•Tombstone• Brothers Under The Sun

Chapter 2

𝓢𝓱𝓮 𝓱𝓪𝓭 𝓷𝓸 𝓹𝓻𝓲𝓭𝓮, 𝓷𝓸 𝓱𝓸𝓶𝓮, 𝓷𝓸 𝓯𝓾𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮, 𝓳𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓹𝓪𝓼𝓽.

Later, as the afternoon rolled in, Elle decided to take a walk around town. Having no business here made it nice for her to explore the town while she was there. Elle decided to leave Ash at his stable by the hotel, just to give him a days rest. It was only fair that if she had a rest, so should too.

She walked past filled saloons as women carried drinks to the men. The men, sat there playing poker or gambling, flirting with the ladies working, and getting drunk. The smell of smoke and sweat filled the streets as men yelled and cheered for their wins. Ellanora was shocked to be honest. Normally this sort of behaviour was found late at night, into the early morning. But it was only mid-day.

Elle scuffed and walked further into town. As she did she felt the eyes of the citizens of Tombstone, they were burning into her. She kept her head down hoping people would mistake her for a man like the hotel keeper. Feeling uneasy, she peeked up from her hat and saw an older plump man walking her direction. He had a white short beard and wore a white vest with a matching grey hat.

"Hello there miss." He greeted her kindly, Elle looked up from the ground.

"Good day." She replied.

"Are you new around here, I'm sure I would remember a lady who-"

"Wears men's clothing?" She asked knowing how this conversation was going to go. The man looked at her and smiled.

"I would remember a women who wore herself with pride." He said proudly.

"I don't wear any pride sir, just the burdens of the past." Elle says looking back at her boots.

"There's always time to find pride in yourself." The man encouraged, "The names Fred White, Tombstone's Marshal." He stuck his hand out for her to shake.

Looking up at him, she gladly took his hand, as she felt something good about this man. He wasn't like the rest of the older men she had met. Fred White was different. He seemed to hold his words and held himself up with pride. But it was more of a humble pride. He cared for the people of Tombstone, she could see it in his eyes.

"Ellanora Raycroft." She smiled at him, he smiled back.

"Raycroft, that's quite the name." Fred had smirked. Elle blushed and smiled meekly at him. "Don't worry Miss, I wouldn't tell a soul." He nodded his head and waved his hand.

Ellanora let out a shaking sigh of relief and Fred had picked up on it. "Many people like you come though here, so you've got nothing to worry about."

"Many women such as myself?" She asked.

Fred hesitated with his answer, shaking his head 'no', Elle nodded in understanding. "Thank you." She said softly.

"So, how about a tour?" Fred asked, Elle decided it would be a good idea, to distract herself.

After a tour around town and Fred telling his many stories of his run ins with the local drunks, they came up to a group of men at the porch of a saloon.

"Those boys," Fred pointed to them from across the street, "those are the Cowboys. They do everything around here. You can tell if their a cowboy by the red sash that they wear. They're the law around here."