Longwood First Hunt Day 01-02

I put a passed out Balik back in his crib I can't help but just stare at him. He's so beautiful my second son, smiling at him when he gurgles in his sleep. I move away with a sigh, I need to get my shirt on and out to the stop I can hear the train. My belt rustles and creaks as I grab up my shirt and put it on groaning when the badge scratches my breast. Thinking I should get a shirt with pockets or perhaps a vest with the accursed poking badge on I move to the door.

Chun is heading toward the stairs with a man ahead of her he nods to me as he passes his hat in his hands. Chun smiles and takes my arm as we head for the stairs she stops us at the head.

"Janet my folks are wondering when you are coming in to eat."

"Isaac's pies have a tendency of pulling you to them. I swear I'll stop in later today, I'm supposed to keep an eye on the town with Dan and Chad, not sure why they haven't made me do a walk yet." Chun giggles and leans in to me.

"Because you are addicted to the books doc says for us every afternoon. I miss him coming in for breakfast and talking until it starts getting dark. I think we all miss you saying the book." I sigh, I can't after I got deputized with all of the people coming in and leaving town three badges don't seem enough.

"I miss saying them to I say books to Balik some he prefers my songs."

Chun smiles, Balik has become the darling of the whores even the Apache dote over him. We head down the stairs to Celeste, figuring Sally has decided to try for a man I smile at her as I pass. Exiting the saloon with the new fancy sign over it I find Sally sitting on the horse tie post. Grinning I go toward to push her over in the water trough, Sally drops down with a laugh. She falls in step with me as I head toward the stop.

"So getting another whore in the train?" I ask as we turn to walk past the sheriff's toward the station.

"Nope, better." Sally is giggling and smiling next to me I look over at her.

"You bought a husband?" I had been rather shocked when I had been told of mail order brides, even more to find there was not a mail order husband I still say it's possible.

"Oh good grief, no Janet my sister is coming. I haven't seen her in six years she was twelve the last time." I smile over at her before greeting two Apache men walking toward the store.

"Does your sister have a name or did you forget it?" I ask with a giggle, Sally groans and slaps my back.

"Gwendolyn, she's always preferred Gwen I just find it fun to say her whole name."

At the station I see Chad leaning against the corner of the building. I move up quiet as I can behind him then reach out to touch his shoulder.

"You should do that with a quieter belt." Chad says not even turning around, I sigh he's right this belt is just noisy right now.

"The oil they sent isn't working, I guess I need to wear it as much as I can." Chad chuckles as the train comes in.

Sally moves past us smiling excitedly looking at the passengers getting off. I look as well, none look threatening most don't have a gun on their hip. A few see me and Chad and talk to each other quietly. Two men about as tall as the sky are not as quiet talking about how Apache can even work as the law here, Chad goes and speaks to them with a rather sour expression. I sigh and look back over the passengers getting off, there are an awful lot of them today then I notice one.

I have to look twice at this man he's taller than many around him with a wide whitish yellow hat. What really sets him apart is the broad shoulders and the marshal badge on his chest. Even more, he looks very familiar and I think back on it for a moment before it comes to me. This is the same fresh young marshal that had come to Dan and me to ask for help in finding a particularly tough target the trip before I started carrying Balik. His name comes to me after a moment, Martin. With his name issuing forth from me I charge him getting a grunt out of Chad behind me.

Martin looks at me surprised and confused then he smiles as I get closer. Right before I leap up into his arms I notice he has a prisoner, a stocky little man that looks very familiar. Martin catches me with a grunt putting one hand on my backside to hold me up as I plant kisses on his cheeks and mouth.

"Janet I thought you were with child." I giggle still held up by him Chad appears to keep the prisoner in hand.

"Birth was last month, beautiful boy we named Balik. Took a lot of doing, Dan was all for naming him Benjamin. Finally I had to just put my foot down on his and make it clear my second child will have a proper name." Chad protests next to us getting Martin to look over at him confused.

"I'm the first son and I do have a proper name. I'm Chad by the way, are you staying the night or moving on with the train?" Martin sets me back on the ground and straightens up.

