House Keeper knew better than anypony how hard business was to get in Appaloosa, Especially with the war going on and all. Appaloosa wasn't to near the fighting but sometimes Lunar soldiers would pass through, you see the Lunar ponies held southern Equestria and the Solar ponies Held the north. The problem with the Lunar soldiers was that they felt they owned anything within their territory, they often times would stop in the saloon and make the bartender give them free drinks claiming that they were "Fighting the good fight." Ha! As if.
The desk House Keeper was sitting behind was positioned to the left of the main door, the stairs to the rooms on the second floor were to the right of the door and on the wall opposite to the main entrance was the door to the kitchen, in-between all of it were round dining tables, keeper himself had a brown mane and dark yellow fur. Yawning he shifted on the stool he sat on, thinking about the war would do nothing, he knew he couldn't change the world. He laid his head on the desk in front of him, right now he couldn't figure out why he had decided to open an inn in Appaloosa, it was hot, boring and he barely got enough business to get by.
As Keeper mused over his situation he was unexpectedly jolted out of his thoughts to the sound of the main door opening, looking forward he saw the most peculiar creature walk through the door. He was the tallest thing Keeper ever seen, even taller than a minotaur, it was wearing some kind of body blanket with weird patterns on it over his top half. On the strangers head was some kind of weird hat that was almost like a top hat but the top was shorter and the edges longer, his face was devoid of fur but he had a light beard and in his mouth was a cigar that was almost burned to a stump.
"Umm... excuse me sir do you need a room?" Keeper asked sitting up straight.
turning his head slowly the stranger looked at him with narrowed eyes,"Yeah and... you got some food?"
"Yes sir we've got food, it can be ready in a couple minutes but your gonna need to pay first." Keeper stood up and walked over.
Sighing the creature pulled reached into a pouch slung over his left shoulder and pulled out ten bits,"This enough?"
Nodding as he reached out and took the money he pulled a key out of his back pocket,"Your room is on the upper floor and it's number is eight, if you want I can start making some food while you check out your room." Keeper offered as the creature walked by him and towards the stairs.
stopping at the base of the staircase he looked to Keeper with a thoughtful facial expression,"That sounds good." he turned around and made his way upstairs and out of sight.
Sighing Keeper shook his head and muttered,"Why do i get all the weird ponies?" then resuming his duty he walked back to the kitchen to start preparing food for his most recent guest.
Placing the food on the table Keeper stood up fully and cracked his back as he was about to go tell the stranger his food was ready he heard footsteps on the stairs, looking over he saw the guest coming down the stairs. Shrugging Keeper went back to his desk and sat down, looking over he saw the stranger take off his hat and place it next to his bowl as he sat down, seeing he had dirty blond hair keeper now had a nick name he could call the creature if given it was okay with him.
"Hey stranger." He called grabbing the creatures attention,"Mind if I call you Blondie?"
Looking up from his food Blondie squinted at him and slowly nodded yes, smiling keeper reached under his desk and pulled out a bottle of whiskey,"Blondie," he looked up at Keeper still chewing,"I'm gonna step outside and take drink my fill your welcome to join me if you want, there's another bottle under my desk."
"Sure maybe I will." He replied going back to his meal, walking out the door he leaned against the fence lined up along the side of the wooden porch. Lifting the bottle up he took a good long drink, he stood there for awhile drinking before he heard the door swing open and the strange stallion joined him. Blondie walked up next to him and lit up a new cigar, then joined Keeper stare at the other side of the town. There wasn't much going on, a few mares getting groceries at the general store but last of the activity was at the saloon across from Keeper's inn.
"Why is this town so... quiet?" Blondie asked looking to Keeper with a questioning look on his face.
"Well with the war going on and all," he said taking a deep swig of whiskey,"Most folk got up and went to join the war, albeit most went to Luna's side a few joined Celestia." He explained shrugging,"Now there's only foals, mares, shop owners and old stallions left over."
