Seth led the way back into the thoroughfare and turned right taking the sucking mud at an impressive pace. It must have been an art form that was acquired after months of living in Deadwood Raylan decided because Seth had no difficulty traversing the quagmire at their feet. When Raylan wasn't paying inordinate amounts of attention to his feet he risked a glance up the thoroughfare and saw at the top of it a large house of great beauty. Raylan had always wanted a house like that; wood panelling a window seat and plenty of room. That was what he had wanted for him and Winona when they had first got married. He didn't care if they didn't have a white picket fence all he wanted was the beautiful house and the beautiful wife to come home to.
It had never been what Winona had wanted she didn't want a clap-board house; it reminded her too much of Kentucky, she had wanted the best brick building they could find; large, cold and impersonal to which when Raylan thought about it suited them fine. Especially in the last months of the marriage; which was sadder to admit than he had imagined it would be.
They continued up the thoroughfare passed The Gem and Al who was standing at the doors a tin cup in his hand. When they passed he nodded and Seth nodded back a silent form of communication that Raylan knew came from knowing the other person well. He had that with Art to a degree and some moments he would catch himself when he realised that he was beginning to get that way with Tim, whom for the most part was a mystery to him; mainly because it was difficult to get an accurate read on the younger Marshal. This Raylan had to admit mainly came from the fact that he rarely talked and when he did it was either to snark at someone or make a monosyllable remark to something. Saying that Raylan really liked Tim there was something honest about him and also inherently deadly and that combo was a powder keg about to go off, which meant that Raylan would be the last of Art's problems... or so he hoped.
Raylan didn't notice how far up the thoroughfare they had got until he saw a hardware store with a queue outside it and Sol inside looking fit to hit someone. When he looked up again they were nearer to the beautiful house and they didn't seem to be turning. He couldn't believe this the man even lived in his dream house; it was far too much to take in. Seth turned and saw the veiled admiration on Raylan's face and decided to speak.
"I built this house not long after I moved here." When Raylan heard that he wanted to use some of the more colourful language he had heard at The Gem.
"It seems like an awful big house for you and your wife." Raylan remarked as they went up the steps that ran across the stream in front of the building.
"The house was originally for my wife and son, but he died." Raylan felt himself swallow, the loss of a child was not something he understood, but he knew somewhere deep that it would be a fate worse than death and worse than the haunted look Tim got in his eyes when he even alluded to his time as a sniper out in the sandbox.
"I'm sorry." He said thickly and shocked himself at how sincerely he meant it. He wasn't the only one a pair of concerned brown eyes evaluated his as they stood on the porch removing their boots.
"It was a long time ago now." Seth sighed, "He wasn't my son by blood though he was my brothers..." He glanced at Raylan as if trying to figure out if he should continue with the tale. When Raylan offered no resistance he carried on as he unlocked the front door. "She is my brother's widow, I married her so she would not suffer financially and for the longest time William was the only thing that kept us together. When we lost him I thought that would be it and that she would leave me for Michigan and her family." He paused his eyes warm. "She didn't leave and in the end she saved me." He pushed the door inwards and called out, "Martha?" when he had no response he walked in and invited Raylan in after him.
With the inside of the house you could see the distinct markings of a woman's touch; and unlike most houses Raylan had seen it didn't choke the house it made it homely and for the first time in a long time Raylan relaxed completely; this was a place that he could call home, unlike that stuffy house Winona had bought with Gary. When he looked at Seth he realised he wasn't the only one; Seth's shoulders softened and he left out a long breath that Raylan hadn't noticed he was holding. "Martha?" he called out again and in response there was a clatter of feet down the stairs and a bundle of black and blonde barrelled in to Seth's chest holding him tight.
"Where have you been? I was worried sick!" She sobbed openly into Seth's chest; from where he was stood Raylan could see the distinct signs of a blush high on Seth's cheeks, but he was happy that the other man did not push his wife away in embarrassment.
"I was at the Sheriff's office; I told you this morning Martha that I would be home late."
"Have they gone?" She asked without letting Seth finish,
"The lawless cowboys?" Seth asked and Martha sniffed in response, "Yes they have gone. I sent them out of Deadwood at sundown." Her tears stopped in an instant and she stood on her toes to kiss her husband without restraint. When they had broken apart Seth cleared his throat and stepped off to his side. "Martha we have a guest."
"Well Seth." She said in a way that Raylan thought meant she didn't use his Christian often and for some reason it was endearing to Raylan. "If it is Mr Star it isn't like he hasn't seen affection like that before.
"Martha," Seth said softly, "This is Deputy Marshall Raylan Givens." Martha stumbled back her face red with embarrassment as she looked up at Raylan,
"I'm sorry for my boldness Sir," she stuttered as she curtsied still not making eye contact with the other man. Raylan smiled, not that she could see and then spoke.
"I'm not the sort of man to stop the love between a harried wife and her lawman husband, Missus Bullock." He took her hand softly and pulled her in to a standing position. When he let go of her hand and the blush that had burned her skin red had subsided she finally looked up at him and gasped, before collapsing on him in a dead faint.
"We maybe should have warned her first." Raylan said to Seth over the top of Martha's head.
"You may speak the truth Mister Givens."
"Raylan please," he replied and Seth nodded. "Do you want to move her upstairs?" he asked the other man and Seth shook his head,
"Let us lie her down on the Ottoman next to the fire. The heat should bring her around." Raylan took Martha's shoulders and Seth grabbed his wife's feet as the two men muscled her on to the Ottoman next to a roaring fire that was within the hearth. Seth found a throw and wrapped his wife in it his face tender with concern not that his hands showed that as he made quick work of getting her comfortable.
