Johanna awoke to the sound of cicadas chirping, her mind taking a moment to register where she was and the time of day. She had never heard the sounds of cicadas so clearly before, the noise reminding her that she wasn't home, laying safely in her own bed, but out somewhere in the wilds with nature all around her. She remembered falling asleep by the central campfire, sitting on a log listening to Javier sing as he played his guitar. But now she was in the same tent she had awoken the day before. The same cot too. Someone must have carried her back to the tent. Sitting up, Johanna took in the three women she shared the tent with. There were three of them. Mary Beth was sleeping in the cot beside hers, while on the sleeping palette on the ground was Karen, a dark-skinned woman to whom Johanna had yet to be introduced to. She stared at them as her hand instinctively reached for her chest, looking to feel the bulge under the bodice of her grandmother's ring. She smiled when she felt it, glad she still felt in there and that none had stolen it from her sleeping form. If she had been out hard enough for someone to carry her to the tent, it would have been easy to take it from her. Moving slowly and placing her feet on the ground beside the cot, Johanna stood, trying not to wake the three sleeping women. She decided to risk venturing outside, facing what camp inhabitants might be awake and moving about.
Outside the tent, the sun was only just peaking over the horizon, shining a faint light onto the camp. It bathed the camp in a glow that made its makeshift nature seem more alluring, making Johanna release a deep breath. Adjusting the shawl that was still around her shoulders, she ventured away from the women's tent and began moving through the camp. While most of the Van Der Linde gang was asleep, Johanna could still spot a couple of men, one being Sean, sitting around the central campfire drinking. By that point, the fire was mainly embers, none of the men having added more logs to the fire. She walked past them, greeting the three men with a good morning, only Sean returning in with a large drunken smile. She made her way to the cliff edge at the edge of the camp that overlooked the Dakota River far below. She wasn't sure where, but it was somewhere below down that river that the stagecoach had been attacked. It had been done right in view of their camp, making her wonder how much of it they had seen if any of it. Yet Johanna figured none of them had had their attention turned to the river, their focus more on the treeline on the opposite side of camp, needing to be ready for trouble at a moment's notice. The camp was well hidden where they were, but at the same time affected how they could see an enemy coming. Anyone who stumbled upon them by accident was sure to end up dead.
"You're awake."
Johanna jumped when she heard the voice, her mind not registering it as she'd been so lost in observing the scenery before her. When she turned around, Javier was standing there, dressed the same as last night, only now without his jacket, his blue waistcoat now visible. He was staring at her with a look that said it was entertaining that he had briefly scared the woman. He casually strolled up beside her, pulling out a cigarette and placing it between his lips. Johanna watched as he leaned down, raising his right foot up as he flicked a matchstick against the side of his boot and brought the lit match to the cigarette.
"We found you down that way, along the river past Flatneck Station." He pointed off in the distance to the south, where the river moved out of sight. Johanna wanted to laugh over the fact that the man knew she'd been wondering where the stagecoach had been attacked.
"I figured. I remember passing by Rigg's Station before approaching the river." Johanna looked at Javier, watching him take a few puffs of his cigarette before he offered it to her but politely declined. "You boys didn't happen to see which direction my luggage fled off to, did you?" Her tone was light, coming off as a joke he responded to with a chuckle. He shook his head, letting her know he did not. They had been more concerned with killing those damn O'Driscolls. "Well then, I hope there was nothing left of those ruffians then."
"A couple got away, maybe with a bullet wound or two." He explained, chuckling again when she commented back with a 'shame' at the thought of some of them surviving. While Johanna should have been glad that some of her father's men had survived, she wanted them to suffer for how they manhandled her, for going against Colm's orders despite her father ordering her not to be harmed. Javier finished his smoke, crushing what was left of the cigarette under the heel of his shoe. "Charles and I will take you out to Valentine today. See if we can't track down that uncle of yours."
"Sean's not coming?" Johanna asked, glancing back behind him where Sean was stumbling around the campfire.
