*Author's Note*
Thanks for all of the follows, faves, and reviews.
So, a lot happens in this chapter. I hope ya'll like it. A scene from the show's in here, but was tweaked a bit due to Novella being in the story.
We're Wanted Dead Or Alive
Novella POV:
It's been a week since I've been livin' in West Virginia with Cap and my daughter. So far, the transition to livin' in the mountainous outskirts of Mate Creek's been goin' good and so far, Cap's an easy man to live wit'. True to his word he let my brother visit. The first time Moses came over was last weekend when Cap sent Selkirk to bring him ov'r. The second time my brother came over was yesterday. In typical Moses fashion he skipped school to spend the day with me and his niece, which I didn't mind. I guess I should tho, but I didn't. I knew that my brother wasn't a scholar, he was rough 'round the edges and would do better as a manual laborer. Uncle Perry was in denial if he thought Moses was goin' to follow his footsteps in studyin' the law, becomin' an attorney.
This mornin' I woke up to Cap sleepin' in bed next to me, just like I did every mornin'. Nothin' was goin' on between us, we hadn't crossed that line yet and who knows if we ever would. He had his own side of the bed an' I had mine, only our shoulders touched as we laid in bed. Cap's alarm hadn't gone off yet, but I knew that it'd be soundin' off soon since he always woke up early due to his work at the saw mill. I always made sure that he had breakfast before he left the house, made sure to send him off wit' a lunch too.
Today would be no different. I got outta bed, dressed quickly, and went into the kitchen to make a breakfast of eggs and bacon. I had just taken the bacon out of the pan and put it on a platter whenever I heard my bedroom door creak open. Cap's boots echoed in the air, minglin' with the sound of eggs hittin' the hot skillet as I cracked them in, as he walked over to the kitchen table. Lookin' at him as he sat down, I simply greeted him wit', "Mornin', Cap."
"Mornin', Nova." He simply told me, pickin' the coffee pot off the table along with one of the mugs by it. While pourin' himself some coffee he told me, "Breakfast smells good."
"Thanks." I replied while stirrin' the hot eggs, scramblin' them quickly. "I didn't make biscuits since we got 'em leftover from yesterday." I told Cap, referrin' to the platter of biscuits in the middle of the table, as I finished cookin' the eggs. Cap didn't say a word, just nodded and took a sip of his coffee. Quietly I grabbed a plate and plopped a large spoonful of eggs into it. I also placed a few slices of bacon onto the plate, grabbed a fork, and took the plate ov'r to Cap at the table.
"Ya gonna visit wit' Vera today or just stay in, do housework?" Cap asked me, most likely grabbin' a biscuit from the small pile on the table, as I went back ov'r to the counter and made up my own plate.
Holdin' both my plate and the platter of bacon in my hand I walked over to the table. "I'll be stayin' in." Settin' the plate an' platter on the table I said, "I might go visit her t'morrow tho."
"Maybe ya can do the wash today." Cap suggested, grabbin' a piece of bacon an' takin' a large tearin' bite outta it, while I grabbed the coffee pot and a mug, pourin' myself some.
"Yea, if weather's permittin'." I told Cap, placin' the pot back on the table 'fore grabbin' myself a biscuit. Truth was we didn't have much clothes and I couldn't let the dirty ones pile up. I imagine in time the amount of clothes we have'll grow, but right now that's not the case.
Suddenly the sound of footsteps pitter-patterin' down the stairs echoed out into the air signalin' that Rihanna was up. I quickly got up from the table and went ov'r to the nearby counter to make my daughter a plate and to get her a glass of milk.
"Mornin', Anna." I heard Cap greet my daughter, just like he did every mornin', in a warm an' deep tone as I got her breakfast t'gether.
"Mornin'." Rihanna simply said as she took her seat at the table, which was the spot 'tween me an' Cap.
"Here ya go, sweetie." I told my daughter, placin' her plate of eggs an' glass of milk in front of her.