"And uh... Why didn't you go?" Blondie questioned him.
"What me? Do I look like I could handle a sword?" Keeper responded chuckling in a melancholy way.
"You never know till you try." He took the cigar out of his mouth and let out a puff before leaning against the porch rail and watching ponies go about their day.
For awhile it was peaceful but that never lasts in Appaloosa, before long they heard a commotion from the saloon. The doors of the saloon swung open and the bartender was thrown out, she landed on the dirt road face first, out of the building came four batponies in Lunar armor walking with a swagger in their step. The ponies in the saloon watched through the windows and the ones in the street got inside.
"Think you can make us pay for a drink?!" The one middle asked stopping in front of her,"We fight for your gracious queen Luna and this is how you repay us?" He said his friends stoping alongside him,"That ain't to nice of you now is it?" He placed an armored hoof on her left leg and pushed down making her yelp and grind her teeth in pain.
"How do you expect me to stay in business if I don't make money?" she spat at them her blond mane waving in the sudden burst of wind. Her brown fur was matted with sweat as she tried to break free from his hoof's grasp on her leg.
"We don't care if you do or don't stay in business do we fellas?" He looked to his friends which nodded in agreement,"Now how's about you say your sorry in the best way a mare can?" He said bringing a hand down and squeezing the armor plate over his crotch.
"Never!" She yelled panicking as all the stallions above her laughed at her pain. Keeper knew he couldn't do anything to stop it, Tartarus if he even got close they would chop him up and hang him from the ceiling. That's when it happened.
Blondie stood all the way up and stepped off the porch, flicking his cigar off to the side he started walking towards the scene,"What are you doing!" Keeper yelled standing up and looking towards Blondie with wide eyes but he didn't pay attention to Keeper. When he reached the bartender on the ground the Lunar soldiers finally noticed him standing a couple yards away on the other side of the misfortunare girl.
"I don't think it's nice you beating up on this poor girl." He stated calmly with a charming smile
The batponies looked at him like he was crazy before laughing loudly,"Is this some kind of joke?" The one on the right breathed out between laughs.
"No it isn't." He shook his head before flipping the the blanket like thing over his shoulder to reaveal a sheepskin vest over a blue button up shirt and on hi hip was a belt that connected to some kind of holster that held what Keeper assumed was some kind of weapon,"Back way and apologize now," He threatened his demeanor changing,"And we can get on with our day."
The soldiers stopped laughing almost immediately and snarled at him, he didn't even budge. They stared him down and he stared right back narrowing his squinty eyes, Keeper saw sweat matting on the batponies foreheads they obviously never dealt with something like this before.
Then faster than the blink of an eye their hands shot for their swords on they're hips and Blondie's hand shot for the thing on his hip, before they even reached the hilts of their swords Blondie brought his hand up with the metal weapon and he brought his other hand down. Blondie made three swift motions with his hands each one resulting in a noise akin to that of an explosion, and with each explosion one of the soldiers armored chests exploded with blood making them fly backwards and on to the ground. The only one left was the one who had his hoof on the mare's leg.
With his hand on the hilt of his sword he looked at each of his dead friends frantically, then he looked towards Blondie and stared at him wide eyed and shaking. Blondie's left hand went back to his side as he lifted the weapon in his right hand and pointed it upwards slightly, then cocking the pull on the top back he smiled at the remaining soldier and tssked condescendingly,"You had a chance." Then with a quick pull of the trigger the explosive sound rang through the town and the soldier fell dead.
The towns ponies looked at him in shock and started pouring out of the saloon to see the dead ponies, squatting down Blondie offered the injured mare a hand which she gratefully took. He helped her to her feet and with a spinning motion holstered his weapon,"Thank you so much mister!" The mare hugged him suddenly.
"It's okay." He said as she pulled back,"I just thought you might like some help." He smiled pulling his blanket thing back over himself and taking out a cigar.
"Mister if you ever want a drink you just come by and you can have them on the house." She promised with a smile.