Javier scoffed, following her gaze. "The Irishman won't be of any help. The fool hasn't slept and has been drinking well into the night." Johanna sighed as she continued to watch the drunk redheaded man move around. She nodded, agreeing with Javier's statement. Sean was clearly in no state to go anywhere, having enjoyed himself too much with his welcome home party. "He was still drinking when I went off to bed." Javier further stated, returning his gaze back to Johana.
"He will surely be feeling the effects of his poor choices later." Johanna frowned, her eyes landing back on Javier. The Mexican chuckled. While it would be an acceptable thought, Javier had known Sean long enough to know that Sean would simply continue to drink through his hangover, a way for the man to stave off the effects of the headache he would feel.
"Be ready in an hour to go," Javier spoke, nodding to Johanna as he left her be, the woman watching his retreating form. Johanna turned her gaze back to the cliff edge view, taking a few more moments to enjoy the serenity before returning to the woman's tent, hoping to stir Mary Beth from her slumber to aid Johanna in making herself presentable for going into town. Johanna was rather a mess, with the bandage on her head, her hair loose and tangled, and the ripped green silken skirt clashing with the worn white cotton bodice. She was indeed a mess and would stand out if she went into town with Javier and Charles.
Mary Beth was sitting on her cot inside the tent, holding a book. Beside her sat the dark-skinned woman, now awake while Karen was still passed out on the palette on the floor. Mary Beth's eyes lit up when she saw Johanna enter the tent, a smile wide on her cheerful face.
"There you are!" The brunette closed her book, placing it on the cot between herself and the dark-skinned woman mending a pair of socks. "I was wondering where you ran off to!"
"Apologies, I awoke early and decided to take a walk around the camp." Johanna smiled back at her, slipping onto the cot opposite the two women. "Hello, I'm Johanna." She held out her hand to the dark-skinned woman.
The woman eyed her hand tentatively for a second before a smile spread across her face when her eyes moved to Johanna's face. "Tilly Jackson." She accepted the greeting, shaking the redhead's hand. Being a dark-skinned woman, Tilly had faced much discrimination, so meeting someone who had no fear of smiling or touching her was a blessing.
"Nice to meet you, Tilly." Johanna nodded, retracting her hand from the woman. Her green eyes moved to Karen, noticing that the blonde was unaffected by their talking, snoring happily from her place on the floor. Her eyes moved back to Mary Beth. "Javier and Charles are taking me into Valentine this morning, going to try and track down my uncle."
"Oh, that's wonderful!" Mary Beth smiled, and Tilly nodded along. Both women were happy for her.
Johanna chuckled, pleased with their shared reactions. "It is, but I'm afraid I do not look presentable." She gestured down at herself. "I look like someone who has been rolling around in a hayloft and lost a war."
"Mhmm," Tilly agreed, moving over to sit beside Johanna on the woman's left. She began to inspect the redhead, playing with her long hair. "Mary Beth, grab me a comb and some hair pins." The blonde nodded, moving to her trunk to search for the items. "And a change of clothes. And some riding boots." Tilly continued to add as she fiddled with Johanna's hair.
"Got them!" Mary Beth returned to her cot with the items in hand. She handed over the comb and hairpins to Tilly before she moved to sit at Johanna's right. She removed the bandage on the woman's head as Tilly began to brush through the hair, working to remove the tangles. Johanna flinched slightly from the pain as Mary Beth's fingers grazed over the healing injury. "It appears to be healing well." She commented, looking at the wound. Tilly had stitched it up the day prior, as she was the best at stitching. The skin around the injury was slightly red from aggravation. "Hopefully, it won't scar."
"We can style her hair to hide it," Tilly commented, looking past Johanna to inspect the injury herself. Mary Beth nodded, taking the offered comb from Tilly and carefully parting Johanna's hair so as not to touch the head wound. When changing the woman's centre part into a side part, Mary Beth pushed the hair back behind the woman's right ear, entirely hiding the injury, and pinned it into place. At the same time, Tilly had been busy braiding the woman's long hair, securing it in place with a bright blue ribbon that Mary Beth had brought with the supplies.
