7. Heaven

7. Heaven

"Cyrus, what was all that about?" Skye asked her husband after the trio had left. Lady had wandered over to them finally, having been somewhere outside previous to this. Prehaps the huge white dog had sensed his young female human's distress, and came to offer comfort. Right now, however, he was leaning his big frame against Skye's legs, in heaven as she pet him.

"I've heard his name before, and it wasn't for a good reason," Cyrus muttered under his breath, as he searched through his desk for some papers. "That's why I warned Rose to beware of him. ... If only I could remember!" Cyrus beat a fist on his desk, sighing as he suddenly relaxed over it. Skye's hands were now on his shoulders, and almost just like the dog, he was now in heaven...or at least, less stressed. Detirmined to find what he knew was here somewhere, he set himself to looking once more.

"I can't believe I let Rosealye walk off with that man... What if he kidnaps her? He was carrying weapons, surely you saw those Western-style guns!" Cyrus was still muttering to himself, then glanced back at Skye. She nodded; yes, she'd noticed. Not used to seeing such things around here, when someone walked into her house with them, well yes indeed, she did notice.

"She was with him alone a whole night. He didn't kidnap her then, I don't believe he'll do so now." Skye pointed out, ever trying to be a voice of reason. Cyrus fell into silence once more, still on the hunt for that of which he could not seem to find.

Several minutes later, he let out a victourios cry. He jumped up with a peice of wrinkled paper clutched between his hands.

"I knew it! I have heard his name before..." Frowning as the weight of what this meant finally sank in, he turned the paper around to show Skye. When she saw it, Skye gasped, her hands flying to her mouth.

"Surely, there must be some mistake..." She said slowly, feeling as though she were attempting to grasp at straws here. Cyrus shook his head.

"No, I'm afraid there isn't. Clint Allen is a Wanted man; and if he ever sets foot in my house again, as a servant to the king it is my duty to arrest him!"

~*~

"What's this plant look like, that we're lookin' fer?" Clint questioned, part in order to stave off another one of Gail's whispered enteries for them to flee, the other part because, well, he really didn't know what they were looking for.

"I'll know it when I see it," Was Rose's measured response, all she would give. Clint breifly wondered at this, but was again called upon for Gail's attention. He slowed his horse some, Gail matching the pace, and they drifted to a bit behind miss Rosealye. All the better for her, she could focus more easily on finding this elusive plant.

"Clint honey, now is our chance!" Gail almost pleaded once again, but as Clint looked into her eyes, he felt...something was off, not right. And he had a pretty good reason to back up this suspicion; he was hoping to talk about it later in private, but she just wasn't leaving him alone right now...

"Looked t'me like you were well on yer way t'leaving yourself." He spoke, his head down and to the side, she had to strain a little to hear. Feigning a look of confusion, she dipped her head and looked at him in disbelief. "Why ya got all that money in yer bag? You ain't s'posed t'still 'ave all that." He informed her; and indeed, back when he was putting away the horses, he had noted her saddlebags full of gold coins. She was supposed to have given away much of it, using the rest for only needed supplies. But it had seemed like she still had it all.

"I, I was saving up," Gail said, after a second of silence. She had a blush on her cheeks, looking as if she were a child that had just been caught doing something naughty. "I heard of this one last big pay off, then, with all the money we have, we could go into hiding and no one would ever find us!" She whispered, and after a fleeting glance in his direction, she would not look at him. A cold sinking feeling began to dawn upon Clint, one that hit him hard and almost took his breath away. Calling her name lowly, she still refused to look at him, and then he knew it to be true.

"Aha! I have found what we have been looking for!" Rose cried triumphantly, smiling back at two gloomy-looking persons. Clint tried to crack a smile as he looked at her, but a numbness had settled over him and he wasn't sure if any semblence of a smile had shown at all. Gail, however, made no efforts to meet the woman's gaze. Pursing her lips, Rose attempted to swing herself out of the saddle in order to fetch the plant. However, a certain dark-haired man beat her to it.

"Please, Miss Roseayle, allow me." He stated, riding up quickly, just enough time to halt her downward progress. She looked at him and was about to refuse, but he was already on the ground and pulling up some plants. She frowned; he was pulling up the wrong ones.

"Not those," Rose tapped him on the shoulder, and pointed to a more leafy green with white tips, just to his left. He paused, glanced up at her, nodded, then went about retrieving the proper plants. Handing them up to her, he glanced back at Gail, then said to Rose,

"Go on ahead, we'll catch up." Rose nodded, having known they had been in deep discussion earlier but not about to pry into other's lives...however sorely she was tempted this time. Still, it was only proper to refrain. Having the plants secured, she pressed her heels to Bells sides and the horse was off. Watching them go a moment, Clint finally and slowly turned back to Gail. Approaching her, he stood in front of her horse, hands on the bridle, and spoke.

"...There's someone else, ain't there?" He asked, though it was more of a statement of fact. Slowly lifting her eyes to meet his, she visibly swallowed, then nodded. Clint sighed, bowed his head and his grip considerably tightened on the bridle for a time. Slowly, it loosened, and he was able to bring his head up to meet her gaze once more. "An', when were you gonna tell me?"

"I, I wanted to! Really I did...but, uh...we needed the money." She blushed again, and looked away. Clint's jaw jumped as he looked at her, but he still bid himself to restrain his anger. How he would love to meet this man, who seemed to be dependant on the gold that his woman's ex brought in for him! ... Though really he wouldn't, for there was no telling what he may do. At least since he had left his Western homelands, there really hadn't been a need to use the gun he carried on his hip. He was thankful for that, he hated to use it. But, he was getting off subject.

"So, you were gonna rob me, that it?" He asked, keeping his gaze steady on her. She scoffed at this, frowning at him but he could see her squirming.

"It's not as if its really your money to begin with," She said, narrowing her eyes a little. She didn't like this accusing side of him!

"You're right, it ain't." He spoke evenly, tilted his head a little as he said, "It was 'sposed t'be given t'those that'd really needed it." Here again Gail blushed, and pulling her horse's head high, she forced it forward a step and forced him sideways a step.

"I don't need to listen to this," she said, trying to turn her horse and flee. But again Clint stepped in her way.

"For what its worth, Gail, I'm glad I knew you. Back then." He said, sincerely, ending with, "I hope this new life suits you, better'n the one with me did." She frowned at him, at the words he'd said with such sincerity. She kept his gaze for several seconds, nodded her head, then manuavered her horse's steps around him and she was off, disappearing without so much as a backwards glance.

Walking back to his horse, only moving long after she had vanished from sight, Clint threw an arm around his horse's neck and stood there several moments simply letting the horse hold him up. After he'd stemmed the tide of those waves of emotions, he suddenly seemed to remember himself. Wiping the back of his arm across his eyes, he quickly mounted and rode off. He wanted to see after that girl, hope she was still all right and would pull through okay. After that, though...well, he wouldn't think or worry about that yet. Cross that bridge when he came to it.