The Relentless: Among the Willows

Chapter One: Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death

Henry smiles, putting away his shaving kit and removing a small tin bowl and metal spoon from his bag, "Not wise to track dangerous prey you don't know how to hunt, that's how you get people killed." Though his smile lingers a dead serious look overtakes Henry's eyes as he stares almost completely through Wyoming Slim.

Slim turns away and stands and walks over to the Sheriff, "Best wake him up before it's gone." Slim then nudges the Sheriff with his boot, "Come on, wake up old-timer, beans is cooked."

Slim returns to his bedding and grabs another spoonful before handing the Sheriff a spoon. The Sheriff awakens and rolls over to get to his feet.

"Gotta take a piss boys, be sure to save me some, I'll be back." Sheriff Collins says as he stumbles off into the dark.

Wyoming stares into the crackling fire, "How far behind 'em you reckon?" he asks as Henry takes a bite from his bowl of beans.

"Day... maybe two." He says between bites and wiping his mouth.

"Get some rest, we'll have a hard ride tomorrow if we're to catch up on 'em." Wyoming says as he eats another spoonful of beans and then rolls over in his bedding.

Henry continues to eat as he lingers a curious stare to Wyoming before looking around his surroundings and then to the stars in the night sky. The Sheriff wanders back over to the camp and plops down in front of the fire grabbing spoonful after spoonful of the beans and jerky bits. Henry watches the sheriff intently, who barely even notices Henry sitting there next to him as he eats.

"So how much further you think, son?" Joseph asks with a mouthful of beans spilling out over his lips and onto his red and white beard.

Henry sits for a moment sliding off the Sheriff's disrespect, "Not much further, Slim intends to try to catch up on 'em tomorrow."

"And what about you? What do you think?" The Sheriff asks now pausing from eating and looking up to Henry.

"Well, I think he's right. Why? Do you disagree?" Henry asks wiping his bowl out and spoon off with a wetted rag.

"I didn't say that I just don't trust no runaway slave. Boy can say what he wants 'bout where he comes from but he belongs in chains... who knows? Might just bring 'em on down to an auction block once this is all through and be done with it... I know one thing though, I'll put my trust in this." The Sheriff says grabbing hold of the hilt of his snub revolver in its holster.

Henry pauses cleaning his eating utensils, staring down the Sheriff before continuing to put his items away and going to sleep. The Sheriff continues to stuff his face in front of the fire.

"Be sure to kick out that fire before you fall asleep," Henry says still turned over in his bedding.

The Sheriff grumbles and continues to eat his beans and jerky. Wyoming Slim lies awake, staring at the horses just beyond the dark before finally closing his eyes and going to sleep. He awakens to the sun's heat beating down on his face and the cawing of crows in the distance. Slim rolls over to find Henry Thomas already awake and feeding and watering the horses. Joseph Collins continues to sleep across from Slim on the other side of the still-smoldering campfire.

"Sheriff didn't clean out the pot or put out the fire, we're just lucky we didn't have any critters come around in the night or worse. Thought I'd use the opportunity to make some breakfast, as you implied, we have a long day of riding ahead of us." Henry says as he hands a plate of bacon and biscuits to Slim.

Wyoming takes the plate and eats his breakfast in silence before the sheriff awakens to the smell of cooked pork.

"That bacon I smell?" Joseph asks with a rough wheeze as he rolls over in his bedding.