Once both women were happy with the hair, Mary Beth reached for a hand mirror and offered it to Johanna. She took it, inspecting herself and found herself smiling at the job the girls had done. The two women helped Johanna stand and undress. Tilly briefly stepped out of the tent, returning with a bowl of water and a rag. Tilly cleaned Johanna's face and the available skin while the woman stood in her underclothes. Mary Beth unfolded the clothes she'd taken from her trunk, a smart blue and white pinstripe assembled. The two women helped Johanna step into the skirt and slip on the bodice. While Tilly buttoned up the bodice, Mary Beth applied some powder to Johanna's face.
"There, you look like a society lady!" Tilly smiled, stepping back and taking in Johanna's appearance. The comment made the redhead laugh.
"Well," Mary Beth reached down to her cot, picking up the last pick of the attire, a pair of lace-up riding boots. "She's almost ready." Kneeling down, the brunette helped Johanna slip them on and began to tie up the laces. "Do they fit alright?"
Johanna shuffled her feet a bit, getting a feel for the boots. "A bit loose, but should be fine." Her statement earned a nod from the brunette, who moved to stand. Johanna reached out to her, helping her stand.
"Thank you." Mary Beth smiled at Johanna, who returned it warmly. "We should go fetch breakfast then. We don't want to make you late to meet the boys."
"Oh, Charles and Javier are the sweetest. They may act annoyed if we make her late, but they won't mind." Tilly laughed, leading the girls outside the tent. Tilly and Mary Beth led Johanna through the camp, past the central campfire and to an unloaded caravan that had butchers tables, a cooking pot and a makeshift dining table set up before it. A broad man stood by the cooking pot, stirring its contents. Johanna couldn't help but scrunch up her nose, remembering the disappointing stew she'd eaten the day before. "Morning, Pearson." Tilly greeted the camp cook, the man turning his head towards the approaching women.
"Ah, morning, girls." He greeted them, his beady eyes landing on Johanna. He stood up straight, rubbing his sweating hands on his pants. "And this pretty little thing must be Johanna." He stood a step towards her, the action making the redhead recoil. Johanna froze when her back hit something hard and warm.
"You scarin' the women again?" The voice was gruff. Johanna looked up, noticing that Arthur was standing directly behind her. He paid her no mind, nor did he seem to care that she'd back into him. His attention was entirely on the camp cook.
Pearson scoffed. "I was merely being sweet to them." He glared at Arthur, not pleased by the other man's appearance.
Arthur stepped out from behind Johanna and moved in front of all three women. "You sweet talking is like a man getting a rash after paying for a night." His insult hit a nerve with Pearson, the large man sputtering as he tried to think of a retort but failed. Johanna stared at the back of Arthur's head, her eyes wide, still trying to process Arthur's comment. While crude, Johanna found the insult ringing true. Pearson's very presence made Johanna's skin crawl. "Now get out of 'ere!" Arthur shoved the man away, the four of them watching as he scurried away.
"You didn't have to be so mean, Arthur." Mary Beth lectured, a frown prominent on her freckled face.
"No, I did." Arthur shook his head, approaching the cooking pot and scooping himself out a serving onto one of the many bowls that sat by the fire. Arthur lifted the bowl to his face, taking a whiff and frowning. He moved his gaze to Johanna. "You best steer clear of him." It wasn't a lecture or warning but advice. Arthur had come to know the men of the Van Der Linde gang well and knew which men were more likely to harass the women, drunk or sober. "Micah and Bill too." He moved off, leaving the three women standing by the pot.
"Arthur's right. Micah is the worst." Tilly sighed, crossing her arms as Mary Beth began dishing out bowls for the three of them. "But he's currently off with another member, Lenny." She took an offered bowl from Mary Beth, passing it to Johanna. The redhead took the offered bowl, frowning as she smelled its contents. Like the stew she had yesterday, this one was also unpleasing to smell, and she knew it wouldn't be good to taste either. Tilly moved past Johanna, making for the table to sit down at and eat while Mary Beth took hers around the back of the caravan. Johanna watched the brunette go, curious. Following her, she stopped by a post holding up an awning when she saw Mary Beth feeding some of the stew to a man who'd been tried to a tree.
