When the West was Wild! (Closed)

[Armphid]

Sam had kept his quiet through the escape, though he'd seen plenty. That Lydia woman was a keen shot, no doubt about it. And the shots he'd seen her take weren't fancy tricks or distractions but clean kills. He'd seen the scars on Lisabeth Green's back before the arid air dried her shirt back to opacity. Of course, he'd seen her goods in that corset too. Lord have mercy! Small she might be but all woman, no doubt. More than he'd expected in that regard.

He also kept quiet when the argument started. It wasn't one he had a stake in, though for his part, he'd prefer the outlaws went off on their own. But seeing as neither his rifle nor pistol had a round in them, he felt it wise to stay out. His mind was also distracted, thinking on what he'd seen and what had brought him here after Lisabeth Green.

More than one of the eye witnesses had described Cal's killer as a dark haired, beautiful woman who was in charge of the robbery and shot Cal with a fast draw of a six gun. A man's dream turned deadly, one older fellow had said. Well, to his mind, Miss Green fit everything but the deadly part. So did this Lydia Love.

Could he have been on the wrong trail all along? Or did he just hope he had been?

He snapped back to the events around him as the gang's guns came out, Miss Green shooting the gun out of the redheaded bandit's hand before almost swooning at the of his blood. That said it right there, didn't it? If she ever did shoot a man dead, he expected she'd then dramatically vomit and pass out. None of the recountings of the bank robbery he'd heard involved that.

Sam felt a bit of sympathy for her as even Bradford turned, telling her to go home. It was a hard thing when your illusions broke and your life fell apart. He'd gone through it a few times now. The anger covering the upset, he understood it. Then she glared at him and Sam felt a thrill of concern. She might not shoot to kill but that didn't mean the little spitfire wasn't dangerous.

"Now, Miss Green, I got no intention on teasing you. And I've been more aware of your femininity than I by all rights should be over the last two days." Sam's mind drifted to the eyefull he'd gotten carrying her in that wet shirt but he shook his head. Not the thing to be thinking on now. "I'm thinking...that if you think yer ex-partners won't come after us once they don't find any silver, we oughta get to yer hideout and have a conversation about that lady we all just hightailed it from."

He looked down at her small, pretty, angry face. Best not to mention she was pretty adorable at the moment. "Otherwise...it pains me to say it, but we oughta go after that silver ourselves. We run out of there with no supplies, no money, and we can't go back to Tanner's Lode for either. What do you reckon, Miss Green?"

 

[Ambrosia_64]

For some reason, Sam being nice to her made things feel worse. Maybe she wanted somebody to be mean to, she didn’t know. Maybe it just reminded her how rotten she’d been. He didn’t deserve her ire-and wasn’t scared of her anyway. Shit, was anybody ever gonna be, this got out?

Then he mentioned Lydia. Her resolve to try and behave twisted up on itself and Lisabeth placed her hands on her hips, her eyes narrowing further, lips pursing.

And later still, he mentioned going after the silver themselves! Lisabeth gave a short laugh at that, and it didn’t sound very amused. “Oh sure Sam, I’ll fund our fun little trip.” She gave an airy, ‘of course’ wave of her hand. And then she cut to the next question suddenly, no play of anything, just that glitter of danger in those pretty aquamarine eyes.

“Whatcha wanna know about Miss Legs for?” She felt a little irritated he was asking about her, she wasn’t sure why. Jealous? Wouldn't be the first time she’d felt that way about Lydia. This felt a little different though. A lot more angry than wistful.

“You saw her-she’s pretty and tall and she hates my damned guts.” Lisabeth fired off. “Maybe you should invite her to the hangin’. You both can have a gay ole time watching me dance on that rope!” Lisabeth’s voice got awfully bitter there for a minute, and a tad loud. She was tensed up and ready for a fight, it looked like.

What the hell was she still doing here? Sam was not her friend. Sam wanted to see her dead for a crime she hadn’t even done. He’d gotten her outta two scrapes now, but that was just for his stupid sense of justice or whatever. He was no fun, right?

She should hate Sam Winfield. But he sure made it hard, somehow. She was starting to feel more upset than angry, and she didn’t like it.

“Now I’m getting the hell outta here, Mr. Lawman, and you’re just going to have to shoot me in the back with all them bullets you don’t have.”

 

[Armphid]

"I ain't no lawman, why does every-" Sam shrugged and shook his head. She could be so irritating! "You ain't going anywhere without me, Miss Green. We've come too far fer that, you an' me."

The bounty hunter swung down from his horse, stupid though it was. She was on the ground so he'd put himself on her level. Try to smooth her dander down a bit. "The damn truth of it is that I-I don't want to see you hang. I feel about like it would...break my heart." Hell. Why'd he have to say a fool thing like that? Even if it was true.

"I came here hunting you based on what witnesses said; a pretty dark haired woman leading a gang of outlaws hit the bank in Dodge City, she was lovely, sassy, a show off, and shot a six gun. That fit you and that's why I chased you down. But then once I found you...it just didn't add up." He shook his head again, "You couldn't shoot me. You didn't shoot any o' those Indians. You damn lost your head over seein' one of them dead even when he was fixing to take your pretty scalp. You put me in that cell but you treated me proper. It didn't add up."

"Now there's this new lady, just like you in plenty of ways it looks like. But I bet she wouldn't bat an eye at shooting a man. So. I got to know about her so I know if I'm right and she's the one I need to bring in. That's why I asked."

He licked his lips. "And if it is her, and she's after you, then I'm glued to yer side. Best chance to get her. And maybe you'd want to be part of that."

 

[Ambrosia_64]

So. She'd have to fight him.

