Good Old West

Dreamless Realm

Restless writer
Benefactor
Life on the Edge GM
Pronouns
They/them
@Griffith
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Our characters have just left a gang of outlaws they were previously a part of, both of them crossing through the mountains and riding into West Elizabeth from the west. After forming a strong friendship, they both had strong enough reasons to leave behind everything they knew and venture into new lands to explore.
 
The two of them rode down the narrow mountain path in companionable silence, with only the rhythmic thudding of hoofbeats accompanying their journey. They had been on the road since morning - by the looks of the sun, it had to be afternoon by then, yet with every crunch and snap of dried leaves and twigs beneath their horses Oscar couldn’t help but feel uneasy, the same brewing anxiety that had been chewing away at him since they’d left a few hours ago. Surely Rob or whoever was supposed to be relieving him for guard duty would’ve already noticed his absence by now. They have a huge head start on the hypothetical search party sent out to look for them, but Oscar still had the lingering fear in the back of his mind that they’d somehow be caught.

Perhaps it was mingled with guilt too, as his mind strayed away to the other members of the gang they’d left behind. Rob, Fraser, the Patels, little Pauline… it was a necessary decision not to involve anyone else in the escape, but they were good people, and Oscar couldn’t help but feel for them, having to stay behind in the midst of the mess of what’s left of the gang. Perhaps one day they too would find a way to sneak out of the gang, but ultimately the rest weren’t their responsibility, no matter how much it felt like it was.

Trying to shake off the unwelcome thoughts, Oscar urged Houyi forward such that he was riding alongside Asa.

“You think any of the others are gonna make like we do and run for it?”
 
Lost in thought and admiring the landscape in front of them, Asa only came out of his daydream when his mare started moving a bit further left. Bringing him closer to the precipice. Turns out it was Oscar and Houyi she was making room for.
He looked in the other's direction as he spoke, the question awakening guilt and nostalgia inside him. So much for gettingin his overactive imagination.

"I... think some may try. But also, well... Mr. Rook will tighten his hold on them as well, talk about how they won't make it on their own, get them in trouble so they have a price on their heads... We already know how it goes. I-I... there's nothing we can do now. He needs most of them anyway, so I think they'll be ok." He hoped, he prayed just before they left so whoever was up there would protect them. Not himself and Oscar, but the good people they were leaving behind.

The morning would have been tense, that meant no early coffee from Fraser. No jobs to do. Rob would probably try and keep to himself. But that bastard James Rook and his men wouldn't give them a moment to breathe.
 
"Yeah, I hope so." Oscar's grip on Houyi's reins tightened at the mention of Rook. "They're all good people, smart too- well. Some of 'em at least." He gave a half-hearted chuckle, though there wasn't much humour in it. "Can't speak for Rob. Maybe Pauline will set 'em straight for once... she's always been the smart one. If anyone knows how to deal with Rook, well..." he trailed off, a bitter taste rising in the back of his throat at the thought of that man.

Damn that man, damn him and his cronies to hell. He was going to lead a good band of people to their ruin, the way he'd been handling the gang ever since he took over a few months ago. The last few botched jobs certainly spoke volumes as to his competence- there's not a single bone in that man that's fit to lead. As bad as he was at any sort of leadership, though, the man was an undeniably talented conman and blackmailer - the only way he'd been able to keep the others from fleeing as soon as things went sideways. The writing was on the wall, and Oscar and Asa would've been fools not to heed it. He could only hope that the others would in time manage to weasel their ways out of Rook's grasp.

"You think Rook's figured anything out by now?" He called back to Asa. "Hope he's not taking it out on Rob, poor thing. Think he's gonna send his little band of followers after us?"
 
Maybe, maybe if anyone could reason with Rook it'd be Pauline. But Asa didn't have any high expectations.

"Maybe?, but they won't find us. Mainly because they have no fuckin' idea where we're going. We've been scouting and getting ready for this route specifically, through the muntains, for months. They don't have any maps or nothing, so they'll just think we went north instead. I hope so anyway." He said, patting his mare's neck affectionately as they went onwards.

"The truth is that to the people in charge right now... we didn't matter much anyway." He added with a sigh. Never would he forgive that bunch of... of racist, walking bullshit. For basically destroying their little family. His hold on the reins tightened, and he looked towards the precipice as if he was admiring the view. Oscar didn't need to see him so mad, when right now they should be focusing on keeping their temper in check.
 
"No, we didn't." Oscar's mouth pressed into a thin line as he recounted the events of the past few months. It hadn't been so bad in the past, not when it had just been Rook's off-colour remarks. Back when Morrissey had still been around. It wasn't like Oscar expected much civility from white folks towards the likes of him in the first place, so he'd let Rook's remarks slide, no matter how distasteful he found them. But Rook kept finding ways to "recommend" old associates of his to join the gang - the very sort that Oscar joined the gang to avoid persecution from - and then the shootout happened and they lost Morrissey, and well...

