunting? Even the chosen child has to get down to work, huh?"

Ais looked away. She hated when people talked about her like that. As if she was some kind of favourite member or received preferential treatment. But Aki didn't seem to actually mind; in fact, she seemed to be kind of happy about the whole ordeal. The black-haired woman from New England walked into the stables and saddled Ais's horse. It wasn't her original horse, just one that she had stolen when she had gone on the run from Agris. Bell followed Aki, going for his horse. It was a mare with grey hair that was almost blue. Bell smiled at the horse, running a hand through its mane.

"Hey there, girl," he said. "It's been a while, I know; I just wanted to come and make sure you were ok. How about a ride?"

The horse whinnied in response, stamping its feet. Ais saw that it was energetic and seemed to be pretty young. Only just at the age where it could be ridden. Ais walked over. She didn't reach out to touch it, though, understanding that touching someone else's horse could be impolite.

"What's her name?" asked Ais.

Bell smiled. "Wiene. I've raised her from a foal. She's one of the few things I still have here, besides the chickens." He looked at Ais. "Do you want to touch her?"

Ais nodded, raising a hand. She let Wiene sniff her and watched the horse nuzzle into her. As that happened, Bell looked at Ais's horse.

"Does yours have a name?" he asked.

Ais shook her head.

"She isn't a permanent horse," said Ais.

Bell looked uncomfortable with it, but he also didn't say anything. Instead, he just saddled his horse and swung himself over. Ais did the same, and the two trotted out into the Wild. Ais followed Bell, her horse moving in Wiene's footsteps, tracing a path in the snow.

Around her, the world seemed to wake up from its slumber. She saw the sun begin to peak over the mountains, its rays providing the first bit of natural warmth she had felt in a week. And the hills seemed to gleam in the morning light, their faces grey and imposing. The sight of it reminded Ais that she was still nothing more than a speck in this unforgiving landscape. Ais had to remind herself to breathe, taking in a great gulp of the mountain air. When she finished, she noticed Bell staring at her. He looked forward when they made eye contact.

"Something to say?" asked Ais.

Bell looked back, blushing. "It's just, you looked kind of peaceful like that, you know? Since I've met you, Miss Ais, you seemed happy for the first time. And I get it, you know? I know how nice this air is." Bell took his own deep breath before leaning forward to pat Wiene's flank. "It's our favourite part of our home, ain't that right, girl?"

Ais smiled, twitching her reins. Her horse picked up its pace until she rode next to Bell. She continued to ride alongside him through the small mountain pass. As they rode, Bell told her about some stories from his childhood. He talked about the creek they crossed and how he and his grandpappy used to go fishing in the spring. How they had once caught the biggest fish Bell had ever seen.

"Didn't last long, though, before it fell back in the river," he said sheepishly. "Since we were so surprised by it, we forgot to kill it. The poor thing was able to flop back away harmlessly."

They passed a small grove of trees that Bell nodded towards.

"That's where me and pappy would set traps for the boars," he explained. "The things were too big for me, and pappy was too old. But he told me that if we were smart about it, we'd be fine."

"What happened to him?" asked Ais, eventually.

Bell got really quiet then, and Ais realized that she had messed up again. She had put her foot in her mouth and had said something stupid. She cursed under her breath, wondering what she could say to make it up to him when Bell finally answered.

"It was that disease in the lungs," said Bell. "I can't right remember the name of it, but I think it's something like tuberculosis?"

Ais nodded, even though she didn't understand what he was talking about. She felt terrible for prying, honestly, but she did enjoy that someone was talking to her. She had her friends back at camp, but they all kept a bit of their distance. The only one she really spoke to was Riveria. And sometimes, she'd chat with Lefiya and the twins.

"But, it was bad for him. Being up in the fresh air seemed to help, but then the Winter hit, and he never recovered…." Finished Bell. He was quiet for a few more moments before he tried to conjure a smile. "But never mind none of that, why don't we just try and find some deer, huh?"

Bell rode up ahead, and Ais let him be. She knew that it was best to enjoy the silence every once in a while.

The Afternoon:

Back at camp, Finn sat in the hayloft. He looked out over his gang going about their chores. Behind him, Gareth and Riveria were debating where to set up camp once they got down this cursed mountain.

