I'd taken some time to myself to explore up near the mountains, up in the more snowy areas near Tall Trees. Not sure why, probably because it was more isolated than other places, and the animals there held good prices for their pelts. Either way, I was treading around there for a good week before I came to an old abandoned cabin near a steep drop to the water.

So I poked around inside of it a bit, curious as to what was in there. I lit the fireplace and examined the old walls. The windows weren't broken and the door closed nice and tight, most likely to keep out bears. I found some money and a few bullets, and by the time I was finished satisfying my curiosity, night had fallen, so I decided to take shelter there. Wouldn't hurt anything, I figured.

I awoke in the morning to sounds of a struggle outside, and I figured my horse hadn't made friends outside, so I opened the door and glanced out. That girl from before was there, half climbed up the cabin, and kicking at a boar that was huffing at her feet.

"Sir!" She exclaimed when she saw me. "Can you help me get rid of this filthy animal?" She gave the boar another good kick before it tried and failed to gore her leg. I took out my pistol and had to shoot it a few times to get through its thick skin, but I killed it.

"Do you need any help getting down?" I asked her, and she shook her head and jumped off herself.

"I have no idea what I would've done had you not been here." She brushed off her skirt and gave a light kick to the dead boar. "Such rude creatures."

"May I ask what you're doing out here in the wilderness by yourself?" I asked.

"I've been collecting Hummingbird Sage out here for a while now." She pointed to a tuft of white grass, barely noticeable above the snow, that grew a few feet away. "It's a lovely plant. Works wonders for my Uncle's arthritis if I slip a bit into his coffee each morning."

"Isn't it dangerous to be out here by yourself?" I couldn't help but wonder if she even knew that much. "There are not just boars out here, but bears. Bears bigger than I am and a lot meaner too, and not too far from here is a gang hideout."

"You're out here by yourself too." She pointed out.

"I have a gun, unlike you." I replied. "Actually, I have a lot of guns, and a knife. You just have a bag full of weeds." She reached into her shirt and pulled out a Knuckle Duster Pocket Revolver. I frowned at it. "The only thing that's good for is blowing up in your hand."

"It's better than nothing." She shrugged and stuffed the gun back into her shirt before walking over and picking at the Hummingbird Sage as if nothing was wrong.

"You know you could get killed out here, right? Or worse?" I asked her.

"You're not my Pa, so stop nagging me." She waved her hand at me, then turned over and looked at me. "What right do you have to be so concerned about my safety? I'm sure I can handle myself just fine. So concerned about my health that you don't even know my name, which is Cecily, since you never asked me."

"Well, Cecily, If I hadn't been here, you would've been gored to pieces by that boar." I began to get defensive.

"I can't be having a bodyguard follow me around." She stood and placed her hands on her hips, and suddenly I was reminded strongly of my own mother. "Now, mister, if you're sooo concerned about my safety, you can help me pick these useless weeds because I'm concerned about my uncle's health. Then you can be a proper gentleman and escort me back home, and you won't have to worry about your conscious keeping you awake tonight for leaving a poor defenseless young lady out in the cold."

I frowned at her and thought for a moment. "Get in the damn cabin, and I'll find you plenty of these white flowers."