"Thank ya, mama." Rihanna told me while I placed some bacon an' a biscuit on her plate.
"You're welcome." I simply told her while takin' a seat next to her.
And like every mornin' for the last week we had breakfast together as a sorta makeshift family.
Cap POV:
When I got to the lumber yard, I didn't see Skunk Hair anywhere, which was odd since it was his week for night watch duty. He never missed a day of work, unless he was flat on his back sicker then a dog. Somethin' wasn't right. I couldn't spend too much time rackin' my brain over it tho, so I took off to find my pa and see what he wanted me to do today. It's either be stackin' fresh cut boards or patrollin' with Jim, I was hopin' for the latter.
I was walkin' the grounds with Jim for 'bout an hour whenever Selkirk arrived to work, late. Pa went up to Selkirk, no doubt givin' him a lecture an' tellin' him he was holdin' back 25-cents outta his pay, an' pointed him in the direction of a log pile that needed clearin'. Pa always docked a quarter for lateness. It never happened to me, but I've seen it happen to others before including my own brother when he used to do a lot of work for the saw mill. Ever since the shootin' of them McCoys on the pawpaws he's been pourin' himself into his whiskey business an' avoidin' the family loggin' business. Johnse only showed up when mama urged him too an' lately that hasn't been much.
I continued to walk the grounds wit' Uncle Jim whenever I heard Selkirk scream on the top of his lungs in a panic, "ANSE! ANSE!"
Everyone dropped what they were doin' and ran over to see what was going on. When me an' Jim reached the log pile that Selkirk was at he was bent over gaggin' while Pa was starin' wide-eyed at the pile. Everyone was lettin' out gasps as they looked at the pile of logs. What the hell was goin' on? When I walked up to pa's side, I saw what was under the large piles of logs. Skunk Hair, dead an' scalped.
"Cap, Selkirk, get Skunk Hair outta these longs an' restin' in the back of the wagon." Pa told us 'fore walkin' way from the logs. Me an' Selkirk, who was now standin' on his feet an' done gaggin', went to the openin' of the log pile to pull my best friend outta it while everybody else just shuffled back or went over to the wagon a few yards 'way, which wouldn't be used for haulin' lumber, but for haulin' a dead body today.
I looked at my boots as I grabbed my best friend's lifeless body by the shoulders and pulled him outta the logs somebody stuffed him in. I couldn't look at his scalped head, it was just too much. Once I finished draggin' Skunk Hair from underneath the logs Selkirk grabbed his feet, while I grabbed him under the shoulders, an' we carried him over to the wagon that was surrounded by Frenchie, Lark, an' Uncle Jim.
After we placed him into the back of the wagon Selkirk shuffled over to stand 'tween Frenchie an' Lark on the left side of the wagon. Lookin' at Skunk Hair's still lifeless body without his white streak of hair on the top of his head I felt myself begin to break an' boil over all at once. "They scalped him like injuns done it." Pointin' at him I told everyone in a deep rough tone, "He was my best friend since we was little." I shook my head and walked away from Skunk Hair layin' dead on the wooden flatbed of the wagon. Right as I passed Uncle Jim, he placed a hand on my shoulder. I spun round an' looked at him while spattin' out in a warnin', "Jim…" He backed off of me and let me lean 'gainst the side of the wagon. "He was my best friend…" I trembled, sorrow heavily weighin' down my voice as I hung my head down.
My best friend was dead and it hurt so fuckin' bad.
Pa came over to the wagon and stood by it while Jim simply said, "Rand'l McCoy done this."
Pa leaned his arms on the side of the wagon while deeply an' sadly sighin', "I thought we leveled the scales." So did I, pa. So did I.
Cotton an' Lias rushed over, holdin' a bunch of papers in their hands. "Uncle Anse, we found these in the logs underneath where Skunk Hair were." Cotton announced as he reached the wagon, holdin' half of the papers out for pa to take.