"It seems that I have made more trouble for you." Raylan said in a tone of voice he didn't recognise as his own, it wasn't unusual for him to be in a position to cause trouble for other people... he just normally tried to not do that for well meaning strangers. He was always making trouble for Art or any other law enforcement officer he came across. Tom the state trooper included; when he thought of his friend he felt a pang of regret, he really wished he could have saved him. Apparently it wasn't supposed to be.
"Think nothing of it," Seth said with a crooked smile. "It is nice for me to not be the one making the trouble around here. Usually it is me or Al, or on some occasions the both of us." Seth quirked his eyes brow, "I happen to like not being the one that raises the roofs from time to time." He leant over the table then and said, "Not that you have caused us any real trouble, I think women need a fainting spell every so often, it keeps them in health." Raylan thought that was the most absurd idea that he had ever heard of, but knew not to speak it out loud. The pair stayed quiet for a few minutes as Martha turned over on the Ottoman towards the fire sighing softly. "How long have you known Hunt?" Seth asked eventually with acute awareness that took Raylan momentarily off guard. "I do not mean to pry, but the malice in that man's eyes smarts of a shared history." He continued his eyes scanning Raylan with a depth that rivalled Tim's when he wanted answers; especially ones that Raylan was not willing to give. Raylan thought for a second about how much of the truth he could use, his standard answer was we dug coal together and people just accepted it no other questions asked, but for the people here in Deadwood he didn't think it was going to fly. If he remembered rightly most people in a profession of that nature lived and died in its grips in this time period. He knew from his history lessons as a boy that as many men that made money from the gold rush; just as many died from it. He was sure that the same could be said for all men that mined the earth for what she had to offer.
"We grew up together," he said finally, "Our families are both filled with the crooked and the cruelest of men. I chose a different path. If I'd done as Hunt had done I would be like him; more of a devil. Less of a man." Seth nodded and Raylan caught a glimpse of the darkness Seth always carried with him. It reminded him of something Winona had told him not so long ago, that he was the angriest man she had ever met; not on the outside, but deep inside. It would appear that Seth battled with that as well.
"Not that we are always the most righteous of men," Seth added with a bitterness that Raylan couldn't really understand,
"How so?" He asked enthralled by the other man.
"We claim that we are the law and that we are doing the good of men, on some occasions we are little better than our Pinkerton brothers. We use violence when understanding would suffice; we claim that we are just, yet we are but mere moments from hell ourselves." Raylan stared at his double and was touched by the conflict and torture that he found in the depths of the brown eyes before him.
"It's a tough brand of justice we live by that's for sure." Raylan said in response and Seth scoffed, "But we chose this life, if we backed down now we would be no better than the men we detain."
"I think Mister Givens that we may have to agree to disagree on this point. I do my job and I do it well, but most days I am not happy at the outcome of the actions I chose." Raylan smirked and rubbed his hand over the stubble on his jaw.
"I shot him once," Raylan said after a beat and Seth smiled, "He threatened a woman who knew all too well the business end of a rifle. So I gave him a choice. He could drop the weapon he had trained on her or I would shoot him. I told him that if I had to draw my weapon I would have to drop him." Seth laughed,
"True words no doubt," Raylan nodded,
"He thought he could beat me on the draw."
"I take it he was wrong?" Seth asked a touch of admiration in his gaze.
"Oh most definitely," Raylan replied as there was a knock on the door, low and urgent. Martha sat up on the Ottoman and stretched slightly her hair mussed and her eyes still glassy from sleep.
"Who is it?" She asked making a move to stand up. Seth leapt from the table and took her in his arms,
"You should rest; I will answer the door to whoever is on the other side." He sat her back down gently and made his way to the door as he passed Raylan he nodded and Raylan stood too resting his hand on the gun butt at his hip as he followed Seth to the door. Seth opened it and sighed, "In Christ's name what are you doing here at this time of night Harry?!" Raylan saw the man on the doorstep who was Hunter Mosley as the day is long and he saw the fear in the man's eyes. He knew when Seth saw it as he froze in place, "Harry what has happened man?!" He asked his voice edge with steel.
"They got Josiah; Bullock, Doc doesn't think he will pass the night." Raylan heard Martha gasp and when he turned she saw her behind him her hand to her mouth stifling the sobs; he walked to her and she fell in to his chest crying as Seth spoke to Harry in hushed tones on the doorstep.
"He was such a good boy," Martha said in to his chest, "More nights than not we had both him and Sol over for dinner, I have never seen a boy blush in front of a woman so much." Raylan smiled as he thought of Tim; he could imagine him also being unsure of himself around women. Assault rifles he was fine with, but the fairer sex would Raylan was sure give him pause. "I hate this spiteful town and what it does to people. It seems that no matter how hard we try to make this town better we never seem to get further forward." He almost laughed at that as it sounded just like Harlan County. Like anything else it was a hydra you cut off one head and another five replace it. When Martha had calmed down she sat at the table staring in to space her warm gaze empty and sad. Raylan felt his heart ache for the loss he saw there and then remembered what Seth had said about losing his son, from the love and regard she had for Josiah it would seem that Martha had lost two sons now, one blood kin and the other adopted by her large heart.
When Seth had finished at the door he turned to Martha and Raylan and his face was haunted.
"They found his body being dragged by his horse near the cemetery," he said in a low whisper to Raylan, "I would be honoured if you would accompany me." Raylan nodded and Seth almost smiled. "Martha," he said softly holding the hand of his wife with the utmost care. She looked up at him and held tight to his hand. "Mister Givens and I are going to see to Josiah, I will be back as soon as I can. Lock the door when we leave and let no one in but us when we return." She nodded blankly and dropped his hand. Seth turned from his wife and gave Raylan an almost rueful smile, "It would appear we have been invited to a little hell raising." As they walked to the door Raylan couldn't tell if Seth was saddened or excited by the prospect.