#“you WILL get back on a horse but you're gonna have to earn the saddle!!!”

[thebramblewood]

Lu was understandably hesitant to get back on a horse after her failed attempt at riding Willow. But after countless reassurances from Bonnie that Domino would never buck her off, she was soon feeling confident enough to take back the reins.

[liviavanrouge]

Friends

Livia: *Walks through the palace halls, her head bowed*

Leah: Livia

Livia: *Falls to her knees silently, keeping her head down* I'm begging you, please don't punish my friend...

Dawn Knight: Why-

Livia: IT WAS ME! I GREW THE THORNS!! THE PRINCESS SAID SHE WANTED TO SEE FLOWERED VINES SO I USED MY MAGIC!!!

Leah: *Stares her eyes widening*

Livia: *Looks up, tears falling down her cheeks* HE'S INNOCENT!! IT WAS ALL ME! HE TOOK THE FALL TO PROTECT ME!! WE DIDN'T KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT WHERE WE ARE

Leah: What do you mean?

Livia: M-My name isn't Pearl, my real name is Livia Vanrouge and my friends name is Epel Felmier....we're just trying to get back to the future! Our friends and family are no doubt worried sick about us both!!

Leah: *Steps forward stunned*

Livia: *Looks at Leah, tears falling faster down her cheeks* I WAS GONNA TELL YOU I SWEAR!! BUT I WAS AFRAID YOU'D HATE ME, I DIDN'T WANT THAT!!!

Leah: *Kneels down hugging Livia* I don't hate you! You're the first person who really showed me amazing places!

Livia: Please, don't let them hurt Epel...

Leah: *Looks behind her and nods*

Dawn Knight: *Nods back* I'll grab a horse from the stables

Livia: *Sniffs, Leah wiping her tears away* Thank you! Thank you both!

???: NOT SO FAST!

Livia: *Freezes, something black hurtling past her, hitting Leah* Leah...

Leah: *Stands up, her eyes turning dark red*

Dawn Knight: Leah!!

Livia: *Stares, her eyes wide, the Dawn Knight standing in front of her*

Dawn Knight: Stay behind me, Livia

???: *Grins, hovering over Leah* Livia couldn't care less about you....look at her already planning your downfall everything she said and did was to earn your trust to betray you

Leah: *Stands up straight, her eyes narrowed as she touched the bracelet around her wrist* You're wrong....Livia she showed me more of the outside world than anyone else and gave me small gifts that have big meanings behind them....that wasn't fake...you're just being cruel

???: LEAH!!!!

Leah: *Looks up, her eyes widening*

Livia: *Throws her arms around Leah, a glow coming from her chest*

Leah: *Wraps her arms around Livia, a second glow coming from her chest*

Dawn Knight: *Shields his face as the dark spirit escaped from Leah's body, evaporating from the light*

Livia: *Hugs Leah tight* LEAH! YOU'RE ALRIGHT!

Leah: *Stares then smiles slightly, hugging Livia* I'm alright....

---

Livia: *Grips the reins of a horse, wearing a cloak*

Epel: Want me to lead the horse

Livia: No, it's alright

Leah: Livia!

Livia: *Turns surprised* Princess!

Leah: We have a gift for you....in hopes that you'll get home..

Dawn Knight: *Hands Livia a small box*

Livia: *Blinks, opening the box, finding a bracelet with aurora covered star shaped jewels* Wow...

Leah: We had it blessed to protect you from curses and other dark magic

Livia: *Smiles, slipping the bracelet on, her expression softening* Thank you, I'll treasure this forever....

Dawn Knight: We wish you safe travels

Epel: Thank you...

Leah: *Hugs Livia, startling the girl* I'm so glad I met you! You became my best friend, a sisterly best friend, and I hope we can see each other again one day!

Livia: *Smiles, returning the hug, her eyes starting to water* I hope so too...that'd make me the happiest hybrid alive....

Epel: Thanks for everything

Livia: *Climbs up onto the saddle, hauling Epel up behind her* We owe you guys our lives

Dawn Knight: Just return to your time period safely

Leah: And never forget us

Livia: *Smiles at Leah* I never forget a person who's more important to me than my very life

Leah: *Smiles at Livia* You're that important to me as well

Livia: *Nods and takes off on the horse, Epel's arms around her waist*

Leah: *Smiles, waving after them* I wish my friend a safe return to her time...

---

Crewel: Let's try this!

Malleus: *Slaps his palms together, his eyes glowing causing the ground to shake*

???: WOAH!!

???: AHA! WE'RE BACK!!

Ace: LIVIA!!

Golden: EPEL!!!

Livia: *Laughs, wearing a cloak* HEY GUYS!

Epel: *Grins at everyone* Hey!

Livia: *Giggles everyone swarming her and Epel, showing relief that they were safe* Yeah, we're fine!

Livia: *Looks down at her bracelet, her expression softening* ....everything is fine...

[proxis-shattered-expectations]

How would the horsemen feel about their horses favoring their masters' human companion over them. Like there have been times the human just walks into the horses sight and they ditch their riders to hangout with the human.

Pfffft, let the hilarity and betrayal commence.

Death/Despair

. Being the first horse to be mastered by Death, Despair is one to quickly recognize when one is worthy. And like Death, may not show it, but will give respect where it is due.

. So when this human is thrown into the mix, at first is a little wary, but trusts it's master's decision.

. Death was relieved of course, he didn't want to handle both a frail human and a possibly temperamental phantom horse. So that stress was out of the picture.

. However, he did not account for loyalties to slightly......waver.

. Dust was already a handful when it come to doing what ever it pleased, he expected that from the mischievious Crow.

. But he could always count on the steed always at his side at beck and call.

. Until now that is.

. Over the short time they have seen one another, the human has built a slight bond with his trusty steed. Whether it was respecting Despair's space when it was summoned, and not being overly excited or touchy with Him. To Despair not outright being so thrashy when they were on the saddle as well. There was a silent respect.

. But Death being Death, could never fathom it, until one time while at Lost light he summoned Despair....and the horse did what Dust does best...wander.

. Right over to the human who was equally shocked but welcomed it with hesitant hands as Despair nudged their shoulder gently, greeting them in a familiar way.

. Death proceeds to mutter under his mask. "Traitor...." But a chuckle escapes in a dry breath.