Pa didn't take 'em, instead Uncle Jim did as Lias stopped next to pa an' handed him a paper while sayin', "$750 for you since you're the outlaw leader."
"Tarnation…" Lark trailed off, holdin' his bounty poster in his hands that he'd gotten from the large pile Cottontop placed in the wagon.
"Am I in there, French?" Selkirk asked Frenchie as the man was siftin' thru the papers he'd taken from the pile.
"I'll be damned, Lark. You an' me both. Selkirk too." Frenchie shook his head, tossin' papers over to the two men standin' down the way from him.
"Hell, Selkirk, you're worth more than me. $600 cause of the defector that ya are." Uncle Jim shook his head, holdin' the bounty for Selkirk in his hand. Smackin' the paper he deeply grumbled, "$600…"
"Look, it's Uncle Wall." Cotton said from his spot 'tween Lark and Selkirk, holdin' up a poster with my uncle's face on it.
Pointin' at the poster in Cotton's hand I spat out roughly, "Uncle Wall wasn't even in that shootin'."
"Oh hell, Cap, your Miss Nova's got $100 out on her head." Jim told me in a low tone as he held a paper in his hand, his brows raised in shock.
"What the hell?!" I exclaimed, snatchin' the bounty poster right outta Jim's hand. I held it wit' a white-knuckle grip as I looked at the picture, of perfect likeness too, of Nova with the words $100 Reward printed right above it. My eyes, well eye since one's milky an' capped over, scanned the paper quickly only to read the reason for her bounty was conspiracy to commit murder. "Conspiracy to commit murder, hell she didn't have nothin' to do wit' the shootin'. She's a goddamn woman." I barked, foldin' the paper up and shovin' it into my pocket.
"She might be a goddamn woman, son, but she's one wit' a share in our loggin' business that ya had an affair with. Ole Rand'l an' Lawyer Cline ain't gonna let her live wit' that." Pa told me, givin' me a narrowed look. I could feel everyone's eyes on me. Guess the cat's outta the bag now. If they didn't already know that I had an affair wit' Nova, well now they did. Shakin' his head an' crumblin' the paper in his hand pa declared, "This is outta hand."
"Every greedy bushwacker an' bloodsucker's gonna be after us." Lias remarked in a disgusted tone.
Pa pointin' at all of us while sayin', "Just keep your guns handy." Turnin' to look at me he said, "Cap."
"Yes, sir?" I asked, knowin' he had words for me.
"Take care of Skunk Hair here." Pa pointed to my best friend, his deep voice slightly waverin' wit' emotion. I just nodded my head 'fore leavin' the wagon an' makin' my way to the horse that was hitched to it. "Everybody else, back to work." I heard pa order as I grabbed the horse's reigns.
I was gonna have to cut boards for Skunk Hair, deliver him to Vera, an' arrange a funeral. I also had'a get some black dresses from town for Nova and Anna. Goddamnit, this day's gonna be hard on me.
Novella POV:
After Cap left for work, I did the wash an' tidied up the house. Rihanna was currently takin' her afternoon nap while I was kneadin' bread dough, so that I could make some bread for dinner. I had just put some more flour on the table whenever I swore, I heard a wagon pull up to the house. Odd, I wasn't expectin' nobody today. I just shrugged it off an' went back to kneadin' the dough. I had just pressed down hard on the dough, twistin' an' turnin' it, whenever the front door squeaked open. I looked up from my hands only to see Cap trudgin' in, his black Stetson covered head hangin' low an' his shoulders slumped. It was too early for him to be home from work, but by his distressed body language I knew that somethin' was wrong. I silently watched him place his Winchester on the wall rack next to the door 'fore takin' off his hat an' coat, hangin' them up on the hooks near the gun rack.
