Author's Note: All properties are the rights of their respective owners, Dynamite Entertainment, etc.
I've managed to pry myself away from The Witch Queen long enough to post this chapter, so I guess I'm not completely lost to it.
Trailblazer445: Thank you for the kind words. I was surprised by the lack of Sonja too, she's been fun to write and with the way this site works you'd think she'd be shoved into every thinkable property for obvious reasons. I'm taking my approach to that basic premise, and I'm glad you're enjoying it. I'm looking forward to their relationship developing too, but we're not there just yet, so be patient.
This is an odd sort of chapter, and so I went with a kind of odd song, an Iron Maiden track off Piece of Mind. There are quite a few things going on here, so hopefully you all enjoy. If you have something to say then go on ahead and leave a review.
Once Upon a Time in Hyboria
Chapter 13: Back in the Village
Opening the door, Sonja stepped out of the small cottage and made her way to the pair of horses she and her partner had rode in on, along with their charge. Lyreen cast a hopeful glance towards the Hyrkanian, and the redhead returned a small smile, "I have spoken with your relatives, they are willing to take you on, young one. That is, if it is still what you desire?"
When Lyreen had declared that she wished to go to her family, instead of remaining with Sonja and Walker, the Swordswoman had been a bit surprised, but it seemed that her inner fire had been tempered by the battle, a development for which she was silently grateful. The young woman nodded, "It is," she affirmed with a resolute tone, "I am grateful for all you have taught me, Red Sonja, they are lessons I will never forget. But with my family avenged, I don't want to have to use them any further."
Sonja could sense the unease, tinted by shame, that came with those last words. "You have proven your mettle young one, no one, not even I, is worthy to challenge what you deem best for yourself." Lyreen nodded, shoulders straightening at the praise from the Hyrkanian. Coming down to one knee, Sonja could not help but wonder if she would do any differently if she were in the younger woman's position. Not that she regretted her choices from all those years ago, but her life since then had not been one many would covet, despite the songs and fame lavished upon her in that time. "Hold your head high, for now and forever, stand by this choice and live this life to its fullest. That is all any of us can aspire to."
"I will," vowed Lyreen, "Thank you Sonja." Sonja was surprised as the girl spread her arms. She accepted the invitation, wrapping the girl in a brief but emotional hug that neither wanted to pull away from. When both did, the young woman then turned to grab her bag with what few belongings she had salvaged from her home and stepped up to Walker. "Thank you as well, Joshua Walker, it was an honor to meet you as well."
The Bounty Hunter smiled below his wide brimmed hat, "The honor was all mine, Little Lady," he drawled. Offering his hand, Lyreen only paused for a moment before shaking it, beaming as she did so. "And one more thing," said Walker when he released her hand. Tombstone turned to his horse and withdrew the double barreled weapon Lyreen had used, along with the satchel containing the unique 'shells' the weapon used. "I want you to have this," said Walker, and even Sonja could see how Lyreen took a half step back from the offered weapon. "Not that you need to go findin' trouble with it, but if trouble just so happens to come a knockin' then be sure and give it both barrels, okay?"
Lyreen offered no more resistance after those words, and took the offered items with steady hands. "I shall," she promised before setting the gun down and abruptly throwing her arms around Walker. The Bounty Hunter couldn't hide the shock on his face at the blatant display of affection, a sight Sonja found amusing, but did finally return the gesture, bringing a smile to the Hyrkanian's visage. Lyreen finally let go, trying to hide the tear that was forming in her eye, but to no avail. She then grabbed her things and turned to face both fighters before saying a simple, heartfelt, "Goodbye."
"Happy trails, Little Lady," returned Walker.
"Farewell, young one," echoed Sonja as the young girl made her way to the cottage that housed her relatives, who appeared in the doorway to welcome her to her new home. Lyreen gave them a wave before disappearing inside, at which point Sonja turned to her partner. "Come, we must resume our pursuit of Kulan Gath."
Walker didn't speak, instead opting to simply pull himself up into his saddle, Sonja watching his boot slip into a stirrup and his other one thrown over the creature. She then did the same, flicking the reins to urge the horse into motion, a motion which Walker matched. There was something that Sonja felt the urge to say, and so she guided her mount beside Walker and spoke, "I do not know what words you spoke to Lyreen that made her choose the path she did," began the Hyrkanian. The Bounty Hunter made to open his mouth, but Sonja cut him off, "But I am glad that you said them."