"If anything, Rook should be over the cloud right now. He's always hated folks like us, and now that we just voluntarily left like that? Must be a dream come true for him." It was a mostly sarcastic statement, but Oscar couldn't help the tinge of bitterness that crept into his words. The idea of Rook being vindicated in any regard was mortally offensive, and he loathed to think about what he'd be doing to the rest in their absence.

As though sensing his dour mood, Houyi snorted loudly and tossed his head. Oscar reached forward to apologetically give him a pat.

"We should probably stop for a break soon," he said to Asa. "We've been running the horses ragged since morning, and there should be enough distance between us and the camp for some rest."
 
"I don't know... Maybe we can slow down a bit but keep going?. I'm... I really want to make as much distance as we can this first day. S' pretty damn important" Answered Asa, giving Zefir an affectionate but apologetic pat on the neck.

"And I think Rook must be mad 'bout us. We got away, no punishment, no more of his nagging. Who' s he gonna insult now?. Rob?. Not in the same way at least." Gradually, he slowed down their pace. Knowing Houyi would probably follow instead of running ahead. Maybe they should stop, though. When they reached water and somewhere fresh. Before they ran into people.

He turned to his side and looked for the map they'd been given. It covered most of the region. They were now almost in West Elizabeth. He hummed, checking for any nearby bodies of water.
 
"That's true." Oscar concurred and slowed Houyi's pace to match Zefir's. As much as he felt bad for pushing the horses all day, it was crucial that they made use of their head start and got as far as possible from where they started. He gave another quick scratch to Houyi and made a mental note to give him an extra treat when they settled down to rest later.

"Don't be too sure of that, I'm sure Rook will find some way or another to bully Rob. Seeing that he's going to be frustrated about us and all... Just hope the boy's not too roughed up after this blows over." If Rook disliked a person he made sure that it was known, going out of his way to find trivial reasons to chastise and humiliate them. Rob was far from being thin-skinned, but prolonged ragging on someone would eventually take its toll, and Oscar hoped that Rook would grow bored of targetting Rob before long.

Seeing Asa dig for his map, Oscar couldn't help but move Houyi closer and lean over to take a look as well. "What're you looking for? Are we any closer to West Elizabeth?"
 
Rob would have to be ok. He most likely would, the guy was... soft. And sweet on Paulina. But Asa didn't know if they'd ever get anywhere together. If they stayed in the gang that was. Maybe with the years... they could go back and find them. Fuck... No, no. He could not do that, ever.


"Careful, or we're going to arrive to West Elizabeth but rolling down the mountain." Said Asa with a small smile as he unfolded the map.

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He pointed to a path that crossed the mountains, and was added to the map with graphite.
"We're already heading down to the big valley. So I was thinking, we could make camp as soon as we reach the stream. Because Miller, the man who helped me plan most of this?. He said there's cougars further down. How's that sound?" He said, explaining their possibilities.
 
"Cougars, eh? Best we make camp where you said we should, then. Won't want to risk running into 'em so soon, especially since we've on our own now." Oscar has had encounters with cougars before, and they had been extremely unpleasant to deal with, and he'd like to avoid any repeat performances of that. Not that he doubted their ability to deal with any surprises thrown their way, but this early into their escape he wanted their journey to be as safe and painless as possible. They didn't have anyone to rely on but themselves and as such had to be doubly cautious, especially this far out in the wilderness.

"We shouldn't be too far from the stream now, by the looks of it. We should get a move on, see if we can reach there before nightfall. It'll be dangerous to move in the dark. C'mon." He spurred Houyi into a brisk canter.
 
Zefir snorted, as if somehow offended by Houyi picking up the pace and running ahead. It made Asa smile a bit, she always did that. Always had to be the one leading. Well not today!.

“Come on girl!" He said to her in low tones, patting her side as he pocketed the map and spurred her to follow Houyi and Oscar's pace.

"I reckon we'll be there by nightfall, yeah. Can't be too far now "Was what he said to Oscar.

After that, they fell into a familiar and comfortable silence. With only the sound hoofsteps on dirt and rock, and the sharp mountain walls as witness of their rushed travels.
It would still be a few hours before they reached an opening, a sudden bout of light that meant they were finally out of the mountain pass they'd been travelling through.
 
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The sun was dipping low in the sky as they exited the mountain pass, the narrow valley opening up into more open forests, from which the mouth of a stream flowed further downwards. After the long journey through relatively still air trapped between the mountains, the evening breeze greeting them was a much welcomed change.

Oscar urged Houyi up onto a rocky plateau overlooking the stream. "Looks like we made it on time, after all. Reckon this is as good a spot as any to set up camp for the night. What do you think?"

As though trying to agree with Oscar's assessment. Houyi started pawing at the ground. Always one of its own mind, that horse, even after all this time riding together. Oscar smiled and scratched the bay between its ears. "Houyi sure does think so."
 
The spotted mare Asa was riding stopped besides Houyi and snorted.

