Chapter One: Howdy Partner!

*He had been on the dusty road for so long that he had nearly forgotten how welcoming the sight of water was. Hiiro pulled on his horse's reins and when the animal slowed to a stop, he swung his leg over and landed hard on the packed ground. Gently leading his horse to the edge of the river, he tied it to a tree and allowed it to graze on the sweet grass of the banks and drink from the cool water.

He himself bent over and splashed his face with the crystal clear water to rinse away the travel grime and wake himself up. Taking his canteen, he filled it and took a swig of the water. The pure, cool water quenched his thirst and refreshed him.

"Nothing like a good drink of water when you're thirsty." He murmured to himself and his horse. Over the years he had gained the habit of talking to himself whenever he was alone. He couldn't speak to anyone when he was in a town, civilized folk never really settled well with him. He just never seemed to fit in with their lifestyle. He was better suited for the open road, just himself and his horse. The bounties he caught made him enough to live his lifestyle quite easily. Money was never an issue, and he never stayed in one place long enough to allow himself to become tied down. It simply wouldn't do.

He turned his thoughts from the water to his newest bounty prospect. The man was known as Wild Shields. Back east Shields had pulled off four of the biggest bank heists ever. Since then he had moved out west to avoid the law. As he passed through a town, he paid off the sheriffs with the money he had stolen and soon enough he had corrupted more than half of the towns on the west side of the Mississippi river. As far as he knew, five separate bounty hunters had already tried to turn Shields in, and had failed to catch him and stay alive.

Hiiro was after him for the bounty reward- eight hundred dollars. That was more than he made in three years worth of bounty hunting. In truth, he really had no need for the money. But the fact that this man was out in the west, corrupting so many innocent people, well, that bothered Hiiro more than anything. So here he was. Besides, he had nothing better to do with his time.

"Damned heat." He muttered, taking off his hat to wipe his brow.

"It is a little warm today." He whipped around quickly, drawing his gun and aiming towards the origin of the voice. "Hey! Hold up there now! I haven't done much of anything wrong yet."

"Who are you?" He asked.

"Well now. My name's Serena Kemmer." The girl before him grinned broadly.

"What are you doing here?" He kept it up, not dropping his gun.

"I was going to water my horses, if that's alright with you gun boy." She laughed good-naturedly. Hiiro spotted five horses behind her. Gun boy… he didn't like it. Still, he dropped his gun. "Now that's more like it. You don't mind stepping aside, now do you?" She asked him. He complied.

"Where did you come from?" He finally asked her.

"From the town on the other side of the river. It's only half a mile up or so. I take it you didn't know there was a town there? Not many do. They call by this path and go right on through, never stopping for more than a night. The people of our town don't like visitors much."

"A town? Had any visitors lately?" He asked.

"Did you here one word I said? You're the only visitor I've seen in months! We don't get a whole lot of company round these parts, our people don't much like it." She repeated as she led her horses towards the water.

"Ever heard of Wild Shields?" Hiiro drilled her. He had to know.

"Wild Shields? Can't say as I have. Sounds a bit familiar, but I can't tell you anything for certain." She looked at him skeptically. "Why would a nice young man like yourself be looking for some one with a name like that? He owe you money?" She laughed lightly.

"None of your business." He grunted. "How far up the road did you say that town of yours was?"

"Half a mile or so. You planning on heading up there?"

"None of your business." He stopped. "Why are you watering all those horses? It's a man's work, not for someone little like you."

"None of your business." She snuffed him. He was slightly taken aback by her manner. Though he had been rude to her, she was a girl. She was supposed to remain polite anyway. Well, she must not have had a good upbringing then. Had he been her father, he would have given her a few lashes with a strap.

"Good day then." He mounted his horse, nodded to her one last time, and rode off up stream. He wanted to get to this town. Even if she had simply so much as heard his name, he needed to check it out just in case. Through the sparse vegetation of the riverside he rode at a jaunty pace, not wanting to seem overly excited to the townspeople. That would only create cause for concern in them, which is what he wanted to prevent.

Soon he came upon the first of the town shanties. As he rode down the path that led into the main street of the small town, he nodded to the women and men he passed. None of them smiled or returned his nods. What was the use of trying to be polite to overstuffed town folk if they weren't going to return it?

He finally reached the saloon and stopped his horse. Tying it to the wooden hitch posts, he stepped onto the wooden sidewalk and entered the bar. It was one of the most empty he had ever been in. Only five men sat in it, and none of them seemed awake, or even alive. As he sat at the bar he removed his hat.

