On the railway to Silver Creek, Colorado. March 28th, 1895. The train shook and rattled as it passed through valleys and over small rivers, past Denver and Boulder and even further west. Bringing the daring and the fool-hardy to a new frontier, the train huffed up and down the mountain track towards promises of riches and a new life. The carriages were nearly empty that day, only a few souls making the journey so far out west and into the mountains. A few of them might make names for themselves, or at least find a good living in a new home. For others, it might be the last train journey. As lovely as the landscape was, it was also dangerous. These valleys and mountain peaks were home to many great beasts, bandits and Indians. Though sparse, there were a few passengers riding on the train to Silver Creek.... @Regin34 Julia, a Jewish huntress, was riding in the third class carriage. Looking to make a name for herself as a trapper and hunter, she came west into the mountains to hunt all the great beasts living here, she had heard of great cats, mighty bears and massive deer-like creatures to be found here. @moonblack James Miller was travelling in the same carriage as the young huntress, trying to find a new life out west and perhaps a girl to settle down with. @majus Kate was travelling in second class, able to seduce the conductor into bumping up her ticket. The carriage was nearly empty, fewer eyes to possibly recognise a lieutenant of the Onyx Roses. She looked around but saw no one looking at her. @Tjf In the first class, a Mexican noblewoman was travelling along to Silver Creek, or so she liked the world to believe. Consuela de Cristobal, as she liked to style herself, was looking to make a great coup, the con of the century if you like. The journey dragged on for a bit, but the rugged terrain was a sight to behold for the scant few passengers. Eventually, the town of Silver Creek drew closer and the train slowed down. The conductor blew his whistle as the train came to a stop. Letting the passengers get off the train, a few of them were held up while an attendant brought their horses from the animal carriage. @Auraicide The Indian huntress, Yona, reached the outskirts of Silver Creek on horseback. A train was currently waiting to move on at the railway station and a few new arrivals were deciding where to go from there. Silver Creek, Colorado. March 28th, 1895. They had arrived in Silver Creek, a growing mining town in the Rockies. Though, strangely, it was very quiet with only a few people milling about. There were many places one could go to from here: the saloon was always a good place to get the lay of the land the sheriff could know a few things and maybe be looking for a deputy, or have some wanted criminals up for a daring bounty hunter visit the local restaurant one might try to find some lodging for their stay in Silver Creek or just wander around the town waiting to see what would happen Spoiler: Music
Julia rise her arms, flexing her limbs after long journey. Views and landscape were beautifull and promise her good fortune. Ot at least it was what she like to say to herself. "Well, well Hello Silver Creak, future legend comes to you!" She say and take her bags and horse from the last wagon. Taking horse cost her extra to ticket but for huntress it was necessary to have horse in the wild. "So, where to go first... To local shop!" Julia said to hersellf, wanting to ask some questions about local trappers and hunters, shop was the best way to get such info. Then, she will looking for them.
@unisol_gr44 Kate looked around, taking in the city... it was a good place to lay low - at least for a time. She could lose some heat here. She nodded to herself as she started making her way down the street with a sway of her hips. The first thing to do was to map the city, get the feeling of an overall area, check the routes for escape... Kate took a look around, moving through the side of the road, keeping to herself, getting a feeling of the city, drinking its atmosphere.
James got off the train and stretched a little while waiting for his horse. He used the chance to take his first look at Silver Creek. Not bad, not bad... Now what should I do first? Get something to drink? Something to eat? Find some work? Nah, I think I will find a place to stay first, I have no desire to sleep in some back alley or out in the wilderness. I can explore the town afterwards. The young man decided. He thanked the attendant, got on his horse, and began slowly riding through town, searching for a place to stay while taking note of any other places of interest.
Hmm, a quaint looking place. I should try the sherrif's office - getting in touch with the local law should point me in the direction of the people with power here. Hoisting her parasol, the 'noble' heads to meet the sherrif, trying to keep mud off of her dress as she walks.
