Valentine was a decent town that Nora slowly grew to call home. She was used to the way of living in Blackwater, it being a little different to what the livestock town brought but she tried avoiding Blackwater the best she could. It brought bad memories her way, memories she wanted to forget.
...
She stood outside of Smithfield's Saloon, giving her horse an apple while waiting for Lem Fike who had requested them to meet outside of the establishment.
It was a while before he eventually did show up, giving her a sheepish look as he stepped closer. Nora only shook her head but waved at him regardless, shortening the distance by walking halfway to meet him.
"Mornin' Lemuel." She greeted, stopping just in front of him on the road when she felt as though they were close enough to talk.
"Mornin'." He smiled, leaning against the post that supported the balcony of the nearest building to them.
She stood just down on the steps, her hand on the gun belt. "Aunt Maggie requested me to speak with you regarding business."
"What exactly?"
"Jus' some things that need poisoning or blowing up."
"The usual then." She groaned, crossing her arms and moving to stand on the same level as Lem.
"I'll do it."
He opened his mouth to speak further but was cut short at the noise of windows shattering.
Curiously, he and Nora both looked in the direction to see a man wearing a tan jacket lying in the mud of the street. A crowd slowly began gathering around just as the tough man exits the saloon, resuming what looked to have been a fight that started inside.
"Is that Tommy?" Nora asked although it didn't need answering for it was clear from the chants and the burly appearance exactly who this was.
"Who's that f-fella on the ground?"
She shrugged. "Don't think I've ever seen him before. Must be new in town."
"Already startin' fights too."
She nodded, walking with Lem to get closer to the action in order to watch how this fight would play out.
While Tommy and this stranger continued fighting, three new men emerged from inside, faces covered in bruises especially one in particular who appeared to be more beaten up than the others.
These individuals cheered on "Arthur" repeatedly and so Nora could only assume that this was who Tommy had been fighting. She stood amused and surprised when Tommy was left in the mud, having to be saved by Thomas Downes who pleaded with 'Arthur' to leave him be.
She watched the crowd disperse and soon this well-dressed individual began talking with him, accompanied by a face she recognised all too well.
"Shit." She cursed, quickly taking Lem by the hand to drag him inside the nearest building to them.
"What?" He was startled but laughed it off regardless, watching as she walked up towards the window to watch their interaction from inside.
"That English man... I know him."
"Who is he?"
"Josiah Trelawny, a magician and a conman at that. A pretty damn good one."
Lem nodded from behind which she wouldn't have been able to have seen, watching warily as watched the strange group interact with one another.
"I'm going to see if I can hear a thing they're saying." She said before leaving the building. He watched through the windows as she moved to stand not too far away from them, lighting a cigarette so it looked as though she had only come outside for a smoke which would have been strange regardless.