He was bigger than she was, but Lisabeth didn't fight fair, and she knew it. She could probably knock him down long enough to race on out of there. He swung off his horse and she waited for him to try and grab her or something, but he didn't.

He didn't do that at all.

Lisabeth wasn't sure how to take that confession. She knew he didn't hate her-or at least, he said he didn't- and he'd given her the star, but if he didn't want to see her hang then WHY was he so insistent on going to Dodge City?! He made even less sense than she did!

And then he described what, admittedly, did sound like her...or Lydia. He got into how things didn't add up. Lisabeth could feel the mean leaving her as he talked about how he had started to put things together-and while she wanted to feel relieved he might finally believe her, she also felt dread-because she knew she hadn't done it, and that meant Lydia had.

"I already told you I didn't kill anybody out here. Don't gotta go over how I'm soft." Lisabeth said stubbornly but not quite as fiercely, taking her hat off and holding it by the edge of the brim, looking down at the star.

She worried on her lip a minute, thinking.

"Lydia...Lydia likes to hurt people." She said to the hat after several heart beats. Lisabeth knew exactly how much Lydia liked to hurt people.

And then her voice got real small, real worried. That fragile quality he'd heard a time or two. "I didn't kill Cal. But if that means she did, and you go after her..."

She looked up at him, that sad, kinda lost expression. "I'm afraid she'll kill you, Sam. And that would be awful."

 

[Armphid]

"Tarnation, Miss Green, I ain't callin' you soft, I'm pointing out the reasons that that got me here." Those that didn't involve the smooth silkiness of her skin when he'd had occasion to touch it. Or the delight of her voice. The way her dark hair contrasted with her fair skin so nicely. The depth of those brilliant eyes. The...he had to stop thinking like this.

Her murmured comment about Lydia was barely audible. She liked to hurt people, did she? And Lisabeth Green was terrified of her, so it seemed. Wasn't much she did seem to really fear, that alone made this curvy killer deserving of respect. The blood thing didn't have much to do with steel; it was physical as much as anything else, in his mind. His skin crawled when he saw snakes, same thing. But this kind of fear...it said a lot of things.

He listened to her as she again denied killing Cal and he knew that he believed her. And she clearly believed that Lydia would kill him. He...he liked that she thought it'd be awful if he died. It made him feel...taller? Wasn't sure how to describe it but it was a warmth deep in his chest.

"I don't aim to die. But then I figure no one does." Sam took a half step closer to her, took the hands holding her hat in his own. God, they were so small and so warm. "But if she did it, and I can't think that anyone else did now, then I gotta go after her. And I gotta bring her down. I've caused you nothing but trouble, I guess, so I understand if you want to make your own way. But it seems to be that you have a score of your own with this Lydia Love. So...why don't you come with me? Help me take her down."

He almost said that beyond that, he just didn't want her to go. That he liked having her near. But he didn't. Sam just...couldn't get the words to be anything more than thoughts in the back of his head.

 

[Ambrosia_64]

Lisabeth looked down to their hands, the star shining on her hat. She didn't want to go anywhere near Lydia. She would rather Sam didn't, either. But she certainly wasn't about to have him go after her alone. The star seemed to wink at her. No, even with no gang, she wasn't going to let him go by himself.

She drew absent, idle little circles in the sand with the toe of one of her small ankle boots, seeming to consider things.

"And we can be friends?" Quiet voice again, but this time it wasn't fragile with sadness or worry-but hope. Her heart beat picked up a little, tentative-a quick peek up at him. "Maybe?"

 

[Armphid]

Sam thought he might have overstepped but he wasn't sure. From what he'd seen of her that would have resulted in a fiery outburst or a right cross. This quieter Miss Green though, he wasn't sure what to expect.

She was looking down, keeping her eyes from meeting his. There was a faint noise...and he looked down to see one of her little boots drawing circles in the sand. He couldn't help but smile a little. This brassy little outlaw was acting like a shrinking violet. It was adorable.

He'd hug her but then he was sure she'd slug him one. Especially 'cause a hug would probably become a kiss.

Her meek little question made his heart ache and swell. "Miss Green, I'd be honored to be your friend. Can't say I've ever been friends with a body that put me in lock up, but you're a rare lady, after all."

 

[Ambrosia_64]

Lisabeth's whole face lit up like Christmas, as if that was the best news she'd ever heard. One of her quick little hands slipped out of his and grasped the front of his jacket, tugging him down to her level as she popped on her tip toes and planted a searing kiss smack on his lips.

Almost as quick she snapped back with that mischievous grin curving her lips, spinning away to shove her hat on her head and swing up onto Nellie. "C'mon friend, 'fore them disloyal boys find out I lied."

She rooted around in a saddle bag, retrieving a small velvet drawstring bag. She tossed it to Sam, the clinking of metal inside. It was full of eagle coins and bits. (10 dollar and 12 cent pieces) There was a double eagle coin in there too (20 dollars), and...two marbles, a thimble, and a seashell, for some reason.

"We don't need that silver. I didn't want it in the first place-just fun to make the mining company mad." She shrugged. "Hell, I might send them a letter telling 'em where it is, ya never know."

Because now that Six Gun Sal had lost her gang, she'd best take up a bounty hunting career. Of course! Perfect sense. She gave Nellie a few pats, waiting on Sam to saddle up.

"We'll get a good ways from here and then I can tell you what I know about Miss Legs. Deal?"

 

[Armphid]

That smile. It was an angel's smile if there ever was one. Even if that pretty face had done some devilish things to him and made him think plenty of not so angelic thoughts. Sam was going to say something but then-

Her lips were soft and warm and sweet. God, how could they be so many things all at once like that? There was heat there too; sizzling and searing him to the quick. Making a spark like lightning shoot from his lips through his whole body.