"Part of me almost wants to stay," said Riveria. "We just hide up here for the rest of our lives and live off of nature." She pulled out a pipe, packing it full of tobacco. "Beats the hell out of running somewhere else only to risk getting found again." She lit a match and started to puff away. "But I'm thinking that doesn't sound likely."

Gareth chortled; the sound garbled by the chewing tobacco pressed into his gums. He had said nothing, but his gaze and the little actions he took spoke volumes. He was already doing a mental tally of what the gang's ammunition looked like, as well as if he'd be needing any more…explosive accoutrements. After all, Gareth had known Finn for years. He could take a guess what the small man was planning.

"Gareth, where did Tiona say that the Evlius Gang was camped?" asked Finn.

There it was.

Riveria pulled a face. "You can't be serious? We've just barely recovered, and you want to head out there and stir up more trouble?"

Finn turned to face his oldest companions.

"Yes, I do." He gave Riveria a sad grin. "We don't really have a choice. It's either we go to them, or they find us eventually. Would you rather put Lefiya and the other girls in trouble?" Finn rubbed his chin. "But we do need to leave a gun or two behind." Finn looked to Gareth. "Any options?"

Gareth nodded. "Aki and Raul can watch the camp. Send Riveria and Alicia to find a place with the scoped rifles. Me and you can lead the rest Finn, except for Bete, who can be left behind to recover."

Riveria frowned. "So, that's Raul, Aki, Lefiya, Line, Rakta, and Elfy? I guess that works. Elfy and Rakta aren't exactly helpless after all. What about the boy?" Riveria's eyes narrowed. "I hope you don't plan on roping him into all of this?"

Finn chuckled. "I will admit, it was a thought that happened to cross my mind." The small man shrugged. "But in the end, I chose to let him be. After all, even if I want him to join us, it is not his place to clean up our messes or deal with our grudges." Finn finally turned to face his companions. "We'll just have to wait and see what happens when he gets back from his little hunting trip."

The Hunt:

After some quiet riding, Ais and Bell had stopped by a dell of trees. Bell told Ais what to do, where to wait, and how to avoid standing in the wind. These were all things that she had never considered before. Usually, the gang left the hunting to Bete or the twins. Ais only ever went out to do jobs. So, doing something like this really was outside her comfort zone, but in a kind of good way. But it also made her realize just how much she relied on others. While Bell and her waited, she reflected on how she'd need to apologize for being such a burden to the others.

"Hey, Miss Ais, look," whispered Bell.

He nodded his head, and Ais followed his line of sight. She watched as a deer slowly made its way towards the bait. Every cell in Ais's body told her to start shooting, or else the doe would get away. Just as she was about to move and disturb the leaves, Bell laid a hand on her shoulder. He shook his head and slowly lifted his bow. Ais saw that he had already put an arrow in place, leaving it nocked. Then, she watched him slowly lift it up and draw it back. He breathed, held it, and he breathed out. As the breath left his body, the arrow left the string. There was a whizz, a thunk, and the doe fell over dead.

Ais let out a breath, unaware that she had been holding it. Bell turned to her and gave a shaky smile. He stood up and walked over to the dead doe. Droplets of scarlet blood were scattered on the snow. There was a crunch as Bell squatted down to inspect his kill.

"Was a clean shot, mercifully," said Bell. "Which means that I got lucky." He looked back at Ais. "I'm assuming you have someone back at camp which takes care of the skinning and the like?"

Ais nodded. Food was handled by Lefiya and the other camp girls. They prepared the meals and took everything that Bete brought to them. Ais had only ever seen them skin a deer once, and it had not been a pleasant sight. A small part of her mind chastised her for being a stone-cold shooter that still got squeamish with dead animals, but there was nothing to be done.

Bell picked the deer up and swung it over his back. He trudged back to the horses while Ais followed dumbly behind. She continued to feel her uselessness more and more. She stood by while Bell put the horse on Wiene and apologized for the extra weight.

"So, are we going to hunt for a second one?" asked Bell.

Ais nodded. "I'm pretty sure Finn wants two."

Bell smiled. "Ok, so then this will be your turn."

When Ais shook her head, Bell just chuckled, his face a little red.

"Really, it ain't anything special. Ya just have to try and copy me, and you'll be fine." Bell swung himself back up on the horse. "Besides, the deer around here are all pretty slow. As long as we're just a little bit smart, we can bag another one."