. While he did not expect it, I think he would find it charming that the fearsome phantom horse was now letting a human touch it so willingly.

War/Ruin

. Just as short tempered as his master, Ruin does not warm up right away at the thought of a tiny monstrosity riding along.

. Considering that for a century, it was forcefully enslaved by demons and phantom riders as a steed, his trust would not be so easily earned.

. War nearly got himself killed trying to earn back that bond and respect, what has this human done to prove it?

. Naturally, acts very pissy and closed off, would not recommend petting him. Will nip and bite as a warning. The first affection he received after a century is from War, so don't think you can follow suite.

. Honestly, the only way I can think of that will help him start to trust is in a scenario (I'm putting my OC Siva here as an example since this happens in her story, and Ruin doesn't even let her get on with War without a fight.)

. So after War gets bugnapped by the spiders, Ruin is freaking out since he lost his master again, and Siva is trying to find War+calm the big scary phantom horse so she can focus.

. After a while of Ruin stomping and rearing, threateningly and without a care for his surroundings, Siva finally stands her ground. She Yanks him by the reins, gets him focused on her and calmly, yet sternly says the following.

"Look at me!!! I know you don't like me!! You're freaking the fuck out and you're rightfully pissed, but I don't give two shits about what you think. I know you don't trust me, and I'm not asking for that......but if you want to see your master alive again, you're gonna have to work with me...okay?".

. After that, and War kills the last chosen, he summons Ruin to ride into the canyon, Ruin stops to look right at her. He doesn't outright walk up to her, or show any affection. All he does is snort her way in acknowledgement, and doesn't fuss as much when she hops on.

. While Ruin is not one to immediately trust, starting from somewhere is better than nothing, and War is not opposed to that.

Fury/Rampage

(Seeing as how we didn't even get to ride Rampage in the game, I will try to make one as close as possible with the context provided.)

. Rampage is a steed much like his master Fury, but unlike Fury, is not afraid to show affection.

. Rampage in the game literally walks up and nudges fury affectionately, and while she calls him lazy, you can tell she loves spoiling Rampage with care.

. So if there was a human they happen to stumble across (Before encountering Wrath), while he doesn't know exactly what it is, he knows it's fragile.

. Off the bat, treads lightly around them but doesn't know what to make of them at first.

. Until one night, when Fury had set up camp, lying next to her steed while the human went off to a corner to rest on their way to haven...they both heard the human silently crying.

. Fury didn't say it outright, but she felt a little bad for their situation, and was about to say something

. But Rampage beat her to the punch.

. Trodding over carefully, he went over to the human and did what Fury wasn't expecting. Giving affection and comfort by snorting and lightly nibbling on the humans clothes, making them laugh a little and wipe their tears away as they touched his muzzle.

. Even if Fury will never admit it, it was a cute sight to see in the wasteland of the Apocalypse.

Strife/Mayhem

. Strife's main concern was that the human did not spook the tempest of a horse, and that said horse will not accidently kick frail human into oblivion.

. This of course was after he saved the human from demons, Mayhem did not register the other passenger until they stepped off and a soft hand touched his exposed flank.

. Ever see a horse flinch and swerve away in surprise. Yeah, Strife was surprised too, at the fact he's never seen Mayhem do something so animated before.

. While initially perplexed, I think Mayhem would be curious more than anything. And by curious, I mean at any opportunity sniff them and then snort from the unfamiliar scent...but then keep doing it.

. Mayhem does it so much, it even starts freaking the human out. "Oh god, does he think I'm food?!" Strife is just as confused as you.

. The last straw was when Strife summoned him, Mayhem made a beeline for you as usual, first checking to see if you were in one piece...then out of nowhere, puts his snout in you face...and licks.

. His way of showing affection...but it translates different to human and horseman.

. It takes a minute for the human to calm down and realize, and for Strife to pull Mayhem aside while whispering. "What the hell is with you?!".

. Afterward though, Mayhem is making the effort to walk over when there is a moment of peace, and get cuddles.

I love these fierce horses, so hope ya like!!

@artworkfanboibitch fixed it🤣

[jeanjauthor]

What are your thoughts on research in fiction writing? I feel like I've been approaching my work for my MFA incorrectly because I don't usually research anything unless I'm wanting to pull directly from a specific topic or tale, and I got some bad looks from my peers and professor in class. I know you've done research for your work so I was curious about your opinion on research in general. Should I be doing more research even if I'm writing a fairly original fantasy concept?

You should. Why? Because you don't want to break your readers' immersion in the story by being too unrealistic.

You don't have to match history or the real world, but you do need to make your fantasy world feel like a real world. Oh sure, you've got a world where everyone flies around on the backs of giant tamed swans...but those swans have to either be cared for with stabling, ponds to paddle upon when not being ridden, food provided for them, etc...or they need to be magical constructs so you can skip the feeding-and-cleaning-up-after-them thing.

It's like how horses cannot gallop (or even "just" canter) all day long. If you don't want to break your reader's willing suspension of disbelief, if you want to keep your story audience-friendly, then do a little reading up on what it would take to have horses in your story. Yes, if you want to go somewhere a short distance away at a really fast pace, a horse is going to out-run a human...except unless that horse is already saddled...which it is NOT recommended to leave a horse strapped into a saddle all day long...you need to account for the time it takes to summon the horse from the paddock or wherever, get all the tack on the horse (saddle blanket, saddle, halter, bridle, etc), then get on the horse...and that's assuming you are ready to mount that horse...

And when you get to wherever-you're-going, you can't just jump off the horse and leave it there. That horse is gonna wander back home, or to whatever it think it can eat (even if it can't through the bit), etc, etc, etc... You can hand-waveum a lot of stuff with magic, and a little bit with futuristic science fiction, but if you want the story to not earn you the stink-eye...you need to do more research.

As to where to start, watch a lot of different videos on YouTube, read a lot of different books, and ask a LOT of questions about things like: Where do your characters get their food? Who cooks it? What about their clothes? Furniture? What sort of bathroom facilities do they have? How do they get around in short distances, medium distances, or long-distance travel? What kind of homes would they have? What materials are around for them to build houses out of?

...This last one is important, because you'll be making houses out of adobe (clay-rich mud/soil sun-baked into bricks) in a desert location FAR more often than you'd be making houses out of wood...and in a rainy climate, you would NOT make houses out of adobe, but might make them out of wood or other materials.

