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Two brothers and an Innkeeper's story (Candira and Vertaige)

Candira

Candira

Singularity
Joined
Jan 9, 2009
The trip had been a success. It was a shame that she had to go out so far to deposit and withdraw money from her bank, but the little town where she'd established her inn had no financial institution. At least not since the last one caught fire in the last bar brawl. The saloon in her inn was much smaller and far more manageable than the one down the road--and they didn't serve the kind of food that soaked up the alcohol men poured down their throats with reckless abandon. Then again, she couldn't really judge anyone for that choice. These days there was precious little to be happy about round her parts. Bandits were only growing in numbers.

With a sigh, she hoped that her establishment was holding up well enough under Henrietta's watchful eye. She might have been a brothel madame, but the woman knew how to manage customers. Nora appreciated the woman's nose for business, too. They had a nice deal for customers who wished to be a little more...discreet about their clandestine meetings. Because of this, Nora was sure that the madame was taking care of things back home. She could only hope that people weren't getting the wrong idea.

But that wondering would come to an end soon--she was on her way home now to Los Boleros. A suitcase with her money and receipts rested in the carry on bin above her. She hoped that it would stay safe there for this trip. She'd been lucky so far, but who knew these days?

Nora stood for a moment, stretching her long legs. The redhead had her hair pulled up into a smooth, elegant French twist her bangs swept to the side, nearly covering one blue eye. The curvy woman certainly stood out. She was one of the few women on board, and she was the only one who was traveling alone. It was a little unsettling, so she smoothed out her black dress and sat back down. Maybe someone would take the seat across from her so she wouldn't be quite so noticeable.
 
Clint moved through the train cars silently, his eyes scanning every face. If he was going to do anything he'd have to be ready and the weight of his shooter on his hip felt heavy. The man looked more like a rogue than any decent man. Stubble and scars covered a rugged jaw and his dark piercing eyes cut through the haze of the crowds. However even vigiliant a man standing on a train looked a might bit suspect so he moved to the nearest open seat, shuffling past several men who glared daggers at him.

His duster was heavy and stifling but taking it off would give away how much iron he was carrying and he had a bad feeling he'd need the element of surprise. He sat down expecting some fresh faced boy or a aging banker, what he got was a lady... A very nice looking lady with auburn hair and some of the best eyes he had seen in awhile.

He leaned back a bit, trying to look less suspicious.

"Evening."
 
Nora looked up from the book she'd been reading at the man in front of her. Her eyes widened--nearly needing the extra space to fully take him in. She'd definitely heard some clinking as he took a seat, and he looked a bit suspicious. Then again, a lot of men in Los Boleros had more of a "vagrant" look than any of the gentlemen in the city. Besides, the one sitting across from her didn't seem violent, at the very least. She certainly wished he was a little less shady, though. It was difficult enough to travel alone without a strange man with what was obviously a large amount of guns staring at you.

"Good evening, sir," she said, a pleasant smile crossing her face. "I do apologize for staring a little earlier, but I wasn't expecting anyone to sit there, let alone someone with such a nice coat," she said, paying him the first compliment that came to mind. To be fair, it was a nice coat. She could have mentioned that he was handsome, but it was a little difficult to tell, and it might give him the wrong impression about her.
 
Clint raised an eyebrow and gave a slight bemused look. He wasn't looking for any real conversation, but until things got started he'd have nothing better to do.
"Thanks, it was gift from a family friend." He also noticed her gaze flicker over him. He didn't know whether to be worried or complimented. Either way he was going to have to break the ice or risk rousing more than enough attention from those around him. Other wise people might start wondering why an unmarried man was sitting with strange woman.

"Most folks call me Clint," he said as he glanced at the lady's book.
Many women were more learned than they let on, but for her to display this openly...well that was a bit more than bold. He made a mental note to inquire about her literature before things got wild. Looking her over once more he noticed her clothes were very provocative and upon a closer inspection of her legs he saw the folds of her dress drape over a small firearm. This combined with her apparent intellect made her all the more intriguing. Whoever this woman was, she had just garnered all of Clint's spare attention.
 
Nora smiled politely, figuring that if she wasn't annoying him with small talk, he might not kill her if he was planning something. Wouldn't that be nice? And if he wasn't planning something? Maybe she could direct him to her inn while he needed to stay in town. Business was business, and who was she to deny a man with money lodging and food? The coat tidbit was interesting, but his name was better.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Clint. My name is Nora. Nora Wainwright." She offered her hand for a shake and set her book down.
 