Ais didn't like how she was being ignored, but she followed anyway. There was something about the innocent way this boy behaved, almost like he seemed to forget that she was a dangerous outlaw. It was nice to be seen as something different from what she really was, a murderer.

Oh, Finn could dress it up any which way he pleased. He could say that the gang fought for freedom from tyranny and that they were working to overthrow the shackles of their oppressors. However, Ais had always understood more than she let on. Finn's glory was something that only he saw. Everyone else was just trying to survive one day longer. And Ais was just here because she had nowhere else to go.

"Hey, Bell," began Ais as they rode to the next spot. "What you gonna do when we leave? The worst of the storm has almost passed, and we're going to have to get going eventually. Are you going to stay all on your own out here?"

Bell looked to the sky. "That do be a big question to ask. I don't have an honest answer. Part of me just wants to try to keep on living as I always have. But you folks have made me realize just how dangerous it is for me to be alone out here." He looked back to give her a shy grin. "You, and the rest of your gang, were awfully nice about everything, but I don't think the next folk that come through will be the same." He frowned. "But I can't just up and leave, you know? This is my home. I built it with my grandpappy and claimed this land for us. We fought so hard to get here." Bell sighed. "It would feel wrong to just let it all go, don't you think?"

Ais shrugged, no real answer to give. "Riveria always tells me that the worst thing to die for is pride. Especially when it's for someone already dead. Maybe this was your land, but how long do you think you can really keep it that way?"

Bell didn't respond to her. Ais frowned, cursing her behaviour and how she seemed to constantly just step on her own goddamned feet. So, the awkward silence continued for another minute before there was a sound from the undergrowth. The sound of a twig snapping caught both riders' attention.

"Huh, deer don't usually make this much noise," commented Bell.

That was enough for Ais. She drew her Rakia Revolver and fired once-off into the bush. There was a very human scream of pain and silence afterward. Ais hopped off her horse, practically running into the bush. Bell was rooted to the spot, not daring to move a muscle. This was for the best because Ais found the corpse of a man dressed like her. He must have been some kind of scout for the Evilus gang, which meant that the rest weren't far behind.

"Shit," said Ais. She turned back to her horse. "Hunting's over, gotta go back to the others."

She hopped on her horse and trotted over to Bell. The young man just sat rooted in his saddle, gaze fixed on the bush. Even though the body was hidden, Ais could imagine that it was haunting him. She snapped her fingers in front of his face.

"We gotta get moving, now," she said.

Bell nodded back. He twitched his reins and took Wiene into a trot. Thankfully, Ais was able to get him to pick up the pace. Soon, the two of them were racing back across their old tracks. Thoughts of finding a second deer were quickly forgotten. The only thought on Ais's mind was that she needed to report back.

They raced into the ranch area, the few people outside startled by the sudden movement. Ais didn't pay them any attention. She didn't bother leaving her horse; she knew what came next.

"Finn! I found a scout out there! I got him, but they'll go looking when he doesn't come back!" she shouted.

Finn appeared above her, looking down at the gang. He nodded once.

"Well, alright then, time to ride, folks!" shouted Finn. He turned to the stables. "Aki, Raul, I want you two to help everyone get ready and then get the girls into the house. You're on guard duty while we're away."

The Loki Gang's two most dependable members just nodded and got to work getting ready everyone else's horses. Finn looked at the rest of his family, who started moving.

"Ais, you'll lead the way. Tiona, Tione, you two can work with her to find the main camp." His gaze moved. "Alicia, get your rifle ready. You and Riveria are providing cover fire." Finally, Finn's gaze found Bell's. "Lefiya, can you take care of our host, please?" When he saw her nod, he started moving. "Alright then, folks, let's get to work!"

Ais watched Lefiya take Wiene by the reins, gently guiding the horse and her rider out of the chaos. She felt herself settle a bit when she saw that Bell would be ok. However, that moment of peace was broken when Gareth rode into view.

"Stop daydreaming, lass! I need you upfront and to lead the way for the rest of us. There was only the one scout, right?" asked the portly man. His usual cheer was gone.

Ais nodded, allowing her own mask to slip into place. She rode to the farm entrance, where the others were waiting. She took up a lead position, and the others fell in behind her. It was a very quiet ride to the dead body, everyone preparing mentally in their own way. The only sounds that came from anywhere were some hushed words between Riveria and Finn. They seemed to be discussing something, almost letting it get into a full-blown argument.