When Cap turned 'round to look at me I noticed how his face was full of distress an' sorrow. His icy blue eye an' it's milky white twin were glazed over with a dull sadness. "Where's Anna?" Cap asked me, his deep timbre a bit hoarse, as he made his way into the kitchen with a package in his hand.
"She's nappin', why?" I replied to him as he walked up to the table.
"What I have to tell ya ain't fittin' for her ears." Cap told me, tossin' the package he had on the table while sittin' down at it.
Pausin' in the kneadin' I took a seat next to Cap while askin' a bit worriedly, "What's goin' on, Cap?"
"Skunk Hair was murdered by a McCoy bounty hunter Perry Cline paid for. Not just murdered, but scalped an' left under a log pile." Cap told me, his deep wavin' voice crackin' wit' every heavy-hearted word he spoke.
"Oh my god…" I sighed out in horror, my tremblin' hand coverin' my mouth.
"I had'a take care of him." Gesturin' to the package on the table he said, "Funeral's t'morrow, got you an' Anna some dresses."
"Poor Vera, they just had that baby." I sighed sadly, feelin' an overwhelmin' sense of sympathy for my friend. Lookin' at Cap I asked, "How do ya know it was a bounty hunter Ole Rand'l and my Uncle Perry sent that gone done murdered him tho?"
Cap pulled a stack of folded papers from the pocket of his jean overall bib and placed them on the table. "Those're all the bounties. Money Perry got from that senator's fundin' the prices on our heads." Cap explained as I picked up the papers. "Nova, sweetlin', you're in there. Got $100 on ya, I got $250 on me."
"What?" I asked in a breathless tremble.
Cap snatched the papers from my hand and rifled thru them til he found the ones he was lookin' for. "Here, see for yourself." He told me, handin' two papers over for me to take.
Quietly with a shaky hand I took the bounty posters from him. The first one in the small stack was his and it read:
$250 Reward
(Below was a picture of him)
William 'Cap' Anderson Hatfield Junior
Wanted For Murder:
William 'Cap' Anderson Hatfield Junior along with an outlaw gang led by his father, William Anderson 'Devil Anse' Hatfield Senior, unlawfully executed and murdered Tolbert, Pharmer, and Bud McCoy near Blackberry Creek, Kentucky in result of an unfortunate election day scuffle.
Appearance:
Hair: Blonde
Eye Color: One Blue, One White
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 175-180lbs
Occupation: Logger/Farmer
Bounty being paid out by Perry Cline, Attorney At Law. Office is in Pikeville, Kentucky. Report there for payment.
I put his poster down on the table and then looked at mine. With wide eyes I read:
$100 Reward
(Below was a picture of me)
Novella 'Nova' Landon-McCoy
Wanted For Conspiracy To Commit Murder:
Novella 'Nova' Landon-McCoy, a trained legal clerk, conspired with her lover William 'Cap' Anderson Hatfield Junior along with an outlaw gang led by his father, William Anderson 'Devil Anse' Hatfield Senior, to murder her husband Tolbert and his brothers Pharmer and Bud McCoy. The conspiracy resulted in the unlawful execution and murder of Tolbert, Pharmer, and Bud McCoy near Blackberry Creek, Kentucky in result of an unfortunate election day scuffle.
Appearance:
Hair: Red
Eye Color: Blue
Height: 5'2"
Weight: 115-120lbs
Occupation: Former Legal Clerk/Homemaker/Part Logging Business Owner
Bounty being paid out by Perry Cline, Attorney At Law. Office is in Pikeville, Kentucky. Report there for payment.
"How could he do this to me?! He raised me and now he's got a price out on my head, dead or alive!" I exclaimed, my mind blown by my uncle's betrayal, as I tossed the papers onto the table.
"Calm down, ya don't want Anna wakin' up do ya." Cap hissed, placin' his hand on mine as he looked 'tween me and the stairs.