"I'll remember that." He nodded lighting the cigar and putting it in his mouth.
"Alright well ah gotta get to back to work before mama tans my hide." She told him as she backed away and towards the saloon,"Ah'll uh see you soon!" He tipped his hat to her as she went through the crowd and into the bar.
The crowd watched as the coroner accompanied by the marshal walked out to inspect the bodies, Blondie began walking back to the inn when the marshal yelled,"You murdered these soldier!" Keeper gulped as he watched Blondie turn his head to the marshal.
"And?" He replied cocking an eyebrow.
"And we'll... I'm uh... Gonna have to report this to the crown." He explained licking his lips.
"By all means do so." Blondie said befor turning around and walking back up into the inn, Keeper watched him go inside and heard him walk upstairs. Keeper stayed out and watched them calm the crowd and carry off the bodies, that's when he realized,"This guys staying with me."
Keeper squinted and rubbed his tired eyes as he walked into the main room of his inn, he sat himself down at one of his tables and rubbed his temples. Looking to the clock he confirmed it was five o'clock in the morning, he always did wake up early and so did his most recent guest if the hoofsteps or whatever he called them steps on the stairs were anything to go by.
Blondie stepped on to the bottom floor and made his way to the table Keeper was sitting at, except he didn't sit down just stood next to him," Anyone with a price on their head around here?" He asked pulling a cigar from his pocket.
" Uh you mean like people with bounties?" Keeper asked lowering his hands too a resting position on the table and raising his head so he could look Blondie in his squinty eyes.
Blondie nodded yes to Keeper's question," Yeah People with bounties." he took out a match and lit his cigar.
Keeper watched him chomp down on the cigar before anwsering," Yeah the marshal's got information on that type of thing in his office."
" Thanks." He nodded to the yellow stallion before walking towards the door.
Keeper quickly stood up," We're are you going? Aren't you hungry?" He questioned his brow arched.
" I'll eat later." And with that he was out the door.
Keeper stood there for a second his face scrunched as he debated whether to follow Blondie or stay at the inn in case a customer came," Ah to hell with it, I've gotta see what this guy does." He hurried out the door and quickly caught up with Blondie his pace slowing so he could walk side by side with him.
Still walking he turned his head to keeper and raised an eyebrow," What are you doing?"
" Seeing what kind of trouble your getting into." Keeper shrugged a small smile tugging at his lips, Blondie let out a little snort the smallest of smirks appearing on his face for a second.
" Alright then just keep up with me then."
Keeper had asked a couple questions on they're journey most of which Blondie ignored but he did answer what he was and even then it was kind of vague. He had asked what he was and Blondie told him quote," I'm a man with a loaded gun." And from that keeper deducted that Blondie was a man and his gun was the weapon he kept on his hip. He wasn't sure if that was right but he guessed that was as much as he was going to get out of him.
The marshal's office was on the east edge of town by a patch of land many people reckon would be good for farming cerries but no one had tried it yet. The office itself was made of brick and a paint job had been done once but now it was chipped away and only small patches of light brown paint remained, no doubt that was the work of the sun and sand.
The door of the office was rickety and old, it creaked rather loudly as Blondie's pushed it open. Walking in they could see the marshal from yesterday, the one that had told Blondie he was going to report him to the crown Keeper remembered name was Lawmaker. He was scribbling down on some papers before looking up and doing a double take at the man in front of him.
The marshal had blue fur akin to that of Luna's batponies and an orangish mane, you could have told he was getting on in years by the way he stood up from his chair. He put a hand on the desk in front of him and scowled," What are you doing here?" His voice was rough.
" Looking for work." Blondie answered puffing on his cigar which was once again almost a stump.
" What kind of work?"
" You have anybody with a price on their head?"
" Yeah." The marshal smirked and slowly sat down," But why should I let you, a soldier killer, make money?" Well that let Keeper know whose side he was on.
