April 14, 1870

Colorado. 

This morning I walked into town and greeted Bo and the mayor nervously. The mayor smiled at me and I asked if they’d gotten the paper. I gave them the latest issue and went over to the bistro to wait nervously. I watched them remain quiet and thought to myself that it was going to be a silent reaction. I swallowed hard when Free closed the paper and turned to me. 

“I know he was your friend, but I am relieved he is gone,” she said. “He have done good for this town, I won’t deny that.” 

“My best friend,” I nodded to her. “Doesn’t matter where I went... We always kept in touch ever sinceI worked with him and Logan in Amiville.” 

“But he lies. I work with them to fight town. All lies.” 

“He told the truth,” I shook my head. 

“Yes, they are my friends and are brothers and sisters, but not make war against town,” she shook her head. “Okay, when you believe him, Miss Trin…” 

Mill walked over and asked how I was and I told him I was doing okay, though I was surprised that the mayor didn’t defend the allegations against herself in the paper. 

“So you do believe all his lies?” Free glared at me then. 

“I’ve known Adder for a long time. I have good grounds to believe every word he says,” I looked back at her. 

“Well Timmie was right,” she shook her head. “I told him he should work with you, that you was mixed up with his lies. Now I am glad he found another job.” 

Free turned and walked off with the Native man and I glared at her back, knowing the war was officially on. I went home and packed up my things and moved out to Oregon to be with Adder and Kilyko. 

Oregon. 

After riding out to Oregon, I ran across the field towards Adder’s place and gave him a tight hug. “Howdy neighbour!” 

“Howdy Trin!” 

“I’ve left Colorado!” 

“Congratulations,” he chuckled. 

“Feels dang good. You know what she said to me today when she finished reading the paper?” 

“Surprise me.” 

“She said she was glad Timmie doesn’t work for me anymore because I’m allied with a liar.” 

“She’s starting to believe her own lies!” he chuckled. 

“Now I’m looking for a place around here for me and Tom and Josh. Gosh it feels so good to be out of there, and done with that paper and.... able to just write again.” 

“Aye,” Adder nodded. 

“You shouldn’t stay in that place anyway I would fear retaliation who know’s what the chief lady is capable of…” Kilyko said from her spot on the deck. 

“Eeet ees me! El Geordie Incognito!” Adder said then in a heavy Mexican accent. “Si, I be’s dos momentes,” he said, walking inside. 

“Oh no.....what are you up to Sun Stone…?” Kilyko asked. 

“Ees no Sun Stone.... Ees El Geordie Incognito!” Adder said. 

“He is up to no good…” Kilyko rolled her eyes. 

“Reminds me of a time when we had two particular Mexican boys in our cells…” I chuckled. 

“I have only been in the cell’s once…” 

“They kept hitting on me in Spanish but I understood what they were saying so there was no secret.” 

“Pablitoooo! Was a bad mang, mang!” Adder said. 

“Then there was mr glass-eye santos…” 

“They all smell funny and have dirty house...I burn Tuco…” Kilyko said. 

I walked in and said, “Guess this is my new bed for now. I feel so free... so liberated…” 

“Finally thing’s are settled here...we take a rest then get you settled…” Kilyko said. 

Adder walked over to the trunk in the living room, dressed in disguised, and took out a bundle of dynamite, tucking it in his coat. “Just in case.” 

“You’re going to have way too much fun with this, Taurus,” I chuckled. 

“Sun Stone.....don’t get shot and bring most of yourself back…” Kilyko warned him. 

“Just because Kilyko can heal you don’t mean she wants to,” I said. 

Adder took a pack of playing cards and selected five cards and threw the rest into the fire. 

“I would never tell him no...if he need fixing…” Kilyko said. 

“I’m just kidding,” I smiled. 

“I don’t plan on getting shot,” Adder said. 

“You never do,” I winked at him. “There was a spurt where I thought we’d have to charge rent at the clinic.” 

“As long as Despres ain’t around, I’ll be fine,” Adder said. 

“You better come back…” Kilyko looked at him with worry. 

“Of course!” he checked his guns and headed out. 

“Think I’ll go sit out by the water… He could be a while,” I chuckled. “You’re off to the clinic?” 

“No I shall sit here with you..so I do not worry myself crazy…” 

I chuckled and nodded, going over to the chair on the deck. “You know Kilyko, I could get used to this.” 

“I have already gotten used to it….” she said and started to knit in her lap while I got out my notebook. 

*** 

A few hours later, I looked up from my writing when Kilyko walked back over to me, chuckling. She said that she’d set a warrior’s tipi on fire and I looked over, seeing Adder come out of his room. “I must have been focused on my writing and missed you walk by,” I said to him. 

“Sun Stone your not shot…” Kilyko laughed. 

“AAAAAH, that was a good sleep I just had the last hour or so!” Adder yawned. 

“Have a good trip?” I smiled at him. 

“Aye.... left a little message and got out,” he nodded. “Dealt the good saloon keeper the Dead Man’s Hand.” 

“That’s it? That’s all you’re gonna tell us?” I winked at him. 

“That’s pretty much all that happened. That slimebag lawyer and his wife are already in my old house, even though my tenancy contract hasn’t expired yet,” Adder said. 

“No kidding... That didn’t take long.” 