"Well, that's good to hear," answered the Bounty Hunter, a small grin on his rugged features, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. And I reckon your fury exceeds that of any other, it's why I try not to piss you off."
Sonja raised an eyebrow at that, trying to determine if such words were praise or an insult. "Your courtesy is appreciated," answered the Hyrkanian, but couldn't muster too much sincerity into the words. Even after their travels, she only understood that she did not truly understand how Walker's mind worked. He had accomplished what no other had and bested her in single combat. But he had made no attempt upon her body, other than a few glances when he believed she wasn't looking. He was the first man to not want to do more with her, or so it seemed, while also being the first man with whom Sonja would consider, or even could, lay with.
A wry chuckle from the man shook the redhead from her thoughts, "It ain't just that Calamity Dame. It's that I know you'd slit my throat while I slept if I crossed you." Sonja frowned at that, having thought they'd move well beyond that point, but not finding the stomach to correct him. "But I'm glad you and I agree on this. This life… I wouldn't want her to be a part of it, wouldn't want anyone to, really."
Sonja blurted out the question that came to mind without a moment's thought, "Do you regret doing it?"
"No, not really," answered Walker, but his words were measured, and he frowned as he said them. "I made my choice, and I stand by it, but I know that there's only one way this all is going to end. Doesn't matter if I get back or not."
"You believe you are destined for a glorious death?" guessed the Hyrkanian.
Walker snorted, "I don't see much that's glorious about it," he drawled, with bitterness in his words. "I figure if I'm lucky I'll get to go down fighting. It'd be better than getting shot in the back I suppose."
Sonja nodded, but pondered what else there could be for him, or herself before shaking those thoughts away for the moment. "Aye," she agreed, "It would be."
Walker took a count of his remaining ammunition using the light of the full moon and grimaced. He wasn't in any danger of running out soon, but he had been going through too much for his liking. From the way Sonja told it, there were still two more major stops before they reached where Gath was holed up, and he resolved to see if he could remedy his ammunition situation in their next stop, Schandara. He had kept his spent brass, and still had some spare primers, but no extra powder or balls. This wasn't a problem he couldn't solve, he reckoned he could get the materials to make black powder, and he had a mold to make balls, if he could find some lead. When asked, Sonja said he should be able to buy what he needed, and that relieved the tension he felt as it came to his dwindling ammunition supply.
Looking across the small campsite the pair had spent the night at, Walker saw another source of tension, in the form of the redheaded Hyrkanian. It wasn't the kind of tension that had pervaded the early days of their partnership, wondering if she would turn on him or be combative, that part was well behind them. While he was still keeping things close to the vest as far as where they had to go, Sonja seemed content with the arrangement as they rode through her land. In fact, she had been friendlier for the past few days, but there was something off, her unflappable poise was… shaken, like she was unsure of herself. Which, up until he had seen it, wasn't something Walker thought the Red Woman capable of.
Still, her odd behavior rested at the forefront of his thoughts, reinforced by their proximity over the past few days, and having the muscular, well-endowed and scantily clad woman in his mind's eye had been the reason for Walker's stress. Unable to resist temptation, Joshua turned to look at the woman as she sat on a fallen tree, back to him as she polished her blade in one of her evening rituals. The Bounty Hunter saw her mane of red hair flowing down her back, but leaving her toned arms and muscular shoulders exposed, the few straps of her clothing doing little to offer her modesty. His eyes wandered down her body, taking in every inch of it, from her defined back, thin waist, and wide, womanly hips, a perfect mix of warrior and woman. Hanging from her hips was her miniscule garment that failed to cover the entirety of her backside, and it was clear from her time as a fighter that she possessed a perfectly formed backside, which sometimes attained hypnotizing properties as she walked.
When his eyes drifted back up, Walker saw that Sonja had raised her freshly polished sword and caught sight a reflection of her green eyes on the blade and paled, realizing he'd been caught staring. Only Sonja didn't spin around and shout angrily, as he expected, instead the Bounty Hunter could've sworn he saw a barely perceptible wiggling of her hips. Walker almost dismissed the notion, but the way her garment swayed caused him to consider it possible, and he felt a stirring below the belt and quickly averted his eyes. Shaking his head, he went back to sorting out his remaining ammunition before realizing he would need to do something else to take the pressure off.