Clint flashed a roguish smile and took Nora's hand and gave it a kiss. "Delighted." He then relaxed a bit. Clint then inquired, "So what has your interest there ma'am?" He pointed to her book.
 
Nora blushed a little, taking her hand back as he told her he was delighted. She hadn't been expecting charm from this one. He just didn't seem the type. Still, she couldn't deny that he'd had an effect on her. She snapped out of it as he asked about her book and smiled, relieved to focus on something other than the man sitting across from her. "Oh this? It's a classical book. I treat myself to these once every now and then. It's called Hard Times."
 
Clint raised a brow and felt impressed. He was not simple man but even he had a hard time reading classics. Intellectually she was superior something he found disarming.
"So do you read often or just on long train rides?" He decided if she was a smart as he assumed, maybe securing her as an ally would prove very lucrative. Also looking her over again he couldn't help but admire her natural beauty. Something about her was almost predatory.
 
"I'm a business woman in Los Boleros, so my free time is a bit lacking these days, but I love to read when I can." Nora marked her place and then closed the book, setting it next to her. "Do you like to read, Clint?" She was surprised that that question came out instead of the one that was on her mind--just what did he do for a living?
 
Clint thought for a moment and responded, "Not really, I don't have much time for intellectual pursuits, but if the time presented itself I'd think I would enjoy it."

Five shots rang out and two slammed beside Clint. Smooth as a snake, Clint stood and pulled out his pistol. Clint fired back twice and half yelled, "Nora get down and stay down!" Clint shifted to the middle of the train and called out,
"All right Eli, you've had your fun but I'm here to take you home!" A single bullet hit a man next to Clint and Clint cursed.
"Who the fuck is Eli and who in the hell are you?!! My name is Drake and I'm here to rob this train."

Clint stood for a second as the news crept in...
"GodDammit I'm on the wrong train!!!"
 
Nora was just about to continue the conversation when all Hell broke loose. Passengers screamed and scrambled to sink down into their seats, trying to get away from the source of the shots. As Clint sprang into action, Nora followed his advice and got down, deciding that now was not the time to be a hero. Though she wasn't particularly fond of staying on the ground, she couldn't deny that the would-be hero was armed to the teeth and probably better suited to take on the bad guys.

Wait a minute...was he trying to prevent a train robbery?! No wonder he was prepared. Despite the fact that he seemed to be on the wrong train at the wrong time, Clint was their best shot at getting out alive. And he was standing still like an idiot.

"Don't just stand there like a target!" she hissed, urging him on. Now was not the time to hesitate. The man wasn't the person he'd been expecting, so it was pretty likely that the element of surprise Clint had been counting on was no longer an advantage. She moved her skirts aside and pulled her little revolver out of her thigh holster and took off the safety, holding it carefully, prepared to give him cover if he needed it.
 
Clint glared as he raised his pistol and fired one shot dead center on the would be robber's chest. He then spoke to Nora,
"I'm going to check if he's it or if more would be bandits are in the other cars."
Clint walked through the other cars finding no more bandits on board, wondering why a single man would try to rob a train until he thought about it.
"Man would be foolish to try alone so why would he do it in the most populated car..."
Then as if a candle flickered to life in a dark room Clint realized that the man's cohorts were still in the car with Nora and most of the other passengers. He sprinted back, making sure to check his gun as he did so.

He approached the car hearing screams and bullets being fired. He prayed Nora had at least kept her head down and burst in gun loaded and ready to fire.
 
Nora nodded and peeked out from behind the seats, watching him walk away. Despite his heroic actions, she couldn't help but wonder just what kind of man he really was. She was caught off guard however, when another man rose up, and then another, and another until there were ten men all around the car. Each of them had a smug smirk on their faces and each of them had a gun. The first man who stood demanded that everyone submit--hand over all the valuables and money and nobody got hurt.

Well, fuck. Hell if she was giving up all the money she'd gone for. Besides, someone always got hurt during train robberies. Just as she was thinking this, a little girl was being pulled into an aisle, her locket being forced away from her. Nora saw red the instant she saw one of the men slap the little girl for her insolence. Without a second thought, Nora stood up and fired her little revolver. She hit the man who'd slapped the girl in the knee cap, and the one with the bag in the shoulder.

Really, she didn't want to kill anybody, but Nora wasn't one for tolerating bullshit like this.

