"What for, shit?" Sky Dog asked, puzzled. "Hey! Not so 'of course', this Dodge it is the first big...settlement I stay in; I don't know everything. I know vodka, rice-wine, gin, all the spirit-water with fire colours, yes. They smell different! Do you go away again?"

The argumentativeness subsided as swiftly as it appeared, dissolving into giggles. "I like you. I see why Wyitterp likes you, yes, you are very fair. You are never a law man? I sit." He did, scrubbing at the heat along his cheekbone and at his nose. This only lasted until Gabby's words registered, however.

"Ah!" He nodded thanks to Gabby and addressed Daniel with animation, eventually getting off the stool again. "You are a barber, yes, with the razor? For the beard? Please, I need you to shave my caribou."
Whether this had lost something in translation or otherwise, it seemed genuinely urgent.

Daniel smiled at the exchanges that were going on around him. He was certainly not concerned that he would be bored at any point in the near future. "Thanks fer th' drink, Hank. Any sorts o' trouble or interstin' stuff going on about these parts?"

Before the man could answer his eyebrows knotted together as he slowly turned toward Sky Dog. "Yer care boo? Beard too big? Yah, I can take care o' that. An th' local barber won' even mind me fringin' on his terrtory."

He turned back to Hank. "Where's th' local barber, anyhow?"

The bartender cocked an eyebrow and looked curiously at both Sky Dog and Daniel.

"Well, you two are chock full o' questions. I'd better at least answer a couple before I get a whole lot more. I guess this is your first time to Dodge City if you're wondering if there's any trouble about. There's always trouble about of one kind or another here - which I suppose is why they've got extra deputies everywhere. Nothin' particular to take note of. There is an old lady with a booth preachin' temperance...as far as I'm concerned, I think she's trouble. Pace yer territory and see if you think there's any trouble spots. Most I do is stand around in here."

"Now, as far as the barber goes...I'm surprised you think I look like I know where to find a barber, but I do, of course. You'll find one if you go all the way up to Spruce street. Spruce and Bridge. Or Spruce and Third. I mix 'em up. It's been a while since I've been. As far as yer deputizin' goes, though, I suggest you take a walk 'round the block."

Korpi marched her way down the bar, past Daniel's drink, and pulled at Sky Dog's sleeve until he put a hand on the counter and leant on it. Satisfied his tilt wasn't about to turn critical, the raven angled her head and gave the barkeep what might have been a grave stare whilst Sky Dog was still giggling at Dog Eye's curious look.

Eventually the shaman recovered himself. "No, no...the nirku, on the caribou, it is more like beard than...than the hair on Clemya," he gestured at the dog, "-but stronger. You can't cut it with a knife! Or the shears - it is made against the weather, but poor Igor, he is heated up inside, with the thick blood, and always breathing in the heat. He is very sad." Sky Dog looked pained.

"You shave all of the caribou - lots of shaving, yes? I will pay you in silver, or all the pretty beads, or dollars later, from Wyitterp. Come! We go now, come back later, maybe we find the booth that is preaching on the way." Sky Dog tugged at Daniel's sleeve like a child, equally open and earnest.

Korpi looked at the pair a few seconds, then took off and resumed her perch atop Morgan's hat.

Daniel nodded with a smile at the barman and with a raised eyebrow and sigh at the Russian-Siberian-Indian. "Tempernce, eh? That I gotta see. Mebbe get her talkin' to the right folk. Can't complain 'bout the message." Maybe he'd still chat with that one about something, regardless.  "Guess we'll trust to our eyes'n'ears fer th'rest."

He turned to regard Sky Dog. "I'll give it muh best shot, but I gotsta priortize or at least co-ordnate with our fella deputies. Where's yer care boo settin' anyhow? At th'stable?"

Coraline took Randolph's arm and allowed him to escort her, still thinking about the Chinaman's predictions.  Most of it just sounded like driveling bullshit made up by a lunatic, but the part about her gambling her life away... that struck a chord with her.  He couldn't have possibly know about her love of cards or poker.  So why choose those particular words?  Her brow furrowed as she puzzled over the other things he'd said, wondering if any of them would really come true.  Distracted, as they walked into the saloon, she completely missed the offer of a beer and only started listening about halfway through the conversation.

Randolph notes Coraline's pensive mood and does nothing to disturb her thoughts, merely conducting her into the saloon and seating her at a table. He declines the offered beer with a shake of his head and pays scant attention to talk of barbers and caribou and temperance preachers.

