November 1st, 1871

It was snowing when Ariadne woke up on her last day in New York. She was glad; she had always felt that everything looked clean and beautiful when it was covered in snow. The city even seemed quieter and more peaceful. It would be nice to remember it this way.

She got dressed in her room for the last time, and put the last few things into her trunk. Her room was barren, not that it had ever been full with her possessions, but clothes were gone from the closet and her desk was bare. She wondered who would get her room after she left. It was the only room in the whole orphanage that wasn't shared among multiple children. She had been lucky and got to move in when she turned sixteen, and thanked God every day for it.

One of the cooks had given her an old trunk when she told everyone she was leaving. He said it was old and small but she was welcome to have it. Ariadne didn't know what she would have used if he hadn't given it to her. And not that he needed to know, but she was only able to fill about two thirds of it. The number of possessions she had was pathetic.

Her most prized possessions were the four books that she owned. For Christmas every year, the other children always pooled their money together and bought her a book. Well honestly they might have stolen them. She didn't know where they would have gotten the money but she didn't want to think about it. When she was fourteen it had been a dictionary. It might seem like a silly gift for a fourteen year old but she had loved it. The next year it was Pride and Prejudice and then after that Oliver Twist. They had made her read that one aloud to them after they gave it to her. She had even let some of the older kids borrow it because they were all able to identify with the story, and Ariadne loved that they wanted to read. Last year, they had gotten her The Wealth of Nations. In all honesty it was her favorite. It satisfied her desire to continue learning and she always felt inspired and intrigued after reading it. It had taken her far longer than any other book, mainly because it was so difficult to understand. Good thing she had a dictionary…

Aside from that she had a few dresses, a night gown and undergarments, she owned a coat and hat but very little else. To her surprise, Miss Laurette had given her an old traveling suit last night. It was outdated but the ladies had refashioned it and took in the seams so it fit her. She thought it was lovely. The best part was the dark red and brown colors would mask the soot and dirt she would surely accumulate while traveling. They called it her early birthday present.

With one last look at her room, Ariadne turned and went downstairs as the gravity of her impending departure started to overwhelm her.

Ariadne used her handkerchief to dab the tears in the corners of her eyes as the train slowly pulled out of the New York Central Railroad station. She had arrived at the station with plenty of time and everyone was very friendly and helpful when she was looking for her train.

Just take it one step at a time. She thought as homesickness was already overwhelming her. It is an adventure. Remember that.

The train whistles blew and men had yelled their final boarding calls. People filled up the coach that Ariadne was in, but she had noticed none of it. She was lost in her own mind trying to rationalize this decision, when all she wanted to do was run off the train before it left. But now it was too late for any of that.

Three days later, Ariadne stepped off the train and clung to the scarf wrapped around her neck as the wind and snow seemed to attack her. This was a different kind of cold weather… It didn't seem to seep into her bones like it would have in New York but the air was bitter and every time she inhaled it burned her lungs. She ducked her head down against the wind and hurried inside the train station.

The last few days had seemed endless. She was tired of living on a train. The next few hours would be a wonderful respite. Ariadne was excited at the prospect of a hot meal and fresh air before they left St. Louis.

As she got through the doors, she heard a commotion coming from the counter. About a dozen people were crowded in the room talking and yelling. Ariadne walked up and came to stand by an elderly couple.

"Sir, do you know what the trouble is?" Ariadne asked the gentleman. He turned and looked down at her.

"It seems the train will not continue West tonight… They are telling us we have to wait until tomorrow morning. Something about a storm," he said with a slight annoyance. He and his wife turned and walked towards the station exit.

Great… Now what? Ariadne thought with a renewed desperation.

The next morning Ariadne hurried across the street to the train station. It was 7:00AM and the sun had yet to clear away from the early morning clouds. It was bitterly cold. Once she got inside she was pleased to find that it was comfortably warm inside. She made her way to the counter to see about her train.

"Miss, it looks like it'll be another four days before we have any trains leaving west." The man at the counter told her.

"Four days… Are you sure?" Ariadne was aghast. What was she going to do for four days? Where could she stay? What if she ran out of money before she got to Cheyenne?

"We see this all the time. Right now the tracks going through Nebraska are covered in over 12 inches of snow. The storm should be over by tomorrow and then the cleanup begins. Don't worry; we will get ya to Cheyenne. Just come back on Saturday to see when ya're train'll be leaving." He gave her a little pat on the hand and she looked at him, her eyes still wide with worry.

"Is… Um, is there somewhere I can stay?" She asked, trying to keep the quiver out of her voice. She had never realized in New York that she was so afraid… Of everything unexpected.

"Sure thing. Like I told ya, this happens all the time. Go across the street. Mrs. Chaplain's Boarding House will take ya. Tell her ya're waiting out the storm in Nebraska and she might even give you a discount."

