Good Old West

Oscar got a low whistle of appreciation from Asa as he examined the satchel and his friend's work, he took some time, feeling over it with his hand while he thought over the other man's words.

"I like it, you ought to teach me how to sew proper sometime, last time I tried I pricked my fingers too many times." He said with a snort. If... when they left, how secretive o drastic should they be?. They had to consider the possibility of returning, if not to the actual village then to the mansion nearby. It was actually a really good backup plan should they find themselves helpless and out of money.

"I'd suggest faking our deaths if we need to but it sounds like too much work, that an' we can just fuck off I don't think we need to be so dramatic. Unless we find another fuckin' cougar. I sure hope not, 'cause Red an' I aren't so tight yet, she could buck me off." He said, thinking out loud, that way he didn't have to repeat himself unnecessarily.

"We also hafta tell Anne in person, no writin' people we know could recognise, means no letters too unless we can manage to write with our opposite hands. It'd take me a damn month, dunno about ya. You'd probably take less you're smart like that. I say our best shots are either leaving at night, or leaving when they send us off to do some task a few miles from here. Can't know what happened to us then. Dunno when that'd be though... what do ya think?" He asked after laying out their possibilities.
 
"Me? Proper sewing? You're joking." Oscar says, a smile quirking his lips. "You should find someone who's actually good at it to teach ya, not some guy who can barely sew a straight line."

He considered Asa's next few statements carefully, nodding and humming along occasionally to the suggestions he was particular to. "I don't think we should fake our deaths," he replied. "Too dramatic. Besides, what would we even die from in this town? The boredom? Don't think people would buy it, either way. We could just leave in the middle of the night after we collect our next paycheck from ol' Fern. That way there's no debt to settle between us." Even though they were running away, Oscar didn't much like the idea of vanishing in the middle of an errand. Something about it seemed... dishonest, somehow. Like there would still be unfinished business between them. He very much preferred a clean break, or as clean as it got for two outlaws on the run.

"As for Anne... I guess we'll have to break it to her when we have the time away from other people. Don't have to write her a letter with our left hands or anything - dunno about you, but that seems like too much work to me." He shrugs and smiles. "Besides, if you think about it, it would look suspicious passin' letters to a girl and vanishing soon after, hm?"
 
"Suspicious, sure, but I dunno in what way... What would people assume from that?" Said Asa with a soft snort.

They both fell into a companionable silence, chatting a bit more about their dinner, the recommendation letters and the future.
Asa stayed on his own bed, he checked the courtains were closed, they were.

"We should probably sleep, am pretty darn tired" He said with a yawn, stretching on the squeaky bed after changing. It wasn't long until the both of them fell asleep, but they didn't manage to get through the entire night. Sadly, destiny had other plans, and soon there was some rustling that woke at least Asa.

Someone was in their cabin, he squinted, struggling to see anything but dark and darker shadows. Shit, who the hell was this?
 
"I dunno, but it sure would make people go after her wanting to know what happened to us, don't you think?" No matter what, Oscar didn't think Anne deserved something like that. No need to drag some innocent girl into their messy outlaw business, after all.

He mumbled a muffled "goodnight" to Asa as they both retired for the night, his face pressed solidly into the pillow, tired after the day's events and eager for a good night's rest.


That, however, didn't seem to be in the cards for him that night. A strange rustling noise awakened Oscar, and as he blinked awake he saw that it'd woken Asa as well. Throwing a glance at the other man, Oscar silently grabs the gun from his satchel and tiptoes to the door, keeping his footsteps light and his breathing even. There's clearly someone in the cabin, though it's impossible to tell who it was in the poor lighting. All Oscar could make out with the limited field of view from behind the door was a blurry figure moving from place to place, as though methodically checking the cabin for their belongings.

He turned to Asa, nodding towards the gun clutched in his own hands, and then towards him again. Arm yourself. They had the factor of surprise on their side, for now - and Oscar wasn't about to waste it. Whoever the intruder was, an ambush by the two of them would probably be enough to subdue and restrain them. The footsteps echoed closer, the wooden planks creaking beneath their feet, and Oscar held his breath.

Crrrrrrr.

He leapt forward in time with the opening of the door, barreling towards the figure with enough force to throw both of them to the ground. The figure thrashed violently below him, scrabbling for purchase as it lashed out furiously, the two of them struggling for the upper hand on the ground.
 
After thanking god that Oscar woke shortly after him, so he didn't have to make any more noise than necessary, Asa stood. He followed his friend, gun in hand and heart in his throat. While Oscar got ready to tackle the stranger, Asa figured he'd get hold of one of their oil lamps. Some light thrown into the situation would do them some good, and maybe then the robber would fuck off.

Who in hell could it possible be?, Adam had plenty of reasons to come in, but was he really that stupid?. SHIT!, the robber walked in and Oscar put all of West Elizabeth's cougars to shame by pouncing on him right the fuck away. So Asa fumbled with the oil lamp, feeling dumb but turning it on before cocking his gun and pointing it at the two men wrestling on the floor. He wouldn't shoot at Oscar, but he did see the stranger's face under his friend's grip.

"What the fuck, Fern?!" Escaped him, as he leaned forward. Would the other man really try to make a run for it after they'd discovered him?. Oscar had him.
 
"Fern?" Oscar's voice came out as more of a gasp as he scrambled atop the other man's chest, straddling him thoroughly, pinning him under his weight to ensure that he could not attempt an escape. He pointed the gun directly at the man's face, the muzzle bare inches away from his unshaved cheeks.

He felt lightheaded - not just because of the sudden intense bout of activity, but also due to the possibilies spinning in his mind, the storm of emotions this reveal evoked - betrayal, fear, confusion, anger, all warring in his mind. He never would've guessed that Fern of all people would stoop to this - Adam, perhaps, or some fool thief looking to make easy pickings off unsuspecting farmhands, but Fern? What for?