But do you know what makes a location qualify as a true desert? Less than 11 inches of rain a year. A semi-arid location probably has between 11-21 inches of rain a year. If you want to place a story in a location with a lot of gloomy overcast days, Forks, WA might be appropriate because it gets 140 inches of rain a year...but it actually has several long stretches in the summer with plenty of clear sunny skies, because annual rainfall does NOT necessarily mean "excessively overcast skies" so much as it means "It rains a lot more at once in this area, when it does rain."

There are other places that have less rain but are more overcast...though this is not to say that it was a bad location to pick! It served its purpose, and was reasonably believable. That's the level of believability you want to strive for, plus a little bit more if your target audience would actually know a lot of that stuff.

Samuel Clemens, who wrote under the pen name Mark Twain, once told young Jack London a bit of writing advice. "Write what you know." He then encouraged young Mr. London to go out into the world and start learning things. London took this advice to heart, and took off for Alaska during the Klondike Gold Rush era, where he studied the people around him, the way that they lived, and the wolves in the area. He learned quite a lot, and eventually wrote the hit novels The Call of the Wild and White Fang, as well as others.

Try to be curious about the world. Don't just accept things at face value, but question what they're like, how they work, how did they come about, did people have these things in an earlier era, so on and so forth. The Ancient Romans had under-floor heating with their bathhouses and so forth, using a sort of furnace and chimneys built into the walls, a system called a hypocaust. Korea had essentially the same thing with their ondol system, save that their exhaust chimneys were located outside their buildings, not built into the hollow bricks of the walls--and some homes in Korea are still using this kind of system to heat their homes, while Italy had long since stopped using their hypocaust systems.

The modern-day equivalent would be the under-floor heating systems that use pipes filled with heated water or oil, circulated via mechanical pumps and heated either with electricity, gas heat, or a heat-pump system that uses condensing and evaporating gasses to transfer thermal energy (could be solar heat, could be geothermal, etc).

Again, just look around at what your characters would or should have access to, and ask questions about it. If it's a setting where metal isn't ridiculously cheap and widely available (like it is in modern life) but they don't have plastic...then consider the possibility of your characters using horn, which can be heated via fire or via oil, etc, to be remolded. But that's also assuming they have access to horn! If they don't, would they use something else? Wood? Seashells? Leather? Glass? Do your characters have to carry their own drinking mug and eating utentils (spoon, knife, fork, or maybe spoon, knife, chopsticks)?

Ask questions, then go seeking the answers. Take comfort in the thought that doing this kind of research is WAY easier with the internet than it was back in the previous century. And take comfort in the thought that unless it's something very story-specific, you'll be able to re-use the same information in other stories, too!

[100yearoldcomics]

August 6, 1922 The Gumps by Sid Smith

TOP PANEL [ID: Chester Gump drives a large truck weighted down with a load of gold coins, a shovel sticking out of the pile, some coins falling out the back onto the road. On the side of the truck is painted, "Chester Bim Gump, Inc." A sign in front of the truck points the way, showing that he's driving "To the Bank." /end]

MAIN COMIC [ID: Andy Gump hands an overjoyed Chester a rake and a large wicket basket. They stand in the doorway of the shed in the Gumps' backyard. /end] Andy: Come on now, Chester. My little Rockefeller. Roll up your sleeves. Get busy if you want to earn that pony. If you work three hours raking up the yard, I'll give you 75¢. Then you'll only need $69.00 even. I just want you to get started saving money. You'll be surprised how fast it will pile up. You'll be riding around in that pony cart before you know it. If you just keep it up, you'll be as rich as Uncle Bim when you're my age. [INFLATION GUIDE: In 2022 dollars, Andy's offering Chester $13.25 to rake the yard - leaving him about $1,219 shy of his dream pony. /end]

[ID: A shoeless Chester happily rakes up the leaves around the yard and places them into the basket. /end] Chester: Gee, I'm gonna make money. I'm gonna be rich. I'm not going to waste my time like lazy boys do. I wish there were more work days in the week and it didn't get dark so early so I could do more work.

[ID: Chester stands proudly beside a pile of leaves, leaning on the upright rake. /end] Chester: I'm not going to stop till I get a million billion trillion dollars.

[ID: Chester leans the rake against the side of the house and sits on a box underneath a window, happily daydreaming. /end] Chester: Then I can get all the food I want for my pony. I'll get myself a cowboy outfit. A Mexican saddle with all hand carved leather. The highest priced saddle I can buy.

[ID: Chester fills a cup with water from a hand-pump well in the yard. /end] Chester: And I'll get silver spurs and a nice Lariat. Then I'll go out West and be a cow boy. I'll catch buffaloes alive.

[ID: Chester sits on the wooden platform underneath the well, happily leaning back with his hands clasped around his knee. /end] Chester: Gee, I wish I had that pony now. I'd take every little boy and girl in the neighborhood out riding. I'm not going to be stingy with my pony. And when school starts, I'll ride him to school every day and hitch him outside.

[ID: Chester lies on his stomach in the grass, kicking his feet in the air while he stares lovingly at a flower. He ignores the leaves scattered on the grass behind him. /end] Chester: I'm gonna name him Gip. Take him to all the fairs and get the first prizes. Think of all the blue ribbons I'll get. We'll have our pictures in all the papers.

[ID: Chester sits happily on a wide, flat rock beside a tree in a corner of the yard. /end] Chester: I'm gonna teach him tricks. Teach him how to count and walk on his hind legs and all kinds of things. And I'll give a show out in the back yard. Charge 10¢ admission. I'll save that, too, and buy a tent. [INFLATION GUIDE: That'd be about $1.75 admission now. /end]

[ID: Chester lies laughing on the grass. In the foreground, the leaves still lie piled up beside the basket. /end] Chester: Then I can go on the road and have a big show. Won't Grandpa and Grandma be surprised to see me come to Bloomington? I'll let them in for nothing and give them passes for all their friends.

[ID: Chester lies back gleefully in the grass, crossing his legs and closing his eyes as he rests his head on his arms. /end] Chester: I'll have swell bills posted all over town a month ahead. I'll have pictures of myself on my pony, with a big cowboy hat on and a swell rifle shooting glass balls out of the air and lassoing wild horses.

