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Chapter 4 Pt.I

"Enter, Pursued by a Memory"

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Tulip's eyes snapped open, she jolted awake and rubbed her eyelids. It's been a few days since their strenuous traveling. The sounds of a grieving woman in the cabin was what woken her up, it was an ugly sound that made old memories resurface while she was in deep slumber. Willow was already awake, who smiled when Tulip glanced at her. It was Miss Adler who was weeping, and in another corner, Abigail was comforting Jack. Tulip knew it was because of her husband, John, who still hasn't returned. But this time, it wasn't intentional.

"Mornin' Tulip, it's still chilly, but we have some room 'round the fire for ya." Most of the ladies were all gathered by the fireplace, Tulip declined. One of the men of the gang who wore a poncho, was smoking in a corner. He's a Mexican who was forced to flee from his country because of a murder as she recalled. Both him and her tipped their hat as a form of greeting.

The noises of the storm still rage on, and outside, Tulip saw the grass and bits of life sprouting out of the snow already. It was May's winter spring storms after all, though, she wished it didn't have to come to this and ending up in one of the coldest damn places Willow and Tulip has ever been to.

"Are you gon' go out?" Willow asked.

Tulip looked around the depressing room, she thought for a moment, there were no Pinkertons and O'Driscolls may be wandering about. But considering how far and long it took for Dutch and the others to return, that rival gang must be far enough to not realize Dutch's gang is here, yet.

Tulip pulled out a map, Willow looked at her in curiosity. Tulip moved her hands and fingers to Willow, who slowly shook her head. Then, Tulip pointed to Miss Adler, to the map. A few of the others around the cabin noticed her moving her hands and making signs that they couldn't understand.

"Okay." Willow stood up to Miss Adler, Tulip's map in her hand. "Miss?" Adler, who was being comforted by one of the ladies of the gang, looked up at her. "Pardon, but can you point out where your place was on this map?"

"S- Sure..." This was the first time Tulip heard her voice, it was scratchy and coarse. "This was our... My ranch, here..."

Willow and Tulip didn't want to bother the crying woman, but it was important. Willow came back to Tulip, the some of the others were watching, they didn't have much to do. Other than to listen to the sorrowful and heaviness of their situation around them, even Adler was wondering why Willow has asked. "Ranch's here...and our camp's here..." Tulip shook her head, the O'Driscolls would be too far, but she still regarded them with caution in case she'd encounter them.

She cleaned her Winchester with the final last bit of gun oil she had left, the engravings were beautiful and curved out letters, which spelled "Paciencia". She stood up, her gun slung to her back and was rummaging through her belongings. She was searching for ammunition and sliding each of the bullets within her bandolier, its golden casings gleaming.

Abigail approached her. "Tulip." She stopped refilling her bandolier. "John, he... He ain't been seen in days. He's strong and smart, strong at least but... The weather ain't let up." She was fidgety, deathly worried.

"Hm." Tulip hummed, wanting to do something rather than just be a sitting duck. She wants to get the process of burying Davey out of her mind, she didn't want to do it, but she stepped up in doing it herself. Even insisting on doing it. She didn't want to waste time being out in the cold and having the body be buried in a small house, as her Native traditions follow, but she did wrap him in bark and bury him 4 feet deep under the ground. Not counting the pile of snow. The gang didn't have time to arrange Native-styled funerals anyway. The burying process was lengthy, she hated it because it gave her time to think. Think of what would happen to each of the members, what would happen to herself, or even Willow for that matter.

The door creaked open, everyone's attention was briefly placed on who entered. Tulip shifted her head to check who it is in the corner of her eye. It was Arthur, who shuddered violently from the terrible storm and shook the snow off his sleeves on his blue coat. Tulip's readjusted her hat, a flower pin sitting on her folded brim. She shook her head to accept Abigail's plead, taking her bag and ready to set out.

Arthur came over to the fire, rubbing his gloved hands. "Hello, Arthur." She went over, blowing into her hands and rubbing them together.

"Abigail." He said.

She quickly stepped towards him, "Arthur...how you doing?"

He stared at the woman while holding out his hands for the soft orange flames to settle the warmth on them. "Just fine Abigail... and you?"

She tripped over her words. "I need you to..." He knew the instant he came in and hung his head low, his eyes covered by his hat. "I- I'm sorry, I'm sorry to ask, but...

Arthur sighed, his mouth forming a slight frown upon his face. "It's little John...he's got himself caught into a scrape again."

She wasn't very pleased with Arthur's response. "He ain't been seen in two..." She paused. "...two days."

Arthur didn't seem to be very willing, nor encouraging, "Your John'll be fine..." He moved with his arms. "I mean... He may be dumb as rocks and as dull as rusted iron...but that ain't changing because... he's got caught in some snowstorm."

