The Search
Disclaimer: If you recognize it then I don't own it.
A/N: For Whumptober 2023 #15 "I don't need you to help me I can handle things myself." "I'm fine."
The little goat tracks were easy enough to find all around the back of the seamstress shop. He followed the trail easily until the hoofprints were erased under the steps of dozens of boots. The rhythmic pounding from the blacksmith's anvil harmonized with the crowing of the townfolks' various roosters. The sun had fully risen over the horizon as the sleepy town began to stir.
Finding the wayward critter by tracking was no longer an option with the growing hustle and bustle. Changing strategies the tracker headed to the livery. He'd never heard of a goat wandering much in the dark of night, they usually bedded down when the sun went down. Goats were also herd animals, their social nature dictated that they be around other critters.
"You seen a goat?" He asked the livery owner.
"Damn thing was eating all my feed. I chased it off last night."
"Keep it here if you see it again, there's a lady mighty worried 'bout it." He turned from the irritated man without another word.
The trail he now followed was not hoof prints upon the ground but a growing story of movement from each new person he talked to. While he was typically a quiet and reserved individual he easily slipped back into the mindset of a hunter. He utilized every tool to find his quarry even if it meant talking to everyone in town about if they'd seen the goat.
One angry townswoman complained about her half-eaten plants, "I told that spinster to keep that animal out of my flowers. I hope you don't find it."
The storekeeper, Mrs. Potter, had also seen sign of the critter but was kinder as she told him, "I asked the children to take it home just after supper, but the dog didn't take kindly to the poor little thing sniffing around his food dish. I'm afraid before we could stop him he took off after the goat. We weren't able to catch her and I didn't see where she escaped off to in the dark. I do hope you find her, Mr. Tanner."
Most stories were much the same, people had claimed to see her at various points across the small town while others blamed damages of every kind, even the ones that she couldn't possibly of done, on the goat. Not every story seemed plausible or even very likely unless the animal could be in two places at once. The verbal trail was becoming just as jumbled and covered over by people as the physical one he started following at the beginning of his search.
"Mr. Tanner?" The newspaper woman called out to him.
Vin headed over to her at her call, "Mornin', Miz. Travis. What can I do for ya?"
"I've told you before, Mr. Tanner, call me Mary."
"Just Vin then, Ma'am." Vin offered hoping to get to whatever she needed to quickly so he could get back to his search.
"Vin, I've heard you are on the hunt for a missing goat." Vin nodded and she continued, "I would like to do a story about the goat. The town could use a nice uplifting story after all it has been through lately."
"You'd have to talk with the owner, she did say it was prizewinning. I was just asked to look for it."
"No, you misunderstand, I want to do a story about you and your search for the animal." The persistent woman insisted.
"Me?" Vin grew puzzled, "Why?"
"Not very many young men would go out their way to help an older woman find a lost pet."
"She needed help," Vin shrugged, explaining his simple logic, "I could help her."
"See that is exactly what I mean," Mary grabbed his arm in triumph, "A good man helping a woman just because she needed help is just the kind of story we need around here."
Vin flushed scarlet at her words, stuttering out a weak rebuttal, "It's not like that. I'm just trying to do my job."
"I know," Mary practically squealed as she rubbed her hands together. She already started mentally writing the article, "It'll be perfect. I'll let you be the first to read it after I print it." She promised as she made her way back to her printing press. Any doubts she had about the seven men her father-in-law hired to protect the town seemed to be diminishing quickly as Vin watched her walk away with a happy bounce in her step.
"No names," He called out, knowing there was no argument or protest he could give to stop the determined woman from writing the damn article but he hoped she wouldn't post his name in it. Not that he could read the thing to know what she had written in it, but other bounty hunters could. He was a wanted man with a price on his head, not that Mary Travis knew that. He hoped she assumed he didn't want it in there because of his reserved nature, she wouldn't be completely wrong. He didn't like to bring too much attention to himself even before the bounty was placed on his head. Plus he figured the boys would be like a dog with a bone once they found out about his search for the lost little goat. He already trusted the men with his life but trusting them with his heart was a harder thing to do. He was coming to care for his new acquaintances going so far as to start to call them real friends but he hadn't had many friends in his life and he didn't relish the idea of being the butt of the joke before he really got to know the men he had bound himself too. He had been kicked down too many times in his short life by people he let too close to allow vulnerability easily. The relationships between the seven men were still too new to have done a lot of testing the boundaries and pushing the lines of what could be said and done with one another.