It was over as soon as it happened and he stood there gaping like a foot. Eyes wide, mouth slightly parted, his expression dazed. That was...she'd just...him and...it had been...

He blinked as she threw something at him and caught the little jingling pouch. The bounty hunter glanced in to see the coins. It was something, all right. A fair amount. Which was good; they'd have a fair bit to buy once they hit a town that was not Tanner's Lode.

Sam tucked the pouch into a pocket of his jacket and walked to his horse. Should he mention the kiss? Or ask about it or...hell and damnation. He wasn't ever any good at this kind of thing. He mounted up, "That's a deal to me, Miss Green. Let's ride."

The two friends, partners? The two started their horses into motion and Sam felt...oddly light. Hopeful, you might say. Of course, they still had to make it to whatever the next town was with whatever was in their bags and that might be a tall order. But he felt they could do it.

In that moment, Sam understood why men followed Lisabeth Green.

 

[Ambrosia_64]

Lisabeth had them riding hard for a ways before she eventually gave the horses a kinder pace, watering the animals and refilling their canteens at Richard's Creek before they rode for another long while.

It'd been dark for some time before she finally slowed up again. "Confusin' enough of a pace, I suspect." Lisabeth said to either Sam, herself, or Nellie, one of the three as she slipped from the painted mare and set about taking care of the horse.

Lisabeth started a fire, tossed Sam an apple and made them some toast, not having much of anything else-one of the apples Nellie got half of, and Chet the other half, along with their own dinner. She had a few potatoes in her bags too, but getting to a town was going to be a priority.

The petite outlaw had spread one of her blankets out perpendicular to the fire, and that's where she was now, lying on her stomach with her head propped up in either hand and on her elbows.

Her knees were bent, her little boots kicking slow here and there as she watched the fire. After a while, Lisabeth turned onto her back, hat set neatly aside on her saddle, arms coming up to fold behind her head, face tipped back to look across at him upside down, one knee bent and her other one crossed over it, the loose boot bobbing as she kicked it absently.

"So where were you before you was out here Sam?" She asked him curiously, despite having promised to tell him about Lydia. Suppose she'd get to that.

 

[Armphid]

Sam had been lying on his back, head propped up on his saddle. His eyes were on the dark sky that swam with stars but his mind was on maps and their meager provisions. How could they stretch it? He could hunt...except that his rifle had no bullets and you couldn't really hunt with Lisabeth's pistol.

Her question roused him from his thoughts. Sam looked over at her and a small grin crossed his face. She looked all the world like a cat, head upside down and looking at him with those curious eyes.

She wanted to know about him? They were supposed to be talking about that chesty killer. But...he found some part of him wanted her to know more about him. "Depends on how far back you go, I guess."

After a few more moments, he spoke again, "Family came over from England about thirty years before the Revolution to hear my Grandad tell it. Plenty mongralized since then though; got some Norwegian, some German in my blood. I grew up in Ohio; southern part of the state. Ridges and low mountains, all covered in trees 'cept what's been cleared for forest and pasture. Pa and Ma had a farm; not a big farm but enough to live on, make a little money. Raised our own vegetables and feed for the animals; cows mostly, a few horses, of course."

He sat up slowly and studied the supine young woman for a moment. Damn, how could she look so fetching just doing nothing like that? "I got a little education, my folks believed in it. They were abolitionists too, so I come up that way. When the war broke out, well...I volunteered like the young fool I was."

His eyes turned to watch the fire then. "...Was in all kinds of places during the war. Some were all right. Some weren't. Pa and Ma died while I was soldiering; cholera. Got to go home for the funeral though. Farm got sold or seized to pay for the loans that kept it going." His voice was tonally neutral; strictly controlled.

Sam sighed and shook his head, "When the South surrendered, I was ready to be done. Resigned my commission and left the Army. 'Cept I didn't have nowhere to go. Cal...he was my cousin, my Pa's brother's son. Anyway, I'd been writing Cal and his wife Annie when I could and they invited me out to their homestead to help out and...figure out what I was going to do with my life, I guess."

He smiled a little. "Wasn't bad times. Cal and Annie treated me like I was closer than a cousin. Their little girl, Rosie, she calls me "Uncle Sam," and it tickles her to call me that with me havin' been in the War. Truth is though, I wasn't much good at farming. My heart wasn't in it. I didn't have the love of the land like Cal did. But I didn't know what else I could do. I was too old to learn a trade. I didn't know how to anything but fight, ride, shoot, track, and navigate. I was in the cavalry in the War, y'see. And I did my share of fighting but the cavalry is the eyes of the Army. You scout out where you are and the enemy is, track spies, report it all back."

Sam shrugged, "I was in Dodge City one day picking up some seed and I saw a few Wanted posters and...I thought, hell. Ain't finding people what I done all that time in the War? And, well...here I am."

He laughed, "Not much of a story, Miss Green. I shoulda made it fancier for you." The soldier turned bounty hunter looked over at her, "How about yourself? I heard some things but I'd want to hear from you."

 

[Ambrosia_64]

Lisabeth hadn't ever been to Ohio. She listened to the description of the state, of his parents' farm-nodding approvingly about abolition. She'd read about slavery, and even with it being outlawed now, she knew some plantations that were doing it still in all but name.

She was sorry his parents had died while he was away. And when he moved on to his cousin Cal, she felt a bit of sadness there too, knowing he was gone now.