[ID: Andy unhappily finds Andy sleeping in the grass. He startles the boy awake. /end] Andy: Come on! Come on!! HEY!

[ID: Andy watches over Chester as the boy frantically goes back to his yard work. /end] Andy: At that rate, by the time you earn that pony, you won't need a pony and cart. You'd better be saving up for a cane and spectacles. An ear trumpet and a set of false teeth. You've got about as much chance of ever getting to the top that way as you would have rowing over Niagara Falls. Up stream. Caption: With the quarter his father gave him last week and the 75¢ he earned today, Chester is well on the way to earn that pony. Only $69.00 to go. [INFLATION GUIDE: To fill in the one figure I haven't already translated, Andy gave Chester around $4.50 last week. /end]

[annaphoenix1994]

Masterlist Here:

Clemons Point - The Course of True Love l, ll & lll

Arthur returned to camp that night distraught, thankful that Dahlia had made her way back to camp even though she didn't come to his whistle. He wanted to be mad at the mare for not being her usual, loyal self but was grateful that she knew where her home was. He took a deep breath as Dahlia nickered at him after recognizing her rider. He smirked and pat her shoulder, "Good girl," He said as he loosened the cinch on her saddle before removing it and the saddle pad from her back, tossing it over the hitching post before removing her bridle, setting her free to graze along with the other horses as it was a usual routine.

He watched her for a few moments before rubbing his eyes as he made his way towards Minnie's tent to check on her, seeing that she was sleeping soundly on her cot, the wool blanket pressed against the bottom of her nose as he could only see her forehead. He chuckled softly as he quietly entered her tent, kneeling down to place a soft kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight, darlin'." He whispered, forgetting that she had been a light sleeper and had started to toss to the sound of his voice.

"Hmm?" She hummed, her eyelids fluttering open, adjusting to the dim light from the campfire.

"It's me," Arthur chuckled, reaching for her hand as it was now exposed from under the blanket, rubbing the back of her hand with his rough thumb. "Just tellin' ya I was back."

"You're not sleepin' with me tonight?" She frowned, her voice hoarse from her throat being dry.

He chuckled softly at her behavior, "Not tonight, I stink."

She giggled, "That's the first time I've heard that excuse."

"It's true! Been runnin' from a bunch of Cornwall's men because Uncle didn't think his bright idea through. Been hidin' out in an old barn for a few hours and then gettin' shot at and Dahlia wouldn't come to me so I walked back!" He explained softly.

She frowned, "You just smell like smoke."

"Darlin'," He chuckled. "I'll see ya in the mornin', okay?"

"Okay," She groaned. "Guess you ain't gonna give me a kiss either."

"Not with that attitude." He smirked as he inched closer to her.

"My attitude is what's keepin' ya comin' back." She giggled as she reached for his collar, pulling him closer, placing a chaste kiss to his lips.

"Yes ma'am," He grinned into the kiss. "I'll see ya in the mornin'."

She nodded as she watched him leave her tent, a smile still plastered on her lips as she continued to wonder how a man with such rough edges was better than some of the men she had encountered altogether. She held a smile on her face as she brought the wool blanket back up to her nose as she tried to subside the fluttering sensation of her heart.

───※ ·❆· ※───

Taking a sip of his hot coffee, he peered at the lake as the dawn seemed to earn the title "The Golden Hour" as the landscape held a pastel filter every morning at dawn and dusk. "Arthur?" He heard Dutch say.

"Yes?" He replied, taking another sip of his coffee.

"Have you gotten any leads?"

"Not yet. Haven't figured out how to do it yet. Goin' to go check out the Gray's plantation house today... See what I can find." He grumbled.

"Good," Dutch nodded. "Take Miss Barlow with you."

"Sure," Arthur said. "I'll wait till she gets up. She usually does around eight."

"Okay Arthur." Dutch replied, almost grumbled, feeling irritated that Arthur had been seeming to put Minnie's needs first before the gang's, which had not been true. He sighed as he watched Dutch walk away, wondering what all Micah had been preaching to him over the last few days as it was a frequently asked question between him and Hosea. "That goddamn bastard," He spoke to himself as he thought about the greasy-haired blonde man who could never seem to put a hat on his head that was symmetrical, how he always seemed to prowl around camp like he was a security guard, but instead of protecting the camp, he was looking for a companion, a companion that didn't exist. He looked at his pocket watch to see that it was a few minutes past eight a.m., slowly standing to his feet and rolling his shoulders as he made his way towards Minnie's tent, peeking his head through the canvas flaps slowly to see if she was awake or not, only to see her only in her chemise as she was braiding her hair in one single braid that hung over her shoulder. He cleared his throat, "Miss Barlow." He said, watching her hazel eyes brighten as she recognized him.

She smiled, "Arthur. Come in."

He nodded as he took off his hat, holding the brim between his fingers as he walked into her tent, feeling as if he was invading her privacy as she was not dressed properly. But then again, he knew her not to care about how she looked to other people but knew that she only dressed inappropriately in front of him, nobody else. He sat on the edge of her cot, his eyes glued to her blonde hair as it reminded him of a palomino mustang - bright and extravagant. "How'd you sleep?" He asked her.

She shrugged her shoulders, "Good, I guess. Would've slept better if you were with me, but no, you had to sleep in your own tent because you were afraid you stunk!" She teased.

He chuckled, "Well, I did! You know I don't like goin' to bed feelin' like I stink! I went straight to the water and cleaned myself off after I checked on you last night!" He laughed. "Besides, you don't remember much anyway. I had smoke and gunpowder all over my face!" He chuckled at her as she had a cute and disbelieving face on her as she watched him explain himself. "I'll sleep with ya tonight." He added.

"Hmm, sure ya will, cowboy." She said in a high tone, doubtful of him in a teasing way.

"You just watch!" He retorted. "We got a job to do today, by the way."

"I figured. That's the only time you ever come to see me is when you want somethin'." She teased, giggling after watching him glare at her as she stood up to walk towards the chest at the foot of her cot only to straddle his lap as she was in route.

"You know that ain't true," He replied, his hands immediately going to her waist after setting his hat to the side, his thumbs rubbing circles on her skin through the loose fabric. "I wanna see you every chance I get." He whispered before starting to place delicate kisses on her chest above her breasts.