What business did a man like him have setting down any sort of roots in this community or with the men he rode with? He put everybody at risk around them by staying. Sooner or later word would get out that he was here and every bounty hunter from her to Texas would be gunning for his skinny hide. He should just ride out without a backward glance. It would be better for everyone if he just left, everyone but himself. He felt like a selfish bastard and he knew he would one day, probably sooner than later, regret his choice of staying. He couldn't make himself leave, for reasons he couldn't fathom, he felt like he belonged somewhere for the first time in years. He wanted to stay with the other men, he wanted to belong with people he could joke with and tease then even receive it in return. He ached for an easy comradery where he didn't always have to watch his back and heart. He sighed tiredly. He was a damn fool staying here, but he didn't know how to make himself leave, not with so much hope dangling before him.
He headed towards the saloon, he needed a drink. He entered the dim building to find three of his companions inside.
"I hear you are expanding business, Mr. Tanner," Ezra called from his game table, his gold tooth flashing. He was joined in his friendly game of chance by Buck and J.D., not that the gambler would get much money out of his companions as they already owed him all of their first month's pay and then some.
Vin nodded at them as he got his drink at the bar. Taking a sip to quench his parched throat after spending all morning on the hunt. Sharp blue eyes studied the trio quietly as he drank.
"Yeah, ol' Vin will go after anything. He ain't scared of man nor beast," Buck laughed.
If the mustached man only knew the fear running through Vin's heart at the prospect of even staying in town long term not to mention the thought of leaving it forever. Vin ignored their laughter as he finished up his drink. He needed to get back on the hunt. Clara deserved to be safe in loving arms. There were only so many places an animal could be hiding in town. The sooner he found the goat the sooner his search for it would be forgotten.
J.D. asked, "Hey, Vin? Can I help you find her?"
"Nah, I got it, Kid," Vin tried to let him down easy but it wasn't really a two-man job.
Buck bleated like a goat as Vin headed back towards the door to leave. Vin kicked his chair out from under him as he walked away without a backward glance, biting back the grin that threatened to break out across his face. He headed towards the jail but more particularly the man dressed all in black sitting in a chair outside of the jail, the dark force of nature that seemed to ground him and put his fears to rest without hardly saying a word.
"Trouble?" Chris asked around his cheroot as Vin flung himself into the chair next to him with a sigh.
"Nothin' I can't handle." His lips twitched slightly at the thought of Ol' Bucklin sprawled across the floor once more.
They sat in companionable silence side by side watching to town around them.
"Find it yet?"
"Not yet."
"Worried?"
"Nah."
"You alright?" Piercing green eyes studied him. Vin felt like his soul and heart were laid bare to the gunslinger's sharp gaze. For some reason, the intense knowing never seemed to bother him when done by this particular man.
"I'm fine." Or he would be. He still didn't know if he was making the smartest decision by staying here as a part of the seven peacekeepers but somehow it felt right. Chris seemed to understand the words he didn't say. He nodded as they fell back into a comfortable silence.
A strange noise came from around the side of the jail. The two new lawmen jumped up ready for any threat to the town they swore to protect. Guns were drawn as the duo silently made their way over to investigate. Instead of bandits or robbers, they found a little brown goat with big blue eyes.
"Come on, little girl, come on," Vin holstered his gun and dropped down to his knees to coax the frightened creature to him, knowing Chris would watch his back. Scared and alone the little goat tentatively made her way over to his outstretched hand. She trusted Vin to get her back to where she belonged. Side by side the two men took Clara safely home.
After Vin Tanner's long search, what he had been searching for so long had finally found him.