Looking outside, Lee can see Allgood and River still loitering on the porch of the Thornton-Curry. After a moment, Desiree Thornton emerges from inside, clearly concerned for the minister and herbalist’s welfare. She is carrying a bottle of whiskey, which she offers to River, apparently for the purpose of cleansing the pastor’s wound.

Lee, River, and Allgood can all see the ragged form of the wagon train, still lined up along Lincoln’s Main Street, silent and seemingly awaiting something. Moments pass, and the door to the Murphy Store opens, the faint light from a single lantern slanting across the porch. A lone figure emerges, tall with a measured step, moving out to the edge of the deck. The dark conceals most of the man’s features, but he is clad in a long coat, and wears a wide brimmed, cavalry style hat. He stares straight ahead at the vacant wagons.

Albert winced at Billy's response though he was heartened by Jose's response. After a pause, he answered the question. "Was a little black skull inside that bone thing. I was tryin' ta hit it the first time, but it deflected and hit Jose instead. Second shot's what took it down. Not all of us is as accurate as ya are."

He gave Jose another concerned look and also helped him to his feet at the same time as Josiah. "I think the law done saw ya didn't have nothin' ta do with it, but travel safe if yer so inclined. And think 'bout what I said, Jose."

Tamsin gets to work once the threat is gone. “Reverend, come here, let me see,” she commands. She takes the bottle, wanting to get the wound cleaned up.

04:28, Today: Tamsin River rolled 19,1 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (8+8+3)19,1.  Healing.

Supposing the Reverend wants my services, of course,

"Miss River, if you don't mind comin' over, we got an injured man in here," he called out with a beckoning wave before moving over to where Lena Bauer was.

"I'll help you move him if it comes to that, but in my experience, best not to move a fella when he's wounded. I think we can get at least some temporary relief over here before we have to move him." He looked at the massive hole in the wall.

"Good time to be a carpenter in Lincoln, I suppose."

In reply to Jesse Evans (msg # 124):

"What? That was on yer side? Then what in the thrice damned tarnation was that?"  Kate replied, her voice raspy but she kept it low.  "That ain't what no one talked about.  It were ignert ennyhow, ya didn't flush out jack rabbits with that little stunt."

She pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers.  "Con sarn it, ya don't use a mule team when all ya need is a pony.  Damn yer eyes, ya ought to have told me an' ah could'a had ya kill every'un of 'em."

”I’ll do that,” Chavez y Chavez replies to Cooper’s suggestion.

”Gentlemen, let’s ride,” Billy says. Looking to Lee, he adds, ”Ranger, I reckon we’ll speak again soon.”

He takes a last look at the fallen sheriff, then gives Cooper and Bauer each a quick nod before departing. Scurlock follows, keeping pace with Chavez y Chavez, to ensure the wounded man doesn’t falter.

With practiced efficiency, River cleans Allgood’s wound, dressing it with a selection of herbs and a bandage from her pack.

OOC: Allgood’s shaken condition is removed. His wound is healed.

From across the street, the herbalist can hear Bryan Lee call for her.

”Why don’t you come inside after you’re done out here?” Thornton suggests, ”Get warmed back up. Maybe have a drink and some food. On the house.”

Bauer nods at the Ranger’s instruction. She looks down at Brady and sighs heavily. ”Hope this friend of yours can help him some. But...I’m afraid...lookin’ at this head wound...I ain’t sure he’s ever gonna be the same.”

Evans listens intently to Kate’s words,. He takes a draw on his cigarillo, his attention drifting over to the street. ”Someone should’ve warned you. Some things around here...they require a little adjustment in how you see the world.”

He considers the damaged courthouse. ”As to what it was, you’d have to ask McDaniels. I’ve got an instinct it did some good.” His eyes shift to the Regulators mounting their horses. ”But not quite enough to settle everything down.”

“Remember, we were just here to clean up. Wasn’t our show. But with as many as walked away, there’s no sense in unnecessary risks. There’ll be other opportunites. We just gotta keep an eye out for ‘em.”

Once she is finished with the Reverend, Tamsin goes to where they were calling for her.

In reply to Tamsin River (msg # 127):

Earnest smiles at Miss River, though there's not much life to the expression. With the threats removed, he lets himself relax, slumping against the wall of the saloon.

"I believe I'll just sit down for a bit," he says, slowly slipping down until he's seated on the floor.

In reply to Jesse Evans (msg # 134):

Kansas Kate was clearly not happy.  Well actually she was, but she was channeling her inner anger to put on a show.

"Of all the dumbass cockamanie... don't you people know how to outlaw?  I oughta tan his hide for somethin' like that.  Look we need to get the hell oughta here, they won't be distracted any longer'n takes ta skin a rabbit."

