"Woah..."

Robin nearly tripped over his own two feet descending from the train car. Squinting against the September sun at the small farm town of Adel.

The sound of a bell came from a bell spire emerging from what appeared to be a large courthouse
beyond the train station. The low and sorrowful tone sounded like a hum against the late summer wind that lazily whispered into his ear. Seemingly extending a welcome to Robin as he made his way through the nearly abandoned Adel train station.

When he reached the other side, he paused to admire the craftsmanship of the ornate building he had seen from afar. The eight muddy red-tiled spires starkly contrasted its white exterior walls as the large bell tower rose toward the sky with a golden clock at it's center. The building reminded Robin of the old castles from his homeland of Kingsbury, standing confidently as if it were a king's palace that had emerged triumphant in the center of the small, weather-worn town around him.

The rest of Adel's downtown consisted of smaller flat-roofed buildings that surrounded this castle-like establishment. Though these buildings were colorful, they were clearly not as well maintained as the courthouse at Adel's center. 

As Robin approached the nearest corner of Adel's square, he heard the soft sound of laughter and light piano music. Quickening his pace, Robin followed the sound around the side of the building and peeked down a dusty alley, finding at the end of it an outdated wooden structure with the name "Deadwood Saloon" in flaking red letters. Despite being hidden, the old saloon appeared bustling with customers, with some drunkards already tumbling down its front steps, blinking quizzically above them at the late afternoon sun.

Robin smirked, and hurried down the dusty alleyway, carefully holding his leather suitcase at his side while he eyed the drunken men that littered his path.

Pushing through the wooden swing doors and into the boisterous saloon, Robin made his way past the tables full of farmers and day workers to a surprisingly tidy and well-kept wooden bar near the back. The shelves of the saloon's bar were stocked and clean, and the large mirror behind the shelves reflected the Deadwood's interior, giving the saloon the false appearance of grandeur.

Robin  slowly lowered himself onto one of the cracked wooden stools that groaned under his weight. Quickly placing his leather bag protectively between his feet as he  shot a warning glance at the dirtied old farmer sitting next to him. The drunk, old man looked at Robin in amusement, and offered a welcoming nod in addition to a deep chuckle at the boy's suspicion. Robin felt heat rise to his chest in embarrassment, giving the man a quick, polite nod in response before hesitantly loosening his grip on his bag.

Robin tried to awkwardly call out to the lady behind the counter for a shot of whiskey, but unfortunately, a different patron down the bar interrupted Robin, yelling louder for the saloon's hostess's attention.

Robin clicked his tongue and let out an irritated breath, eager to get information he needed from this woman, whom he overheard the other men call, "Miss Jackie". 

"Miss Jackie " was a muscular older woman with dark skin and tight curly hair, which she had carefully put up in a bright purple bandanna. Her purple banana was almost a piece of art itself, seeming hand made, intricately embroidered with red and blue beading that sparked in the low lighting of the bar as she waltzed around the saloon. Necklaces, bracelets, and, most noticeably, rings adorned almost every inch of her skin. Miss Jackie wore more accessories than Robin had ever seen a single person wear at once. The sound of her multitude of rings tapping against the glasses and mugs, sounded as if it were an underlying accompaniment to the saloon's piano.

As Robin watched her stray from the bar to check on patrons seated throughout the saloon, He caught himself unconsciously fiddling with his depleting bag of coins at his belt. His anxiety to find his way to this "Sunshine Acres" was growing by the second.

To Robin's luck, she didn't stray long with the rowdy group of farmers, leaving them in a roar of laughter as she grabbed a few dishes from an an empty table. Soon stepping behind the bar and heading in Robin's direction.

"Excuse me, Miss." Robin quickly called over the bar to her once she finally within earshot, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, Sweetie. Go ahead. " Miss Jackie called over the din, lifting her head to look at him while pouring a couple of shots of whiskey. Scooting one to him with a warm smile Robin had seen her give to the farmers as she made her rounds earlier. Having it directed at him, Robin realized that Miss Jackie's smile was likely the real appeal of the otherwise rundown bar.

Robin gratefully too the whisky and tried to match the natural friendliness of her smile with the polished politeness of his own.

"I'm looking for a Sorceress."

"HA!"

The old woman instantly responded with a shocked laugh, dropping the glass of whiskey she held in surprise, and causing the glass to shatter against the counter. Miss Jackie let out a string of curses and wiped her hands on her apron as she shook her head at the damage.

"Might as well admit you're lookin' for trouble, boy." Miss Jackie mumbled, before chuckling at his question, shaking her head as she picked up the pieces of broken glass.

Robin's smile faltered.

"Oh, well...I'm so sorry to have startled you, Miss. I didn't mean to cause alarm..." Robin floundered, trying to find a way to remedy the conversation. "Um...How about I....I can fix that glass for you." Robin offered, holding out his hand for the broken glass. "If you would like?"

Miss Jackie snorted and cocked her head over this offer, a thin eyebrow raising as the look of suspicion on her face deepened, "So, you can fix a broken glass." She responded, almost sounding impressed, yet her eyes looked him up and down with worried curiosity. "And are you a Sorcerer, too, then?"

"Oh no, Miss. Just a Magician. I have a bit of magic that allows me to fix things. That's all." Robin said as he took the glass pieces from her, putting the pieces back together one by one, until the glass appeared as if it had never been broken.