"Houyi has a good eye. And I might just jump directly into the river from here." Said Asa with a laugh. Finally they made it!, thetr was no way they'd find them here. Not for a while at least. And they'd keep moving anyway.

"I don't want to see any more feckin' mountains in a couple 'weeks at least!“ He exclaimed, guiding Zefir just some feet downstream. Where there was some grass for the horses to enjoy, and flatter ground to put down bedrolls.

He got off of the horse then, and grimaced. His legs were used to plenty of riding but not a day's worth... And not through such rocky terrain. He'd feel it tomorrow. His thighs were already feckin' complaining.
 
"Damn right," Oscar replied as he followed Asa's lead with Houyi in tow, dismounting and landing with a small grunt. The evening was just warm enough to be pleasant and damn if it didn't feel good to feel the fresh air on his face, especially after an entire day of riding and worrying about being caught. At last, here he could have some peace of mind, at least for the next few hours. He's more than happy to put the day's events behind him for some rest.

Oscar made quick work of unloading the supplies he would need for the night from Houyi, leaving the horse free to graze along the bank of the stream. He could feel the sore tenseness in his body from riding all day finally settling in and he winced. Tomorrow wasn't going to be a pleasant one.

"We should set up a fire, eat while we get the chance to right now. Since there's a stream here..." Oscar nodded towards the running water, "I was thinkin' we could take turns taking a dip later, clean ourselves up a little."
 
"Yeah, that sounds good to me. I'll take the first guard through the night, too. If you don't mind." Said Asa, helping Oscar set up camp.

He took the saddle off of Zefir so she could get comfortable if she wanted to. And... He'd probably brush her after they ate something.

"It doesn't look like there's rain coming, does it?. No need to set up tents in that case if we'll only be here for a night." Asked Asa, looking around for somewhere to leave the chair so it wouldn't get dirty. A tree stump would have to do, it seemed.
 
"Hasn't rained in weeks, doesn't look like it would soon either." Oscar peered up at the sky. He'd never been astute at discerning the weather, not like Fraser had been. A sudden pang of nostalgia crept up upon him. He's going to miss them bastards back in the gang. Maybe in time he could go back to find them, but now... shaking off the thought lest he fell back into wallowing for their lost comrades, Oscar started to set up the campfire - keeping his hands busy always seemed to stave off having to think about unpleasant stuff.

"It's not like we should pitch a tent either way. We have to be able to move fast in case some fellers come lookin' for us in the night. Or you know, god forbid them cougars come sniffin' around."

Once the campfire was going, Oscar beckoned for Asa to come over with the canned food for dinner.
 
"Really hoping the cougars will leave us alone..." Said Asa, bringing some canned beans and handing Oscar one of the cans. They also had salted meat. A bit stringy, maybe best for tomorrow.

He sat his ass down by the campfire, looking into the flames. This felt... Strange. Just the two of them, small camp. It wasn't uncommon, people always went on jobs for a few days. But it wasn't the same.

"So... Now that we made it here... Where nobody knows us, what do you wanna do?. It's weird. Isn't it?. Having options." He said. Personally, he'd rather keep to their lifestyle, and roam around. But maybe Oscar had other plans. Hell, maybe he wasn't planning to stick around Asa for long.
 
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"Mm," Oscar gave a non-committal hum, shovelling a spoonful of beans into his mouth. The plan for escape, so to speak, had only covered the details up to breaking away from the rest of the gang and riding West. Beyond that, there were only vague ideas that took shape for what came next. To be very honest, he hadn't thought about what he wanted, beyond getting away. Like a caged animal set free, not knowing what to do with its newfound freedom.

"I don't know," he replied truthfully. "I was just thinkin' to figure it out as we went. Should be easy enough." He shrugged. "Land of opportunities and all that nonsense. What d'you think? Is there anything you want to do in particular?"
 
Asa took the chance that a fuller than usual spoonful of beans granted him to think about it. He remained quiet and put the can down for a moment so he could open the map again.

"Mmm.. Ah wad thinjin'" He swallowed the beans after that sad attempt at communication.

"I was thinking, sorry" He said with a light chuckle. He had only now come up with the idea.
"we could ride down to this town here, Strawberry, get a bigger map of the whole place. And... Maybe ask around to see what kind of people we'll find 'round here?“ He said, scooting closer to Oscar so he could also see the map.
 
Oscar snorted at Asa trying to speak through the mouthful of beans. "Careful now, you don't want to choke on that." As Asa scooched over to show him the map, Oscar took a look at the town he was pointing at. Strawberry... he wasn't too familiar with the geography of the area, though small towns like Strawberry tended to resemble every other of its type, so blending in and lying low would be an easy enough task. It would be a start.

"Sounds like a plan," Oscar shrugged. "If you're lookin' for objections you'll find none from me."

Finishing the rest of his dinner, he cast aside the can and stretched, a yawn escaping from him. The warmth of the campfire was making him drowsy, the weariness from the day's travel finally settling in. "Think I'm gonna go clean myself up now. No point in staying up too late."
 
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