Johanna let out a shocked breath, alerting the pair to her presence. Mary Beth, startled, turned to face the woman. "I wasn't doing anything!" She choked, taking a step away from the unknown man. Johanna stepped forward more, looking at the man.
"Why's he tied to a tree?" Johanna's eyes flicked to Mary Beth, the woman looking like she was caught thieving.
Mary Beth spared the man a look before answering Johanna's question. "The boys caught him up near Colter…he's an O'Driscoll." Johanna frowned at that, her gaze returning to the man. "They've been starving him, hoping he'll talk about Colm…"
"Nice to meet you…" The man said weakly. "I'm Kieran…Kieran Duffy…"
Johanna's frown turned into a look of pity. "Nice to meet you, Kieran."
"You're nice…" He commented. Kieran was practically doubling over where he stood, on the verge of collapse if not for the bindings holding him upright.
"Don't get caught now," Johanna spoke to Mary Beth, nodding to the woman as she went to join Tilly at the table. The brunette smiled as she watched Johanna go, happy that the woman hadn't lectured her for feeding the man despite the camp starving him to make him talk. But Johanna was concerned. She had no idea if this Kieran Duffy knew who saw was. Had the man heard any of the O'Driscoll boys gossip about Colm's bastard, and if he had, did he know her name? She knew her father had no photos of her, nor that he didn't openly talk about her to his men, but it didn't stop them. When her father had taken her from Strawberry, she remembered the men who looked at her and talked about her, some even knowing her name. She guessed seeing the boss's bastard was a hot topic for them.
"You alright?" Tilly asked when Johanna sat beside her at the table, looking worried as she stared at the redhead. Johanna could simply nod. She didn't want her voice to give something away if she tried to talk. "Mary Beth feeding that boy again?" Tilly sighed when Johanna nodded. "She's being too sweet on him. It's not good." Johanna could only sit and listen as the dark-skinned woman rambled on, focusing on eating while her mind wandered. She knew if she could slip away from Charles and Javier in Valentine, she'd have to leave a letter for her father at the train station and inform him about Kieran Duffy being in the Van Der Linde camp.
When they were both done eating, Tilly collected their bowls, taking them over to the back of the caravan and dispositing them into an empty metal tub with other dishes. Mary Beth was there, still chatting cheerfully with Kieran as she shared the stew with him. Tilly just rolled her eyes at the sight. "Follow me. I'll take you to the horses." Johanna followed Tilly without a word, waving at Mary Beth, who waved, mouthing 'good luck' to the redhead. When the two women approached the horses, they spotted Javier and Charles standing by the hitching posts, conversating. Charles was the first to notice them, as he had been facing their direction while Javier had his back to them.
"Morning, Tilly. Johanna." Charles greeted them. This made Javier turn his head, giving them a greeting as well. The two men took in Johanna's appearance. Both Tilly and Johanna turned the men's greetings.
"Cleaned up well," Javier commented, smiling as his dark eyes raked over his attire. "Have you eaten, Johanna?"
Johanna nodded, returning his smile. "Yes, thank you, Javier."
"I better head off. Miss Grimshaw doesn't like it when we're late for chores." Tilly turned to Johanna, placing a comforting hand on the redheaded shoulder before she left the woman alone with the two men.
Johanna's brows furrowed as she watched Tilly go before returning her attention to the two men as they were walking towards the horses. "Who's Miss Grimshaw?"
Javier chuckled, gesturing for Johanna to follow him and Charles. "She's the camp mother. Keeps us men in line and that the chores are handled." Johanna moved after them, watching them saddle up two horses.
"Wait…we're riding in? Not taking the wagon?" Johanna asked, eyes wide. She pointed to a small wagon parked off to the side. The men turned to look at her, confused by her question, resulting in them sharing a look.
