August 15, 1869

Amiville.

The next morning I went to the saloon and started asking people if they knew anything about the fire at Valk’s store. I knew who did it, but I still didn’t know why the fire had happened in the first place.

Lali sat with some people at a table so I went over and sat down. “Lali, I was trying to find people who were at the fire yesterday... do you know anything about it?” 

“I got there late, but this I know,” Lali said and I listened intently. “Well, apparently there was a fire started at 6 Gun Armory. Bravo and Peep were in there. I believe there was some arson.” 

“Yes... Kitty and Peep were in the fire,” I nodded. “Bravo went in to rescue them. That’s what Kitty said.” 

“Silver, Tristan’s trusty steed, broke open the window to let them out,” Lali explained as Rosa came over to us. “Rosa was there. She may have more.” 

“Um, fire?” Rosa asked. “Oh yes, um, yeah.” 

“Do you know anything you can tell me about it?” I asked her. 

“Well I know there were a couple heroes and a lot of people and animals were hurt.” 

“Who were all injured?” I asked. 

“Mister Bravo, and a horse I believe... Silver,” Rosa answered. 

“I know Silver was severely injured,” Lali agreed. 

“Mister Bravo’s arms were burned badly,” Rosa said. “But Bravo and Taylor saved the mayor. Or was it Tyler... Heck they look alike.” 

“Kitty said Stacie put the fire out too?” I clarified. 

“Yes, lots of folks trying to save people,” Rosa nodded. 

“Stacie and Richie put the fire out,” Lali explained. 

“Anyone have any idea how much damage was done?” I asked. 

“Lots of damage,” Rosa replied. 

“Poor Valk... Does he even know?” I wondered then. 

“I dunno if the news has been given to him,” Rosa shrugged. 

“Didn’t Valk just pack up and leave one night?” Lali remembered. 

“Valk hasn’t been seen or heard from in days,” Lali told me. “Which is why I think his place was targeted.” 

“So it was just convenience then, not about a personal vendetta against Valk?” I wondered. 

“I heard Bill’s gang was there,” I looked between the ladies.

“Where isn’t Bill’s gang found at?” Lali chuckled. 

“Too true,” I nodded. 

“Well, except for the church, maybe otherwise they’re everywhere,” Lali continued to joke. 

Rosa left us then and we continued to talk with people that came in and out of the saloon. Gramps told me he’d pushed the piano to the one side of the stage and I told him it looked good there. We talked about the long list of people I wanted to find to talk about the fire yesterday and then I went to see if Stacie was around. As I walked out, Sayler entered the saloon and greeted me. I went to find Stacie and asked her what she knew about the fire. 

“All I did was run with buckets of water along with Richie. Miss Lali stayed at the river filling the empties to save time. She had full buckets ready for us getting back.” 

I thanked her for the information and went back to the saloon where I saw a group of horses gathered. I started to pet them and then walked into the saloon. Since there were a few men in the saloon, I went back to change behind the curtain and went up on the stage to start dancing. Several people came in and out of the building as I talked with a man named Will about how he used to be in the army and now he was hoping to become a lawmen. He told me about how he and Nell had been held in the clinic as hostages before they were allowed out. Nell explained how some man named Stack Firecaster and his wife Chanelle were out to get them. Nell complained that the deputies got beaten twice. I tried to get more information out of the two of them but Will insisted that he wouldn’t tell me anything, no matter how well I danced. 

Rose came into the saloon and we talked about the fire while Nell and Will continued to talk about the people that seemed to have it out for them in town. I continued to dance, trying to take it all in, but I was starting to get confused with two stories coming at me at once. I asked Nell to talk with me outside and told her I could write a story about the hostage situation in the paper, but she told me to let it be unless Chanelle got her hands on her. Thanking her for the information, I headed home. 

Later in the morning I went out to find Richie’s new shop that he wanted to advertise in the paper. 

After taking some pictures of it I went back to the saloon where I talked with Grace, Molly and Avery. A Native man named Dak came in looking for a healer but we told him there were none there at the moment. When he left, Avery’s twins came in and I talked to them about the fire. They were nervous at first, wondering if they were in trouble, but they just said that they saw it burning and that Michelle was there. Tyler told me how Michelle gives him candy if he helped her with things and I told him not to trust her. 

That evening I asked Bravo if he could come over to the house and get his picture taken for an article about him in the paper. The article was apart of a series, profiling different people in the town. I stepped aside and let Claire take pictures of him as I’d hired her to be my photographer. When she went upstairs to get the pictures developed, I asked Bravo to stay back a moment. 

“I just... I wanted to apologize,” I stepped close to him, visibly nervous. 

“Fer wah?” he asked me, confused. 

“For any bad feelings or bad connotations I presented through the novel. I was new and tryin to figure out the town... And while I was working on the book it felt like there wasn't anyone I could trust.” 

“It’s all forgotten,” Bravo smiled. “And I accept yer apology.” 

I reached out and shook his hand. “Thank you, Bravo. That means a lot.” He smiled back and I thanked him for coming in for the paper. 

Claire came back downstairs and asked if everything was okay. I told her I was fine and that Bravo and I just needed a moment to talk. She showed me the pictures she’d developed and I thanked her for all of her work before she headed home for the evening.