Rihanna, oh my god if something happened to me… "Cap, Tolbert signed papers givin' Perry say so over me and my daughter's welfare. In the eyes of the law since he signed those papers if somethin' happens to me then Perry gets my daughter along with whatever I pass on to her, which is the lumber mill claim."
Cap's mismatched eyes went wide, nearly bulgin' outta his head. "Holy shit, your uncle wants ya jailed or killed so he can get a share of the saw mill? That's insane."
"It's his way of punishin' me for takin' Rihanna an' runnin' off wit'cha." I concluded in a sad sigh.
"Shit…" Cap sighed, runnin' a hand thru his blonde shaggy hair. After a moment of silence Cap spoke up wit' the question of, "If ya got married and Anna got a new pa would them papers that drunk signed be null an' void?"
"Yes, but the new husband would have to adopt Rihanna and give her his name legally." I explained, answerin' his question, 'fore goin' on to ask, "Why?"
"I wanna help ya, protect you an' Anna."
I furrowed my brows at him. "Cap are you sayin'…?"
Noddin' he simply said, "Marry me, Nova."
Logically, his rash idea would work, but realistically there were a few things that might hinder it. "But you're not a marryin' man an' just got out of a courtship."
"I know, but us marryin's the only way to protect Anna an' keep Perry Cline from stealin' a piece of the saw mill if, god forbid, somethin' were to happen to ya." Damnit, he was right. The Hatfield name an' bein' his wife's the only thing that'll protect my daughter an' in a way me too. "'Sides, I'm sure we can get on just fine as man an' wife." Cap assured me, a gentle look on his otherwise hardened face. Reckon he was right bout us gettin' on fine, I mean we were once in an affair so…
"Okay, Cap, I'll marry ya." I told Cap 'fore quickly addin' in, "To protect Rihanna."
"Anna, sweetlin', we gotta legally change her name to Anna Hatfield." Cap told me, a slight softness in his deep wavin' voice. I raised one of my brows curiously causin' him to give me the reason of, "It'll be far 'nough off from her birth one."
"Fine."
"Let's get Anna and get to town. We need Uncle Wall to draw up them adoption papers, marry us."
"Okay. I'll get Anna an' meet ya out at the wagon." I told Cap, standin' up an' quickly removin' my apron. I tossed my apron on the table an' rushed to the stairs to wake up my daughter while Cap left the table an' went to make his way outside to the wagon.
Upon arrivin' in town Cap took us to the jewelry shop to pick up some simple weddin' rings. He claimed that even tho this was a quick marriage of convenience he wanted people to know that we were married. After buyin' the weddin' rings, which cost a pretty penny, we made our way over to the buildin' marked with a plaque sayin' Justice Of The Peace- Valentine 'Wall' Hatfield and walked inside of it. I was surprised to see Jim Vance sittin' at Wall's desk, talkin' to the judge.
Jim looked 'tween us an' Judge Wall while grinnin' an' chucklin', "Oh, Wall, look, they're here. Told ya he'd be bringin' her in to get hitched."
The judge rolled his eyes at Jim 'fore tellin' us, "Jim here's in town gettin' supplies to get a mountain hideout goin'. He told me bout the bounties, figured ya'll would come in here for a quick weddin'."
Cap nodded his head as he stood next to me an' told his uncle, "Yea, Uncle Wall, we need married right 'way. Also need papers drawn up so I can adopt Anna."
"So that peckerwood lawyer, Cline, can't touch that saw mill ya'll got wit' Sawyer and gain custody of the little girl if somethin' goes wrong, ya'll get taken in or killed." Judge Wall concluded as Jim Vance spit out a large bit of tobacky juice into a spittoon on the floor by the desk he was at.
"Yes, Wall, that's correct." Cap affirmed 'fore quickly askin', "So, can ya marry us?"
"Sure, let me grab my book and I'll have ya'll take your vows."
