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Chapter 9
"Blood Between the Teeth"

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The mess back in Blackwater was like a dream from which they had escaped from. A day or two has passed, Tulip was up and early as the morning mist settled upon them, the air was calm and chilly. Willow was already up, groggily rubbing the sleep dust away, and yawning.

Tulip was still staring at her Winchester, bothered by the dirt that has flaked the loading gate and barrel. She had kindly reminded herself to bring her rifle next time, by internally scolding herself.

"Let's go get 'em coffee, then head to town to resupply, yeah?" Willow stretched. "I'm startin' to hate the muck on my rifle as well."

Tulip coughed to get her attention before she turned around, a pouch full of salt was swinging between her fingers.

"Already have, so ha!" She pointed to a cup of saltwater.

Tulip laughed at her silly, childish demeanor. After a mouthwash and finishing up the coffee, they wandered around the camp, Tulip was at the cook's area with a couple of dead animals in hand.

She heard Arthur greeting someone while grabbing a drink. "So, Susan, what do ya think of this place?"

Miss Grimshaw scoffed, "Better than the last one, that's for sure."

"Yeah well, that ain't too hard."

Tulip was at Pearson's workstation skinning a few coyotes and rabbits around the corner of his chuck wagon, in which she had also planned to sell in town.

Mr. Pearson piped up. "Don't forget, me and Tulip are more than happy to craft ya somethin' if ya hand us the right materials."

She waved at Arthur, who wore a shirt and over it was a furlined, saddle-brown leather waistcoat of his. "Thank you, Mr. Pearson and Tulip, but I reckon I'm gonna have to get some materials myself." He chuckled, scratching the back of his head.

Mr. Pearson was dumping the little coyote bits they had left, "I apologize in advance for the stew, it needs better meat." Tulip made a silent, mental note of that.

Willow came over with a bucket of water to place at the back. "Well, it's better than nothin', Mr. Pearson, that's for sure!"

"Hahaha, how can a young filly like ya, have so much energy? I swear, I've only seen lively sharks out for blood, and those nasty things have as much energy as ya!"

Arthur replied, "A mix of candy and coffee, I guess." He walked past Micah, who was sitting on a log around a dead campfire. Within the next second, the outlaw pointed the muzzle of his revolver at them. Arthur drew back a step in a reaction. "Heheheh, got ya there, tough guy." He laughed.

Arthur didn't find it very much amusing. "Just name the place, my friend. Just name the place... You're all talk."

Tulip rubbed the dirt and blood of the animals from her brown leather gloves, Willow was at her side. "Heheh, you keep thinkin' that."

Arthur shot back. "I know your type."

"Cowpoke."

Tulip shook her head and sighed at their exchanging of quiet, murderously filled back talk. Karen, the other blonde greeted. "Mornin', Willow and Tulip." She was a lot better than back in the snow, when Karen had retorted about Davey's suffering on their way to Colter.

Willow dusted off her outfit, "Howdy, Miss Jones. Howya holdin' up?"

Karen Jones huffed. "Alright, I guess. Grimshaw's drivin' me crazy." She had a cigarette placed between her fingers as Karen crossed her arms.

Arthur chuckled. "Well, so no change there."

The two girls were grabbing hay bales to feeding points around the camp, Arthur lended a hand and Charles did so too. Most of the camp was serene, because it was quite early in the morning. Most of the members were still sound asleep too.

Arthur spotted Lenny sitting with Hosea on a wooden table, each having their own cup and drink. "Did you and Micah see anything up ahead?"

Lenny answered, the pair, Tulip and Willow, were packing their small wagon. "Nothin' we need to worry about."

"Okay, good."

"Another fine morning, dear." Hosea said.

"Uh-huh." Tulip made a couple of signs with her hands. "Fine morning indeed, how are you? Perhaps you need yarrow and ginseng?"

Hosea read her signs, because of the years they've been together, Hosea, Dutch, and Arthur could actually read some of her Native Sign Language. John couldn't remember some of it and he'd just give up, but out of the others, it was Hosea that could read it the most. Hosea's been very kind and eager of things when it came to Tulip, maybe it was because of her communication problem.

"Oh, I'm doing well. And I have plenty of these plants myself, but if you do find them, it'll be greatly appreciated." Hosea had this genuine smile that Tulip and Willow could never forget.

Dutch was up, still having black curls of his hair slightly messy, but he stood with great, admiring pride nonetheless."Morning Arthur, and ladies." He exhaled, puffing out clumps of gray smoke. He was wearing his fancy waistcoat along with golden chains hanging from his antique pocket watch tucked inside.

"G'mornin'."

Arthur responded. "So, how's the cigar?"

Dutch had a small laugh. "Not bad, but sometimes I prefer a pipe. I've been meaning to get one for ages, I left the old one... in... uh..."

Willow shrugged, "...Left it in Blackwater."

