Gold Dust | Barns Courtney

Chapter Three | The Horsemen

The next morning I changed out of my pajamas and got ready for the day. After gathering my things I went down to check out of my room. "I hope you enjoyed your stay. Make sure to recommend the Red Rooster Inn to any of your friends or family." The inn keeper said to me with a small smile. I told him that I enjoyed my stay and that I would recommend the inn to people. When I was finished with that, we said goodbyes and I walked down the street to meet Edmond.

He was standing outside waiting on me, a beautiful dappled gray horse along side him. "Morning." He said when he spotted me. "Morning to you too." I replied a little awkwardly. "This is Sawdust. If you're kind to him you'll have a best friend for life." Edmond said as he gave the animal a loving pat on the neck. I looked at Sawdust and smiles softly as he sniffed me a little. He told me a few things about the horse. Then he wished me a safe journey to my destination.

I thanked him before mounting my steed. I put on a black hat that I bought earlier from a local store. I wanted to keep the sun off me as much as I could. Especially since the next town was a ways away. I took one last look at the small town I had stumble upon. Then I gently nudged Sawdust along, starting my second day of travel. It didn't take long to get to the outskirts of town. The further I went the more my mind churned with thoughts.

The most prominent thought being about the crown I was hiding in my backpack. Not to mention the cryptic note that was slipped under my door last night. The man in white knows what I have in my possession. I couldn't help but wonder what his intentions were. Especially since the crown was obviously worth a lot of money. I'm sure I was hauling around at least a small fortune on my back. The down side was trying to figure out what the hell to do with it.

The men on the train just told me to protect it. I wondered if those men were still alive. I hoped that everyone on the train were still alive. I tried to press my thoughts to the back of my mind when I decided to take a break. There was a tree nearby where I tied the horse reins to. I gave Sawdust  food and water, but used it sparingly. I didn't want to run out before I could purchase more feed. I sat down on the cracked and dry ground as I rested. Making sure I was under the shade of the tree. I drank some water and grabbed a snack out of my backpack.

I didn't leave the last town without packing food. I had just finished eating an apple when a noise caught my attention. It took me moment to realize what I was hearing. It was horse hooves, and it sounded there was more than one horse. I looked around, taking in my surroundings. Anxiety burned in my stomach and my heart beat speed up. It was the horsemen in black. I quickly grabbed my things, untied my horse from the tree and climbed into the saddle.

I urged him along more urgently this time, and he took off like a bat out of hell. I glanced behind me every now and then to see how close they were. The horsemen were gaining on me; big clouds of dust making them barely visible. 'Don't let them catch me. Please, don't let them catch me.' I thought inside of my head as I urging Sawdust on, and he picked up his pace. But it was obvious that the black stallions the others were on were much younger. I prepared myself to be overtake by them. I looked back and they seemed closer than before.

Then a loud gunshot rang out. I ducked and hoped I wasn't hit. I glanced back and spotted a black horse without its rider. Two more gunshots and another horseman fell off of thier horse. The other two horsemen turned their attention to a ridge on the right of us. They fired thier pistols in that direction. I craned my neck to try and see who or what they were shooting at. After a few moments I noticed a blur of white on the ridge.

The man in white was picking off the horsemen in black. I pushed my horse to go faster. Hoping that the horsemen would be distracted by the man in white. After a few more minutes I glanced behind me and noticed that the horsemen had fallen behind. But I didn't take a chance to slow down. The more distance between me and them the better. Eventually I let my horse slow down. I decided to take a break and let Sawdust rest. I thanked the horse as I have him water and food.

The heat seemed to have gotten worse, and I hoped the next town was close. I glanced at my map, and was pleased to see that it was three miles away. I stretched my legs, which were feeling kinda sore. I knew it was because I wasn't use to horse riding. But I knew with time I would get use to it. I decided to walk alongside Sawdust when we returned to our journey. We moved at a slower pace, but I didn't mind. By the time we reached the next town it was six o'clock in the evening.

So I tied my horse up where he could get water and food. Then I rented a room at a motel. The place didn't have a unique name, it was just called Motel. The woman at the check-in desk was kinda short and had long red hair. We made small talk, but she didn't seem as friendly as the owner of the Red Rooster Inn. I went to my room and took a much needed shower. I was sweaty and covered in dirt from the journey. As I washed my hair I wondered if the man in white was okay.

I was thankful that he saved me from the horsemen. But was he just protecting me because he wanted the crown? Or was he actually doing it with good intentions? 'You won't know his true intentions. Not really.' I thought inside of my head as I finished washing myself. I stepped out and dried off before getting dressed. I cleaned my dirty clothes before searching for a local restaurant.

Like I did before, I kept my backpack with me. Anyone could break into my motel room to try and steal the crown. I pressed my thoughts to the back of my mind as I walked into the town restaurant. Apparently the town was a coal mining town. The restaurant was called "The Coal Bucket." A waitress with a name tag that said Emily, sat me at a table. I thanked her and ordered something to drink. While she was in the back I glanced over the menu.

I ordered breakfast for dinner. I had scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, and toast. I was glad they sold breakfast all day long. After eating I looked around to see who else was in the restaurant. A couple of families were present as well as groups of friends. Eventually I went back to my motel room. I looked over my map, and planned out my journey for tomorrow. Luckily the next stop was my destination. Unfortunately it would be a two day trip.

I made a mental note to take extra food, water, and coffee with me. Due to the horsemen coming after me earlier today, I had no intention of stopping and camping in the middle of nowhere.

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