"Staying the night hoping his companions don't decide I delayed twice. He is for the next town, case of murder and banditry they have a judge waiting for him there." The prisoner groans and shakes his head looking at me he smiles.

"Janet come on tell the marshal I ain't like that." I look at him confused for a second.

His brown hair is wild and unkempt with a beard he's a little shorter than Chad. I look him over, rather on the scrawny side with bowlegs, his hands though remind me. He had bought time with me when I was getting large, he had spent plenty of time getting me to see stars before and during the time he was inside.

"Oh Michael, I'm sorry I never knew you long enough to say either way. You were the last for me that night besides my Dan if it makes you feel any better." His face falls there is a small smile still there. "Martin if you wish I can accompany you to the next town tomorrow. I haven't had a chance to work with my new Winchester." Martin grins and nods with a chuckle.

"I would like that, be nice to have the best tracker and shooter ever seen in Kansas City to help me deliver him. Michael you worry too much if you did not do it you will be found not guilty." I groan I always hated that label. "Janet do you have bullets for sale here, I would rather not find one box for my revolver is not enough."

"Yes come on Andrew stocks more than you would expect in his store." I take Martin's arm in mine he chuckles then reverses so my arm is in his.

Chad walks with us Michael being pulled along after him. We leave him at the sheriff's as we continue past for Andrew's store, expanded now with the wide path opened. He had talked the smaller farm supplies store to move his store to make the path wider than it would have been and expanded his store to fill the corner made by the two converging paths. Martin whistles as we go in, there are toy wagons and other items for children hanging above us. He has an entire counter dedicated to sweets, jelly beans, candy sticks and licorice being the biggest part of it.

"Janet and friend, so nice to see you both." Elan says with a smile, this is the other nice part of the new store he hired an Apache to help.

"Elan how are you? This is Martin he's a marshal seeing a prisoner through to the next town." Elan looks confused for a moment then smiles.

"Oh a big town sheriff, yes very nice of you to come to the store. Is there anything in particular you wish?" Andrew appears coming out of the back.

"I think I know you wish to buy some bullets. Janet you really must stop buying Elan sweets, he's starting to expand." Elan looks at Andrew and sighs shaking his head.

"Yes I need to get bullets for my revolver unless you have the new Colt if Janet wears them they must be good." Andrew smiles big and moves over to the gun counter, I move toward the sweets with Elan.

"Fresh batch of licorice, I snuck one earlier, they are less sweet than the last." Elan says smiling pointing to a jar packed with licorice.

"Oh I will have two pennies of licorice in that case, and a penny of the sticks. Bonita is on a sweeter than one can stand train, I do not know how she stands it. Isaac is joking about how he makes two pies, one with sugar and crust and a regular for everyone else." Elan laughs and nods.

"Medicine man swears he had vision she has daughter." I giggle Mr. Johnson and most of the town say the same thing.

"Janet, Colt finally came up with the solution on your belt, soak it in water. They did not prepare them correctly for the skin they used it came out dryer than it should have. If it still does not work I can order you another they swear the problem is fixed now." Andrew says coming over watching Elan, I sigh leather tends to shrink while drying.

Elan hands over the wrapped package of licorice while he collects four of the candy sticks. While he is wrapping those I open the licorice and take one out. I take a bite and savor the flavor, Elan was right these are not very sweet and more like getting it from the plant. I offer some to Andrew he shakes his head I hold it out toward Martin who takes a bite then sighs.

"These are kind of sour." I giggle and smile before taking another bite.

"Janet for some odd reason prefers them that way, Elan as well I think." Andrew says holding out his hand for the three pennies I owe.

"I am a duly appointed deputy I should get sweets for free." I hand over the pennies Andrew chuckling as he takes them.

"I was there when it was decided you would be a deputy. Your only duly appointed for another two months so you can recover from birth and go back to whoring." I shake my head.

"I'm a deputy until Dan decides we should move on, when I return to whoring I'll just not wear the badge." Martin looks at me confused.

"I knew there was something different, your not after me for sex and your speaking better, I guess coming here was really good for you." I smile up at Martin noticing he has a new belt and Colt on his hip.

"I ended the man that ended my tribe, had my first child returned to me and am expanding my tribe quickly. Bonita is Chad's wife and is with child, I also am not ready to share bed in that way." Martin smiles big at me.

