High Stakes at Coyote Bluff (Wild West RP)

Jazmina nodded along to the barkeep's words... The settlement didn't seem unusual in the habits of the local criminal population... Minor crimes within the city limits, major crimes in the outskirts and beyond. Perhaps if the place ended up expanding, the opportunity for a true vagabond to disappear among the populace would precipitate a more serious crime wave... But that was below Jazmina, at least for now. Now her concern was money, and consulting the bounty board seemed the best way to get some from what she was hearing. With a tilt of her hat, she dropped another dollar on the counter. "For your time," she explained the tip away, before turning and marching away.

Of course, Jazmina needed to look out for Zancada as surely as she needed to look out for herself. Thus, she unhitched him and rode around the saloon to get at the stables, searching for the stableboy in the yard.

 

(19-1=18$)
Zancada give a voice to Jazmina, cleary demanding more apples. Jazmina soon finded stables, it was big wooden building, kept in clean and order. Next to entrance she find stableboy as he throw hay with pitchfork.

He looked at her and smiled more friendly than barkeeper.
"Hello beatifull Mexican lady. What can I do for you? Tend to your horse? Masage your back?" He tried his best to be charming.

 

Jazmina simply pat Zancada on the neck, silently urging him to be patient, before coming upon the stableboy. Despite her best efforts, she found herself... Less charmed by him and more amused. "Hello, silly gringo man. You can do one of those things for me," she replied as she dismounted, grabbing Zancada by the reins and pulling closer. "I have a room at the hotel. I'm looking to keep this one in a stall and taken care of while I am in town. How much will that cost me?"

 

„It will be 0,5 for each day but if you allow me to massage your back I will take 5$ for whole week”. He said smiling as he gives apple to her horse. He clearly doesn’t know what gringo meant.
„I’m quite skilled with my hands, no lady ever complained”. He didn’t give up.

 

Jazmina arched her brow at the stableboy's persistence. She wouldn't give him the time of day... Normally. Saving money, however, was one of her highest priorities. With an inward sigh, she hands over the reins. "Find a stall for Zancada and we can... Work out the details. Tonight, not now."

 

(18-5=13$)
Stableboy smiled to Jazmina and take money from her.
"Consider it done, pretty lady. Your horse will be in the best hands in the Coyote Bluff". He said as he lead Zancada to free stall, where he begin removing saddle and reins, and cleaing it with brush. Horse eats with apetive grain.
"See you later". He gives her wink, tried to be seducive.

 

Jazmina rolled her eyes... And tried to ignore the sliver of excitement that circled within her lower abdomen. "... Stupid, sexy stablehands." With Zancada being cared for - and his voracious appetite being foisted on someone else - she makes her way over to the Sheriff's office, intent on at least looking at the bounty board, if not introducing herself to the local law.

 

Taking a look at bounty board wasn't so hard, as it was stated outside of the office, to be easy for everyone to see. Right now there was bounty for:

1. Roberts Cavillir, cheater and pickpockets, who also stole some horses from local farmer. 20$
2. Harold Vallette, robbed carriage with his two brothers, by wounding passangers and beating up ridder. 50$
3. Sarah O'Hara, leader of gang of five men, she robbed train and killed two men inside. They also attempted to rob a bank, but failed, killed one worker. 100$

For more details of any bounty, Jazmina have to ask sheriff or his deputy inside office.

 

Jazmina would consider the various bounties... Theoretically, she could whittle down any companions to the bounties with her repeater. But the element of surprise could only go so far, so it might be within her interest to at least make up for her expenses in getting set up within the town first. With that, she would start off easy, grabbing Roberts's bounty poster and walking into the office, her blazing gaze casting a coldly analyzing look at its insides and its occupants.

 

As Jazmina enters office, it was modest room with storage full of papers, evidence and weapons. Behind desk sitting deputy of sheriff, young woman writing something in the diary. She rises eyes from papers at Jasmina and notices poster in her hand.
„Ah, bounty hunter? Good for you, we still have some targets”. She said and look at bounty.
„You try to take down Robert? Well, good luck with him, he is loner and hunter. He been seen heading to the north, near old Jackson farm in last days, with three stolen horses. If you manage to get these horses back too, you can get some extra reward from their owners”.

 

Jazmina would nod in greeting at the deputy. "Something of the sort... Roberts, has he been known to get violent or is he more likely to run if confronted?"

 

Deputy rises eyes to cellar, thinking about answer.
„He has good aim, as he used to be hunting for boars and small animals. I never seen him in the fist fight but mostly he used his rifle. I don’t know him too well, bounty arrived to us in the last train. I wound not be surprised if he decided to ride to next state or even to Canada”.

 

"I suppose I will have to get moving, then," Jazmina mused. She turned to head out the door, opening it... Then coming to a stop, her form silhouetting in the doorframe as she looked over her shoulder. "Dead or alive?"