Sighing, he grabbed a small tin that held a soap bar he hadn't had a chance to use in some time and turned to his companion and spoke. "I'm going to rinse off in that river up there. I don't mind taking first watch when I get back."
Sonja turned around to face him, "We will arrive in Schandara early in the morning. Is this not something that can be done there?"
Shaking his head, the Gunslinger answered, "Nah, I got enough to do as is, don't see the point in doing there what I can do right here." With that, he strode off through the woods towards the river the pair had encountered earlier. It was slow moving, but wide and deep, and clean enough that he didn't mind washing his clothes or himself in it. Crouching down and running his hand through the water, Walker washed his hands, rinsing them of the grime that coated them after days on the trail.
The first thing he had to remove was his gun belt, unfastening the leather that was still carrying his revolvers and cartridges and setting it on the ground by the shoreline. Soon after, he had pulled off his duster and shirt, running them both through the river to get the dust and sweat from the ride. Laying both out on the grass, Walker then sat down to pull off his boots and socks, happy to give his feet a breather as he plunged the socks into the water before squeezing them thoroughly. The two socks, which had generated more than a little confusion and belittlement in this land, went next to his shirt and duster to dry. Looking around to ensure he was alone; Walker shucked the rest of his clothes before easing himself into the flowing waters of the river.
Taking a deep breath, the Bounty Hunter submerged himself beneath the surface before coming right back up, running his hands through his longer, shaggier hair in an effort to get the grime out of it. The chill of the chest high water prompted the gunfighter to shiver, but it was a good distraction from the thoughts that filled his mind, and the temperature of the water kept his blood chilled. Reaching back onto the shore, he pulled the rest of his clothes into the river and gave them a much-needed wash. When that was finished, those items were also tossed back up onto the grass and grabbed the bar of soap from the shoreline.
Closing his eyes and relaxing, Walker went about scrubbing himself head to toe in the river, trying to forget about the bigger picture for a time, however short it was. Indeed, it proved to be an even shorter time than he had anticipated, because he could feel something watching him. It wasn't definite, but it was a feeling that he had come to trust over the years.
Taking a breath, Joshua forced himself to be calm and not show that he sensed something was off as he finished what he was doing, all the while slowly stepping backwards, edging closer to the shoreline and his gunbelt. Able to feel the water get shallower as he neared the sheer drop onto the grass, Walker took a breath before spinning around, grabbing hold of one of his Pearl Gripped Schofields and meaning to yank it from its holster before his eyes snapped up to his spectator, or rather, the pair of knee-high brown boots she wore. His eyes then went up a pair of long, slender, yet muscular legs until they reached the wide hips, canted at an enticing angle with a gloved hand on either one. Then was a toned stomach with hints of her abs, the barely contained beasts, and then the smile on her womanly lips and pretty face, framed by her mane of red hair. "Calamity Dame," he managed, all his efforts at relaxing fading away in an instant, "Don't sneak up on me like that."
"My apologies," she answered in her accented tone as she looked down at him from her spot on the riverbank, "You are right about not wasting time once we arrive, so I have decided to join you here, if that is alright."
Walker blinked once, feeling the blood run hot in his veins despite the cold water. "No it's alright, come on in, the water's fine and there's plenty of it."
The Hyrkanain's lips formed into a pretty smile that looked almost out of place on a woman of her reputation. She unfastened the leather belt that had her sword on it and let it fall to the ground, followed by her boots and gloves. With speed and grace, Sonja dove into the water, right past the Gunslinger, when she emerged, she threw her head back, red hair flipping through the air and sending water onto his face as he stared, utterly entranced. He felt bad staring, but couldn't bring himself to stop as she ran her hands through that exotic mane. Sonja's hands then disappeared back under the water's surface until they reemerged a few moments later holding the leather band and triangular pieces of scale mail that covered her nether regions before the skimpy garment was tossed ashore.
His instincts got the better of him, and Joshua tried to peer through the water for a look at the newly exposed flesh, but the darkness and water prevented him from seeing anything beneath the surface. Sonja then looked over her shoulder and caught him staring again, but only offered a smirk as she deposited the soaking wet piece on the bank. "You are curious Walker, are you not? What about?" she asked with a devious glint in her eye.
Stuttering as his eyes went back and forth between Sonja and her article of clothing, the Gunslinger finally answered. "You mentioned why you wear that strange clothing of yours Calamity Dame," began Walker, swallowing to alleviate his suddenly dry throat, "But you never said what it was called."