"That is great, where is Dan?" I shrug.

"I don't know, usually he is at the station, perhaps eating at the eatery. I had to feed Balik and sing to him for the last three hours. Ishmael should know we shall go to saloon if you are finished buying guns." Martin nods at me.

After exiting the store I look up and down both paths, no Dan. I head over to the sheriff's to see Bonita and Chad playing chess. Michael sitting in the cell looking depressed. Bonita squeaks in joy when I drop the package of candy sticks in her lap, neither know where Dan is. With a sigh we exit the sheriff's and head into the saloon, Ishmael puts a glass of water in front of me as we move up to the bar.

"Ishmael we are looking for Dan, do you know where he went?" Ishmael chuckles.

"I wish Sally's sister was looking for me, you should see her she's very pretty. Dan if he is not walking the town is very likely in the eatery still, he went that way to eat about ten minutes before you came down. Chun told me to remind you that you promised to eat there today." I giggle and nod.

I take Martin with me he was staring at the poker table. At least it is a short walk to the eatery past the butcher shop and the laundry, the laundry is part of the eatery just two different doors to go in depending on which you want. Inside the eatery we find Dan sitting at a table eating still, Chun's dad hurrying over to us carrying a menu. Martin and I sit as I am handed the menu I look it over spotting something that sounds appetizing I order it. Martin does the same, we both watch him walk away backwards and bowing saying something in I assume Chinese.

"Dan if you keep eating that much you will be larger than Mr. Johnson." I say with a giggle staring at the assortment of really odd looking food on his plate.

"I need to swell up so you won't be jealous of me the next time your with child." Dan says with a grin, Martin chuckles next to me.

"Is it good? I haven't had Chinese before, there is a chinamen in Kansas City making vittles but he does regular vittles." Dan nods and smiles.

"Really tasty, they have a sauce on the meat that is almost sweet, I'm thinking I'll tell Chad to take Bonita here tonight and get her that, sweet and sour beef it's really good if a little odd looking." I make an icky face.

"I don't know how she can stand it sweet like that. I got some new licorice it's not as sweet and really good. Martin got a new Colt to replace his old revolver and we have a prisoner for the night. He's due at the next town, Martin is hoping to avoid problems by staying over I said I'd go with him." Dan nods along until the go with him part.

"How am I to feed Balik?" I sigh and shake my head.

"Amanda has a solution, the milk can be heated up to be like from me and fed to him she has the things she needs for it. Isaac helped they did it before he came out after I admitted to being scared I would be unable to go on hunts." Martin looks over at me then looks at Dan.

"Bonita possibly could feed him I've heard that women produce milk a bit before giving birth. Probably should ask your doc he would know it better." I shake my head.

"Mr. Johnson learned dentistry more than doctoring, he just knows how to do that because we do not have a regular doctor. He is good enough to keep stampede victims alive sometimes he is always fast to say he is not an expert." Dan grins at me.

"You missed the conversation he had with a new doctor that was considering staying here last week. Kept asking questions of the poor lad, knew the answer to everything he asked. The prospective town doctor left the next day." Martin chuckles as our food comes out.

We eat for a while, Dan was right this food is good. The rice is strange for me, I'm to used to eating potatoes and biscuits.

"Dan, Colt finally figured out why my belt is noisy, it's overly dry and needs to be soaked in water." Dan chuckles looking up at me.

"Are you doing it in the laundry or in the saloon?"

"In the saloon I can take a pail upstairs and keep an eye on the belt and Balik. Perhaps move him into the kitchen tonight and see if the regular milk idea of Amanda's works. She swears it's perfectly quiet in there except for Isaac singing."

"Who are Isaac and Amada?" Martin asks looking at me curiously.

"Isaac and Amanda are our cooks Amanda is a very nice woman who likes women and cleans whores after a man has time with her. Isaac was a slave freed early into the war he has a talent for fried chicken and pies. Amanda is a very good cook as well she makes a very tasty chili and does good things with deer I shoot sometimes." Martin nods with a grin.

"So tell me about this new Winchester." I grin at him it is a very nice little story.