"Guess I'll be the witness to this." Jim said in his low rumblin' voice. "Come over here, Anna. Let your folks get hitched." Jim told my daughter, wavin' her over with the flick of his wrist.
Anna quietly went over to Jim Vance while Wall, holdin' his weddin' officiant book, walked over to me and Cap. Jim Vance picked Anna up an' set her on the edge of the desk as Judge Wall stopped right in front of me an' his nephew. Lookin' at us while openin' up his book the judge asked, "Ya'll got rings?"
"Yea, bought 'em 'fore comin' here." Cap answered his uncle as we stood in front of him.
"Hand 'em here." Wall instructed, holdin' his hand out for Cap to place the rings in his palm. Silently, Cap took the rings outta his pocket and placed them onto his uncle's open palm. Wall closed his hand into a tight fight, holdin' onto the rings, for clearin' his throat an' sayin', "Nova Landon, do ya take Cap Hatfield to be your wedded husband in sickness and health, richer or poorer, death do part?"
"I do." I said, lookin' 'tween Cap an' Judge Wall as I held hands wit' my soon to be husband.
Lookin' at Cap he asked, "Cap Hatfield, do ya take Nova Landon to be your wedded wife in sickness and health, richer or poorer, death do part?"
Noddin' 'fore lookin' 'tween me' an' his uncle Cap simply answered with, "I do."
"Take the rings." He told us, holdin' his hand out 'tween us with the rings in his palm. Silently, me an' Cap took the rings. "Place the rings on ya'lls fingers and say with this ring I thee wed."
"With this ring I thee wed." Me and Cap said in unison as we placed the rings on each other's left ring fingers.
"With the power invested in me I pronounce ya man and wife." Judge wall slammed his book shut. Pointin' 'tween us he said, "Ya can kiss your bride now."
Cap placed a hand on my jaw and bent his head down, capturin' my lips in his for a smooth, but short, kiss. As he broke the brief kiss, a sign of us bindin' our lives together as man an' wife, I heard Wall tell Jim, "Sign this thing on the bottom."
"Looks like I gotta go to my neighbor's, get one of the pups my dog Mr. Howles got on Mr. Bakerman's bitch an' give it to ya'll for a weddin' gift." Jim Vance told us, signin' the marriage certificate as our witness, while we made our way over to the desk that he an' the judge were sittin' at.
I knew why he was gonna give us a dog, cause Anna liked dogs an' she was Cap's daughter now. "Thank you, Jim." I politely told him as he placed the feather pen back into the holder in the desk after signin' his name to the certificate.
"Reckon it's Uncle Jim now considerin' ya married my favorite nephew." Jim Vance smirked, his stone cold eyes flitterin' 'tween me an' my new husband.
"Uncle Jim, just go finish doin' whatever pa sent ya to do an' then bring the pup over. A'ight?" Cap ordered his uncle in a deep, but tired tone, as he tilted his black Stetson covered head at him.
Gettin' up from his seat at the desk, that the old crochety man still had my daughter sittin' on, Jim Vance grumbled, "Yea, yea, boy, I'll do that."
Judge Wall, well Uncle Wall now, pulled a form outta his desk and motioned for us to take a seat as Jim walked over to the door and left the room. Pullin' the feather pen outta its holder an' dippin' it into the ink well he asked me, "Name the girl's gonna legally have?"
"Anna Elsbeth Hatfield." I answered, pickin' my daughter up off the table an' settin' her on my lap.
"Date of birth?"
"October 3rd, 1879."
Lookin' up from the line that read Mother Wall asked me, "Mother's legal birth name?"
"Novella LaVerne Landon." I never really did like my middle name, even tho it was a play on my father's since his middle name was Verne.
Looking over to Cap he asked, "You sure ya wanna do this?"
"Yes, Uncle Wall, I'm sure." Cap told his uncle, his deep timbre firm an' full of resolve.