How does it actually smell dirtier here? The thought was in the huntress's head. It only required a look at her to realize that these settlements were not really a place of interest for her. Her sister had gotten the easy job of just needing to hunt without needing to get that far out of their lands. Yona had to procure financial power and resources which was a nest of problems in itself. Still wouldn't be the first time she had been out here. There was usually no shortage of settlers who needed help from native populations, always making it a fine balance between needing to like each other just enough to do business. Her main goal would be to find some people that needed a guide, or a healer....or something they would expected her to do. The richer they were, the more they seemed to expect the natives could just do anything. They also made great people to do business with because of it. Usually. There was a...weird number of those rich men who seemed to treat her like a certain kind of novelty. It's been more than once where she's heard one of them talk about how they'd "civilize" her into learning their ways and becoming some kind of submissive housewife. They never seemed to really understand why that might be offensive or wrong. Even if she took a dim view of them, their money still paid the same. Generally the best place to look for newcomers was to think of the first place they'd stop. Which is to find a place to sleep. Her usual haunts were where people could find lodging, the saloon, or brothel. Assuming she wasn't confused with entertainment. But they were generally the best places to look for people just coming in and with too much money on their hands. Heading off, she began to look for people getting settled in, and see who would need a proper guide.
@Regin34 The general goods store was not hard to find in the small town, lying just by the main intersection of the only two roads properly wide for a carriage or two. The little shop had an ‘OPEN‘ sign at the door and going inside, a little bell announcing her entrance, Julia saw that it was well stocked for such a small town. They even had a little pharmacy with tinctures and remedies. Many tools were on offer, presumably the work of the local blacksmith, though some looked a little too delicate for a small town smith. The man behind the counter, who looked about forty years of age, sporting a bushy moustache, looked bored, as hardly any customers were coming in. He looked up hopefully, as Julia strode in the little shop, ‘Good afternoon, good lady, welcome to Bill’s Fine Goods, I’m Bill Junior, my father founded the shop. Are you looking for something in particular?’
Julia looked intrested around the shop for pelts and furs of the animals, but it look like the shop doesn't offer these kind of wares. "Did you paid for pelts and furs of animals? I mean, wild animals not cows from the ranch. I just come to this nice town and I looking for local trapers and hunters, so I guess if they are here, they must have some conection with your store." Until some of them travel to east, to sell by themself their trophy, what gives more profits, but it was also dangrous and costly.
@majus The town was small, but it had all the amenities you’d need on a frontier settlement: barber, blacksmith, butcher, saloon, stables, a ‘bed & breakfast’, even a little church on a small hill a bit outside the main road. The cool mountain breeze brought the fresh air down from the snow-capped mountains blowing away many of the smells one would expect from a small town like this, though she could make out the distinct smell of a tannery. Not many people were out and about today as Kate made her round of the town, looking for escape routes and vulnerabilities. She noted that the road west out of town narrowed to a small path that lead further up the mountains and the road north was marked by a sign saying, ‘Silver Mine’. Though curiously, the sign was crossed out with red paint. The way south lead back to the railway which separated the town from the eponymous creek that ran east to west, further south she could see a ranch in the distance, several horses grazing in the large enclosure. In the east, the road followed the train tracks for a good while and from the train ride she knew that it went somewhere north a little further to the east, perhaps leading to back entrance to the mine or another settlement. In all, the town was quiet and peaceful that day, with little going on.
@moonblack Riding on his horse, James could see several places of interest, there was the saloon in the main square of the town, of course, but also a small bank and the sheriff’s office complete with a small jail nearby. Near the sheriff, there was an office for the mining company that was running the mine further north. What caught his eye and what he was looking for was tucked to the side of the saloon, a restaurant that also advertised lodgings including breakfast. There was a hitching post out front, but James also noticed a sign pointing to a proper stable behind the saloon.
Okay, this seems like a good place to start. James decided as he noticed the restaurant and steered his horse that way. When he reached the place James tied his horse to the hitching post and went inside to inquire about their services and prices – including the cost for keeping his horse in the stable.