"No, no-that was plenty fancy!" Lisabeth said, having twisted back around to be on her knees, nodding emphatically. "You was in a war, then farmin', and then you just up and decided to bounty hunt?" She sat back on her heels, thinking that over. "How long you been doing that for? Catching people? "

Asked about her own story, Lisabeth rubbed the back of her head. "Well, it's mostly boring til I'm out here...but I guess fair's fair. Didn't get to be in no war though." She sat on her pert bottom and started to talk at him.

“I grew up on a farm too, my pa’s plantation in Illinois. My mama wasn’t around...like I said, she...well, she died having me. She wasn’t much bigger than I am, and I guess that’s just...what happened. So since it was jus’ me and he had no boys, Pa taught me all the things he woulda taught a son. I rode around the plantation with him, I helped take care of our horses, I learned how to plant and harvest and rotate crops. He even taught me how to fire his rifle! I was allowed to go to school and Pa got me my own horse when I was jus’ nine.” She gave a nod to Nellie, a smile. “I swam, I raced, I was outside everyday, dawn to dusk. It was...it was a good run. I was happy.”

She sat there a bit, fiddling with the corner of her blanket, her cheerfulness tempered back a little as she went on.

“And then...I turned fourteen. And all of a sudden my pa wanted a little lady for a daughter, ‘stead of me. Had to wear these dumb poofy dresses all the time instead of split skirts. He took my nice perfectly good saddle and got me a side saddle-you ever ride a side saddle in a dress Sam? S’awful. You might as well tie up yer horse and walk, it’s so boring, hurts yer back. I think even Nellie hated it.”

“He hired a lady to teach me to sew. And iron. And wash. And cook. And all the things I guess a proper lady better know how to do. And I tried Sam. I tried to be what my pa wanted me to be. I thought maybe if I got good enough at those things, I’d be allowed to do the boy things too. But nope. Proper young ladies don’t get to have fun, there’s jus’ no time. Months went by without any racin’ or helping on the farm. Then a year and a half. Nothing but women’s work. And then next thing ya know, I’m getting introduced to all these fellas wanting to be my pa’s heir. Cause ya know, God forbid a woman run a farm.”

“And I know it’s wrong and I was spoiled, like you said- cause I was safe and fed and all, but it was like drowning, just really, really slow. I...I didn’t even want to get up anymore. There didn’t feel like any point, day in and day out, dying slow. So...one day I just refused. I went out riding in my split skirts and sometimes I wouldn’t come home til days later, campin’ in the woods until I ran outta whatever I left home with. I started to spill wine on suitors and terrorize them at dinner. I wouldn’t do any of the girl stuff anymore, no matter what my pa said. And eventually I got in trouble.”

“...I got in bad trouble. Pa was angry and couldn’t understand why I wouldn’t just behave. I was sixteen and it was high time I grew up and got used to the new way things were, he said. Ain’t nobody gonna wanna marry me, he yelled, and I yelled back that that was FINE BY ME, cause I hated everybody he brought home! They was nothing but dogs wanting scraps at his table, I said!” Her voice had gotten tighter and tighter, a little loud by the fire, her eyes flashing. She scowled, her nose wrinkled in distaste before she gave a shake of her head. “They were all awful Sam. You wouldn't of liked any of 'em either. But anyway, I ain’t ever seen him so mad, I thought his head was gonna explode. I weren’t scared, but for a minute-I thought maybe I oughta be. Next thing you know, I was locked in the house. Pa nailed windows shut, he burned my skirts, he threatened to sell my horse. He hired a new lady, real big and mean. She and him had the only keys to the damned door. He said-” She paused, losing some of that temper, drawing her knees up to her chest and resting her chin on them, watching the fire thoughtfully. “He said I was a bad daughter.”

She let that sit a minute, sad. “I guess he was right. I woulda made a good son maybe, but I wasn’t any good at daughterin’.” She sighed, flopping back on the blanket again, waving away the sad best she could-by not thinking about it. “So that night I busted out of there, of course. I tied that mean lady up with a lasso and broke one of the windows. I stole HIS saddle since mine was gone and then Nellie, me and one of the hands all came out West.”

"See? That's the more boring story. I been out here for three years now, making a better one."

 

[Armphid]

The thought of her in a dress was somehow both crazy and kind of tempting. It might be nice to see her looking like the young lady she was. Or could have been. But that was a pipe dream, it was pretty clear. Lisabeth Green wasn't going to wear anything she didn't want to. Though she wasn't all against the feminine. There was that corset...

Dangerous line of thought, Sam.

"Always knew womenfolk had it hard. Must be damn tough, having all that weight of expectations on you." Sam shook his head. "Hell of a story, Miss Green. Ya should write it down, send it to the papers as a serial. Be as good as anything that Dickens fella writes."

Sam was quiet a moment. "This ain't my place to say, but maybe sometime...ya oughta try and see your Pa. Not saying you should go back or do things his way. Just...take it from someone as knows; if something happens, there'll be things good and bad, that you wished you'd said before he went. I regret it everyday."

He then sighed, "There I go again. My friend Pete, we were in the War together, he always said that if I started talking it might be interesting but it'd end up depressing." Sam smiled a little and looked back over at her, laying all flopped on the blanket. Yeah. There were a lot of things he avoiding thinking about too. "So, I been hunting bounties about...five years now? Longer than most in the job. Tends to have a high mortality rate. Plenty more get hurt and retire to something less dangerous. Crossed a lot of territory in my time. Built up a nice little nest egg too. That's gone now. I reckon that chesty lady acquaintance of yours spent it months ago."

Sam leaned back to rest against his saddle. "So what's your plan, Miss Green? Build up enough loot and start your own bar or inn somewhere here in the West? Plenty of ladies out here run their own joints."