As Coraline starts to rouse from her brown study, he smiles at her. "What can I bring you from the bar, Miss Hawthorne?"

"Yes. In the day, he is there." This seemed to remind the shaman of something. "Also, do not be alarmed my... ..."

Sky Dog fought for a word that was just not coming, "..off-the-ground-carrier, it is full of eels."

Sky Dog looked at the other deputies. "Caleb Morgan will be going to people at the church, yes? Morgan, you will maybe take Clemya, or Korpi if she wants? Often when a village is killed, it burns all the words away, with the young ones, except to the animals," he said. To judge by his tone, randomised violence had long become a fact of life as present as avalanche or summer forest fires along the Russian frontier.

"Darling Shadow-man and Hawthorn, Dog Eye will know where they go. Wyitterp he is the law man, yes, but hehe-" Sky Dog coughed and rubbed at his nose, "-it is Dog Eye who hears the settlement, what it wants, what it does. I think. Dog Ear!" he grinned a tipsy grin at the bartender. "Maybe we are kin, maybe. I am Sky Dog."

He held up a finger with the solemnity of the slightly drunk. "I promise not to sniff you. ...but you come soon, Dalix, please - the day heats up. We will bring back the glass."

"Nothing, but thank you Mister Darling.  We only just had breakfast, so I am content for now."  She glanced to the others that had been deputized.  "Do you all have a plan of where you would like to patrol?  We should probably coordinate our efforts so that the town is well covered in case of trouble.  I am not at all interested in breaking up a round of fisticuffs should they break out, so it would be beneficial to know where the nearest deputy was in case assistance is needed."

Randolph asks McNary for a shot and takes it back to the table to sit with Coraline.

"Marshall Morgan, you're our experienced lawman. How should we go about policing our little patch of Dodge City?

"Two pairs patrolling every hour with another pair here at the Dog Eye in reserve? Maybe Daniel and Sky Dog as one patrol, Clarke and I as the other, you and Miss Hawthorne as the reserve? The patrols could take a half hour off in every four with the reserve taking their circuit perhaps.

"I expect that any plan we make will get altered after tonight at any rate."

He sips off half his shot.

"Who is going to take rooms here at the Dog Eye? I believe I'll keep mine at the Dodge House."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:35, Sun 03 Feb 2013.

Daniel considered the questions and the comments from all sources before giving his opinions. He was a little surprised that Randolph wanted a patrol with Gabby, though perhaps that was the best way for the pair to clear the air, as it were.

"If ya think yer sister'll have luck understandin' or talkin' ta the young ones, I think our first priorty is goin' ta find the Hays folks. Then I c'n try ta see ta yer moose. 'fore nightfall I also wanna check on th' tempernce booth. See the particulars there. An I wanna chat with th'local barber. See if there's any rumors he gots. In that order."

He paused briefly, then added, "As fer patrols, I'ma thinkin' bein' a mounted patrolman has its advantages. Presumebly Jock is th' only horse we got, though, right? What 'bout yer care boo, Sky Dog? Do ya sit his back when ya travel?"
This message was last edited by the player at 16:56, Sun 03 Feb 2013.

"In those crowds? I suppose . Never done much lawin' but there's not much room for riding. You can still do it, but it'll take you forever to get anywhere. If it were me, I'd just walk. Any of y'all gonna stay here tonight? I kept rooms in case deputies needed 'em but, if not I gotta try to let 'em out soon as I can."

"Yes - Igor is my kujjai, my steed." Sky Dog said, his intonation suggesting the word was the nearest translation for the one before rather than a poetic archaisim. "...but I also do not think a caribou with his pointy antlers is a good idea in crowds. He would be afraid of the loud drunkens and people shooting the air for the festival and fight to run away."

"I will not sleep here - thank you, no. Corners..." Sky Dog waved in a vague manner about the room. "I do not trust them. We will still sleep outside the town." He rubbed absently at the flush in his cheeks.

Gaby raised an eye at the suggestion of him pairing up with Mr. Darling on their patrols, but it would give him more of a chance to watch the man, and that was fine with him.

"I reckon that sounds fine." Gabby says. "I'll hang up my spurs here for the week, if you don't mind Mr. McNary. Dodge House is nice, but I reckon my finances can't take the strain for a whole week. Not until we done get paid, at least."

Daniel shrugged at the talk of mounted versus not. Seemed like the street was wide enough and muddy to boot. But he would find out for himself quickly whether it was too crowded or not. "I'ma stay here, too." He added. He had no desire to be away from his uncle, and this place seemed to be the center of action. Plus this dog seemed trustworthy enough and was recommended by Wyatt Earp himself.