"Horses are faster." Javier looked back at Johanna, his voice alerting her to his confusion. "Why?" he asked her, finishing saddling up his horse, Boaz, and leading it to the camp entrance. Charles followed behind the Mexican with his horse, Taima. The men passed Johanna, the woman stepping away from the horses as they went by her.
"I've never ridden a horse before." She admitted, making the men pause in their steps. They both turned their heads to look at her. Johanna felt awkward under their stares. She understood how hard it could be for them to accept that she'd never ridden a horse. The concept of it was abnormal. Almost everyone had learned to ride by the time they were ten. After all, horses were the standard form of transportation as the motor car had only been invented just ten years earlier, and only the wealthy tended to purchase them.
"You serious?" Javier asked after a while, still looking at the woman as she shuffled her feet, avoiding his gaze.
Johanna sighed, rolling her eyes until they landed back on the Mexican. "My mother was afraid of me falling off and hurting myself." She answered so quickly that the men almost didn't hear her. The men shared a look again, still not sure how to handle the information. "And I've heard how they can easily throw you off and trample you to death." Charles shrugged while Jarver rubbed at his chin as the woman continued to give her excuses.
"Look," Javier started, looking back at the redhead. "You won't fall off." He let go of his horse's lead, walking over to Johanna and pulling her forward, one hand on her forearm and the other on her back. She fought slightly against him, her fear of the large animal holding her back, but Javier continued to manoeuvre her. When she was right by the creature, Javier used his grip on her forearm to bring her hand to his horse's snout. Boaz nestled into the touch, unaware of the woman's fear and simply enjoying the attention. "See, you're alright." Johanna felt herself easing up despite her heavy breaths. She was amazed that a creature its size could be so sweet end gentle. She laughed briefly, a smile spreading across her face as the horse kept nudging into her hand, not wanting to lose the affection.
"She should ride with you," Charles spoke from where he stood watching. "Boaz is more gentle and less likely to react if spooked." The dark-skinned man patted the snout of his horse. "Taima is a worrisome creature." Javier nodded, letting go of Johanna as she continued to pat Boaz.
Javier threw the reins over to the saddle, ready to mount Boaz as Charles mounted Taima. "Johanna," Javier called her over from where he stood by the saddle. Letting go of Boaz, who snorted unhappily at the loss of the woman's touch, Johanna approached Javier. "Put your hands on my shoulders." She frowned at the man but did as he asked. Johanna gasped when Javier's hands found her waist, and the man hoisted her onto the back of the horse so she was sitting side saddle. She instinctively grabbed the saddle, needing something to keep herself stable. Once he knew she was safely on the back of Boaz, Javier mounted the horse, reaching behind himself and pulling Johanna closer and placing her hands on his waist. The redhead blushed at the close contact, making the situation more uncomfortable for her. She was experiencing two things that she had no experience with. Being on a horse and being intimately close to a man. "All good back there?"
Johanna nodded her head but remembered that Javier couldn't see her. "Yes." She spoke, the nerves she felt evident in her tone. When Boaz moved forward, the slight jolt startled her, causing Johanna to hug herself closer to Javier's form. She swore she heard the man chuckle at her discomfort, but she wasn't sure if the vibration she felt from his chest was from him laughing or the from the movement of Boaz as the horse began a slow chanter out of the camp. Johanna spared one last look over her shoulder towards the camp, noticing that Dutch was standing outside his tent, watching the three of them go with a scowl on his face.
It had been close to a thirty-minute ride from the camp at Horseshoe Overlook to Valentine, and while riding, the horses had been faster than the wagon, as Javier had said. Johanna hadn't cared for the speed at which the men rode. The redheaded woman had found herself clinging to the Mexican man. Her hands had moved from his waist to wrap entirely around his lower torso, pulling her closer to the man so that her face was resting against his back, her eyes shut the entire time. Johanna was cursing her mother, damning the aging woman for never allowing her daughter the experience of learning how to ride or even going near a horse. Instead, the woman had told her story about how many people would die from horses yearly and from what injuries. Without a doubt, Elizabeth Lynn wanted her daughter to live in fear of the world outside Strawberry.