 

[Ambrosia_64]

“Yeah...maybe.” Lisabeth said, thinking on her father. She missed when he had been proud of her. Not much to be proud of now. She pressed her hands to her eyes, feeling tired just thinking about it. She’d only missed him twice. Mostly cause she tried not to think about him. It was hard to feel homesick when the home she’d grown up in wasn’t...there anymore.

Sam had lost his savings cause of a bank robbery. Lisabeth felt...bad again. She had been a bad person. She had had fun, but now she was faced with the ramifications, and it didn’t feel good. "Nah, I wouldn't want to sit still long enough to write it out."

“Sam the killjoy.” She said with amusement. But there was no malice in it. Wasn’t even really true, maybe.

He asked about her plan, and Lisabeth stared at the sky. “I never really had one, coming out here, being an outlaw. I just wanted to be free. I had fun being Six Gun Sal. I...well, to be honest Sam, I was expecting to get shot, hopefully while riding my horse-happy, free. Given all the crazy things I’ve been doing these past few years, I’m surprised it hasn’t happened yet.” The stars were so pretty, she reflected. She liked talking with Sam. It was nice. "Guess there's still time, going after Lydia."

“With no gang and news sure to get out about...about being soft-” She scowled a little. “I guess I’m just plain ole’ Lisabeth Green again, and I don’t rightly know what I’m going to do. I thought I’d go to Mexico, restart there but…”

She frowned. “I guess I...I guess I don’t want to be robbin’ anymore. I didn’t mean to cause anybody any harm, was just having fun but-well, now I can’t stop thinking about it. I guess I had to grow up a little sometime.” She sounded genuinely regretful. “And without Bradford, I don’t ‘spect I can work on a ranch or anything, too small to get hired even if I cut my hair pretended to be a boy again, like I did when I first came out here.”

 

[Armphid]

Sam shook his head, "Sometime I might say more about my time in the War...but I'll say this now, Miss Green. I seen a lot of young men die and wondered what their lives woulda been. What difference they might've made in the world. Don't go hoping to die. Too many folk don't get the chance to live for anyone t' want to throw it away."

There he went again. Just couldn't help it! Hearing her talk like that, hoping to catch a bullet...it was damn tragic.

"World's a better place with you in it than not, Miss Green, if you care for ol' Sam the killjoy's opinion. And you know, you spend some time with Lisabeth Green, you might find out who she is, maybe come t' like her. ...I have."

He felt a little foolish saying that and flushed, hoping the fire would hide it if she looked at him. Thankfully she'd been star gazing. He did that a lot when he was on the trail. The night sky out here was a hell of a thing. "You know, you want a life of action and adventure that's likely to end in a hail of gunfire...bounty huntin's mighty dangerous work. Surprised I made it this long." He was fidgeting, not realizing it, his hat now in his hands, Sam turning it round and round. "I maybe could consider takin' on a partner. Someone t' watch my back. Need t' be someone who could shoot, fight, and ride like the devil...think you might know a body up for something like that?"

 

[Ambrosia_64]

Lisabeth's hands were on her stomach, playing with a small stone she'd picked up absently, turning it over and over in her deft little fingers, listening to him. She supposed, maybe, he was right. Seemed a little ungrateful, thinking that way, but she wasn't exactly the most grateful of folks-busy making her own way.

"World's a better place with you in it than not, Miss Green, if you care for ol' Sam the killjoy's opinion.

She had started spinning the stone a little faster, a quizzical expression at the stars. That was nice of him to say, but she wasn't so sure it was true. But...it was nice he thought so. Did that mean he didn't think she was a bad person? Or just not bad enough to get herself killed? Hm.

And you know, you spend some time with Lisabeth Green, you might find out who she is, maybe come t' like her. ...I have."

Her hands stilled. That's how come they could be friends, right? He wanted to be friends. He didn't hate her. He'd given her the star. He'd looked real silly after she kissed him, too. Lisabeth was accostumed to getting the things she wanted, one way or another. Sam Winfield didn't quite seem like something she could just up and steal, though.

"You know, you want a life of action and adventure that's likely to end in a hail of gunfire...bounty huntin's mighty dangerous work. Surprised I made it this long."

"The thought did occur to me. Lisabeth the bounty hunter has a nice ring to it." She said as casually as she could, her pulse quickening. She sat up, watching him as he turned his hat, finished with a question. "I might." She said with the same casual air-an act that was quickly dispelled with one of those grins of hers.

"Really? You'd really be partners with me?" All excitement now. "Cause I could probably be good at that! I been riding and scaring the pants off people for forever!"

Hell, she wanted to kiss him again. Maybe a couple of times.

Maybe even-well not right now. There were no maybes about it, she just didn't trust Lydia not to track them down somehow, despite the off path she'd driven them on.

"I like you Sam. You're...different. I ain't never met a body like you before. I'm...I'm glad you don't hate me. I really am." Boy, was she. This was all going jus' perfect!

"...that's why I got in all those fights for yer stuff. I wanted you to like me, I guess, and was awfully sad about the slim chances of that." She rubbed her head, fingers drawing through the long dark hair. "Plus, you was real upset, and I don't think I ever felt badder in my life."

She picked up the hat with her star, plopped it back on her head.

"But, now we're friends! So, sign me up, partner!" So silly, this girl.

 

[Armphid]

Dour as he could be, Sam couldn't help but smile. There was something about that big grin and her turquoise eyes shining that just made his heart light and a warm feeling go through him. She liked him, she said. That was a mighty fine thing to hear too. Even if it was just friends, it still put wind in a man's sails to have that pretty a young woman say that.

Though there was that kiss. Lord, there was that kiss. First one he'd had in more than a year. He could still feel the phantom press of her lips...