"Hey, Ais," said Tiona, distracting the blonde. "You didn't let that kid see the body, right?"

Ais shook her head, and Tiona gave her a tiny smile.

"That's good; he doesn't need to be dealing with stuff like that right now," said the Mexican gunslinger.

Tiona let herself fall back in line with her sister, and the ride continued in silence. Tiona and Tione would occasionally speak up to give directions, but the rest of the time was silent otherwise. Eventually, Alicia and Riveria peeled off to assume a position on the high ground. The others rode a bit more before Finn signalled for them all to stop.

"Make sure y'all are carrying what you need because there's no going back from here," he said.

When he saw everyone's silent response, he nodded. "Alright then, let's move forward. Now, it seems like Evilus has set themselves up in an abandoned mining operation. So, we move carefully and don't let yourself get pulled somewhere where Riveria and Alicia can't back you up. Everyone understand?"

It was a quick round of nodding, and Ais finally understood just how depleted the Loki Gang had become. There were only five of them here, with two watching their backs. Who knew how many were camped out below. Even if the Loki Gang was better trained and equipped, their chances weren't great. Despite that, Ais felt calm when she saw Finn smile.

"Alright folks, time to stop sitting on our asses and work for a living."

That got a bit of a dark laugh from everyone else. And the next thing Ais knew, Finn was leading them down the slope. The plan was simple, attack from above, thin the numbers, and sow enough confusion that they would all run off without putting up too much of a fight.

The first one went down from rifle fire, Alicia or Riveria doing the job. That got Evilus's attention and had them conveniently facing the wrong direction. Finn led the charge down the slope, and then he started opening fire, dual pistols at his side. Behind him was Gareth, with a pump-action shotgun. The big man got to work, practically blowing the heads off of anyone who got too close. However, that kind of carnage was nothing compared to what Tiona and Tione did. The two of them shared weapons, which meant they were tossing knives and axes to each other while they each tried to fire off their revolvers.

The twins were chaos personified and swept through their enemies like a storm. Ais, who made her way past her enemies with controlled haste, was all that was left. Her repeater would go off, and it would be one bullet one person. After all, Riveria had brought her upright, which meant not wasting valuable ammunition.

"Ais!" called Finn. "I need you to go check out the big red building!" He gave her a roguish smile. "See if there's anything interesting worth stealing!"

Finn pointed his pistol behind himself without looking, a shot ringing out. The man that had been charging him fell backwards, already dead.

Ais took off, eager to make it to the house when a man jumped her from an outhouse. There was a kind of crazed look in his eye and a bayonet in his hand. He made to stab downwards, with Ais's arms rising up to try and stop him. Slowly, she watched the blade inch closer to her heart. She just didn't have the strength to match a full-grown man. That was when the man was lifted off the ground.

Gareth looked at the man he had lifted before his face twisted in disgust. Ais's adopted uncle raised his shotgun and fired point-blank into the man's gut with one arm. Without another word, Gareth turned back to the fray. Evilus had been pushed back to the woods, and they already looked like they were about to break. Someone who was obviously the leader of this particular group looked like he was trying to rally the troops. That was when a bullet whizzed through his leg. He fell to his knees in pain, and the others took off.

Ais continued on her mission, though, searching through the red house. She checked the corners and checked in all the usual hiding places. Thankfully, there was no one left behind. Which meant that she had free range to pilfer their papers. While she was looking, Ais stumbled upon a journal. It listed many things, including correspondence with a figure named Enyo and some plantation owner named Freya. However, what really caught her eye were the plans to rob a train. The only problem was that she didn't recognize the target's name.

Who the hell was Royman Mardeel?

So that took a while to update, whoops. Oh well, enjoy the chapter!

Review Responses:

Seer: Happy you enjoy it! Definitely a...different story for Danmachi, but its fun for me so hey, why not?

Guest: Thanks!

King Damage: Thanks!

nolifegamin: Story idea is 100% based off that!

mairsarmy321: No Gods or anything, trying to make this as realistically western as possible. Probably in the late 1800's.

: Sorry that it took so long to get out the next part!

RabbitHaremLover24: BellxAis is the main ship but there will be others for side characters. Bell well have some moments, but he has to earn them of course!