Johanna's grip on the man didn't ease up even when the horse slowed to a chanter when they reached the town, her arms still firmly wrapped around Javier's waist. But she did open her eyes and move her head from where it had been lying on his back to take in the town. Valentine was a livestock town, mainly dealing with merino sheep—everything from raising, butchering and harvesting wool. Johanna scrunched up her nose when the smell of the livestock hit her sense. It was a strong smell that she didn't think she'd ever smelt, having been too used to the smells of the perfumes her mother's girls wore. The men rode in on the western road, stopping outside the general store on the main street to hitch up their horses. As Charles quickly dismounted Taima and began to secure his horse to the post, Javier turned his head to Johanna.
"You all good there?" He was smirking at her with a slightly humorous tone to his voice. Javier had found the entire ride comical. While he did feel bad for the woman, having never been on a horse before, he couldn't deny he hadn't enjoyed having her arms around him as she held onto him.
Johanna scowled at him, not enjoying his tone. "A wagon would have been less nerve-wracking." She scoffed, sliding her hands away and placing them on the back of his saddle so he could dismount. He chuckled at her as he did, that same annoying smirk on his face as he hitched Boaz. Charles had been watching the pair the entire time, not saying a thing.
"You're alive," Javier muttered, rolling his eyes at the redhead as he stepped around Boaz, standing before Johanna. He took hold of her waist as she placed her hands on his shoulders and helped her off the saddle. "Wasn't so bad." Johanna bit her tongue to hold off the retort, yet her face clearly showed her annoyance with the men. "We'll split up. Charles and I will ask around town about your uncle, Patrick Murphy. You can head into the General Store and the Sheiffs Station. But stay on the main street." Javier ordered her as he and Charles walked off to their unknown destination. As Johanna was about to enter the General Store, Javier yelled out one last order, making her turn her head to them. "And don't go inside any other buildings!"
Johanna was seething. She had had way too many men order her around as of late like she was a mindless dog. "Lunk…" She muttered under her breath, cursing the man. She entered the store, and the owner greeted her from where he stood behind the counter.
"Morning, miss," He nodded at her, a large smile barely noticeable under his massive beard. "What are you after today?"
"Morning, sir," She returned the greeting, stepping up towards his counter. "I was hoping you'd be able to help with finding someone, my uncle." While she technically didn't have to ask, she needed assurances in place if any of Dutch's gang inquired if she had.
The shopkeeper's brows furrowed as he leaned on the counter, and a single hand rose to scratch at his beard. "And who's your uncle?"
"Patrick Murphy."
The man leaned back off the counter. "Never knew old Pat had a niece." He shrugged. "I haven't seen him in months. He's a bit of a hermit and normally comes down from his cabin to get supplies a few times a year."
"That sounds like my uncle Patrick." Johanna lied through her teeth, smiling at the shopkeep. "Do you know where his cabin is located?" The shopkeeper scratched at his beard again before moving to his backroom, waiting for her to wait. When he returned, he had a map for her, circling the location. North of Valentine, past the Dakota River. "Thank you so much!" The man simply waved her off as she left the store, the map folded neatly in her hands. Johanna looked around the main street, trying to spot Javier or Charles. When she didn't, she decided to go to the train station. She needed to leave a letter for the O'Driscoll boys to collect for her father, updating him on her status and informing Colm about that Kieran boy who could threaten the entire plan.
Johanna had to walk past the bulk of the sheep farms to reach the train station, heading straight to the post office inside. Off the far wall by the post office station was a long-standing table, a spot for people to write letters. Johanna stepped over to it, grabbed some of the paper provided and began quickly writing the letter to her father. Once done, she slipped it into an envelope, sealed it, and addressed it to Callum O'Donnell, her father's alias. She held it in her hands for a few minutes, breathing heavily as she debated sending it, but the desire for her mother's safety won out. She handed the letter to the U.S. Postal Service worker before leaving the building, with the instructions to leave it there for pickup. The walk back to the General Store had been quiet, the redhead knowing she needed to get back before her babysitters came looking for her. She was fortunate that they weren't there when she arrived, Johanna choosing to sit down on the old wooden seating under the store's front window as she waited, the men's horses still hitched on the street in front of her. After a few moments of sitting, Johanna stood up, stepping down onto the street to approach Boaz, giving the horse some affection, which the creature was more than happy to accept, leaning into her touches almost aggressively.