“Saw the Mayor in the saloon, but it’s not her time yet. Gonna pick off her acolytes first. Leave her alone and afraid.” 

“I know what a lawyer is but…” Kilyko gave a confused shrug. 

“Anyone seen my flask? I left it here when I went out,” he looked around. 

“Nope, haven’t seen it,” I shook my head. 

“Hmmm... I hope you’re not getting a taste for firewater!” Adder looked over at Kilyko when she reached for the flask and tossed it to him, shrugging a bit. 

“It might need to be filled…” she smiled innocently. 

“We could wander over to the saloon... I could use a drink myself,” I said. 

“It certainly does!” Adder glared at Kilyko with a shake of his head and chuckled. “Sounds good.” 

“Not like I know where to get it…” Kilyko glared back in a playful member. 

We went to the saloon and I took some whiskey and said, “You know adder, I’m gonna get stir crazy soon. Your adventures into towns are gonna be the source of entertainment around here.”

“You should hide that next time,” Kilyko laughed. 

“Aye, I reckon I should,” he chuckled. 

“I mean I don’t have much reasons to go anywhere for a while,” I sighed, slightly bitter still. 

“Use this time in a more peaceful place wisely. Learn new skills, maybe trapping or fishing? You never know when you might find yourself desperately needing skills like that,” Adder suggested. 

“True... And it does give me time to catch up on my memoirs I just... It’s gonna be an adjustment. But one I needed to make,” I nodded. 

“Why don’t you get the town’s people’s reaction’s and make one last…article,” Kilyko shook her head. 

“Or, you could help someone else learn a new skill,” Adder said then. 

“I already did my last issue of the paper and no one’s seemed to have cared. I’m done with that work. Like Adder said, it’s time to start fresh,” I shook my head. “Did ya’ll see that new hotel?” 

“Aye I did,” Adder nodded. 

“Pretty nice,” I sipped my whiskey. 

“Yes I saw it when it was being built…” Kilyko grinned. 

“Kilyko, you still wanting to learn to write?” Adder asked her. 

“Maybe I could teach you,” I smiled and looked over at her. 

“You mean to make the mark’s?!?!” Kilyko asked excitedly. 

“I absolutely could,” I nodded. 

“I would love for you to teach me Trin!!!!” she beamed. 

“We’ll start tomorrow then. I’ll get some exercises together and you can learn how to trace the letters,” I nodded. 

“I can’t wait! The Apache  wouldn’t let Miss Kallie teach me…..” 

I thought about how I had left the bistro to Kallie but I figured it didn’t matter anymore and said, “Well then that’s what we’ll do, Kilyko.” 

“I can learn?” she looked between us, still surprised. 

“Aye you can,” Adder nodded. 

“No one stopping you now,” I nodded with a smile. 

“I was not allowed to do much of anything...Trin thank you….” her eyes grew wide. 

“It’ll be my pleasure,” I nodded. “It’s a brand new start, Kilyko. For all of us.” 

“And I am looking forward to it I already can feel safe leaving the house...to come to town…..” 

“Sitting outside to work on whatever we want to work on without being bothered by people wanting things from us… No one to interview, no one to arrest…” I looked at Adder. 

“Aye,” he nodded. 

“No one to run from…” she pointed out. 

“No one to run from is a very good thing. God knows we all have ghosts from our past we’re glad to be rid of,” I sighed. 

“Very glad......and glad to have you two with me….” Kilyko smiled. 

“I’ll drink to that,” I raised my glass. 

“Yeah, though I’ll drink to pretty much anything!” Adder nodded and we clinked our glasses together. 

“Nice to know some things never change,” I reached over and squeezed Adder’s knee. 

A man walked into the saloon then and it wasn’t long before Kalie joined us. I told her that we’d relocated and that she had to take over the bistro. We talked about how I still needed a place to stay in. 

“So is this town alive?” Kalie grinned after a while. 

“We hope to make it liven up!” Kilyko smiled. 

“When I moved to Colorado Springs, it was dead. Just me, Trin and the two Marshals. Then Trin went to Nebraska. We turned it round, reckon we can here too,” Adder explained. 

“I should have stayed,” I sighed. “Would have avoided the whole nonsense with the natives…” 

“Stayed where?” Kilyko asked. 

“Stayed in Colorado and not gone to Nebraska.” 

“No, the rest of us should have left!” Adder shook his head. 

“Well that was the plan wasn’t it? To start over somewhere far from Amiville? How’d we end up there? I thought the plan was Kingsley or some such place.” 

“Aye. The Kingsley plan never worked out,” he nodded. “Now its more overrun with bandits than ever before.” 

“So it would seem. Those articles were starting to become redundant,” I winked at him and he chuckled. 

“I reckon this move is going to work out well,” Adder said. 

“I feel more at peace already and I’ve only been here a few hours,” I nodded. 

“Well Free made this cabin so you know all the owners talk. I hope it all works out,” Kalie said. 

Kallie headed out and then Adder and Kilyko started talking about some plan that they had cooked up. They started gathering materials and I felt left out of the activity and walked out towards them. “Alright, what’s going on?” 

Kilyko introduced me to her horses and I asked where she was going. She promised to give me the full story and I told her that I was desperate for stories. I walked back to my chair on the deck and dozed off while I waited for them to return.