"The design has been around for many generations in Hyrkania, Joshua," informed Sonja as she scrubbed herself. "It has been worn by those of a… less than noble profession, named after the town where it came from. It's called a 'Bikini.'" As she said this, she was reaching around to mess with the straps that kept the upper half of the bikini covering her ample bosom. "I like how little it restricts me, and it is eye-catching, is it not?"
Walker could only nod, hoping that he would be able to recreate this 'bikini' when he got back to his home, and maybe even find someone half as attractive as Sonja to wear it, and not caring that he was staring at the Swordswoman. The straps then came undone, and Sonja brought her hands down to hold the scale mail material in place over her breasts before turning around and pulling the top down her arms, removing it completely before it too joined the other half of her attire on the shoreline.
The prospect that Sonja was just a few feet away, naked as he was, caused a stirring between his legs. When she turned around, he was disappointed to see that, even for a woman as tall as her, the water came up to cover most of her breasts, the swell of her flesh was still evident, and even without the bikini they still seemed to hold their impressive shape with ease. Sonja stood straight, the current having seemingly no effect against her impressive strength as she moved towards him and he reached out to touch her. His hands were intercepted by her own, redirected to rest on her shoulders as she bit her lip, hesitating as soon as he ran his fingers over her moist skin and into her wet hair.
While Walker was fighting his own instincts to not take Sonja right there, it seemed the Hyrkanian was fighting some instinct on some level, her own hand extending at glacial pace, not quite touching him. But she eventually did, and her fingers sent lightning across his skin as she trailed her hand across his chest, and again Walker had to squash his desires. Her other hand ran down his arm as Walker just fought to hold himself steady, thankful that Sonja was standing far enough away that his manhood couldn't reach her, even as hard as it currently was. "I… I don't know if I'm doing this right."
"That's alright," he assured, voice shaky, "Just do what feels natural to you, only what you can… You can do this, right?" he asked, vaguely remembering something about her pact with a goddess as he looked at her green eyes.
"I… yes, I can do this, but only with you," replied Sonja, fingers making circles on his freshly cleaned skin. "The day you arrived, in that caste, you defeated me in honorable combat, and proved yourself worthy in the eyes of Scathach. A few days ago, when you showed compassion and wisdom to Lyreen, while aiding her in slaying those bandits, you proved yourself worthy in my eyes. There is no one with whom I would rather experience the pleasures of the flesh."
At that, those green eyes slowly closed as her head tilted back, lips parted in invitation that Walker happily accepted. Closing his own eyes, Walker leaned in, putting a hand around on the back of Sonja's head to hold her steady as he went in for a kiss when he felt a chill down his spine, a familiar one, like he was being watched. His eyes snapped open to find that the Swordswoman's green orbs were staring straight back. "You feel that too?" asked the Bounty Hunter, and the woman nodded, eyes flickering over to the shoreline, where their arms lay just at the edge of the river.
Walker nodded back as they both took a breath before acting at the same time, both surging to the edge of the river to grab ahold of their respective weapons. With the sound of steel echoing off leather Sonja yanked her sword out and held above her head as Walker grasped a Schofield and swept the muzzle of the revolver across the forest around them. "Do you spy anything amiss Joshua Walker?" whispered Sonja lowly, the two almost instinctively going back-to-back as they eyed the foliage around them for whatever had set them off.
"No, do you?" replied the Bounty Hunter, eyes narrowing as he thought he saw the movement of rustling leaves and leveled the revolver at it, only to dismiss it and look elsewhere.
"Nothing," replied the Hyrkanian. "We must not stay here, we are vulnerable."
"No shit, we're buck naked," he bit back. "Alright, you get out first, I'll cover you."
"Why me?" shot back Sonja.
"You have less to put on, you'll get dressed quicker," reasoned the Bounty Hunter, "Don't worry, I won't peek." That seemed to placate her, and Walker could feel the water shift behind him as Sonja pulled herself out of the river and redonned her bikini. "I think we'd better get back on the move, I don't fancy the idea of staying in these woods overnight."
"I agree," replied Sonja, picking her sword back up, "Now it is your turn, I will not peek."
Setting his Schofield down, Walker pulled himself out of the water, not feeling any eyes upon him as he got his still damp clothes back on under the light of the full moon. But in the distance, the Bounty Hunter could hear what sounded like a coyote's howl.