Both Tulip and Willow knew why Arthur wouldn't be entirely happy to even meet John again, some of the newer members of the gang didn't know since no one really bothered to even mention one bit of it. In fact, everyone in the gang acted as if it never had happened.

"At least go take a look." A new voice chimed in.

The rest of girls of the room watched this scene unfold but none bothered to butt in, Willow, even though she's always with Tulip, she's used to staying back in camp sometimes. Willow wouldn't even dare try to go out there in the cold again.

The new voice belonged to Hosea, who was sitting on the bed with the boy. "Javier, Tulip..."

The man in the poncho removed the cigarette from his mouth, "Yes?" Tulip tipped her hat, ready for the order in response.

"Both of you will ride out with Arthur."

"To look for John?" He asked, little surprised since he didn't expect to be dragged into this.

"You three are the best fit people." The old master con man strolled around the room, voicing out his words of reason.

All three turned their heads as Javier replied. "Now?"

Tulip went over to Willow, who's sitting on the wooden floorboards with a blanket wrapped around her. She patted her shoulder, then pointed to their belongings, mainly towards a wooden part of a weapon jutting out in the open. "Yeah, I know." She whispered.

Tulip returned to the conversation, "Yes... She's..." Hosea spoke about Abigail, who turned away and concern continued to plague her mind. "We're all... we're pretty worried about him." Morgan didn't want to argue with Hosea, both knowing why he wasn't devoted on searching him.

Javier dropper his cigarette and crushed it under him. "I know, and if the situation were reversed and..." He went over, grabbed a double barrel shotgun, and handed it to Arthur. "He'd look for me."

Arthur grabbed it without a word, not too glad or enthusiastic about the search. "Thank you." Abigail breathed out as Hosea returned to the bed with Jack.

Arthur didn't bother to say anything, and Tulip just slightly smiled, not caring or focusing on what John had done back then.

The snow and winds greeted her with a hard, frigid slap to the face. She breathed out, white wisps of her breath blew away and escaped her lips.

"This way. Last I know, he was headed up this river." Javier led.

Arthur scoffed, "For all we know... He kept riding North...and never looked back." Tulip couldn't understand why Arthur was still hung up about something John had done back then, he didn't rat out the gang or did anything bad. Other than leaving his baby son Jack, at least he returned. She could even see John trying to make up for them, but his wife Abigail didn't take it too kindly, much like Arthur.

"He wouldn't leave, not like that."

Arthur sighed, but the snowstorm muffled it. "Well, it wouldn't be the first time." His mind briefly recalled an old memory.

All three kept riding, holding their heads down from the gale, Tulip held her hat in case it comes off. The landscape was a wide world of endless, perpetual snow.

As they were riding their way up to the mountains, she noticed Arthur's horse was different. It was a dark brown horse, its mane as black as a raven's feather and it has pearly white spots on its coat. He answered her unspoken question, "it's a Tennessee Walker I got from Mrs..." He paused, Tulip couldn't help but slightly crush the reins. "...Miss Adler's place. Taima's done a fine job travelin' against the snow." He was describing about Charles Smith's horse, everyone in the gang pretty much has their own beloved horse, except Micah.

Tulip can't imagine Micah ever caring about that Dark Horse of his, it's all full of scars and wounds, putting it down would be an honorable thing. To her at least. How the Hell could you stand a rider like Micah, with his nasty gray mustache and maniacal thinking in that head of his?

"How's your horse? Sunny?" Arthur asked, bringing her out of her insulting thoughts on that fat madman. She glanced at him, then Tulip petted her horse, it's golden brown coat soft and beautiful.

Her Missouri Foxtrotter Amber Champagne, one of the finest horses, and it has always been by her side. It always been by her parents' side.

Her horse snorted, and Tulip smiled and laughed. "Haha."

Arthur smirked, "Heheh, well, she's a beauty alright... God, I miss my horse."

They continued making their way up the mountains, wondering what's ahead.

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A/N : Cutting it into two parts, so you fellers can get to read it early and not wait for so long... How is the interaction between each of the characters? They ain't much when they speak with Tulip, I get that, she's not a person of words after all. But...that's 23 different important characters that's part of the gang or the family! XD
Why the hell would I not want to put effort in writing each and every one of their personalities? Rockstar totally did, even the random encounter NPCs too!

And 'bout Tulip's horse, Sunny, yes, I know its top tier. Usually, I don't give my OCs some high-end stuff or whatever, but as hinted, it wasn't originally hers.

Published : Dec. 1, 2018

Edited : Dec. 2, 2018
Fixed some grammatical errors.
Added some hints of Tulip's past.
Added some details such as Tulip's rifle and the name "Paciencia", meaning Patience in Spanish. Reference to one of my favorite weapons in Fallout NV.
Added more details about John's absence and how his own wife took it.