Of course, that didn't mean that what she'd done was a smart thing. This was made even more apparent by the eight men who were reconsidering returning fire. Now they could take a hostage. A pretty one at that. Shit. She managed to use the rest of her bullets and disable three more men, but that still left five and now she had no other recourse. Her exits were blocked and before she knew it, she was caught. "Damn it."

At least the little girl was safe with her parents.
 
Clint swept in and fired five times. Each bullet hit their respective targets, prompting a small scarlet blossom on each of the men's chests. Clint then pulled out a few sets of hand cuffs and some rope and tossed the latter to Nora,
"Tie up the survivors, I'm gonna need one for information." Clint hunted around for a man who wasn't dead and grabbed him by the collar. Clint looking nonchalant pulled a knife from his boot and poised it at the man's throat.

"Look, I'm not a patient man, so tell me who told you to rob this train and why." Clint let the knife idly slip pressing the blade right above a the man's adam's apple. "No one we just-"
Clint raised his brow as he calmly slid the knife from the man's throat to his chest and stabbed him lightly enough to draw blood but not enough to cause any real harm. "I'm not gonna talk he said if we talked..." the man shut up and Clint had a smirk.
 
Nora gasped and people screamed as Clint barged into the car again and killed the five men who had surrounded and caught hold of Nora. She stood there for a moment in shock before he tossed her the cuffs and some rope. Out of reflex she caught them and frowned at the sight of the bodies around her. Fantastic. She stepped around them carefully and came to the men she'd shot earlier who were now on the ground. She cuffed them without trouble, tying up the rest of the surviving robbers.

She noticed that the little girl from before was huddling between her parents and they were doing their best to shield her. This poor little thing would probably always be terrified of traveling by train now. The redhead sighed and picked up her gun, moving back to her seat to holster it once again. She'd leave the rest of the heroics to Clint.
 
Clint spent several minutes asking and coercing information from the man and after a few more questions he tossed the man to Nora to be tied up. Clint took stock and noticed they were pulling into the station and he quietly slipped out to the caboose. He saw the town approaching and stood enjoying the view. However it would have to be short lived as being questioned would slow him down and even if he did regret not wishing Nora goodbye.

As the train slowed to a halt he whistled and a midnight black destrier galloped up to the tracks. Clint leapt onto the horse and made sure to avoid any prying eyes. He made his way to the closest inn looking to rest for a day, since Eli's trail had now gone cold and honestly he wouldn't mind some company for tonight.

He made his way to the only place that looked remotely like an inn or brothel. He walked in, leaving the saloon doors swinging and made his way to the bar.
"So where can a man find a room and some fine company?" He asked the bartender.
The bartender replied, "This here is the best place in town but the manager's away for business so you'll have to talk to Henreitta over there." Clint caught sight of the slim and enchanting blonde who was dolled up with a red dress that showed off a healthy amount of leg. He had to admit, nice but not as nice as Nora.

He shook himself mentally. Normally he didn't think about any woman twice but it seemed that Miss Nora had taken a small residence in his mind. Something he found not unpleasant.
 
When Clint finished with the Man, Nora took up the unpleasant task of tying up the trembling fool. She gave him a disgusted shove as he took a rather long look at her cleavage and then went back to her seat. The brave stranger had vanished. Frowning, she wondered where he had gone and why, but it was soon a moot point. They reached the station without further incident and Nora was free to take her things and leave. They had enough witnesses to the robbery to piece together what had happened. Besides--if she didn't get back soon, her guests would have to endure another dinner made by Henrietta.

The madame was many things, but a cook was not one of them. She chuckled and decided to go to the store after she put her money in the safe and settled down with a glass of Brandy. Yes, that would be just the thing for this kind of stressful day. She was pleased when she saw the midnight war horse in front of her establishment. It was a fine, powerful animal, and probably had a wealthy or at least interesting rider. She could use some story-telling to get her mind off of watching at least six men die today.

The redhead made a mental note to reload her revolver as well. What a day! She stepped inside and headed toward her office when she saw someone very familiar at the check in desk. "Well I'll be damned," she muttered, placing a hand on her hip. Who'd have thought Clint would have made his way here? She waved to Henrietta and the blonde smiled, waving in return.

"Well, well, look who it is. I wasn't expecting to see you so soon," she said with a smile.
 
Clint never believed in fate or even luck really. However hearing that same voice made him smile, not the cool calculated smirk but a genuine smile. He wiped it off before turning to address the owner and replaced it with a look of mild interest. "So staying here for a night? If I didn't know any better I'd assume you were following me." Turning to Henreitta he requested a glass of scotch and sarsaparilla, he handed the woman a five dollar note and instructed her to keep the change. While she sauntered away he looked again at Nora and figured maybe getting to know her better wouldn't be anything but beneficial, especially since he had an inclination that he'd be more interested in her as the night moved on.
 