"Uh-huh."

Arthur replied. "But if any of us finds one, you can have it. Right?"

Willow and Tulip nodded, "Sure thing."

Dutch smiled, "You are a gentleman, Mr. Morgan, I raised you well. And so are you, fine ladies." He tipped his black hat, Tulip did in return with a small grin.

Arthur laughed, "Aw, don't take too much pride in your work."

They could hear Dutch's chuckle and saying, "Okay, Arthur."

Tulip was looking into the box next to Van Der Linde's tent, taking out a few silver objects. Willow was busy setting and preparing the small carriage for their trip, Arthur helped by putting the straps on the horse.

Micah over at the log jumped in, "What's this Lil' Sure Shot hag doing, taking out and stealin' our things, huh?"

Tulip heard a hammer being cocked behind her skull, she didn't show any signs of fear however.

Before Willow could jump in, "She's doing her job, Micah." It was Dutch who had stepped in with a stern gaze set upon him. He lowered his gun and holstered it, "I forgot that you've been so busy with the ferry job back in Blackwater that you haven't seen her do her part." Tulip didn't like the drawn attention, Dutch's voice was strong and recognizable. So, it wasn't hard to catch the awoken gang members around camp. "She hunts, sells stolen goods, and collects bounties for the gang."

"A trapper, fence, and bounty hunter." Willow chimed in.

As the others resumed to whatever they were doing, Micah cackled, "And you're her shadow."

As Tulip placed the goods in a raggedy sack, Willow made a challenging stomp towards the man with a gray mustache. "An' what's that s'pposed to mean?"

Arthur tried to pull the blonde away, but she pushed his hand away from her shoulder. He leaned closer, his breath full of heavy liquor and something else. It almost made her wince. "Heheheh... You're like a lost puppy, waddling behind her boots, following whatever she does." He pointed to one of the men guarding outside the camp, "Like that fat nobody, Williamson... Who he thinks he's somebody, because he follows Dutch..."

*BAM!*

Willow gasped, she looked to the one who had punched him. "Nice punch." Arthur laughed.

It was Tulip, who was massaging her right hand. She glared at the man who scrambled to his feet, what annoyed the woman was that Micah was still cackling and smiling. "Heheheh, not bad." He spat bit of blood to the dirt. "For a woman."

Arthur shook his head, grabbing the girls. "Let's go and get outta here." The pair headed to their wagon, Dutch was rubbing his eyes, wishing Micah could just get along. "Are you girls going out again?" Arthur asked.

Willow nodded. "Headin' to Valentine for first time. We're restocking and are goin' to take a look 'round at gunsmiths and whatnot, wanna come?"

"Sure." He said with his Cajun-like accent, making it sound like 'shore'. "I've used up my last gun oil for my revolver anyway." He climbed onto the wagon.

Willow smiled, returning to her usual jovial attitude. "You really do love that Cattleman, dontcha?"

"Yaw." Tulip flicked the reins.

"Heheh, it does a job just fine. Always been at my side through thick and thin, why? Is it because it's gettin' too old and I need to replace it?" He remarked.

Willow waved her hand, "No, no, maybe you should try other weapons and get familiar with 'em. You'll never know what guns you'll be stuck an' forced to use, am I right?"

"Oh I guess so."

"And the only thing's gettin' old 'round here is you." She quickly added, earning a laugh from all three of them, including herself.

"Naw, that's Hosea." He spluttered.

They all laughed once again. "Thanks for sluggin' that muskrat, Tulip."

Arthur replied, "It was damn satisfyin', I bet."

Tulip had a bout of laughter, nodding. Then she was humming as the horse neighed, trotting along. Willow's face brightened, "Oh! I know this song, it's one of my favorites! C'mon Arthur, sing along haha."

Arthur slapped his thigh and sighed, grinning. "Oh sure, what harm would it do?..." Willow and Arthur waited to get in sync to Tulip's humming, who was smiling too.

"Oh my darlin', oh my darlin', oh my dar-lin' Clementine! You were lost, for me for-ever, dreadful sorry, Clementine!"

They watched foxes scurry by.

"The foreign miner, a forty-niner,
dreams of thoughts su-blime, lived in comfort with his daugh-ter, his pretty child, Clementine!"

They passed by the pines, whispering in the gentle breeze, as if they sung along.

"When far away, he would often pray, that his sun-ny clime, no harm might over-take her, his favorite nugget, Clementine!"

Willow roughly wrapped Tulip around with her arm, taking her by surprise.

"Oh my darlin', oh my darlin', oh my dar-lin' Clementine! You were lost, for me for-ever, dreadful sorry, Clementine!"

Arthur laughed at Tulip's surprised yelp because of Willow.

"When the day was done, an' in the settin' sun, it's raaays ceased to shine, homeward came the bra-wny miner, to caress, his Clementine!"