Blondie's eyes narrowed a menacing look overcoming his face much like yesterday," Because I'm the only man that wants to do it."
Keeper watched the older stallion sigh and look down," Yeah you are the only one that's asked about it, with all the younger stallions gone off to war I haven't had any deputies or stall-er men like yourself that are available to help keep the peace." Shaking his head the marshal opened the top drawer on the left hand side of his desk.
Pulling out two papers he held them out Blondie reached out and took them, bringing them to his face he studied them. Keeper had to look up and he could just barely make out what the top bounty paper had. A young looking earth pony with a scar on his cheek and messy medium length hair, he was wanted to robbing a general store and attacking an old lady within said store. The paper describes him with a grey mane and a dark green fur coat.
The second had a pegasus mare which Keeper had to admit looked pretty, her mane went down to the bottom of her neck and was velvet, her fur was off white and she always wore make up. She was the leader of a gang of bandits held up two miles south of town in an abandoned farmstead.
" The first one, who is he?" Blondie asked looking back to the marshal.
He nodded," Yeah the young colt wasn't old enough to go to war if I remember correctly." The marshal looked up in thought," Now let's see his name was Bale, he lived with his parents on a farm out of town but when the war came his father joined up and his mom," the marshal grew a disgusted look on his face," she left him for some rich stallion not a month after he left and just left poor Bale all by himself. From what I can tell," The marshal blew out a breath and leaned forward in his chair," from what I can tell Bale didn't know what to do and ended up robbing a store."
" Hmm," Blondie looked back down at the paper," How much is he worth?"
The marshal sighed," Twenty bits dead and forty alive." He leaned back into his chair, Keeper hoped they'd take him alive.
" Sounds good now what's the story with the mare?"
" Oh you mean Bloody Cherry? She's one of the more violent ones, likes to kill for fun." The marshal narrowed his eyes," She's more clever than most other bandits, she robs banks and lonely farms in the middle of nowhere. Some say she came from the badlands one of the failed settlements but personally I think she's just a crazy bitch from some town round here, a hundred bits dead a hundred and fifty alive." The marshal nodded.
" I'll take them." Blondie folded the bounties and put them in his pocket," Now where should I start looking for Bale?"
The marshal grimaced he obviously felt bad for the colt," On the west side of town is a warehouse owned by Golden Feathers Whiskey, they bring in whiskey from the settlement of Baltimare the griffons do trading there and obviously we get whiskey from them." He looked Blondie in the eye," You can find him in there."
The man nodded and turned around keeper following him, just as they were about to leave the marshal called out," Hey uh I used to watch over him when he was younger and his parents came into town for business... he's a good colt, if you bring him back alive I'll pay you twenty extra bits... okay?"
Blondie looked him in the eyes one last time before turning around and walking out the door, Keeper smiled the marshal as assuringly as he could," I'll make sure we bring him back." Then yet again he rushed back out to meet up with Blondie
The warehouse itself, unlike other warehouses around, wasn't worn and the golden painted on letters which read Golden Feathers Whiskey was still legible. Keeper snorted his nostrils flaring as he studied the front of the building, no windows only two big doors with a lock. Maybe they could sneak in through a back entrance if there was one, Keeper was about to suggest such an action on when Blondie began moving to the doors.
Without so much as a word he pulled his gun, keeper knew what followed and did his best to cover his ears but it didn't do much. The gun went off with a bang and the lock broke, when Keeper's ears stopped ringing he chuckled a little," That gun is a nifty little tool."
" Yeah." Blondie replied, then took the cigar from his mouth and flicked it to the ground before using both arms to push the doors open. They swung grandly and without a creak inwards to reveal three rows of neatly stacked boxes each with the name Golden Feathers Whiskey on them. The rows traveled towards the back of the warehouse and towered to the roof, between them all was a gap just wide enough to walk through.