"I know," She giggled as she ran her fingers through his hair, tugging gently as his growing locks tangled at the ends. "Remind me to give you a haircut."

He shook his head, "Nah, I go to a barber for that."

"Mhm, then I guess we'll stop in town on the way back then?" She raised her brow.

"If you want me to."

She scoffed, "You know I'm just kiddin', right? You could have hair like a woman and I'd still sit on your lap! Now if you had a beard like a Viking, you wouldn't be kissin' on me at all!" She giggled.

"Is that right now?"

"Sure is! Don't like kissin' on a grizzly!"

"Yes ma'am." He murmured as he rewarded her with a kiss. He was hesitant to pull away as he knew he wouldn't be getting anything done unless they were to stop then, but his mind always told him 'five more minutes.'

He deepened the kiss, his grip tightening on her waist, pulling her into him more. He groaned against her lips as she too deepened the kiss as she was now excited. She rolled her hips slightly before leaning back, biting her bottom lip as she looked him over, smirking as she slowly made her way to her feet. "Let's go, cowboy."

He sighed and shook his head, standing to his feet before adjusting the strain against his pants as he put on his hat. "You're killin' me, Miss Barlow." He breathed as he watched her slide her pants up her legs. He loved how she had a bit of cellulite on the back of her thighs as well as a couple of stretch marks on her hips.

She smirked and turned to the side, "I know, but it makes it better in the end, trust me." She winked.

"The end better come soon is all I'm gonna say!" He teased her as she was slipping on a long-sleeved, thin cotton shirt before adjusting her suspenders over her shoulders.

"Do I look okay?" She asked him, now taking her hair out of the braid it was in.

"You look beautiful, darlin'." He grinned as he stood closer to her, watching her blush as she hid her face in his chest.

"You're such a good liar!" She giggled, looking up at him before standing on her toes to plant another kiss to his lips. "Let's go get this day over with," She whispered against his lips as she went to turn around, shrieking playfully as she felt Arthur playfully tap her rear with his hand. "Touchin' on me like I'm yours, huh?" She giggled.

"You know you're mine." He reminded as he followed her out of her tent.

She looked back at him briefly, a sly grin on her face, "Thinkin' high and mighty of yourself, huh?" She teased.

He chuckled, "I sure am, darlin'."

───※ ·❆· ※───

The couple loped along the red clay trail, passing Rhodes, coughing every few minutes as the dust had blown into their faces with each harsh wind gust as it was now almost the end of Autumn.

"Is that the place?" Minnie asked as they topped the ridge, looking down the trail to see the neverending sea of tobacco plants.

"I think so," Arthur nodded as he pulled out his binoculars. "Looks like a couple of guards there."

"Should I stay behind?"

He shook his head, "Nah, I'm sure you could sweet-talk your way through anyhow."

"You know me all-too-well." She giggled.

"What you want, boy?" One of the guards asked as they rode up to the entrance of the manor complex.

"This here the Gray plantation?" Arthur asked.

"Yup. Caliga Hall. And that's as close as you're gettin' to it." He warned, loading a bullet into the chamber.

"Sheriff's orders. He wanted me to have a word with some folk on the property," Arthur stated. "We're recently deputized you see."

"Deputized? And I suppose Leigh was drunk when he did it... Especially hirin' a woman..."

"You can shut your goddamn mouth before I have you turned to a tobacco picker!" Minnie warned, her palm resting on the grip of her pistol.

The guard sighed heavily after he heard the other one release a soft laugh, poking fun as he had been threatened by a woman.

"Look, you can come in, but you ain't talking with me."

"Obliged," Arthur grumbled. "Come on, Missus Thomas," He said, concealing her identity by a fake name. She nodded as she smirked at the guard with a sarcastic expression as they passed by on their horses. "You crazy woman. I shoulda left you at camp!" Arthur said.

She scoffed, "You must be a fool if you think I'm gonna let some man talk about me that way! I should've rearranged his face right then and there!"

"I don't doubt it, Miss Barlow." He said, his voice sounding sarcastic.

"Oh, so now you're doubtin' me now?" She arched a brow.

"No, I said I didn't doubt you." He clarified.

"But you say that interpreted that you didn't believe me... As in you think my words are nothin' but big and bad with no bite?"

"Goddammit, woman!" He said, stopping his horse. "Quit bein' so insecure and let me finish the job at hand here, would ya?"

"Whatever you say, Mister I-don't-doubt-it." She rolled her eyes as she dismounted her horse, walking towards one of the servants on his hands and knees as he was pulling weeds from the flowerbed.

"Where in the hell are you goin'?"

"The job at hand here," She mocked. "Hey, mister, can you talk?"

"I look like I can talk? You want a talker, try Beau Gray. Out by the storehouses." The servant replied. She smirked at Arthur and nodded, "Thank you. Come on, doubter."

He opened his arms as she walked past him, his jaw dropped in disbelief at the sudden change of her behavior. "Alright, Miss job-at-hand." He mocked. He heard her scoff playfully as she proudly took charge, looking around the complex to look for the storehouses, walking along the cobblestone walkway, taking in as much information as she could about her surroundings.

"Minnie," Arthur said to her, getting her attention. "Over here. Think this is our guy."

She nodded as she followed him, seeing that they had both recognized Beau from the sheriff's office once they got to Rhodes. "Huh," Arthur chuckled at him. "I see you at the sheriff's office?"

The young man snapped his journal shut, almost taken aback by the sudden acknowledgment. "Excuse me, friend." He cleared his throat.

"We friends?"

"Not yet, but here's hoping."

Arthur shrugged, "I guess."

"We don't get a lot of traveling men here, then suddenly there's a whole phalanx of mysterious but strangely helpful Yankees about the place."

"Is there?" Arthur questioned, his hands resting on his belt as he looked back at Minnie briefly, soothing his own mind as he worried that she had wandered off.

"What're you doing here?"

"We're just looking for work."

"Well, looking for something," Beau chuckled nervously, he too remembering Arthur as well as Minnie from town at the sheriff's office. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me!"

"What secret?"

"I got a secret of my own..."

"Are you secretly normal?" Arthur asked, hearing a faint chuckle from Minnie behind him the courtesy of the comment.

"Excuse me?" Beau asked, baffled.

"Never mind." Arthur grumbled.

Beau looked at the pair briefly before taking a few steps away to look around for any peers, "The thing is, I don't care if you kill the whole lot of us and the Braithwaites..."

"I don't wanna kill anyone!"

"I love her, you know."

"Love who?"

"Penelope," Beau breathed. "But it's impossible!"

Arthur chuckled, "Well, love tends to be complicated," Minnie glanced at Arthur at his comment, seeming to fluster at his own words as the pair made brief eye contact after. 'Is he in love with me?' She asked herself, now letting herself fluster at the thought.

"She's a Braithwaite. I'm Beau Gray, son of Tavish Gray, nephew of Leigh Gray, the sheriff, grandson of old Murdo Gray. We Grays have been loyal to the State and murderers to the Braithwaites for so long now, no one can even quite explain why!" Beau explained, looking to Arthur for some sort of help in his situation. Arthur listened to him as he leaned up against the wall, keeping Minnie in his peripheral vision as he was nervous she was going to start questioning him, but he knew better than that. "Beyond blind loyalty... and stupidity," He frowned. "I'm supposed to be loyal to some nonsense, while she- she's amazing. She's like a woman from the future. She's like tomorrow if tomorrow turns out fine-"

"Well, I'm sorry for your predicament." Arthur said to the lovesick young man.

"W-Would you help?"

"I don't wanna get involved in gang feuds, it seems unseemly..." He said as he motioned for Minnie to go to the horses as they were leaving, only for Arthur to be stopped in his tracks by Beau.

"I'll pay... I've got money. We Grays, we always got money. No brains, mind, but money."

Arthur turned around to face him, "Well in that case..."

"I know she loves to sit out in the gazebo on the edge of the Braithwaite property. Take her this letter and this bracelet! Please!" Beau pleaded as he handed Arthur the items. "I-I know it's hard to understand, but you don't know how much you love someone until you can't see them anymore..." He frowned.

Arthur nodded slightly as he put the items into his satchel, "I'll do my best, son." He assured the young man as he walked towards Dahlia, seeing that Minnie was holding the mare's reins for him as she waited.

───※ ·❆· ※───

"You wait here. Keep an eye out for any trouble." Arthur said as they now finished their ride to the edge of the Braithwaite property.

"What're you gonna do?" She asked.

"I gotta sneak up to the gazebo and give some girl this letter that Beau gave me," He explained as he dismounted Dahlia.

"So you're deliverin' love letters like Cupid now?" She teased.

"Wasn't my first choice," He replied. "I'll be right back. Don't get yourself into trouble."

"No promises."

He scoffed and rolled his eyes at her stubbornness, but he knew that she would be in the same spot that he left her.

At least he hoped.

───※ ·❆· ※───

"Are you Penelope Braithwaite?" He managed to say after catching his breath after avoiding the guards that patrolled the property surrounding the manor.

The petite blonde looked up at him, taken aback as she continued to fan herself, "Why yes I am." She smiled.

"I've got a letter for you," Arthur replied as he took her gesture very warm and inviting. "And... A gift!" He finished as he handed her the letter followed by the bracelet.

She giggled, "Oh, a letter and a gift? Well, we don't even know each other!"

He laughed, "Well, it's not from me. It's from err..."

"From Beau!" She gasped as she opened the letter. "Oh, he is so-"

"Strange?" Arthur guessed.

Penelope chuckled, "Well, yes, he is a little strange, but also so human. The rest of our families are stuck in the Dark Ages, or- well, I don't know... Cave people, perhaps. Beau's different, but if they find out, they'll kill him and send me to live someplace awful like Ohio. Have you ever been to Ohio sir?" She asked as he took a seat at the table across from her, obliged to receive the cup of tea she had poured him.

He chuckled as he traced the rim of the cup with his thumb, looking down at the steam protruding from it, "No."

"Well, neither have I, but my uncle has a factory there. He was sort of the black sheep, on account of having left but now they tolerate him because he's a vicious snob. Families are... Are... They're something else!" She looked over at Arthur as he finally took a drink of the tea she had made, humming his response at her gossip. "Have you got a family, sir?" She asked.

"No... Not really." He frowned, standing to his feet as he had kindly had enough of her gossiping.

"Well, they tolerate him, because of the money. But for me, with my ideas above my station, they can't stand."

"That sounds pretty complicated, I... I don't know quite what to say."

"Well, nothing to say, except I hope they all rot!" She replied as she sat her teacup back on the table, fondling her quill as she had the inspiration to write a letter back to Beau, doubtful in herself that he would ever see it. "I-I don't... Well... Maybe a bit! But here – if you see Beau again, will you give this to him?" She asked as she reached out an envelope to Arthur, hopeful that he would not decline her offer as he looked to be the type.

"Sure." Arthur nodded, surprising her and him both. He just knew that Minnie was right – turning into Cupid running love letters across Lemoyne while Hosea and Dutch were coming up with leads for ways to make money.

───※ ·❆· ※───

"Alright, Miss Barlow." Arthur said as he slowly made his way back to where he had left her prior to finding Penelope.

"Where in the Hell have you been?" She chuckled, stretching her arms above her head, followed by a yawn.

"Oh, you know, Cupid runnin' his errands," He snarked. "I gotta go get the money." He said as he swung his leg over Dahlia's back, nudging her sides with his spurs to have her catch up to Minnie, who had been letting Trace lope at his own speed.

Minnie giggled as she shook her head, "Big and tough outlaw running love letters to two young kids who can't stand up to their families... How romantic!"

"One thing leads to another, I guess."

"Depends on what you're referring to..."

He smirked, "I guess you're right. Say, it ain't so bad not getting shot at!"

"I'd rather get shot at than running errands..."

"I can't win with you!"

She chuckled, "Now you're catchin' on! Are we ridin' to the same place? Caliga Hall?"

"Yes. All I gotta do is meet this Beau feller and get the money, then we'll be on our way back to camp to finish what we started."

"Is that right now?" She raised a brow.

"Sure is, darlin'. I told ya I'd be getting my hands on you sooner or later!"

"Well then let's hurry!" She teased him.

After a few minutes of quiet riding, they soon slowed their horses at the gates of Caliga Hall, only to be greeted by the same guards as earlier. "You know me. I'm on official business, for the family." Arthur grumbled as he didn't let him or Minnie let their horses slow to a complete stop.

"Alright, come on." The guard grumbled, his eyes glued to Minnie as she trotted by, smirking at him, almost in a taunting way, before nodding her head. The couple trotted along the pathway surrounding the manor, seeing that the buildings spanned out into different complexes: housing for the workers, tobacco barns, and the horse stables.

"I think he's over there." Arthur said as they approached the barn.

"You're probably right. That looks like his big head." Minnie commented.

Arthur chuckled, "You and that mouth." He said as he swung his leg over Dahlia's withers, dismounting with a hard thud into the sand, motioning for Minnie to follow him into the barn.

"Oh, wow." He heard her whisper as they entered, seeing two drop-dead-gorgeous paint horses with piercing blue eyes. One had been saddled and the other had been in a stall, happily being brushed by Beau himself.

Arthur slowly walked up to the stable door, leaning his torso against it while resting his leg on the bottom rail, watching the horse stick his pink muzzle to his knuckle, greeting him. "You got my money?" He asked, startling Beau.

He looked up from his task and gasped, "Sure! Did she give anything? For me?" He asked desperately.

"Yes." Arthur replied, retrieving Penelope's letter addressed to Beau from his satchel.

"May I have it?"

"Sure, but it'll cost you," Arthur stated, bracing his palms against the stall door as Beau seemed too eager to see what Penelope had written him. The young man wasn't going to admit it, but Arthur intimidated him quite well, almost as much as Minnie did. He had barely spoken to her, but he remembered her that day when she came to the sheriff's office with a bounty, a Lemoyne Raider at that. "Oh, I can't be bothered. Here." Arthur grumbled.

"Thank you, Arthur! Thank you!" Beau said as he took the letter quickly, opening it up to see her remarkable penmanship, his hand over his mouth as he had felt hopelessly breathless from just her writing. Arthur ignored him as he returned to admiring the horse in front of him, stroking the horse's muzzle as the horse used his knuckle to entertain himself as he had been showing signs of boredom from standing in a stall.

"My God... What a woman," He heard Beau breathe. "She's... This'll get her killed for sure!"

"What?" Arthur asked, his mind now swimming with curiosity.

"Women's suffrage... 'Round here they don't even like men voting. They'd bring back the monarchy given half the chance! Progress is a dirty word in these parts... Unlike incest!"

"Excuse me?" Arthur asked, quite shocked. He looked over at Minnie to ensure he heard what Beau said right, which it was.

"I don't wanna marry my cousin Mathilda! I wanna marry Penelope! But they're gonna - They'll kill her at one of those rallies they're holding! They've done it before. Mister, you gotta help?"

"Looks like you ain't getting your hands on me anytime soon..." Minnie whispered to him as Beau had walked away in a panic.

"Don't remind me," Arthur grumbled. "No, I'm afraid I don't want no part of it."

"I'll pay! My family, we've still got some money!" Beau bargained.

He groaned to himself in not just aggravation, but sexual frustration as teasing from Minnie didn't make his situation any better. He brought it on himself as well by wanting her as bad as he did, but she fed off of it and had been teasing him since, in which he didn't mind, but to him, it felt like being underwater begging for air when the surface wasn't getting any closer. "Fine!" He said as he clenched his jaw. "Just no more running around with letters."

"Thank you," Beau smiled. "Come on, we'd better get going..."

"I'll meet you in town." Minnie said to him as she mounted Trace.

"You're not ridin' with us?"

She shook her head, "I can, but I don't wanna be around when you blow your top around this feller. You seem irritated." She giggled.

"Gee, I wonder why? I'm over here playin' Cupid, but yet Cupid can't get no lovin' himself!"

"That's all this is about?" She chuckled.

"Some of it." He mumbled.

She arched her brow, "Well, in that case, I'll meet you in town, cowboy."

"That you will," He said as he watched her ride away. "This better not take long," He said to Beau.

"Oh, it shouldn't..."

───※ ·❆· ※───

"Beau! What are you doing here?" Penelope gasped as she ran to him during the small meeting between female activists. She grasped his hands as she had a strong urge to want to pronounce her as his wife then and there, but knew she couldn't.

"I cannot let you go through with this!" Beau said, frowning as he watched Penelope release her hands from his, backing away from him, clear that she knew the real reason why he was there. "You'll be killed!"

She raised her hand at him, "I'm prepared to die for the cause, Beau," She hissed. "You know that."

"Do something, please!" Beau asked Arthur.

He rested his hands on his gunbelt, "Do what? Fight this mob? They'll eat me alive..." Arthur replied.

"This is no laughing matter, sir. They need protecting from certain elements!"

Arthur scoffed, "Have you seen the woman I rode in with? She can defend herself better than what I can do to protect her."

Beau sighed, "...Mostly my family! Penelope, I beg you!"

She coiled her lip at him, "I'll tell you what, your friend here can drive the wagon for us. It'll allow us to shout all the louder!"

"Sure..." He agreed.

"Miss Calhoon!" Penelope said, leading the older woman to meet the men. "My friend here says he can drive the wagon!"

"Well, Olive Calhoon!" She smiled, shaking Arthur's hand. "Normally I like to drive myself but today, I feel like a man joining us sends the right message!"

"Well, I ain't never been in a protest march before, madame." Arthur replied.

"Well just treat us like the sheep and the folks attacking us like the wolves and I'm sure you'll be right at home," Olive replied, hoisting herself up onto the bench seat of the wagon, patting the seat beside her. Arthur shrugged as he too hoisted himself up onto the wagon, grabbing the reins as he waited for Olive's direction. "Alright ladies, we know our song is a good one and our cause is a pure one! Now, take us right down main street to stop right at the bank of Rhodes." She directed.

"Sure." He replied as he tapped the harness leather reins over the draft horse's backs, sending the wagon with a soft jerk as they pulled the wagon through Rhodes. Arthur looked around at the spectators walking towards the singing from the activists, the men yelling profanities and discouragement while the women would look to the ground and continue on as they wanted no part of the march, afraid of what could happen if they agreed. As they approached the bank, Arthur noticed Minnie standing with a few of the locals, looking just as confused as the others.

"This spot is fine, sir," Olive said as she watched Arthur pull back slightly on the reins. "Ladies, get down!"

"Looks like the circus is in town!" One of the local men said.

"Oh, shut your mouth!" One of the female activists hissed. Arthur looked around as he dismounted the wagon, his free hand available for Olive to take if she needed it, in which she didn't.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a great day for all of us!" Olive said as she stood atop the stairs leading to the bank. Men continued to scream profanities and brush off her words, fearing the change that was about to come. Arthur nodded to Penelope as he was concerned about her safety as not only was she a female activist, but a Braithwaite in a Gray town. "For today is the day we begin to live as equals!"

"Equals? Ha!" A drunken bastard laughed.

"Yes, equals, sir. Fair and equal!"

"This is unnatural! This is nonsense!"

"Fair, equal, and free just as the Founding Fathers intended!" Olive preached.

"Founding Fathers, not Founding Mothers!"

"Ain't this a big bunch of shit, huh?" Minnie said to Beau from alongside the steps to the bank. She could see Arthur next to Penelope a few yards away closest to the wagon, knowing that he had her in his sight as well.

"W-What do you mean?" Beau asked.

"I ain't against women's suffrage, but stuff like this'll cause a war..." She replied.

"Hey! What the hell you doin' here, boy?" An overweight, too-cocky man said to Beau, approaching him and Minnie almost too quickly with another man behind him. It didn't go unnoticed as she prepared to knock his teeth out, but knew she couldn't be causing any trouble.

At least this time.

"Hello, darling cousin." Beau said, straightening his back as he took a brief step in front of Minnie.

"Don't you ever speak to me like that!" He warned Beau. "What're you doing here?"

"Listening... I suppose." Beau shrugged.

"Why's it any of your business?" Minnie asked him.

His brown eyes looked her up and down, "And who are you? A woman tryin' to be a man?"

"I'll hit you like a man if you don't back off!" She warned.

He scoffed, "Sure ya will! Now if you don't mind, I'm talking to Beau, not you."

"Well, Beau's with me and it's none of your business why he's here."

"Penelope, excuse me," Arthur said to the young girl as he slowly, but quickly made his way through the crowd as he watched the larger man look as if he was hovering over Minnie, which wasn't going to happen on Arthur's watch. "Beau, weren't we just leaving?" Arthur intervened.

"Who is this?"

"Your worst nightmare if you put a finger on her," Arthur warned, noting that the man didn't take his threat seriously as he chuckled at him in a mocking behavior. "You know what, follow me around here." He said as he made sure Minnie and Beau were walking in front of him, Minnie keeping a close distance to Arthur as she knew she would have to man-handle one of his cousins.

"So, what was that about you bein' my worst nightmare?" The man said as he went to grab Minnie's arm when she turned around on her heel and used her palm in a quick upward motion to hit him just below the nose, making it bleed after a few moments.

"What was that about me warnin' you about hittin' you like a man?" She mocked him as he hunched over, a small streak of blood seeping between his fingers as he covered his nose. She looked over at Arthur briefly, seeing that his jaw was dropped. "What?" She shrugged.

"....Nothin'..." He managed to say.

"You want another dose, crybaby?" She taunted before looking over to the man he had brought along with him. "What about you? You seem easier to handle than this fat sack of shit."

The stranger shook his head slowly as he stepped away from the scene. "C-C'mon, we gotta go!" Beau whispered harshly as he got the couple's attention. She looked at the young man before nodding at Arthur as they whistled for their horses.

"What kind of man am I if I can't protect my woman?" Arthur sighed as they walked towards their horses.

He heard her scoff, "There's gonna be a time where I can't protect myself and that's when I know you will." She assured him, knowing that it hurt his confidence that he couldn't do the simple task of keeping her safe. He knew from day one that she could fight like any man, but he didn't realize how much it made him feel like he couldn't do one of the duties he was taught growing up: learn how to shoot a gun, learn how to hunt and skin game, and protect a woman that he loved.

"I'm gonna go back to camp." He heard Minnie whisper as they mounted their horses.

"Why?" Arthur asked.

"I'll just meet you back there." She stated, her voice coated with mischief. She was up to something and he had a good idea as to what, but he didn't let himself get too excited about it as they've been interrupted almost every time they have tried.

"See you soon then." Arthur said as he watched her ride the other way.

Beau turned his horse, nudging him to gallop away from Rhodes, further south towards the outskirts of the swamp. "She's a wild one, that woman you have." Beau commented.

"That she is," Arthur replied as Dahlia caught up to Beau's horse, keeping pace. "You don't wanna go back and hear the speeches? I ain't voted before... But I'm kinda getting hot on voting rights."

"I don't know whether to take you seriously, Mister Morgan," Beau chuckled. "My cousins are my primary concern right now... If everyone knows about Penelope and me-"

"Everyone knows about Penelope and you... I know about Penelope and you and I've been here all but ten minutes! Sooner it's out, sooner it's resolved."

"The sooner it's dealt with, you mean... We're dealt with. Our families, the Grays and the Braithwaites, we bury our secrets and we bury 'em deep."

"Your secrets and your treasure..."

"You know, Catherine Braithwaite's got a daughter, nobody's seen her in years... She weren't right and Penelope said-"

"I ain't heard about daughters, I heard about gold." Arthur replied as Beau had slowed his horse down at the old battlefield.

"This is awful!" He sighed, dropping his reins.

"Nobody died, ain't that awful."

"My cousins are vindictive bastards! My brothers are vindictive bastards, my cousins are worse."

"They started it."

"I know, but..."

"You should leave." Arthur suggested.

"I will, as soon as I have enough money when my family... We have money, but I don't..."

"Is your family very rich?"

"Yes, well I believe so, but, uh, they keep me out of the discussions. I have more of an artistic temperament, so..."

"Is that what they call it?"

"Yes. Oh, you made a joke. I really love her, I do..." He said as he walked around his horse to meet Arthur who dismounted Dahlia.

"Well, stick around, maybe you can die for her as well." Arthur smirked.

"I thought you were trying to make me feel better?"

"I gotta go." Arthur shrugged.

"Me too. Oh, damn! I'm gonna be late! My uncle is quite as bad as you could imagine. Here, your payment. Thank you. Excuse me!" Beau said as he placed thirty dollars in Arthur's open palm. Arthur nodded as he watched Beau quickly mount his horse before riding away.

"Jesus..." He mumbled to himself, hoping he would never have to play Cupid for the fellow again, at least not any time soon.