"You've got a lot of explainin' to do, sir," he said grimly, pushing the tip of the muzzle against their employer's temple. "Let's not make this difficult. Go on."

The silence dragged on between them. Fern's eyes were impassive in the dark, and Oscar could not quite make out his expression, obscured by the dancing shadows, like some sort of wraith. It unsettled him deeply, a pool of dread settling in his belly, heavy and nauseating.

"There ain't much to say now, is there, Mr. Leung, Mr Davis?"

The blood turned to ice in his veins.

"You wanna run that by me again?" His fingers were rigid, knuckles bloodless-white as he gripped his gun tight, as though afraid he might lose control at any moment. "There ain't no men by that name here."

"Oh, you ain't need to lie to me." Fern let out a chuckle, hollow and terrible. The sound felt like a noose tightening over his neck. "I knew there was somethin' up with you boys ever since y'all rescued the Hagenson lass, easy as. Ain't no normal travelling farmhands would know how t' do that." His tilted his head, his temple pressing against the gun Oscar held to his head ever so slightly, and it took all the control in his body not to flinch back. "I got curious. And miracles have it, the grapevines had rumours. It ain't hard, puttin' two and two together."

"Now, you boys ain't been bad to me one bit, and I ain't one to be ungrateful. So hear this - y'all lot clear out from this town 'fore dawn tomorrow, and I won't breathe a word t' any lawmen or bounty hunters that ask after y'all." His gaze was piercing. "Or y' can put a bullet through my head now - not like y'all would mind. Your choice."
 
Asa didn't know what to do, he was at a loss, the hurt, betrayal and surprise not registering quite yet... And then he saw red, bloody and violent and hungry. He put down the oil lamp and turned around violently. He brought his hand up to his mouth and bit down harshly into it, he let out a very muffled scream of rage. It was Oscar, the only thing that kept him from tasting blood beyond his hand.

"You ain't ungrateful, no, you're a motherfucking bastard, son of a whore with a mouth just as dirty. Thank GOD, thank god and friendship that it ain't jus' the two of us. Fern... Because damn your soul, i would send you to hell tonight. We're trying to move on from that bloody life, but you... Disgusting sack of shit, along with your town and it's grapevine keep getting in the FUCKING way. There's no one decent I guess. No one decent left... What now? I'll do whatever you tell me to, whatever you want... because what I would do is tie him to Red's saddle and drag him till he's gone from this world for good" He was looking at Oscar, so shaken, so lost, so quick to resort to violence when kicked into a corner. Asa Davis was one terrified man.
 
Fern looked shaken at Asa's outburst, but continued to stand his ground.

"Now, I understand you're up in arms 'bout this whole mess, but if y'all were in my situation, y'all would've done the same." He held Oscar's stare, unflinching. "Let's not cast judgement here. You were just 'bout ready to murder me, after the roof I've put on your head and the coin I've given you, if it ain't for the good grace of your friend here."

Wordlessly Oscar moves off his chest, and Fern struggles to his feet, coughing a few times to relieve the pressure on his ribcage.

"Promises are promises, despite all that. I ain't 'bout to rat you out to nobody. But y'all can't stay here, mind." He's staring at Oscar now. "I'll trust you with your friend there now. There's food in the pantry for your journey. Clear out of this place 'fore morning." He gave a solemn nod to Oscar, and then a hesitant one to Asa.

"Think about it this way. If I was able to dig up this much 'bout y'all just by askin' around, maybe y'all ain't run far enough from your past yet, hm? Think about that. There's yet more dangerous folks on your trail than you realise." Oscar couldn't quite read his tone of voice, but it sounded like a word of caution.

"Well, I ain't 'bout to overstay my welcome." He turned to walk out of the cabin door, his silhouette cutting a sharp shadow in the doorway. "Good luck, gentlemen."

The door closed, leaving the two of them in stunned silence.

Oscar put down his gun, leading Asa back to sit on the bed. He bit back a sigh at the deep bite mark on the other man's forearm, knowing that it would need medical attention soon. At this moment, though, all he felt was a bone-deep weariness.

"Look." He started, his voice placating, as though trying to calm a scared animal. "Take a deep breath. Breathe in, and out. Look at me." He waited for Asa to follow his instructions before continuing.

"Fern's right about one thing. If he could find out so much about us just by askin' around, it ain't safe for us to be here no more."
 
It took him a few minutes, but Asa followed Oscar's instructions and ultimately calmed down. He now saw on the bed, a sick feeling of defeat twisting in his guts. He was a fool to think God would forgive and forget everything they had done, just because they wanted to be better. It didn't work like that, it wouldn't be so easy.

He huffed, burying his face in his hands. His shoulders were shaky as he took a few deep breaths.

"S'not... Fuck. We knew we would hafta go soon!, That ain't the problem. We was ready to go. S' just..." He. Groaned, looking up again so his words weren't muffled. He looked at Oscar right in the eye.

"I didn't see it comin', not from Fern. I thought... I didn't even consider, Oscar" He said, the reality of the situation now stripped bare.

"He could've fuckin' killed us if he wanted to, we should've killed him. Guess I forgot we can't catch a break, can't even trust the ground where we're standin'..." He said, getting up. His face was twisted in a disgusted, fearful snarl.

"Let's go, I suppose. Can't even say goodbye to sweet Anne." He lifted his forearm to look at his own bitemark left there, and sighed. It could wait until they were a few miles down the road, or through the forest.

"Let's get the hell outta here." He said, stepping around Oscar with the intention to start packing and get everything ready. They could figure out where they were heading once they were on the road.
 
Back
Top