"Ah." Miss Jackie replied with a weak laugh, after watching his magic work. She still seemed hesitant, but her shoulders relaxed slightly. "Just another Magician, huh? Well...that's nice...."

Miss Jackie's thoughts trailed off as she carefully inspected the whiskey glass before slowly walking past the swing doors behind the bar without another word, Robin shifted in his seat, suddenly worried that he might have scared the kind lady away by inquiring too soon about the sorceress.

A second later Miss Jackie returned and began filling up shot glasses with whiskey again, stealing another suspicious glance at Robin as she did so.

"I'm sorry again, Miss, that I startled you. But what did you mean by...." Robin asked, lowering his voice, "By 'looking for trouble'?".

Miss Jackie shook her head and held up her hand to silence Robin, as she turned to take the whiskey shots down to the farmers at the end of the bar.

Robin began to feel fear creep back into his stomach as she returned, leaning on the bar across from Robin, giving him her full attention.

"I just mean," she said, leaning further over the counter as her deep, dark eyes searching his quizzically. "That you don't seem like the normal type to be seeking her out is all."

Miss Jackie once again chuckled at her own statement as she tilted her head,  scanning his entire face cautiously, as if staring at him long enough would tell her all she needed to know.

Robin sat in silence,  squeamish under her intense gaze, unsure how to respond.

"Tell me. Why on earth are you looking for our Miss Ivy?" Miss Jackie finally asked, leaning back from the bar to cross her arms over her chest. Whatever this old woman read from Robin's face wasn't enough to answer all her questions, it seemed. "You talk like someone from Kingsbury. What are you doing here in the Great Plains?" Miss Jackie quickly added, cutting Robin off as he began to open his mouth to answer her last question.

"Well..." Robin started, perplexed about how to answer. "I'm technically not looking for a sorceress...I'm looking for a place called Sunshine Acres. A rancher from a different Sunshine Acres told me the quickest way to find the Sunshine Acres in Adel is to ask about a jewelry sorceress."

"Uh huh," Miss Jackie hummed and narrowed her eyes, acting as if he had dodged her questions on purpose, "and what might you be wanting with Sunshine Acres?"

"Ah. Right. Well...you see, you were correct about the accent. I am a doctor from Kingsbury, and I have traveled to the Great Plains to see my brother, Otto. He's been traveling for years, so I haven't really been able to see him in a while. He told me to meet him at 'Sunshine Acres.' Though he didn't specify which one... so I am having to check each one to try and find him." Robin said with an awkward, and slightly bitter, laugh. "The previous Sunshine Acres I visited was the last one on my list, but the rancher told me to look into the one in this town that's not an 'official' Sunshine Acres. So I am here for one final attempt to find my brother before giving up, heading home, and sending him an invoice for all the money I wasted." Robin monologued, with an even more awkward and bitter laugh tumbling from chest when he finished.

Miss Jackie gave him a weary look at his reply.

"And this brother of yours, does he work for the government?" Miss Jackie murmured, leaning forward and lowering her voice as she glanced towards the man nearest Robin.

"What?!" Robin let out a snort in shock over her question. "No. I mean...Not... that I know of?" Robin added, feeling  more unsure about why she was asking such a thing as opposed to how to answer it.

Miss Jackie hummed in thought, fiddling with a few of the many rings on her knobby fingers as her thoughtful  gaze landed beyond the wooden swing door of the saloon.

As the older woman seemed to be debating whether or not to give Robin the information he needed, Robin couldn't help but hold his breath. Anxiously fiddling with his coin pouch at his hip, telling himself to wait until she turned him down before offering her what little funds he had left as a bribe.

"Well...like I said," Miss Jackie finally said with a sigh, "you don't seem like the normal type to be asking after Miss Ivy, so I'll give you the directions to Sunshine Acres...However, I'll just let you know," Miss Jackie murmured as she leaned back over the counter, her nearly-black eyes piercing into Robin with a warning glare as she drew near  him. "This Miss Ivy is a woman capable of many things. So don't you, or your brother, go around underestimating her. Do you understand me?"

Suddenly a flesh of gold seemed to shimmer through Miss Jackie's aggressively protective glare. The gold stripe disappearing as quickly as it had arrived, the only remainder of its presence being a sudden chill that ran up Robin's body as his heart raced with fear.

"Oh. Um... I won't." Robin said, saying it as more of a promise to himself then to her. 

"And," Miss Jackie continued, pulling herself off the counter and dusting off her skirt, "if you are looking to get to Sunshine Acres, take the tram and jump off at two and a half minutes past the third stop. That will land you on the path to the jewelry sorceress or Miss Ivy's Sunshine Acres." Miss Jackie said, grabbing some additional whiskey glasses from below the counter before pointing out the door. "The tram stop is on the other side of the town hall. It runs every half hour."

Robin turned and looked at the large wooden clock hanging over the saloon door. It showed that it was ten minutes past four in the afternoon.

Robin thanked Miss Jackie for her help and quickly drank his shot of whiskey. Leaving two gold coins for the intimidating old lady.

Robin carefully repeated the steps Miss Jackie had told him as he walked over to the town hall, anxiously trying to remember how not to miss his stop—or rather, his jump—to Sunshine Acres.

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Author's Note:

The Town of Adel in this Novel is based on the real town of Adel, Iowa. I drove through the town once and thought it was the perfect setting for a novel.

Here is the picture of the real court house: