August 14, 1869

New Mexico.

Late in the afternoon I took a ride out to New Mexico, looking for a new story. I hadn’t really toured outside of Amiville much other than the occasional trip to Kansas but it felt like time to break new ground and ride somewhere I’d never been before. The landscape here was so much different than in Amiville. It was as if you crossed the border and suddenly you were in a whole other country. The land here was more desert and sand, the buildings more like that of the Alamo than modern homes like in Amiville. I suddenly felt out of place and wondered if this was really a good idea. 

A woman came over to me and I stopped riding as she greeted me. “Hello. Just passing through,” I told her. “Lookin for law, ya know where I could find any?” 

She laughed and said, “I am a law here. For this reason you need to ask me, here you are in New Mexico. Last law man who was here we hanged him.” I nodded and she said, “Why you search a law?” 

“I work for the newspaper in Amiville... Just out lookin for news.” 

“So here always news. We are in war against union and their ally.” 

“Ah,” I nodded. 

“You need to know this region is ruled by our gang, a wild bunch gang.” 

I swallowed nervously and said, “I ain’t lookin’ for trouble, Miss.” 

“Don’t worry. If you have something to give me, we talked at this a ‘life tax’.” 

“Well I’m going to keep riding. Take care,” I said, not wanting to get caught up with any gang.

Amiville. 

When I arrived back home, Sayler was standing in front of my cabin so I invited him inside. He played piano while we talked a bit and then he had to go again. 

That evening I played piano in the saloon and sang, for the first time. People came in and out of the saloon, talking and going about their business as I provided the entertainment. During the set I heard them talking about a fire at one of the businesses down the street and I grew intrigued, thinking this would be a good story for the paper. 

When I was finished playing for about an hour I asked Kitty if we could talk alone. We went across the street to the Mexican restaurant where we could talk. “So tell me what happened,” I prompted. 

“We hear Mrs. Ami scream ‘Fire’ thn she went in and I followed her,” Kitty explained. “By the time we turned to open the door the flames were blocking it. So we started screaming for water and help.” 

“Where was the fire, Kitty?” 

“In Valk’s store,” she said. 

“Oh my...” I gasped. “So did help come quickly?” 

“Yes, really quick. Then Silver, that’s Tristan’s horse, got injured trying to get us out. And Peep was able to put out the fire.” 

“Oh my, Silver,” I said, petting the horse’s name as she was standing there with us. 

“And Bravo came in and got us while it was still burning,” Kitty continued. 

“Wow, he is a brave one. Tristan must have been beside himself...” 

“This is one of my best friends here,” Kitty said about the horse. “She follows me everywhere.” 

“Well no wonder she wanted to save you from the fire, Kitty. You'd almost think she was more your horse than Tristan’s,” I winked. 

“She has come to my aid more than once,” Kitty noded. 

“Do they have any idea who set the fire?” 

“I saw a guy run out but i don’t know him.” 

“I can't believe ya just ran into a burning building... Sorry, who did ya say you were with?” 

“Well Bravo shocked me big time. Honestly Silver was over-heated. We were sitting under the trees when the call went out. Then Peep and I ran down there.” 

“Right,” I nodded. “So you didn’t recognize the man...?” 

“No, I didn’t.” 

“Did anyone else come after Bravo to investigate?” I asked. 

“Oh, I forgot. Stacie helped put out the fire too. I am not sure who else, I had smoke in my eyes and other gunk. Rose took me to get water for them.” 

“Rose? White Rose?” I asked, petting Silver as the horse shook her mane and coughed a bit again. 

“Yep,” Kitty nodded. 

“Sounds like a lot of people were around,” I said, thinking about all the people I would have to interview. 

“Yes. When I could see down there it was easily ten to fifteen people.” 

“Wow... Can you remember all who? I’ve got you, Peep, Bravo, Stacie, Rose...” 

“Well the mayor and her husband, Taylor and Tyler,”

“Richie and Ami,” I nodded, listening. 

“Not sure when Buckshot showed up but he was there, and his gang.” 

“His gang... Remind me who’s all in that? I always lose track.” 

“Maffe and Roby,” Kitty started. 

“Rebel Wasp?” I asked, remembering the man who had had the scuffle in the saloon with James Blackwell. Just as I’d said the name, the man himself walked over to us and I said, “Speak of the devil...” 

“Howdy... Name’s Josey Wales.” 

“Howdy Sir,” Kitty greeted him. 

“Josey... Good to meet you,” I looked at him, curious. Kitty seemed to look at him strange too, as if she recognized something about him but couldn’t quite place it. Silver seemed to react to the man’s presence too by squeaking and limping back a bit. 

“Huh?” Kitty turned to me. “Um... No, I guess not. Sir, have I met you before?” He shrugged and Kitty said, “You look familiar to me.” 

Josey lowered his hat down a bit, casing a shadow. Kitty kept looking at him strangely and Silver kept whining, tossing her head. “Umm Trin I can’t remember anyone else there,” Kitty told me at length. 