Sam shook his head. Best not think further on that. Not by a fire under the starry sky.

He reached over with his hand, "Put 'er there, partner. Make it all official-like." Once they'd shook hands, the bounty hunter then sighed and laid back down, head resting on his saddle like a pillow. "Still need to talk about that lady outlaw. But it can wait until tomorrow; we'll have plenty of time to talk while we ride." He yawned, "I reckon we oughta get a few hours of shut eye."

 

[Ambrosia_64]

She slapped her hand to his and shook enthusiastically, beaming. "Official!" She repeated, flopping back onto her blanket, still smiling brightly.

Until he mentioned Lydia-that dimmed it somewhat. She had promised, but...didn't get to it. Maybe a little on purpose. Didn't want to damper the mood. Lisabeth shook the thoughts away. Tomorrow. She could tell him about her tomorrow.

Boy. This had started out as a rotten day and ended up being a great one.

"Losing my gang...well, that woulda been a lot more awful than it feels like now." She said aloud before remembering he was trying to sleep, keeping quiet a moment.

"Was a good trade, them for you, I think." That soft voice again, and then she let him sleep, watching the stars. She didn't think she'd be able to sleep. She was excited, nervous, hopeful-too many kinds of things. Plus, it was a fifty fifty on whether Lydia retreated back to her hideout to lick her wounds-or was hunting after them both. She wasn't scared of her former gang, but she was scared of Lydia. It was no accident Lisabeth had left the trail and taken her secret short cut.

She sighed and sat up, resolved to keep watch as the flames died down slowly, completely out by the time dawn came around.

////////////////

Lisabeth had made them some more toast and drove hard for another long ways before again slowing up, giving the horses a slower, nicer pace. She was tired, but the weather was nice-a cool enough breeze swirling through.

"So. Miss Legs." She said without preamble-that seemed to be the way she was though, spontaneous-almost as if she had a head full of jumbled thoughts at any given time, all wanting out at the same time. Combined with her energy, it made for some outbursts and exclamations, here and there.

"I told you I ran away from home one night and headed for the West. I had read all these stories, you see, and I thought...I don't know, I thought that's where the adventure was. I cut my hair and dressed up like a boy 'cause it was safer. That, and Pa sent a few folks after me to bring me home. No one ever caught me, not in all these years-'cept you, ya cheater."

She winked at him, her lips curved into an amused smile.

"So, me and the hand-his name was Charlie-are a little unsure what to do with ourselves. But I could ride, and I guess that's what caught Lydia's notice one day, in one of the rougher towns-there was a race, see. I couldn't hardly help but win. So, we sign up with her. I think she knew I was a girl the whole time-probably thought it was funnier not to say anything, I don't know." A shrug. "She taught me all kinds of things. Like how to be a trick shooter, had set up a whole course of hay bales and bottle targets-I got better and better shooting on my feet, shootin' on my horse. Nellie took to it easy, didn't even start after a few weeks of apples and sugar cubes."

"Later still, she taught me to plan heists and win fist fights. I didn't go out with her and the rest of the gang for a long while. But...we were friends. One day she told me I might as well be a girl, said she figured me out and that I was safe with her. Was true for a while. Nobody was going to mess with me, cause if my mean didn’t scare ‘em, hers sure would. I ran with her gang for over a year, sometimes going on heists, at the end. I thought...I thought she was like me! We were free, we were doing what we wanted and we were having fun. She taught me damn near everything I know about being an outlaw and running a gang. I was happy again. I...well, I loved her, I guess. Think what you want about it, but I did.”

Lisabeth's recounting had been cheerful enough, but slowly devolved into a thoughtful, almost sad and vaguely bitter retelling. Things must not have ended well-obviously, given Lydia's confrontation with Lisabeth in Tanner's Lode.

 

[Armphid]

Sam didn't fall asleep that quickly. He smiled at her soft words; that little voice that he was quickly learning was for her most honest thoughts but those she was afraid of being rejected for. Assuming he was right; he'd never pretend to be an expert on women, let alone one like Lisabeth Green.

"Why, Miss Green, that's as fine a compliment as I've ever gotten from a lady. Thank you." He yawned, "And good night."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

He let her set the pace the next day as he had the previous one. Sam had figured their destination. The bounty hunter had friends and contacts in the town of Mill Junction, which was the closest place he felt they could resupply and rest up before getting back after Lydia Love. It was a sight bigger than Tanner's Lode and had an actual rail stop. He hoped that would be enough to keep Lydia from trying to shoot in or out if she tracked them. It was clear Miss Green was plenty worried she would.

He was a little concerned for her reaction when she met his friends there. But that was putting the horse before the cart. They had to get there first. It was going to be mighty tight. With luck, she'd be able to shoot some game; even if just a rabbit or a snake or a lizard to give them something more to eat. Either way, it was going to be a hard week's ride, assuming nothing slowed them down.

When she began to talk about Lydia, he didn't speak. He just listened. Sam heard a great deal that was said and not said. When she talked about loving the other woman and about Sam's judgment of it. "I can see why. She'd given you the life you wanted, kept your secrets, made every day an adventure. And she's a stunning beauty, no doubt about that. Ain't no shame falling in love with her." He was trying not to think about that. The two of them together...whoo.

"Out here in West, well, I run across a few ladies what preferred each other's company to that of men, as they say. And knew men like it too. A few in the Army though they kept it quiet." Poor ol' Pete. "Since the War...I ain't had much care for how folk live, color o' skin, who they love, and such. Life's too short. And unless I'm a saint, I've no business judging anyone unless they're doing harm to others. If they ain't hurting anyone, ain't no matter."