Regardless of how the deputy answered, Jazmina would go to grab Zancada from the stableboy. Presuming nothing distracted her, she would ensure that she had her supplies, weapons, and rope ready to go, before riding after the last known location of Roberts.

 

"Both. Bringing bounty alive is more preferable for judge, but we know that is tricky and hard to do, so we don't mind. But if you bring corpse, make sure face is recognisable or we don't pay up". Deputy wave hand for goodbye to Jazmina, as she left office.

Stableboy finished cleaning Zancada and let it drink water, while he clean ground with the broom.
"Oh, you are leaving already? I hope you will return tonight for our special deal". He winked to her, flexing his muscles as he bring sable and reins and put it on Zancada.
Last know location of Robert was near Old Jackson's farm, on the north from Coyote Bluff. Road was short, and soon before Jazmina eyes show up farm.

There was a lot of cattle, but she didn't see owner.

 

Jazmina took a moment to admire the property, her hands crossing the pommel of her saddle as she leaned forward. The property was clearly worth a decent amount of money and well cared for... Perhaps a bit small for grazing, at first glance. However, she also took the time to examine the tactical considerations of the immediate area, mapping out vantage points and exits that could be used by an opponent to ambush her or concealed or covered paths that would allow her to foment a speedy exit.

Once that was done, Jazmina began to rode up to the front of the ranch house, intent on dismounting nearby and knocking on the front door... It was best to leave Zancada unhitched - if they came under fire, she didn't want a shooter to kill him to prevent her escape... He was an excellent steed as well, meaning that she could probably whistle for him to come to her if they got separated.

 

As Jazmina knocked on the door, it open wide and behind them stands young girl with rifle pointed at Jazmina.

"Who are you and what do you want on my farm"? She asked nervosly, it was clear she didn't have much expirence with weapons as she keept it in wrong position, far away from trained soldier.
"Are you one of them"?

 

Jazmina arched her brow at the sight of a gun, then frowned as she noticed the utterly unseasoned face behind it. "No. But if you intend on using that, you ought to ensure the safety is off." Whether it was true or not, the Mexican aristocrat had seen her banditos pull the trick off more times than she could count; wait for the hapless fool to look down, maybe tilt the weapon away from their would-be target, even for just a moment, before their hand would snap out to grab the weapon by the barrel.

In this case, Jazmina merely ensured it was pointed down as she was able to step past the muzzle. Despite the unpleasant greeting, her features were devoid of their usual stoic derision of those beneath her. Instead, she almost seemed sympathetic... Perhaps she saw something of herself in the young woman. "I am Jazmina De Villa. I was hired by the Sheriff's department to help track down Robert Cavillir. He stole from this farm, yes? Can we put the weapon down and have a conversation like sensible people about this?"

 

(Roll for distraction +2 for Silver tongue d20: 7+2=9 failure)
Maybe girl wasn't so unseasoned like Jazmina thought or maybe she just didn't trust her, but girl didn't lower down rifle for even moment.
"You said that you come for Cavillir? Ha, that is good for me". She didn't lower her weapon, keeping aim at Jazmina.
"If you looking for him, then he headed on the west, with Betsy, my father horse. Good luck finding him in the forest near the river. He is damit good hunter, he knows how to hide in the bushes".
"If that is all, then get out of my farm. I have enough strangers in this week".

 

Jazmina simply nodded. "Very well. I'll bring the horse back when I catch him."

With that, Jazmina tipped her hat and promptly vacated the premises, not trying to engage in a gunfight with someone she was ostensibly doing the work of for money... As she and Zancada rode west, she put her own hunting skills to use, searching for horse tracks leading in and around the forest. Like Cavillir, she was a hunter, a woman capable of living off the land and the creatures that inhabited it. However, she had one additional advantage: she knew the plants of the land too... Which meant she could narrow down the area in which she needed to search by intuiting where Betsy would need to stop to rest and eat by identifying the plants and grass the average horse favored in this region... All the while, Jazmina kept her repeater unholstered and cradled along her hip, ready for action in case Robert decided to try his luck in an ambush.

 

(Roll for tracking +2 for Hunter and +2 for Herbalist d20: 18 +2+2=22 success https://www.rolldicewithfriends.com/rooms/highstakesatcoyotebluffwi)
Jazmina managed quickly find right tracks in the forest, which Robert tried his best to cover behind himself as he tried to escape. His weakness was greedy, as he travel with three horses, so he must left some marks for someone who know where to looking for. Jazmina find forest trail, with tracks leading in the right direction for her. After a while Jazmina smell not far away from the bushes familar scent, which she know pretty well. It was smoking ciggarete, with similar tabaco which Jazmina used to her own. She was sure, that Cavilir is not far away from her. But she didn't know if he know about her presence.