"Hey!"
Johanna flinched as the bark reached her ears, pausing her movements and causing poor Boaz to neigh in disappointment.
"Red!"
The voice called again, louder as it got closer. Johanna turned, facing a large man who seemed annoyed with her appearance. He was balding with a scraggly beard and ripped, dishevelled clothes. Johanna could smell the whiskey on his breath as he moved closer.
"You're the woman that came in with that Darkie and Greaser!" He pointed at her, the movement upsetting his centre of gravity and causing him to falter. "What're you doing hanging around them? You need to be with your own kind!" He made to grab at her, but Johanna stepped back, glad that the man was slowed in his inebriated state.
"Don't touch me!" Johanna snapped, stepping back further until she hit the hitching post. When she felt the wood hit her lower back, she cursed, looking behind herself and finding her path blocked. She was stuck, with nowhere to go, with a drunken fool targeting her. This was why Javier hadn't wanted her wandering off, so she wouldn't be in this situation, but trouble found her regardless.
"You let that Greaser touch you." The man spat, making a move at her again. Johanna squeezed her eyes shut, preparing herself for the man's disgusting grasp, but it never came. When she opened her eyes, she was fit with Javier moving into her vision, standing between Johanna and the drunk, his revolver pressed to the man's forehead.
"The woman told you not to touch her." Javier hissed, pressing the cold metal of the gun harder against the man's skull. Johanna could see the panic in the drunk's eyes as he realised his mistake. He had no weapons and just tried to assault a woman in public, so it made sense for him to let his cowardly nature show. "Now, fuck off." The drunk didn't need to be told twice. The man fled while calling Javier a 'damned Greaser'. Javier reholstered his revolver and turned to Johanna, watching as the woman's chest rose and fell as she tried to calm her breathing. "You alright?"
She looked to Javier, her eyes finally leaving the back of the retreating drunk. "Yes…thank you." Johanna sighed, moving away from the hitching post. "If you hadn't come when you did, who knows what that man would have done."
Javier glanced back to where the drunk had fled, his eyes narrowing. "Attacking a woman in broad daylight on a busy street, someone would have intervened." Johanna continued to stare at the back of Javier's head. She wanted to believe his words, but with everything she'd experienced in the last two weeks, part of her couldn't believe someone would have. Javier returned his gaze to her. "Have any luck?" He motioned to the folded paper in her hands. The question caught the woman off guard, having completely forgotten about the map. She offered it over to Javier, her eyes scanning his face as he took it off her and looked over it. "This matches with what I got out of the locals." He stated, rubbing at his jaw.
"And Charles?" Johanna asked, looking around but not noticing the dark-skinned man.
Javier shrugged, folding up the map and storing it in the pocket of his jacket lining for safekeeping. "He won't be far off." He moved past Johanna, the woman turning to follow him as he reached for Boaz, petting the horse's snout. "Were you giving him some attention before that drunk started harassing you?" Javier asked over his shoulder.
Johanna crossed her arms. "Yes." Javier chuckled, making her frown. She didn't like the man laughing at her. She knew why he was doing it. Javier found it comically as a woman who had never ridden before today and seemed to fear horses was more than happy to pet Boaz. Johanna scoffed. "How about you shush up."
Javier paused his hand as his eyes went wide. He looked at Johanna in mock hurt. "Shush up? That's the best insult you can come up with?" That smug look was back on his face, showing he was on the verge of laughing at her again. It only made Johanna glare at him as she seethed. How she was meant to spend the next how many weeks stuck with this infuriating smug man was beyond her. "Don't like to swear, Johanna?"