“Alright, well that list should keep me busy...” I turned to the man and asked, “Josey, you weren't around when the fire happened at Valk's store, were you?” Then, looking at Kitty I asked, “Anything else you can remember, Kitty? Even if it seems insignificant?” 

“I am sure others would tell you more then I can.” 

Josey kept quiet, chuckling to himself, and Silver started to sniff him. I walked over to him and asked, “Something funny, Sir?” 

“No miss,” Josey continued to chuckle. 

“Ya seem to find somethin' that tickles ya.” He shrugged and lowered his head to light a smoke. “Somethin about our sheriff's bein caught in a fire amuse ya?” I asked. 

“Ain’t know what ya talking bout,” Josey told me. “Sorry I can’t help ya.” 

Avery walked over then and I asked him if he knew anything about the fire. He said his little ones had seen some of it and I asked if they were around somewhere. Avery promised to look for them for me and Josey started to whistle Dixie, making Silver fatten her ears at the song and toss her head. 

“Oh yes, Michelle. She was there too.” Kitty said, making the horse get spooked. I wondered if it was the name that had made the horse spooked. 

“Somethin’ must be funny,” I looked over at Josey, who was still chuckling and whistling Dixie. Something about the song made Silver whine again. 

“Wait, that song...” Kitty started to say.

All of a sudden a woman’s voice shouted from inside the saloon and I instantly knew that something was wrong. The voice was that of the woman I met in Mexico and Kitty and Silver both reacted nervously to the voice. I asked Kitty if anyone else was at the sheriff’s office and Kitty shook her head, looking as if she was starting to remember more about the fire. I tried to get her to talk but she ran into the saloon. 

Standing in the streets confused, I watched as a young boy named Kris came out of the saloon, the fear written all over his expression. “Miss Dubarry is smashing whiskey bottles!” he cried. “She’s smashing up Gramps’ whiskey and trying to break the windows.” 

“Stay here, Kris. It’s safer,” I told the child and he started shaking. I held the boy close and wondered where the law was when we needed them. 

“She got all riled up at a soldier, then when he left she just started breaking stuff,” Kris continued to explain. 

“I would not hurt you,” I heard Michelle say from inside the saloon. 

“Michelle, let’s just do this the easy way,” Kitty tried. 

“An advice. Don’t draw your guns, law,” Michelle suggested. 

“Advice. Time to leave, Michelle,” Kitty countered back. 

I continued to rub Kris’ back while we waited and listened. I asked him if he was okay and he said he was getting better. 

“Miss Dubary was so nice before... She gave me French chocolate.” 

“Don’t trust her, hon,” I shook my head. 

Lali came over then and Kitty came out of the saloon to pull me aside. She whispered to me, “If anything should happen to me, that guy we just met set the fires.” 

“I knew it!” I gasped. “I just had the feeling. I knew it was him!” 

Kitty ran back into the saloon and told Michelle to go outside. Josey Wasp came back over to the saloon and we could hear the violence increasing inside but we didn’t know what was happening, nor did we want to. I pulled Kris close and after some time, Kitty came back outside. 

It wasn’t long before Michelle came out of the saloon, threatening everyone who would be rude to her. She looked at me and said in a spiteful tone, “You and your music.” 

I raised a brow, not sure what I’d done to offend her, or how my music had caused such a tone. I went in the saloon when I saw that Kris had gone off safely and started talking to people, then decided to get out of town for a while and rode to Kansas, wanting to be at peace around the Natives again. I had been to the village a couple of times casually to see what it was all about but I hadn’t really spent a lot of time there yet. On the way there I got lost and found a man wearing a badge. I asked him how to get to Kansas and he led the way. He told me his name was Eddie ands aid that he was a sheriff. 

Kansas. 

I found my way to Hawk’s village and he invited me to join him by the fire. He asked me what was wrong and I told him how today was the anniversary of my grandfather’s death and how I had dedicated my set to him. Then I told him about the fire and how I knew who had started it. 

“Do not let the threats of others hold you. The fear can become a cage. Yes, bad things might come but you must face this and stand strong and know you stood for your belief.” 

“But Hawk...” 

“You should join our tribe,” he chuckled. “I will teach to defend self. Only real thing we have in life 

is being true to ourselves; through love, honour, and standing for our beliefs, letting our thoughts be known.” I sighed and looked into the fire as he continued. “But you must travel your path as you feel; we all have to go our own ways down the paths set before us in life.” As I let the tears fall Hawk said, “Is okay to have sadden and hurt; is not a sign of weakness, but a sign to show we are people and have feelings.” 

I wiped my tears away and looked at him. I’d only seen hawk a few times in town and been to his village once or twice but had never really talked with the chief at length. “So tell me more about this tribe... Are there many people?” 

“Only a few of us now,” Hawk said as a Native woman joined us at the fire. “Just started and hope to grow into a strong and honorable tribe. We have lands for this just need people to join.” He looked over at the woman who had come over and said, “Ahh there is one of the new ones to the tribe. She come and joined us this sun.” 

We introduced ourselves and then I announced that I should be getting home before it got to be too dark. Hawk invited me to visit again and I promised that I would before riding back home.