"Thank you, sir. Truly," she said, smiling and putting on her brave face. It was easier now that she had a plan. When she had walked outside last night she had seen the sign for the boarding house almost immediately. It had only been $.50 for anyone who was waiting for the train and that included a hot meal. She could easily calculate it out; she was going to have to spend another four nights in the boarding house. To be safe she wanted to keep at least $1 left for emergencies. That meant she could only stay there if it was less than $.80 a night. That should be doable, considering the price last night… She thought as she left the train depot.

After she went back to the boarding house and booked her room for the next four days, she found her way to the telegram office. She needed to let Dom and Mal know when to expect her. It cost her $.60 but she sent them a short telegram: To Dominic Cobb: Bad weather. Stop. Stuck in St Louis. Stop. In Cheyenne in 8 days. Stop. Ariadne .Stop.

Maybe after this I can explore the city a little bit. If only it were warmer! She thought as she snuggled deeper into her coat.

Arthur rode his horse down the middle of Main Street on his way to the telegram office. With all the recent snow melting, the road was full of puddles and mud. The sun was shining and even though it was below freezing, there was steam coming off of the road as the light evaporated the snow.

He pulled his strong, chestnut mare to a halt and slid off the saddle. Once inside the office he delivered his message to the telegram officer.

"How's it goin' today Sheriff?" The young man behind the counter asked him.

"Doing swell Matthew, how are you, Cathy and the little one?" Arthur asked. Matthew James and his wife had moved to town a few years ago. They were both a few years younger than Arthur, but really a nice couple.

"Annie has been sick, but she's on the mend. Cathy's doing well too. I think we're going to try for another baby as soon as Annie starts walking." Matthew said with a grin.

If he were any more proud of his family he would explode. Arthur thought with a smile.

"Well good luck. Congratulations in advance," Arthur opened his jacket and took out an envelope. "I need this sent to the sheriff in Cheyenne. Let that office know it's a private message." There had been some trouble with outlaws in the area and Arthur needed to inform the boys in Cheyenne about an upcoming money coach coming in to their station on Monday.

"Sure thing, Sheriff Wilde."

"Good day Matthew." Arthur tipped his hat and turned to leave before Matthew stopped him.

"Hold on, could you drop this off for Dom Cobb? It came just a few minutes ago. If you're headed in that direction it would sure help me out…" He held out a letter.

"Sure, I can do that." Arthur took a step back towards the counter and took the missive from him.

"Oh hello Sheriff Wilde, how nice to see you. There isn't any trouble I hope." Mal Cobb answered the door while wiping her hands on her apron. She had flour dust all over her, and in the background Arthur could see James playing on the floor with the white powder all over him.

"No, no Mrs. Cobb, just here delivering a telegram for you husband. Is he here?"

"Please call me Mal," she said with a smile, "And come in, he's in his office." She backed up and let Arthur in. He loved their house; Mal did a wonderful job making the space appear larger. They had a large rug in the center of the room with several comfortable chairs on one side and a sizable table and six chairs between the entry way and the kitchen. It divided the room into a sitting room and a kitchen in a nice way. The white curtains made the room lighter and more feminine, while the dark wooden walls had a masculine feel. They balanced each other out.

"Only if you call me Arthur," he said as he walked into the house. She smiled and agreed as she led him into the kitchen and told him to sit, she would go get Dom.

"Hey little man." Arthur said to James as he waited. The boy looked up at him and gave him a toothy grin. He had been sitting on the ground playing with some wooden blocks and was covered in flour.

"Artur!" James yelled and got up and ran over to Arthur. He latched on to his legs and gave him a big hug.

"Arthur, so good to see you! What brings you by today?" Arthur turned from James to see Dom standing in the entryway from the rest of the house. He had ink stains on his hand, probably from the school district work he was always busy doing. He and Arthur's father worked closely together on matters of schooling and education in the town.

Arthur picked up James and walked over to Dom, shaking his hand. "I've got a telegram here for you. I was at the office earlier and told Matthew I would deliver it" He said as James tried to grab his hat. He maneuvered the child into the other hand so that he could get the letter from his jacket pocket.

Mal came around from behind her husband and took the squirming boy from Arthur. He protested as he still wanted Arthur's hat.

"Dom, what is it?" Mal asked him.

"Looks like Ariadne is stuck in St. Louis. That storm that came through here a few days ago really did work in Nebraska. The trains are snowed out." Dom said folding up the letter, "She should be in Cheyenne on the 12th."

It took Arthur a few seconds to figure out who this Ariadne was. It must be the new teacher, he thought. Ariadne. That's a strange name… Pretty though…

Sorry it took a few days longer than normal to get this one out! For some reason I was having writers block with this chapter! I think it's because its kinda the filler chapter, leading up to Ariadne arriving in Wyoming! More posts soon :)