"Give me a shot of whiskey." He ordered. The bartender nodded and busied himself behind the counter. Hiiro decided now was the best time to make his move. "Ever heard of Wild Shields?" The man behind the bar dropped the glass he had been holding. Hiiro watched the shaking man's hands as they wobbly poured his whiskey.

"Can't say as I have." Though the man's hand was shaking, his voice remained steady, never faltering once. "We don't get too many visitors round here."

"So I here." Hiiro muttered, guzzling down the shot in one gulp. "Thanks." He put his money on the counter and stood to leave. "Know where I can find the sheriff?"

"Cross the street." The bartender said without looking up.

"Thanks." Hiiro tipped his hat, and then walked out of the saloon. The town street was practically empty now. No one walked it, no one stood on the wooden sidewalks, not a body in sight. As Hiiro crossed the street towards the sheriff, a man came out of the building.

"Howdy. Just passing through son?" He spoke with a dignified tone.

"Looking for a man. Wild Shields." Hiiro watched the man to see if his eyes flashed with any sign of recognition. The sheriff made no movement. His eyes never blinked, and he never broke a sweat.

"Never heard of him."

"He's wanted in every state both east and west of the Mississippi. Dangerous bandit."

"Don't know of him son. Sorry. You know, we don't much like visitors around here." The sheriff's eyes narrowed. "Be best if you just got back on your horse and rode out of here." Out of the corner of his eye, Hiiro saw that the townspeople had gathered around behind him, watching the conversation.

"Sure you've never heard of him?" Hiiro pushed.

"Never. Now it'd be best if you left now."

"I need to restock on supplies." Hiiro countered. There was something off about this sheriff, but he hadn't faltered yet. Hiiro needed to buy more time to figure out what was really going on.

"I want you gone. You can't buy your supplies here. Go to the next town over for them."

"Gun powder?"

"Next town over." Hiiro saw the men behind him moving in.

"I have other business in this town as well."

"Like?" The sheriff countered.

"He's my new hired hand!" Called a voice from the edge of the crowd. Hiiro turned around to see the girl from the river, perched on a horse, behind the crowd. She dismounted and walked up to them.

"Hello there Serena. What were you saying about this here visitor?"

"He's no visitor, he's my new hired hand. Got him to help me with the horses."

"An outsider?"

"Yeah. He's good with the animals, and strong too. I needed him to build me that new coral."

"Well then boy. Seems I mistreated you a bit. Serena, if he's yours, why don't you take him back out to your farm now, to avoid any more confusion today."

"Sure, I'll do that. Thanks Bill." She nodded. "Come on gun boy, let's go." Hiiro simply nodded, knowing that now he was stuck in playing this game with her. He untied his horse, mounted it, and wheeled it around behind her. He watched as she tipped her hat to everyone, and they all nodded back. They she urged her horse to go, and he followed. As they cantered down stream again, he rode up beside her.

"Well then gun boy. I suppose I've hired you. Still up for the job?"

"Town doesn't much like visitors."

"No, they don't. They keep to themselves. The job?"

"Payment?"

"Three dollars a week plus food and board. All you have to do are a few of the farm chores and help me build a new coral."

"I go into town a lot?"

"Once or twice with my errands."

"What'll your pa say? Isn't the hiring his job?"

"Was. He died three years ago. Ma's dead too. That's why I was watering those horses. And if you have a problem with me wearing men's clothes, like the rest of the town folk, don't bother taking the job."

"Your house, your clothes. I get to go back into town, say, twice a week and I'll take the job."

"Deal. You going to give me a name anytime soon gun boy, or do you like me calling you that?"

"Hiiro Yui."

"Nice to meet you. Come on now, keep up. We're almost back to my farm." He nodded. Why she was helping him, he didn't know. Nor did he care. But she was giving him a chance to become trusted by the town folk, and after they knew and trusted him more, he would find out why the town was so unusual.

Serena looked at the stranger for the fifth time that day. She couldn't place why she was helping him. If her pa knew… he would have strangled her. If he knew, he would have strangled her. But neither of them knew, so she supposed it would be alright for the time being. She hoped. Besides. The horses, and the coral, and all the other chores, were just too much for her to handle about now. Help would be nice. But she had her doubts- this guy was strange; she would give him that.

"We're here."

~~~It's getting there! Hehehe. I would like to take this time to thank for the wonderful reviews! They were SO sweet! (if any of you get a chance, read my reviews, I think you'll understand what I mean! Speaking of reviews, LET ME KNOW how this is!~~~ Rix13Rix@aol.com