Sam flushed, "Sorry, Miss Green. Sure you weren't looking for me to run at the mouth. If you've a mind, I'd like to hear more."

 

[Ambrosia_64]

Lisabeth nodded, liking Sam more all the time. "Nah. You always have good stuff to say. It's a nice change-I agree with you, anyway."

She lifted her hat to run a hand through her hair, Nellie leading herself. "I loved her, or what I thought was her. I didn't know it at the time Sam, but..." Her eyes got a little far away, troubled-and then slipped back to him, a frown.

"There's...there's something wrong with Lydia. She likes to hurt people. Really likes to hurt people. She showed her good side to me, and hid the bad. But one day...I heard one of the new recruits out in the barn, he was-well, he was yelling something awful." Lisabeth stopped her horse, troubled. "So...so I go out there. I thought maybe a cougar or...? I don't know what I thought. Lydia carried this little whip with her, said it was good luck or something. And she..she was using it on him. She said he stole something, took too big of a cut or...or something. I offered to pay whatever it was he supposedly took, ‘cause he was screaming and bleeding and it was just...oh Sam, it was awful.”

Lisabeth shivered and pressed her hands to her eyes, trying to forget again.

"Just awful, and she wouldn't accept none of that from me. But I went to cut him loose anyway, cause I wasn’t going to stand for it. I didn’t think-I dunno, I didn’t care if she came after me or not, I guess. Wasn’t thinking about it, just wanted him down and not hurting anymore. He was bleeding all over, I ain’t never seen anything like it, and next thing I know, I’m on the floor waking up and she’s was yelling how I was just...just a pet, and soft-then she tied ME up after a scuffle, and...and...well.”

She didn’t want to think about it any. Or the ugly scars it’d left. Her eyes and voice were far away again.

“And she laughed Sam. The whole time. Like it was just...the funniest thing…”

 

[Armphid]

Sam winced visibly at her description of what happened. He'd seen a whipping or two in his time and had seen the aftermath of them on freed slaves during the War. It was bloody, ugly, painful and dirty. Given how she felt about blood...just seeing it must have been an ordeal. Then the woman she loved took the whip to her...damn.

No wonder Miss Green was scared of her. She'd probably opened to Lydia more than anyone in her young life and gotten scars for it. The ones that could be seen were probably the least ones.

Sam moved Chet closer and put a hand on one of her slender shoulders, "Ain't nobody should have to endure that, Miss Green. I can't imagine the hurt it musta caused you." He didn't say he was sorry, because what would that do? He patted her shoulder, "Well, we'll keep her hands off of you. I'll do all in my power to keep you safe."

Damn, that was a fool of a thing to say. He meant it though.

"All the freedom out here...it can be good for a lot of folks. But fer others, it lets them loose their demons. The way of mankind, I guess." He sighed, "We can let it go fer now, Miss Green. It can't be pleasant to remember. But I'd like to hear the rest of the story sometime. More important, I'd like your thoughts on how she operates. It'll go a long way to finding her."

Assuming she didn't find them.

 

[Ambrosia_64]

Lisabeth nodded slow, still far away, another time and place. He said he’d keep her safe, and that brought her eyes back into focus, a frown-before she wiped at her eyes furiously with her sleeve, snapping out of it- shifting her weight entirely to the one stirrup, her knee coming up on the saddle so she could turn and hug him out of nowhere.

“It ain’t ME I’m worried about!” She fussed, the small thing tightening the hug for emphasis. Her balance was impressive-she was neither pulling him from his horse or falling off of hers-Nellie calm and standing still, used to worse antics. “You soaked her in front of everybody! I thought that was funny at first, but-and if she thinks, I mean, knows we’re friends-”

She let him go and plopped on her own saddle, a huff. “She’s just awful, okay? Awful. She’s probably mad as cuss and she don’t even know you. I already ain’t ever letting her get a hold of me again-you either, if I can help it. Back at Tanner’s Lode, I woulda tried to beat the pretty out of her-she was busy struttin’ I coulda got a lot of hits in you know.” She shook her head and gave Nellie a gentle nudge of her boots-and the horse started up again. Sam...Sam did make her feel a little safer, even if she resolutely told herself she didn’t NEED nobody to make her feel safe. Not that she really believed in “safe” from Lydia. Was almost spooked the woman was psychic. This was too much thinking.

“...though, that was really funny. And the look on her face! Hell, that was the best thing ever. That was funnier than locking you up.” Oops. Lisabeth cast him a side glance. “Um. Sorry about that.”

Probably should change the subject to the matter at hand.

“Anyway, Lydia’s a woman with a gang. That’s hard to do Sam. You misstep or someone gets the idea you’re soft-all of a sudden some fella is trying to take your men and kill you off-or worse. People just thought I was crazy, and occasionally I had to get in a fist fight or scare the bejeezus outta someone-nobody knew I couldn’t kill ‘em, and there were all kinds of rumors-plus, I ride and shoot better than most. It helped there was Bradford. He didn’t say much, but people didn’t want to risk tangling with him, either. Not that I needed protectin’.”

“But Lydia, she’s just as deadly as she is pretty. And she’s got this real smiley kind of dangerous-it fools people, and then she bites you-flips faster you can blink. You can't trust her, you can't make a deal with her, cause as soon as she has what she wants, she's done. And she’s always got a fall guy, too.” Lisabeth’s eyes narrowed a fraction, talking fast and no longer far away or traumatized-all energy and all at once. “Me, I wanted to be infamous. I did the things because it was either fun or humorous or both. Lydia-well, Lydia’s smarter and trickier than me, and doesn’t care about no reputation. So there’s always someone set up to have done a thing, even if it was her orchestratin’. She doesn’t leave witnesses alot, I guess.”