"Okay. I'll fill out your name on this and then have the both of ya'll sign on the dotted line." The judge told us as he began to write Cap's legal name onto the blank spot next to the bold printed word Father. Once Wall was done filling out the paper, he handed me the pen an' scooted the paper 'cross the desk to me while tellin' us, "I'll file both the marriage and birth certificates with the courts here in West Virginia. As far as anyone's concerned Anna's ya'lls legally."
"Thanks Uncle Wall." Cap gratefully told the judge as he watched me sign my name to the paper in front of me.
"Never thought I'd see ya married an' a father, but here it is unfoldin' 'right 'fore my own eyes." Judge Wall chuckled, a smirk on his face, as Cap took the pen and paper from me, signin' his own name at the bottom next to mine.
It was official, I was married to Cap and he was now Anna's legal pa. Hell, I was gonna have to get used to callin' Rihanna Anna since I'm not used to usin' the latter name.
Moses POV:
Everyone in class was gossipin' bout the bounty that my Uncle Perry had placed on the Hatfield clan for Ole Rand'l to revenge the killin's of the McCoy boys. All the bounties on a good 20 or so people added up to a good $7,000, or at least that's roughly what my mental math came up wit' as I listened to my classmates, 'specially the older ones, ramble off names and prices. The one name that I heard made my eyes widen with fear and disbelief. My Uncle Perry and that drunk Ole McCoy had placed a $100 bounty on my sister's head. Hell, Novella didn't do nothin' to get a price on her, to be wanted dead or alive.
I had made up my mind that I was gonna confront my uncle 'bout the bounty posted for my sissy. So when class was dismissed I rushed ov'r to the post office, where wanted posters were usually hanged up both outside and inside the buildin', to grab one of my sister's. As I thought the posters were hangin' up all ov'r the porch posts holdin' up the post office's awnin'. They were all nailed up in large batches. It was evident that lots of people were snaggin' up the posters since torn pieces of paper could be seen 'round the nails an' on top of the posters. I spotted Novella's poster nailed up next to Cap's. Oh, guess my uncle an' McCoy's jabbin' at their affair wit' stickin' their posters side by side.
I snagged a paper off the post and then walked 'way from the post office's porch. As I headed 'cross an' down the street to my uncle's law office I read the reward poster to see why a price was on Novella's head. Conspiracy to commit murder? Hell, has Uncle Perry lost his goddamn mind. Just cause my sissy wasn't fightin' tooth an' nail to free Tolbert an' his dumbass brothers, who in fact were the murderers, an' happened to be in an affair wit' Cap don't mean that she sanctioned their murders. Uncle Perry has t'be doin' this as revenge cause Novella took off wit' Cap an' made him look a fool in front of his friend Senator Brooksdale.
When I reached my uncle's office, I saw the sight that I was always met with anymore, Rand'l McCoy's horse hitched to the post. I swear that man was always at the office, so much so that he was as good as a part of the décor like a paintin' or a gold-plated lamp. I opened the double doors an' walked into the office only to see Uncle Perry an' Ole Rand'l sittin' in their usual spots, behind the desk an' on the leather sofa, while starin' oddly at a small bloody sack on the edge of my uncle's desk. As I got closer to the desk the pungent smell of whatever rank thing was inside the sack filled my nostrils, makin' me wanna hurl.
"What the hell's that, bad meat?" I asked my uncle, pointin' at the smelly bad on the corner of his desk as I came to a stop in front it.
"A savage brought it in. It's a scalp." Ole Rand'l said in a flat monotoned voice from his spot on the sofa adjacent to the desk.
"The fuck?! A scalp?!" Flew outta my mouth as I jumped slightly back from the desk, lookin' down at the bloody bag in utter disgust.
"Moses, watch your foul mouth!" Uncle Perry snapped, givin' me a stern an' beratin' look. He sighed an' ran a hand down his face 'fore tellin' me, "A man by the name of Bad Frank Phillips came in to collect the $250 reward on Tom 'Skunk Hair' Wallace. He brought the scalp cause he couldn't be bothered weighin' down his horse making the trip back from over the Tug with Mr. Wallace's body."
