[color=springgreen][h2][center]Meru & Gilead[/center][/h2][/color]
[hr]

The woman’s nose crinkled in disgust as she replied, flatly shutting the conversation, or what little there had been, down. Seemed she thought the Sheriff was the man to talk to. Though Gilead had his reasons to suspect it wouldn’t be wise to share many secrets with the lawman, rarely was, let alone in a town like Ulysses. Gilead’s flat, dull eyes bore into Lily, mentally willing her to reconsider. His focus was so absolute that the tumult and following gunshot outside didn’t draw so much as a flinch from the slumped husk of Samuel Gilead.

The same could not be said for her, pausing only for a breath as she noticed the animal peering out at her from the darkness. Time seemed to slow and distort as Lily gazed into those golden, sparkling orbs, suddenly zipping reality back into proper speed as she broke the gaze.
As she stood, Gilead could swear he noticed a fleeting wash of hope and expectation stealing across her features. In a flash, she wheeled herself outside, calling after the man with the tarnished star and the rifle.

Gilead side-eyed at the Coyote, still cloaked in shadow. Meru responded by trotting leisurely out of The Leaky Pitcher. Groaning, Gilead slid from his stool, following the coyote as a child might in the throws of a silent tantrum.

Meru perched himself on the edge of the tavern’s porch, paws stopping just short of the sun’s touch, breeze ruffling his ashen fur. Gilead, quietly took up position next to the animal.

“Y’er sure?” Samuel croaked bitterly.

Meru turned his chin upwards to meet Gilead’s reluctant gaze.

Gilead threw his hands up in defeat, shaking his head. “Bah. Fine! Oughtta geyt movin’ den.”

Without another word, Samuel, still brimming with visible apprehension in the gentle din of supply distribution, mounted his horse. The mare, Plum, was still greedily munching on the contents of her feed bag, but begrudgingly allowed herself to be steered out of town. Gilead mounted swiftly, Meru weaving gracefully between the horses legs as they ambled out of town.


“C’mon Girl. Hyah!”

Dust clouded the air as Plum tore at the ground, accelerating in the direction of the Jefferson farmstead.