1880, March -- East Texas (IC)

After cleaning up best he can, Nathaniel walks out into the taproom with Ms. Evans and spots Bennie. Walking up to him, "Thanks for finding them Bennie, told you they wouldnt be hard to find." with a half grin.

He makes his way to Horace and Jeremiah, and can't help but up the half grin to a full one, "Mr. Phinney, Mr. Cross, glad to see you made it back here without issue."

His smile falters a bit, "I'd like to introduce you to Ms. Alta Evans, she knows a thing or two about what's happening, with the beast, and would like to help us. Ms. Evans, can you tell them what you told Kaladin and I?"

The Saloon Bar | Nathaniel & Horace
Alta looks round the room, from the corners of her eyes and speaks lowly to Horace Phinney. "I can work a spell to stop this beast." She pats her bag, right where she gets her large, leather bound book. "But the ritual I must conduct is gonna be like the scream of ghost rock ta th' creature. It'll be drawn to my workin's."

She glares at the posse. "I'll need to be undisturbed, once I start."

To Horace, "I'll also need to know who the creature lives inside, or something they hold dear."

"Bah!" Horace is disappointed at the lack of interest but at least he has made some sales. Perhaps he has lost his luck for today.

He lights up when he sees Nathaniel though. "Hello Nathaniel. I trust you are well." And to Alta he cocks his head, eyebrows floating upwards on his forehead. "Is that so Miss. Are you sure you can handle such a thing alone? Have you done this before?"

Horace wonders if it is a good idea to tell her of Will.

The Saloon Common Room
Alta answers Horace. "I assure you I know what I'm about. It ain't gonna be easy, but Mr. Bigby assures me ya'll are up to the task of helpin' me."

Her voice lowers, "It's likely my spell will attract the beast... It ain't gonna wanna be put to sleep."

Horace, Alta seems confident, but there's definitely an edge of uncertainty in her voice.

"He does, does he?" Horace assesses the woman further. "Then I say bring it on. I can dash some of my elixir onto it too although what may actually happen as a result of doing that is anyone's guess."

The Saloon Common Room
"Well all right then," she pats her bag affectionately. "Let's get to work."

She heads out of the saloon.

Willis Talley pretends he ain't watchin' ya'll leave. But he is. He smiles at his gang.

As Alta steps out on to the front porch she continues speaking to Horace, Jeremiah, Nathaniel and Bennie.

"If anyone know anything about the beast, now's the time ta tell me. Otherwise, once I start castin' this, I reckon it's gonna come a'runnin'."

She looks up and down the muddy street. A deputy is goin' about lighting some lanterns fixed upon tall, pine poles in preparation for the night that's fast approaching. "Hmm. Let's do this in the stables." And she heads to the large, manure scented building next door.

As they head toward the stables, "Kaladin and I weren't able to gather much from the lumber mill. We were...lucky to stumble upon Ms. Evans here though. Mr. Phinney, Mr. Cross, were you able to deduce anything?" A faint smile played across the boy's face at the use of that question, it was one his father would use often.

"Let's wait until we reach the stables."

Once inside Horace, who had been debating whether to tell them about Will or not decides it's time.

"The boy Will changes into the beast upon the coming of the full moon. I might have cured him but we won't know until the next full moon."

Alta looks at Horace with some amount of speculation. "So you've chatted with the boy? An' he knows you know?"

The party enters the barn, stabled horses neigh and stomp their their hooves.

She turns to Nathaniel. "Next thing ya can do to help is go an' fetch the boy. He's the blacksmith's son, so run across the way." She walks into an empty stall, and pushes hay out of the way with her foot. She begins to pull her components from the bag.

"I guess we'll see how good your magic is Mr. Phinney..."

Nathaniel nods and heads out to the blacksmith's shop to fetch the boy. He frowns as the sun continues to set lower, I hope we're not too late

"I wouldn't go so far as to say the boy knows but we know of each other, yes. Horace has always enjoyed the peaceful sound of horses chewing on hay along with the rich sweet smell of it.

"I suppose you will, yes indeedy."

sitting with a concerned look on his face, remembering the saddlebags of the horses in the stable he saw gives Kaladin an uneasy feeling that either someone is here to assist or expecting some trouble. Shaking his head he heads out after Nathaniel thinking a boy his age should probably have someone come along just in case....

