Dust in the Sun

Chapter1 Assignment#2

Chin tucked down, Miss T. exhaled heavily into the cloth pulled up over her nose warming the lower half her face. An hour ago she had been mostly alone out here. Alone being an illusion when eighty some other bodies were set to occupy the same space at roughly the same time. Now that they had all collected the restless shifting was putting up a painfully obvious cloud of dust over the grouse bushes that should have concealed them all just fine during a wetter season.

The reins swung loose about Goose's neck. She trusted him not to go anywhere. Earlier he had let a much smaller horse almost back right under him without complaint. Miss T. had done enough for the two of them. She rearranged herself in her poncho to gather the warmth in. Mornings were just as chilly as she had suspected and she was smug on the inside having dressed for that eventuality.

A lone and slightly tardy man rode up giving a perfunctory pull on his hat. The hush spread out from those nearest his entrance until the crowd was quiet as such a mob could be. This must be the one they were waiting for.

All in all she could care less whether his claims were truer than false. This was just business. The likes of her wouldn't find much work in town if so much as a three legged dog was available to hire instead. She listened to the plan that sounded like it was cobbled together with a lick and a prayer.

Not much there to like about it. She had no strong ties to anything in this ragged band. If need be, and her needs always came first, she would cut her own way out of the leaky little boat she'd hitched herself to.

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Rush job, check. I thought I would have Saturday evening to work this, but plans have changed so it had to be rolled out now. Left this too long to do a collaboration so I borrowed a couple random outlaws who have already turned in their assignments to flesh out my crowd with active characters.

Lovely lady, loyal like you wouldn't believe if she can be bothered to care about something. She'd drop the lot of you like warm shit if it suited her needs. Maybe she'll change her attitude as the ride marches on, but she's holding this three ring circus at arms length for now.


Also Appearing:
FWMRambling Red Vixen & Evalyn Knight ~ShowDiva
TT Come Undone & Cora Mae ~EquusFerelus
Spook & Brian *Katha88
Silky & Aaron Walker ~WesternSpice