Willow and Tulip swung together left to right.

"None was nearer, none was dearer, since the daaays of forty-nine, when in youth, he had ano-ther, who was then, his Clementine!"

Arthur smiled, so did the girls.

"Oh my darlin', oh my darlin', oh my dar-lin' Clementine! You were lost, for me for-ever, dreadful sorry, Clementine!"

Soon, Valentine was up ahead, Tulip pushed Willow of off her, laughing because she pretended to be drunk. "You girls haven't grown up at all!" Arthur chuckled.

"Neither have ya!"

But something caught their eyes, up above, a few vultures circled around an area near them.

Then, looking upon the roadside, a bloodtrail led to the vultures. The quiet winds blew an ominous note, the crimson stains were old and had the color of rust.

Willow stared at it, trying to hide her disgust. "Should we...check it out?"

"Seems like trouble..." Arthur said lowly. "Let's go. Willow, why don't you head to the shop while me and Tulip go and take a look?"

Willow nodded, her smile wiped clean off. "Alright. Jus' be careful."

Arthur waved, "Same to you."

They hopped off, Willow whipped the reins, heading to town. Tulip and Arthur headed towards the location, it was a long trail. The crimson liquid snaked its way under a section of a railroad.

They noticed a couple of those man-eating birds were hungrily feasting on something hanging, tied by ropes. Walking ever so nearer, the vultures flapped their blood-stained wings, flying away.

"Jesus." Upon closer inspection, what was dangling by the ropes, was an old corpse.

They stared with morbid curiosity, what was even more disturbing was that the carcass was torn in half, its bottom portion below the torso was missing. The entrails were hanging, the closer they crept, the stronger the pungent smell of dead human flesh became.

"You..." Arthur snapped out of his horrified daze, "You go check out the left, I'll go see the right." He pointed over to an inscription written in white upon the faces of the rock.

Tulip rubbed her arms, shivering a bit. She didn't nod or give any sign of listening, Tulip walked over, in soundless horror at this sight of sinister display.

"What kind of madman would do this? Out of all the things I've seen in my life..." Arthur read the writing. " 'Look on my works'..."

(Arthur is not wearing that. Not yet.)

Tulip spotted a dismembered head, mounted by having it stuck to a post. She had an emotionless expression, pulling out a map from the poor feller's mouth.

The head oozed and fell with a dull thud against the ground. Arthur was still busy searching over his side, Tulip unrolled the paper, an unsettling, familiar feeling burning within her stomach. She wasn't sure if it was her disgust, or if it was something else she couldn't explain.

Her fingers slightly trembled when she read it. "...all animals-" The eerie message was cut off because the page was torn, turning it over, she saw a drawing. This was just a piece of a map. She saw the two letters she'd never thought to have seen them ever again, after so many years. It was written in all pretty curves despite the rest of the writing being shaky and all in caps. "MW".

"Did you find anything?" Breaking out of her haunting daydream, she quickly tucked it into her satchel, in a silent panic.

"No." She called, still staring at the torn head. Tulip took a sharp intake of air, a quiet war rages within her.

"Tulip?"

"S- sorry." She shook her head.

"Let's forget about this... Head back and meet up with Willow."

Tulip nodded, "Yeah...Yeah..."

With that, they spent the rest of the day gathering supplies, Tulip doing as Dutch had said and was selling stolen goods. Arthur was trying out a Volcanic Pistol and gave rifling to his Carbine Repeater, Tulip wondered where he'd gotten it and he told her that it was from the O'Driscolls.

"How much did you make?"

"Mm..." She fanned out the small stack, or if you could barely call it a stack. Showing around $30 of cash, the other stack was made from sold pelts, it was about $65.

Willow returned, having brought a few bags and loading the back. "Ain't much to begin with, but it's somethin'. What happened when... you know?"

Tulip looked away and Arthur sighed, "It was nasty. That's all I had to say. Some... poor bastard's all cut up into bits." He said not too loudly.

Tulip laid her hand upon the bloody map unbeknownst to the two, her mind never letting go of those initials that had burned into her memory.

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A/N : We get to know Tulip's job now for the gang, but now...OH JESUS. What. Was. That. About? Here's one of our first random encounters/sidequests that has been altered by yours truly (thankfully it'll be better and more interesting?) That's some heavy damn foreshadowing. It was supposed to be a happy chapter! XD
Well, y'all know how that turned out. But hey, at least Micah got punched!

Note : Arthur's wearing the red vest from the special (not ultimate) edition called the Grizzlies Outlaw Outfit. I have it myself!

Not only that, for this story, his signature gun will always be the long-barreled Cattleman Revolver. Not engraved, nothing like that, just plain and simple. And I think no one in the gang even has one that's long-barreled lol. That's how mine was in my playthrough, as for the grip? You'll see...

Published : Dec.30, 2018