He looked about. "Fer now, I think we should get ta those folk from Hays." Daniel chugged the remainder of his beer and then set the glass down loudly. "Ain't no time like th' present."

He started toward the door, intent on finding his way to the widow and her folk.

"I think remaining on foot will be the most practical," Morgan offered thoughtfully, "especially once the streets become crowded with the celebration."

"Staying in pairs is a sound idea. To my thinking, it might be best if we had two pairs of deputies patrolling our section of town and the last pair somewhere in the center of our district, ready to respond to any trouble that comes up. Here at the Dog Eye might be the best spot for that pair. We can rotate the duty amongst us, so no one's stuck with walking the whole time."

He took a drink of his beer. Looking to McNary, he said, "I'd like a room here as well, Mr. McNary."

Standing as Daniel started to exit, Morgan spoke to the barber. "I'd like to come with you, if you don't mind Daniel. I'm interested to hear what the folks from Hays can tell us."

Sky dog took a deep breath and leant away from the bar, gripping it until his balance felt secure. The people of Hays were not his tribe, not even close. The conditioned sense of wrongness in interfering with others' buisness warred with the urge to find and help anyone who might need it. Hopefully he wouldn't frighten them too much - at least he seemed to get "white rat" and "freak" here more often than "ghost" or "snow-devil". The deep breath came out as giggles.

Sky Dog let go of the bar and padded after Daniel, holding onto the doorway as an idea struck. The shaman untied a sun-faded blue bandanna from his wrist, fished it from his sleeve and tied it about his neck before attaching the tin star to that.

"I'll be keeping my room at the Dodge House as well," she replied to Randolph.  While visiting the saloon at night for a rowdy game might be exciting, she shuddered at the thought of sleeping in one of the man's beds.  No telling what sort of bugs or critters would be lurking in the sheets.

"Do you feel like an afternoon stroll, Miss Hawthorne?" Randolph asks. He explains his intention to walk their 'beat' in daylight, taking time to step into any shops and establishments along the way to introduce himself to the proprietors, walks down the alleys, and extends his route along the opposite sidewalks as well. By the time he returns to the Dog Eye, he should have a fair idea of the ground and its regular inhabitants.
This message was last updated by the GM at 04:02, Tue 05 Feb 2013.

"That would be lovely, Mister Darling." She offer a slight smile, thinking that a stroll through town would be a good way to scout out possible problem areas.

It might have been early in the day, but as the conversation had proceeded there were already a few people in the saloon. In between words with the deputies - each of whom Hank introduced - Dog Eye served them up drinks, which they took away to their tables promptly. The man whose nose had been nipped by Korpi stumbled down the stairs, and stayed generally clear of the Injun and his bird when possible, though he kept a wary eye on the thing.

"Pardon me," he said politely, clearing his throat. He seemed to be well dressed, though his clothes were a bit tattered and dirty, he was a bit unkempt, and he smelled of liquor and more. Still, he was fairly spoken and bore a distinguished Carolina accent. "But I was wondering if I might impose upon one of your good graces for the small charity of a beverage. I regret that I cannot offer recompense for it at present, but I am waiting for a check to arrive at the First Bank of Dodge tomorrow so I can continue my journey west."

"Allow me, sir," Randolph produces a silver dollar from his vest pocket and places it on the bar, "Randolph Darling, at your service." He makes a half-bow with a half-smile.

"Thank you, sir. Very kind of you. Very kind indeed. I am most grateful for this kindness to a man fallen on hard times. You know, I've always said even during the war times that there were some true gentlemen and scholars on the other side of the line, and I maintain that to this day. Whatever else may divide us, especially in these trouble times, let there always be such men of grace and dignity on both sides, that something good may come of it all. God bless you, sir," he said, dipping his head in respect to Randolph.

The bartender poured him a shot of whiskey and a beer, and handed two quarters back to Randolph. The man took the shot, raised it in a toast to Randolph and slammed it back. "Thank you again, sir," he said, before wobbling on over to a corner of the bar with his beer. Another glass was waiting at an empty table. He slid into the car and leaned against the wall in kind of a tired slump and sipped at the beer, eyes downcast.

Randolph waved off the change, "Keep it for him, if you will, and keep that for yourself." He added a dime to the coins and looked over at Coraline, "Shall we walk then, Miss Hawthorne?"

"That was very kind of you, Mister Darling," she said as she rose to her feet.  The man over in the corner was given a brief glance.