"My new Winchester is the ones they just started making I liked them because they were strong guns, just to long for me. We sent a letter to Winchester asking them to make one with a shorter stock I could use. They went a little above what I figured. I have a gold plated special carved Winchester with a plaque on it apparently I am very well liked in Kansas City." Martin chuckles and grins at me.

"Dan hasn't told you most of it I suspect, told you at least some considering what is on your holsters. Dan shared tales on things you two did with the marshals, they are teaching the new marshals how to track like you do, speaking nice to the people asked about the target and of course how to track with sign. Being able to ask you for help on a target is considered the smartest idea. I took over on that after you two left since I did ask and you showed me better than the teacher did. There is talk of sending new marshals here for you to teach, not just from Kansas City." I kick Dan under the table, he jumps.

"What was that for?" I sigh and shake my head.

"For not telling me that before and not calling me pretty today." Dan and Martin call me pretty I smile at both before kicking them. "I'm not supposed to need to ask." They both groan.

Dan pays for our vittles Chun's dad smiling at me the whole time. I get a hug and a thank you from him before we leave. I shrug at Dan and Martin I have no idea what Chun told them about me. We find the butcher sitting out front of his shop with a wet cloth.

"It was really warm out today." Dan chuckles Martin looks confused, I kick Dan to get him to shush.

"I don't know why you came all this way Bartholomew. It will get warmer before it cools again. I find it cooler here than where I was, do not travel farther it gets worse." He chuckles and smiles at me.

"I came this far because I was unable to find anywhere in Maine, Vermont or New York seeking a butcher. I've been told the first summer in a new area is the hardest I admit if it gets warmer I'll be out here more often. Kansas City is working on increasing the supply of ice, perhaps I can get ice sent out to me here and keep the meat cooler and me in the process." Martin chuckles next to me.

"It is too far to here for ice from Kansas City. They are building the machines for it closer, two towns over I think it was." I squeak in surprise.

"That must be why Amanda and Isaac were talking recipes on ice cream. Nobody tells me anything, I'm sure I'd be the last to know the saloon was on fire."

"You never ask either Janet, come on it's getting toward evening, we should get into the saloon and you need to soak your belt." Dan takes my arm and on we go.

The saloon is really quite active it seems everyone on the train is staying here. Ishmael is not at the bar it seems he is the night watch tonight Albelin is behind the bar he waves at us and gets a glass of water for me in our stools. Dan and Martin head for the three stools set aside for law. I head into the kitchen and collect a pail of water, Isaac and Amanda hard at work making up meals. I find Sally and a new woman in our room holding Balik playing with him Sally hands him to the new woman and comes over to me.

"Janet this is my sister Gwendolyn she's staying with us for a month or two. I might be able to talk her into whoring, with your poison there's no reason to worry on it."

"It's Gwen I am very pleased to meet you. Your son is beautiful, I'm not sure I'd want to not carry a child I get. Don't think I'll whore I'm of the mind to wait until marriage." Sally groans, I just giggle and tickle Balik's chin.

"You must be following the round eye god I've not found another religion that says no bed sharing until bonded." I say while taking my belt off and getting my bullets out of it. "To Cherokee it is one of the things one does before bonding get to know each other share bed and see if can stand each other in all ways then bond. Not often this is not done unless two warring tribes wish to make peace, send daughters to each other for bonding." Sally is grinning until I put my emptied belt into the pail.

"What are you doing?" I look over at Sally and smile.

"Colt said to put in water will make quiet they made wrong." Balik starts to fuss a little I collect him from Gwen and sing to him.

"What were you singing?" Gwen asks sitting on the bed next to us when I finish the song.

"I was singing of the great spirit, coyote and the good creatures of the world." Sally giggles making Gwen look at her.

"Everything alive is a good creature to Janet, flies, bandits you name it it's a good creature." Gwen looks lost.

"Life is a circle, everything has a place within the circle everything you do is part of your place in the circle. Killing is part of the circle creating life is part of the circle. Sharing bed is a very nice part of the circle you should try it before bonding we get many bonded men." Gwen turns pink then looks over at Sally.

"I need to think about this, if I didn't know better I'd think you both were in cahoots to get me whoring." Sally shakes her head, I just giggle waking Balik.