Sonja estimated it was still early morning by the time the two rode into Schandara, but she was too exhausted to care. Having ridden through the night, unable to shake the feeling that they were being stalked, Sonja was thankful for the prospect of a respite after hours of staying focused on keeping her steed calm as they pressed on through the woods. Her hand had gone to her sword more than once, and Walker had spent most of the ride with his 'Winchester Repeater' in his lap rather than its scabbard.
But as they rode into town, the Hyrkanian's hopes for peace ebbed away as she saw the town. The rising sun failed to pierce the thick fog shrouding the buildings, a heavy atmosphere that failed to change as the pair pressed further into Schandara, entering the miasma. Sonja felt her unease growing as she noted the details of the town. Many of the buildings were in a worrying state of disrepair, and laid out on the side of the road were more than a few animals, most with their throats torn out while the rest had been slashed by the claws of some great beast. However, all looked to have chunks ripped out of them, even before they were left to rot.
The stench of which was horrid enough that Sonja almost wanted to empty her stomach, and for the first time she was happy that she had not eaten that morning because of their ride. "Sonja," intoned Walker from just beside her, "This ain't right. I ain't never seen nothin' like this."
"Nor I, Joshua," returned the Swordswoman, "I know not what sort of beast prowls this accursed land that could be responsible for this." Seeing a sign for an inn, and the prospect of a bed on which to rest her weary head, Sonja steered her horse towards the building, not caring that it looked to be in no better shape than any other building in the town.
Dismounting her horse and securing it to the post outside the in, the Red Woman was about to head inside when she felt a tap on her bare shoulder, "Calamity Dame, what d'ya make of that scene down there?" asked Walker.
Sonja's eyes followed the Gunslinger's finger and saw a crowd of townsfolk outside a building, but with the fog that persisted, she could make out no more. Frowning, the Swordswoman weighed their options, "My instincts say we want nothing to do with this foul place other than what we must do. Let us see to our business, rest, and be out at first light tomorrow morning."
"Sounds like a plan, Calamity Dame," drawled Walker as he put his Winchester back and made his way up the steps of the inn. Before he reached the door, it opened, and a balding man with a long, ashen beard and wrinkled face emerged from inside. "Howdy, Old Timer," greeted Walker with a tired wave, "We were just hoping to get a room for the night."
The man's lips curled back to reveal ugly, misshapen teeth, "Harken ye my strange young lad, dismiss not my words, for I am not mad. I've endured this land and its many fears, much have I seen in these last sixty years. Believe me then when I say unto you, one single night, nay, that shall not do."
Sonja stepped up alongside the Bounty Hunter, "We insist," ground out the Hyrkanian, so fatigued she did not care how her tone was taken, "And it would be best for you not to argue."
Turning to face Sonja, the old man's expression turned into a twisted smile as he spoke again. "You have your blade and wield its power, yet does it match strength agin nigh the hour? He who does now haunts this land and hence ye entered, now you're damned. Tonight ye shall find that after dark, is when the beast will leave its mark."
Spitting, Walker squinted at the old man, "You got rooms for us for tonight, or should we move on?"
"I have a room, this is true," replied the elderly man, "But how long you two stay is not up to you."
"We shall have it," cut in Sonja, turning to look at Walker as he raised an eyebrow. "It has been a long night Joshua, let us rest and plan with clear heads," she suggested as she pulled a few pieces of gold and passed them to the old man.
Taking the coins, the innkeeper looked up at the two once again. "Yours is the third room on the right, it's prior occupant left us last night."
"Decent of you," ground out Walker before bulling his way past the old man with a flourish of his duster. Sonja followed him into the inn, past the dust covered shelves and crumbling desk as he turned right and went down the hall. The Bounty Hunter came to a stop and opened the third door, with both stepping inside the dark, dreary room. "Truth be told, I was expectin' worse," drawled the Gunslinger.
"As was I," replied Sonja, eyes drawn to the decently sized and fairly clean bed. The fact that there was only one of them did not register as a negative, not as she turned to look at Walker as he removed his hat and duster. Memories of what she had seen the night before ran through her mind, and stirred unfamiliar, but enticing feelings in her core. Stepping forwards, putting sway in her hips as she had seen women do, Sonja sat on the bed and removed her boots, looking up at her partner, "Will you not join me?"
"I'm not sure you'd be getting me at my best Sonja," drawled Walker.