“Bradford was that guy for her, for a while. He’s got a big ole bounty on his head-train robberies, stage coaches, you name it. Lydia’s known nearly all over the west-to other outlaws-but not to the law, I don’t think. She can rouse up a lot of men in a hurry-but like me, she only really runs with a few. Those men she had-they’re all good marksmen. One of them are worth ten of any rough and tumble outlaws any day. Plus, that keeps her cut bigger-she mostly hits banks and trains. The only thing she likes as much as hurting people is money. I don’t know what she does with it all, but I know she’s amassed a lot of it, somewhere out there.”

“So. She’s either out looking for me-not sure what sparked that up again-or she’s gone on home. She’s got an abandoned ole’ farmhouse. It’s a long ways from here, but that’s where she goes to cool her heels. The only other place she stays for any length of time is one of them rough outlaw towns-but we go there Sam, we’re both dead, because people are a lot more scared of her than they are me-and especially if word is out I didn’t shoot her, I’m likely to be dead in a ditch an hour after we roll into town.” She mulled that over.

“So, all I got for you is the farmhouse, I guess. I took us a bit off to avoid her followin’-but I’m hoping she doesn’t know I lost my gang yet, to be honest.” A shrug.

 

[Armphid]

The hug surprised him. How the Sam Hill had she done that? But after a stunned moment or two, he returned the embrace. Lord, she felt good against him. Smelled nice too.

Sam, get a girl there. She just told him she had been in love with a woman. She wasn't looking for nothing from him.

But that kiss...

He was blushing a bit when she plopped back on her own saddle. Damn, she could outride him and outshoot him. How unfair was that? All he could do that she couldn't was kill. Hell of a trade-off that. "Miss Green, I appreciate your concern, but I had men try and kill me before. 'Sides it sounds like Miss Love wouldn't really need a reason."

He smirked a little at her apology for locking him up but shrugged it off. "...It was pretty funny at that. Yeah, I hope she doesn't know it was me either. Though I'll fill her in if it's useful later on. Folk with a temper like that, ya can use it if yer clever."

When she went on her energetic, information tirade, Sam went back to listening. The bounty hunter only had a basic education but he'd read since and had a sharp mind. He soaked in what she provided. Then she dropped a mortar on him. When Lisabeth mentioned the farmhouse, Sam stiffened and shot upright like he'd sat on a tack. Then he grinned. Then he started to laugh, "All you got for me is a farmhouse? Ha! Miss Green, you pretty little devil! That's worth more than all the rest of it!"

His own eyes were bright when he looked at her, "I caught you at yer hideout, right? Hideouts are good for a lotta things but they're also where ya let yer guard down, even if just a little. And if nothing else, knowing there's a place she's going to go to makes the hardest part of our job, finding the witch, easy! We go where we know she's gonna show up sometime and we wait 'er out!"

"You beauty! Damn! I been spending my time trying to figure out how we'd get back on her trail once we got geared up. Ain't that lovely? We know where she'll be." Sam leaned back in his saddle, feeling genuinely pleased. "Partnership is working out already."

 

[Ambrosia_64]

Sam started to laugh, looking like Christmas himself. Lisabeth blinked, a cautious smile curving her lips, a head tilt. "It is?"

Lisabeth perked up in her own saddle as he explained, the smile becoming that familiar, mischievous grin of hers. "Well how 'bout that! Happy to be of a service!" She said, a tip of her hat and a wink, the Sheriff's star glittering in the sunlight.

She was happy she had helped! Sure, she was playing another game, this bounty hunter business-but she did want to help. So, happy. Little nervous they were both gonna get shot, but happy all the same.

/////////////////////////////////////////
Another night under the stars, this time with a bit fuller of a meal. Lisabeth and her revolver netted them a rabbit, and without discussing it, Sam took care of the rest while she took care of the horses. She was good with the animals, it seemed. Good teamwork, all in all.

Long after dinner, Lisabeth was lying on her front on her blanket, her face propped up on one small fist. She was carefully building some sort of little twig house smaller than the size of her hand next to her blanket, carefully balancing everything on small stones and shifting sand. She always seemed to be doing something with her hands-as if the girl couldn't sit still. Which, really, was absolutely true. She had gotten progressively tired throughout the day-her not sleeping the night before becoming apparent as time wore on.

The evening was winding down awfully nice though. Late, starry, and the crackling of the fire.

"You cold?" Lisabeth asked idly, the twig house completed-only for her to start flicking stones at it, her tongue caught between her teeth on one side, concentrating on destroying the little thing she'd spent some time building.

 

[Armphid]

There were times a body longed for a bed out in the wild. That you missed the comfort that dirt and rock just couldn't provide. Then you had nights like this. The sky was ablaze with the lights of the stars. The flames danced and the wood cracked and sizzled a comforting sing of destruction. His belly was full. Pretty and charming, if crazy, girl by the fire. Pretty good all around.

Sam was studying the starry heavens, as he tended to at night. Finding familiar constellations and just watching the cosmos overhead. Except when he turned to watch Lisabeth Green. She was fooling with something over there, eyes fixed on whatever it was. Tarnation, she was always doing something. He wished he had that much vim all the time. If she hadn't fallen asleep against him that night after the scrap with the Indians, he'd think she never slept. That she just was active all the time, spinning about like the sassiest tornado you ever saw.

He then realized she'd spoken to him. Sam blinked, "Cold?" He considered a moment. "A mite, I guess. Gotten used to bein' a little chilled out here at night. I'll be colder by the morning, but..." He shrugged and then added, "If you're cold, Miss Green, I can give my blanket. I'm hardy enough, I like t' think."