Keeper gulped realizing the colt was somewhere in here hiding obviously alerted of their presence, yet Blondie holstered his gun and strode on in. Keeper hesitantly followed behind, Blondie paused a moment and studied the pathways they had available. His eyes narrowed and he took the left path moving slowly, cautiously. Keeper imitated his slow movements and kept close to him as they made their way down the warehouse.
That's when Keeper heard a breath being drawn, Blondie must of heard it too because he stopped and looked to Keeper. He put a finger over his lip signaling him to stay quiet, as they drew near the end of the warehouse Keeper saw that where the crates ended was about seven hooves of uncluttered space.
As they neared the end of the path Keeper thought he heard a breath and apparently so did Blondie who stopped in his tracks and just as he did so they heard a yell. At the end of the path Bale rushed them with a knife raised above his head, Keeper yelped and fell on his ass in surprise but Blondie acted quickly.
His left arm shot up and intercepted the knife while his right shot out and hit Bale in the chest knocking the wind out of him, Bale went limp gasping for breath and would have fallen if not for Blondie's hold on him.
Keeper grasped the edge of a crate, pulled himself up and dusted his clothes off. Looking to the colt he felt pity, he was young and obviously didn't know what he was doing but that didn't excuse the fact that he'd rushed them with a knife. Looking to Blondie Keeper asked," What are you going to do with him?"
Blondie ignored him and focused on Bale who'd regained his footing but was still working on his breath," Listen here kid your gonna follow me to the marshal and your going to be quiet about it."
" Screw you." He wheezed out but Blondie was having none of it.
" Alright kid there three ways this plays out you either come willingly, I knock you unconscious or I carry your dead body back which will it be?" The colt looked the man in his narrowed menacing eyes and gulped.
" Ah'll follow willingly."
" Good choice, trust me good choice." Keeper smiled to himself, the colt was coming back alive.
The marshal jolted awake as the door bursted open, looking up he saw Bale and behind him the tall man and finally next to them both was House Keeper. Then he smiled Bale was still alive maybe the man had some good in him after all," You brought him back alive!"
Blondie nodded his face void of expression, the marshal stood up and smiled at Bale," You remember me right?"
" Yessum I remember you Mr. Lawmaker." Bale nodded and looked down ashamed," Ah done some bad things sir."
The Marshal nodded," Yes you did Bale an-" before he could finish Bale interrupted.
"But ah till got the bits I stole and I want to say sorry to Mrs Way, ah-ah didn't know what to do I was scared and hungry but I want to make it better." The colt was almost in tears. The marshal reached and placed his hands on Bale's shoulders.
"Shh don't worry I'm not going to lock you up but you will give the bits back as well as give an apology to Mrs Way then you can stay with me okay," Bale looked him in the eyes with surprise," I know your mom left you all alone and your dads off in the war, if you want you can stay with me I have a guest bedroom and bathroom, is that okay?"
Bale nodded as the marshal backed away and turned to Blondie," Well you did your part of the deal here's your bits." Reaching into his pocket he produced sixty bits.
Reaching out Blondie grabbed the bits," Nice doing business with you." as the marshal went back to his desk Blondie turned to Bale.
Bale was looking at him eyes wide," Sir ah'm sorry fer attacking you with a knife." He smiled sheepishly.
" Next time you attack someone with a knife remember no yelling it gives away the surprise and attack from below not over head it's easier to block someone slashing downwards okay?" Keeper was confused at why he was giving this advice and so was Bale.
" O-okay sir." and with that Blondie turned to leave, Keeper followed as the stepped out to see th sun was still high in the sky.
" Must be around noon huh Blondie."
" Yeah." Turning to Keeper he held out twenty bits.
" Uh what's this?" Keeper questioned confused.
" I'm going after Bloody Cherry and the best plan I can come up with involves you being put in danger so if you decide to join me consider this a down payment including once we catch her half of the bounty, so what'll it be you going to help me or not." He jangled the bits in his hand.
Keeper ran it through his mind, he could stay at the inn probably have no customers or risk his life and make more bits in a day than he makes in month," Alright I'm in."