The Main Street of the Town | Rathgar & Nathaniel
You've been to the smithy, and talked young mister Hayes into coming with you--he'd do anything to be free of this affliction.

"You really think this will work? Mr. Phinney gave me an elixir, and I ain't feelin' like I'm gonna change tonight, at least. An look, the sun is essentially gone down now."

Gas lamps on polls cast waxy, yellow light on the street of the town. Folk bustle down the wooden walkways between the storefronts and houses, headed, mostly for the saloon.



Just as the three of you are hit the middle of the street...

"Now why don't you all just hold up a moment!" Willis Talley stands in the center of the street, between ya'll and the saloon. His hands rest on his gun belt, in close proximity to his holstered pistols.

One of his posse is on his right, a cigar clasped in his mouth, eyes staring death at ya'll.

A second on his left, Winchester carbine leaning on his shoulder.

"An' there's three more behind ya'll too," Willis shouts with a smile.

"Now jus' hold up, and let's have the two of you come with us--I don't care a lick about the blacksmiths boy. Just you two..." and he points at Rathgar and Nathaniel.

"Oh boy... Nathaniel whispers as he sees the bounty hunter and his posse standing in front of them.

Turning to the boy, not much older then Nathaniel really, "William, you should continue to the saloon, look for Mr. Phinney and Ms. Alta, they can help you." and hopefully us

Nathaniel looks behind him to see if the other three the man mentioned are indeed behind them.

William nods at Nathaniel and books it the rest of the way across the street.

Bennie sees him coming and motions the young man into the stable, where Horace, Alta, and Jeremiah wait.

"William? Good," she says when he nods. "Go ahead an' stand in that circle." She points to a rough drawing on the ground, and the boy enters it.







Back out in the street, the day fades and the light of the moon shines down upon the showdown. Nathaniel, looking round you can see two folk with carbines on the upstairs verandas of two town homes behind you.

Willis sees Nathaniel seeing. "You see," he asks. "You out gunned, son. Drop yer iron, have your bud do the same, and let's call this over."

looking at Willis and turning his head slightly to take measure of the three standing before him while trying to rake his memories to see any recognition of the three men. To Willis: "yall bounty hunters?, how much are they paying ya?" dropping his hands to the quick draw holsters at his hips and resting the palms on the well worn grips. We may be outgunned but we can take out the three of you standing there before the rest of your posse behind us puts us down. Money is of no use to dead men. Again - how much is the bounty each is going to collect - we may be able to work out a deal?"

looking for any movement that indicates they are drawing/aiming their weapons, Kaladin is hoping to persuade the group the two of us are not worth the bloodbath but certainly ready to use his skills to put down the three in front of us.

...Out in th' Street...
Willis strikes a match of the grip of the pistol at his belt. He raises it to the black, wrapped cigarette in his mouth and puffs it alight. He narrows his eyes at Kaladin's hand as he flicks the used up match.

"It ain't necessarily about the money, my friend," he says in a plume of smoke. "Reputation is more valuable in the long run." His eyes dart between Kaladin and Nathaniel, the light from the hanging lamps making the ya'll seem like you're the only ones in the world...

Lance spits, 'bacco juice dripplin' down his chin.

Bill cracks his knuckles, then hovers his fingers over the grips of his guns.

"I'm a famous son'a'bitch. If I were in a deck o' cards, I'd be wild, if'n you catch my drift." ...and yet, you can see he's starting to wonder if he bit off more than he can chew. "Now drop yer damn guns! I won't tell ya again," he shouts, his anger overcompensating for the doubt creeping in.

...Over in th' Stable...
"The moon is up," Alta says as she raises her hands to the rafters. "We begin!"

In the circle, William gives a grunt of pain. "I-I don't feel so goo.....aaaarrrhhhggg."

Alta looks at Horace. "Yer potion is keepin' the transformation at bay! Now, my spell..."

And with that she begins to chant.

...somewhere in the distance, North of town, a wolf howl echoes in the hills. It has the sound of pain and anger....

Nathaniel snaps his head toward the sound of the howling wolf.

"Mr. You've got three problems. One, need to check your eyesight. You said there were three men behind us and I only spot two. Two, this man," nodding at Kaladin, "is one of the quickest gunslingers I've ever seen, so one of y'all is not making it out alive, and three" pointing where the howling came from, "there's a fucking werewolf coming that will do the job for us if we fail!"