@Tjf Keeping her long dress out of the muck wasn’t too troubling, apparently it hadn’t rained in the last few days. The sheriff was easy to find, right by the middle of the town intersection and next to the saloon. Stepping inside, she saw that it was a well kept little office, with some wanted posters by the wall and a jail adjacent to it. The man sitting behind the desk looked like he had seen a lot years of service, wizened and experienced. He watched her strut in like she owned the place at first. Before he spoke up, ‘Well, I’ll be... welcome to Silver Creek, young lady. I’m the town sheriff, Douglas O’Sullivan, at your service. What brings you to our small town and into my office?’
@Auraicide There was something strange about this town, she could feel it in her bones and in the air. The spirits were restless and it felt... sick, for lack of better word, like a curse hung over it. Some of the people in the street, few as they were, were looking at her strangely, but nobody stopped her for now. Following her hunch, Yona soon found a little restaurant that offered bed and breakfast. And a young man @moonblack, who was clearly new in town was just hitching his horse to the post and was heading inside. The other people mulling about looked to be more at ease and have been in town longer.
There was something in the air. There always was in places like this, but it felt just a bit different than other ones. She didn't really want to make a point of staying longer than she had to. She could tell that she was drawing attention, she always did. Regardless, it was hard to say where exactly they were looking. As she felt the sun bare down against her skin, she was glad she wasn't wearing much. Just enough to keep the important parts covered. How those woman planned to survive the heat in what had to be almost six layers of fabric was beyond her. Not quite it. He looked a little too young for the kind of people she was expecting. Probably didn't have that much money. Still, connections to connections, who knows where it would eventually lead. It took her a moment to remember the exact words she wanted to use in English, but she attempted to make her introduction. She had rehearsed the usual pitch enough times before anyway. "Not from these parts? If you're planning on exploring out in the wild, you should take someone who knows the land. And nobody knows the land better than my tribe." Maybe a slight exaggeration. Her tribe mostly closer to the south and west, but he didn't know that.
James was surprised to hear a woman speaking to him, since so far no one had shown any interest in him. Looking over to the source of the voice he saw a hot and busty native woman, and almost started ogling her before he remembered his manners. “Oh, hello there! Yes, I am not from these parts, but no, I am not looking to go exploring just yet. Right now I just want to find a place to stay and to get familiar with this nice little town. But maybe later... ah, but where are my manner? My name is James, James Miller. May I know who am speaking to, miss?” He inquired in a friendly tone of voice.
He was a lot more polite than the usual types she expected which caught her off guard for a moment, before giving a proper response. "Yona. If that changes, I'm usually in and out of the saloon area while I'm in town. I will be here for a while longer until something comes along, so don't need to decide now. But you should be sure you have something to make a fire with before you head out, whenever that is." Doing her best to be polite, the advice would seem obvious, but she remembered way too many people who seemed to fail to realize just how cold the desert can actually get. It probably didn't seem like he was an opportunity right now, but maybe that would change in a while. Still, she could look at what else was available for now. Most likely, someone his age would probably be joining a expedition than leading or funding one anyway.
“Thank you for the advice, Yona, I will be sure to remember it.” James gave a polite nod to the woman. “If in the future I find myself in need of a person familiar with the area I will try and find you. But that likely won't be any time soon, unless I get a great stroke of luck.” He didn't know if he would need her help in the future, so wanted to keep his options open, just in case.
"Good luck with your work." Not really one for extended conversation, she couldn't really think of what more to say, so she decided to try and make her break away now. Someone in the settlement no doubt needed use of her services, and it was just a matter of finding it.
“Good luck to you as well!” For a few moments James watched Yona walk away, then turned his attention back to the task at hand: Getting a place to stay.
Lowering her parasol, Consuela brings her hands down to her skirts, raising them slightly in a curtsy that wouldn't look out of place in a Paris salon, though the former courtesan guesses the closest this sherriff has gotten to such an establishment is the local saloon. "Buenas tardes, sherriff." She says in a crisp, exotic accent, but her words are clear to the man. "As it turns out, I have a familial claim to land in this area. I wished to inquire as to whom I could converse with to advance my efforts in the endeavour to facilitate a property transaction." She smiles. "The local government, or someone else in this vein. Perhaps such matters lie under your purview? Forgive me, I'm still learning how American society is structured."