Nora chuckled at his joke about her following him and watched, amused, as the man made himself at home. It was an interesting sight--a grown man with some mystery looking as unfazed as if he'd just taken a stroll instead of engaging in a gunfight with six men on a crowded train. She remembered her manners a moment later and shook her head. "You'll have to excuse me for not meeting you at the desk. You see, I was a bit held up at the station. I'm the owner of this Inn. Welcome to the Dragonfly, Clint."

With a confident smile, she stepped behind the desk and filled in his name in the guest register. "As a thank you for saving my life, or at the very least, my honor, I'd like to offer you a room here free of charge. How long were you hoping to stay with us?" she asked, her bright eyes looking up at him. She was the picture of professionalism, but she got the feeling that he had been hoping for something a little more.
 
Clint felt a bit taken aback and impressed. However he played it off, and followed her. He felt a bit of the devil rise up in him as he answered her question with perhaps a bit more charm than necessary but he ignored it. "Honestly as long as it takes for me to get what I need done." He tried so very hard to ignore those intense eyes but persevered. He felt it odd to ask now but it was part of the reason he slept in a bed and not on the ground. "So I was looking for some company this evening, admittedly what I had originally intended has differed greatly now but would you be interested in a drink?" He heard his mind whisper she'd be great in bed, that's not what I'm looking for but at the same time that's not not what I'm looking for. He had a smile on his face and took the glass given to him by the now winking Henrietta, who had might has well said she'd be Nora's rebound if things didn't work.
 
There was that charm again. It was difficult to remember that he had it in spades when he wanted it. She smiled at his answer and left his departure date empty for the time being. She closed the book and put it under the counter in its own little spot. "Alright then. I'll just get you a key..." The redhead was about to turn and get it when he pressed on about this evening. Surprised that he would choose her over a night with one of Henrietta's girls, she found herself smiling. What an intriguing man. She smiled and turned to get the key to his room from the pegboard behind her, giving the blonde madame a little warning glance. She set the key in front of him and smiled.

"Well, thank you. I'd like that. I have some things to do first, but a drink would be nice. Why don't you go freshen up? I'll be free after dinner's on. Take some time to relax. I'd say you've earned it." With that, she gave him another smile and picked up her suitcase, walking into what served as her office and closing the door behind her. She stood still for a moment, leaning against the door to just take in what she'd done.

She was having a drink with the man who had saved her life and tried to plant himself on a train so that he could foil a robbery. She'd need to ask him about that later. For now she just smiled and started to put the money she had gotten at the bank away in her safe.
 
Clint took the key and tucked it away. He sat at a nearby table and enjoyed closing his eyes. It was rare that he could relax at the expense of safety. Also basking in the company of beautiful woman was a luxury he always took advantage of whenever presented.
 
After about half an hour, Nora came out of her office, paperwork done and bills prepared. Tomorrow she could pay them. She smiled and locked up her office behind her, heading for the lobby. She smiled when she saw Clint and came to his table, sitting across from him. "Sorry about that. I had some things to take care of. I should start dinner soon, too. But for a short time, I'm all yours," she said with a grin.
 
Clint leaned back and took a slow drink, "So you own this place? Fancy digs for a fancy lady." Clint then looked around and smirked. He made a note to stay here in the future, while the women were gorgeous the real draw was the nature of the inn. It was reputable and therefore a safe place to hide secrets that would be found out in a different place.
 
Nora raised an eyebrow, knowing full well that he meant it in a polite way, but he was really making sure this was her place--legally. Things like that really got under her skin, and she found herself trying hard to hold onto her smile. "I do. Came into an inheritance when my father died. This used to be his old building, but he didn't know much about business. So he sent me to learn for him and come back. Of course, by the time I had returned, he'd all but closed down, deciding to invest in other things. Turns out he made some good choices and left me with a nice nest egg."

She shrugged, a gesture of discomfort more than anything. "My father was a good man, but he had no mind for learning what I had to teach him. We were comfortable, and he helped me fix this place up before he died, but he was killed in a bandit raid and never saw the place finished."

A sadness seemed to settle around her eyes for a moment as she remembered that day and all the pain that came with it. It was hard to believe that she could still miss him so much. "But that's why I have such a nice place now. I have to live well and make this place a success for him."
 
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