"I've seen folks get better from worse, so let's hope for the best. Sheriff a religious man?" he asked Bauer.

When Tamsin came over, he beckoned her over and pointed to Brady. "Miss River, the Sheriff took a wound in the fightin'. I was hoping you could stabilize him before we move him to the doctor."

“I’ll do what I can. Anyone else? I’ve already patched up the Reverend, he should be fine.”

Tamsin knelt down next to the sheriff, pulling out what she needed to work with.

00:20, Today: Tamsin River rolled 1,5 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,5.  Healing.

Albert nodded at River. "Yup, Jose got hurt as well. Although..." Albert looked at the injured man receding into the distance. "Looks like he got his own trusted healer."

Albert smiled at Tamsin. "So what've y'all been up to since we left?"

River steps inside the ruined Sheriff’s Office, pausing to take in the gaping hole in the floor and the bones scattered everywhere she can see.

Moving to the fallen form of William Brady, River can easily see that although the bleeding from the worst of his wounds has been halted, the lawman is still in a fragile, dangerous state. With some work, the herbalist is able to further stabilize him.

OOC: One of the sheriff’s three wounds is healed.

”Part of the idea behind this...we help the right people, we don’t have to outlaw anymore. At least not the runnin’ and hidin’ part.”

He nods in the direction of the shadowed foothills. ”You want to skedaddle, feel free. But I promise you, even if a few deputies do come lookin’, nothin’ they’re going to say will stick. Not for long anyway.”

He points to the Courthouse with his cigarillo. ”There’s a lot that didn’t get solved tonight. Not like we were hopin’. But one thing’s for sure. No one’s gonna doubt where the real power is around here.”

Seemingly satisfied, the tall figure on the porch of the Murphy Store retreats indoors. As he turns his back on the somber sight of the wagon train, a gust of wind moans as it travels the length of Lincoln’s Main Street. And a moment later, the ruined caravan is gone from sight, vanishing within the span of a heartbeat.

”I think he’ll live,”  Tamsin says as she finishes up. She cleans up the blood she can now that everything’s covered, making sure she didn’t miss anything.  ”Definitely needs Doc Woods, though. I can come if you’d like, though I don’t know there’s much more I can do for him,

She stands up, brushing her hands off on her skirt, turning to face Albert. ”Well, Miss Winter showed me some more of the area around Lincoln, wild herbs, all that. And you, Mr. Cooper?”

"Thank you kindly, Miss River," he said, turning his attention back to deputy Bauer. "Now that he's a bit more stable, I can help you cart him over to the Doc's place."

"Feller, have you done gone plumb loco?  You done sent that big ornery critter against 'em, and hell knows how you even done that but let's not worry about that just yet, and they done made it look a fool."

Kate looked at him square on.  "Why do ya think they call me Kansas Kate and not Shotgun Sally?  Because Bloody Kansas is scarier than a scattergun pointed right at yer noggin."  She shook her head.

"Look ya'll got the resources, but ya'll don't know a blessed thing about fear.  Fear don't come from a gun.  It don't come from no monster.  Fear comes from the heart."  She patted herself down for a smoke and then realized she didn't have any.  "That whole lot over there could all be after me, and I would fear them less than that old half-consumed whore that called herself my mother.  But don't you worry none.  I'll learn ya."

Albert nodded at Tamsin's response. "Well, mostly talkin' with the law, Flower Power, and then some with the not-so-law. Think they call themselves the Regulators? They seem ta be hot under the collar, and not thinkin' so clear. Hope I gave 'em a little somethin' ta chew on."

He pointed toward the second story of the courthouse. "Found a skeleton on the top floor in here as well. Holdin' a weapon. General was too fierce for it, though."

Evans draws a flask from his pocket and takes a drink from it. ”Well, I look forward to gettin’ an education.”

He indicates the Murphy Store across the street with a nod. ”Tomorrow. Ten in the mornin’. Meet me at the steps over there. You can show me how a real outlaw solves a nagging problem that doesn’t seem to want to go away.”

With that, he drops his cigarillo to the ground and crushes it. Tipping his hat to Kate, he sets off westward, into the night.

With some careful effort, Lee and Bauer are able to carry the still unconscious Brady over to Dr. Wood’s office. Unsurprisingly, the physician is wide awake, having been pulled from slumber by the sounds of gunfire. It takes little time to get the sheriff situated on a couch in his office. Wood assures Bauer and the others that he will see to Brady’s treatment around the clock, but expresses trepidation about the terrible wound that the lawman sustained to his head.

Once outside the office, the group separates, heading either back to the Thornton-Curry, to the Patron House, or even to their homes, agreeing to meet early on the following day to discuss all that has transpired.