Sonja felt a heat in her cheeks at what he was suggesting, as well as somewhere lower down, but shook her head, "I do not wish to go beyond what we did last night, but what happened, what I said… I meant it, and I liked it." Walker raised an eyebrow, looking over her body in a way men had many times before, only this time Sonja felt a pang of anxiety. "I feel that you are a good man Joshua Walker, not merely a good looking one."
"So I'm good lookin' now, am I?" he commented, "Glad you think so."
Taking a breath to recompose herself, "After so many years on my own, I thought I would grow accustomed to the solitude." Looking up at him, Sonja let out a sigh, "I never did. I have enjoyed spending time with you, have you enjoyed spending time with me?"
Joshua's mouth opened before closing again, "It's been good having someone I trust watching my back," he admitted, but Sonja got the sense there was more to it. Then, much to her inner delight, Walker began unbuttoning his shirt, "That is has been a lady as beautiful as you are Calamity Dame? I'd never have dreamed of it, in fact, I never thought I'd find a gal who'd put up with me."
He tossed his shirt away and smiled faintly as he sat beside Sonja on the bed. Taking his hand in hers, the Red Woman enjoyed the warmth of his touch, as mundane as it was, "Your time here is short, Joshua Walker," she observed, "I would like to spend what little is left with you, if you would have me."
Walker raised her hand, and kissed it lightly, "I could be convinced," he drawled, a gleam in his eye. But then his mouth opened and a yawn escaped it, bringing the moment to an abrupt end.
"Then I shall do that… after we have rested," replied Sonja, stifling a yawn of her own. A yawn that nearly became a yelp as she felt Walker's arms wrap around her and lay her down on the bed as he lay behind her, pulling her close before both fell asleep the second their heads touched the pillows.
When his eyes opened, Joshua took a deep breath and inhaled the scent of the woman wrapped in his arms. Sonja smelled wild, of the land, and her brilliant red hair felt soft against his nose, in sharp contrast to the hard muscle he could feel under his fingers. While Walker felt he could have lain here for a very long time, he knew he couldn't. Slowly, he unwrapped his arms from the woman, resisting the temptation to run them along her more appealing features. Joshua realized he had a chance to have something special with the woman and did not want to squander that chance.
Rolling out of bed and redressing, Walker slipped out of the room without disturbing the Hyrkanian. Stepping onto the street, he found that, while the fog had burned off, the low hanging clouds kept the village shrouded in darkness as he walked through the streets. Strangely, the town seemed to be dead, there was no life in the streets, nobody else about, no shopkeepers advertising their wares, prompting the Gunslinger rested his hand near the grip of his Schofield.
Eyes narrowed, Walker spied what he was looking for, an 'Alchemy Shop,' and made his way inside. A bell jangled an unsettling tone when Joshua opened the door, and a pair of blue eyes narrowed as they sought any sign of life. "Hello?" he called out, "Anyone here?"
"Who are you?" asked a woman, her eyes red and drooping, "What do you want?"
"I'm just passing through, but I was hoping to buy some things," replied Walker, feeling a sense of unease pervade him.
"Nobody 'just passes through' here," spat the shopkeeper irritably, before she shook her head and braced herself on a shelf to stay on her feet. "But you've already been told that, so what can I get you?"
"I need a mixing bowl, sulfur, charcoal, and nitrate," rattled off the Gunslinger, having long since memorized the ingredients for the black powder that filled his cartridges. Sonja suggested a shop might have those ingredients, and he hoped she was right.
"I got the first three," replied the woman, moving about to gather the clay bowl and two small jars, "But I've never heard of that last one."
Walker grimaced, trying to remember what Sonja had said it was called, "Uh, nitrate is what it's called in my land, you might call it saltpeter. Do you have that?"
"Aye, I do," replied the woman before grabbing another glass bottle from the shelf and set it out beside the others. "Will this be all?" Walker nodded and withdrew a few coins to pay for the items. "Then you had best be moving, it will be dark soon."
The tone of the words caused a feeling to gnaw away at Joshua's gut from the inside, hand twitching near his pistol. "Why do you say that? I can take care of any man who might wish me harm."
The woman shoved his items to him, "It be no man you must worry about."
Closing Notes: This was a sort of hodge podge from a story perspective. Closing up the last arc, starting the new one, and moving their relationship along. Hopefully it didn't come across as too crowded. This will be a shorter arc, two more chapters probably, something new I'm trying so bear with me.
Stay Frosty, Misfit Delta out.