"Lunk…" She bit, turning her back on him. She felt her face heat up at his laughter, the blush consuming her face. Javier had found her attempt at swearing weak, that the society woman could only insult him by calling him a slow-witted person.
Javier was still chuckling when Charles finally appeared, staring at his friend with a raised brow. Javier waved him off as the two men discussed the next step of their plan, which involved Johanna riding with Javier again as the two men went north to Patrick Murhphy's cabin, where they would hand her over to her uncle, maybe get some form of payment and return to camp. It was easy and simple. Johanna still had her back to the two men as she listened to them, arms folded. She knew it would be far from easy and simple. The O'Driscoll boys were waiting for them, and the idea didn't sit well in her gut. She wanted to open her mouth, to stop them somehow, but Charles did it for her.
"I'll ride back to camp. Let Dutch know where we're going." The dark-skinned man glanced at Johanna, who was peaking at the men over her shoulder. "You ride with Johanna slowly, and I'll catch up to you both." Charles unhitched Taima and mounted the horse. He offered Javier a farewell before taking off, trotting through town before he could safely race back to camp.
"You ready to go?" Javier asked Johanna, facing the woman. She was still standing there with her arms crossed, a frown on her face. Javier smirked as he walked back to her, the urge to chuckle at her bubbling in his gut. Johanna didn't speak or fight against him as he lifted her back onto Boaz behind the saddle. Javier unhitched Boaz and mounted the horse. He smirked when Johanna took hold of either side of his waist and slid closure to his back. Boaz strolled through the main street, taking the north exit of town towards the Dakota River, where a small forest path led to a bridge and railroad tracks.
"Javier…" Johanna spoke over the man's shoulders as the horse trotted along. Javier turned his face to her, muttering an 'mhmm' to let her know she had her attention. "What's a Greaser, and why did that man refer to you as such?"
Javier's brows rose at her question before falling as he frowned. "Never heard the term before?" When she shook her head, 'no', making him sigh. "It's a slur for my kind."
"Outlaws?"
Javier chuckled at that remark, finding her innocence rather comical and refreshing. He had yet to meet someone who didn't know what it meant. "Mexicans."
"Oh," Johanna said disappointedly. She leaned back from his shoulder as she thought of his words. She was aware of the racism towards those of dark skin and Indians. Heck, she was even aware of the hatred towards the Irish from the few drunk that would verbally harass her woman the moment they heard her accent. "What a horrible man for calling you that and anyone else who does so."
Javier smiled. While he sometimes found her annoying, it was good to meet someone who didn't stand for racism. "So that means you at least know what Darkies means?" He asked her, his eyes scanning the forest around them.
"Regrettably so." She muttered. "Was friends with a few dark-skinned women back home and hated it whenever they were abused for being born who they are." Javier nodded. "And my mother still had a terribly thick accent, so those who hated the Irish always had to pick a fight with her."
He had seen Sean react when mad and even Molly O'Shea once when she was upset with Dutch. He wondered if it was an Irish temperament.
Johanna smiled fondly at the memory before she shared it with the man. "She would punch them." Javier was laughing now, his body shaking under Johanna's hands. It definitely was an Irish temperament. The redhead almost found herself laughing too with him, seeing the humour in it. As they approached the bridge, Johanna pulled herself closer to Javier's body, her hands wrapping around his waist again as Boaz stepped onto the bridge. "Is it safe?"
Javier grabbed one hand into her arms, reinforcing her hold on him. He spared a glance down at the bridge as Boaz strode across it. Even the horse seemed unsure. "It's sturdy," Javier explained to the woman, but it did nothing to calm her nerves. Javier kept his hand over hers as Boaz made the uncomfortable walk, giving the woman a sense of much-needed comfort. Whenever the bridge shook just the slightest bit, Johanna hugged him tighter, and she was glad he wasn't laughing at her expense this time. She finally eased up and released her breath when they crossed the bridge. "Survived again," Javier commented, letting go of her and returning his second hand to the reins.
Rolling her eyes, she commented dryly. "For now."