Oh my god, my sister was in danger. Cap was best friends with Skunk Hair and I found out not that long ago that Novella had become close friends with Vera, Skunk Hair's wife. I narrowed my eyes at my uncle as they turned from bright blue to near black wit' anger. "Crazy bounty hunters are gonna be huntin' my sister down cause of you. How could ya put a price on her head, your own niece's head?" I spat, slammin' the wanted poster I had in hand on my uncle's desk wit' a loud smack.
"It's unfortunate that I had to do that, Moses, but Novella's turned traitor. She's betrayed the McCoy family to the Hatfields." Uncle Perry told me, trying to justify why he did what he did to my sister. "It pains me to do so, but what' done had to be done in the name of justice." He didn't look too pained, his face seemed stoic as he spoke of Novella. "She'll be safe tho, just brought back to us since no one would dare kill a petite woman." Hell, who's he bullshittin' greedy bushwhackers don't care bout her bein' a woman they'll kill her if they have to for the reward. If they don't kill her then they'd prolly rape her or somethin'.
Ole Rand'l opened up his big drunken mouth an' let out the remark of, "My son loved Novella, he didn't deserve the hell she gave 'im. Not listenin', not obeyin', an' then layin' up wit' a Hatfield. Tolbert loved her an' she conspired t'kill 'im an' his brothers."
I wanted to blow up at Ole Rand'l, but I knew that I couldn't. That man was nuts, just like his son Tolbert was, an' he'd beat me to a pulp wit' his belt right in front of my uncle. Plus, if I made my true angry feelin's known then I'd be labeled a traitor too an' that wouldn't help my sister none. Novella needed me in Pikeville, in this law office, to hear things an' pass 'long warnin's. I had'a help her, only way I could do that was by relayin' information.
I just nodded my head, actin' like I accepted the words bein' said. Lookin' at me uncle I lied, "I understand, Uncle Perry. She turned her back on the McCoys, on the family." Hell, I wish I could turn my back on 'em an' run 'way too. I couldn't tho, my sister an' my niece needed me here to keep my big ears fine-tuned an' eavesdroppin' for dire information.
"Moses, dispose of this." Uncle Perry ordered, pointin' at the bloody bagged scalp on the edge of the desk. "Then clean an' disinfect my desk."
I just nodded an' grabbed the bag off the desk. Dear god, this was so nasty. Poor Skunk Hair, gettin' scalped some violent shit or at least that's what I read in a book. As I walked to the room the woodstove was in, to get rid of the bloody bag, I decided that I was gonna skip school tomorrow to go visit my sister. I felt the need to check in on her an' tell her that I was gonna be her spy, gain information to keep her safe. If I could keep my sister one step 'head of the bounty hunters then she'd be safe.
AN:
Heavy chapter huh? Well, Cap and Nova are now married and Anna's legally adopted by him too. Since she's so young she's just gonna grow up believing that he's her pa, which given the situation is the best thing for her. Since Nova's a widow and there's no father to object Cap can easily adopt Anna cause all he needs his Nova's signature and okay.
Also, in the 1800s many birth certificates were hand written, but many doctors and midwives didn't even do them half the time (especially in rural areas). Many people recorded births in the front page of the family bible. Lots of times births weren't recognized until census time. Since Wall's a lawyer he has all these forms for births, adoptions, marriages, etc and the means to send the info to the court for filing. Pretty much he recorded Anna as being Cap and Nova's from the get go. So it just looks like they finally got married when she was a toddler. Judge did that so Perry Cline can't have any relative rights.
Anyways…
Poor Skunk Hair, always hated when he died. And now Moses is gonna be a Hatfield spy (well his sister's spy). Oh boy things are escalating quickly.
