A middle aged man on horseback trotted through the isolated town of Armadillo, each individual fast asleep by this time. Pulling fiercely back at the reins, he halted. Taking time to look around the area, he once called “home”. Straightening his dark hat, he leant back in the saddle and slowly slipped out his 8 shot revolver from it’s holster. He studied it carefully before pulling the trigger back, the gunshot echoing off the walls as it faded into the darkness.
Pushing it back into it’s holster, he took hold of the reins and kicked the sides of his horse, Ricochet firmly.
The bay stallion tossed his head and leaned back onto its back legs and reared, its hooves stabbing at the air before plummeting forward into the shadows.

"Settle down son, just drop what you got there and we might let you go home alive."
An old man with a winchester said. He spat near the hooves of a painted Horse. The horse was ridden by a man olding a liquor bottle.
"He's right boy. Just get off your horse and give me the bottle."
Another man, a portley one stood with his hands on his hips.

"You folks know who I am?" The man on the horse asked. "Name's Elis."

"The Thief for Hire? Looks like you ain't no good boy! Otherwise we wouldn't be standing here."
"I heard he killed three men a few months back."
"Only three? What, you think you're a killer? Killing three? You got not the skills or the guts kid!"
Elis knew they were drunk, the Winchester wasn't even pointed at him.
"Come give us the bottle eh? Mister Killer of three."

The two men didn't even see it, Elis moved, two bangs were heard and some smoke was seen. He tipped his hat to the bodies. "Killer of six."
He turned the horse around and walked towards a house. Inside the window was a dead man, a knife proturded from his chest. Elis put the bottle on the porch and nodded as the abused wife walked up and took it. "Night ma'am."

Colten scratched the back of his neck as he ordered his horse to a halt, sniffing the light, crisp air, nodding his head. Blood had been spilt tonight, he could sense it. Glancing back at the town, he wondered whether to go investigate or to carry on to his trek to Thieve's Landing...He sighed, as he decided to go with the first option. Turning his horse, Richochet around, he trotted into the silent town. There was dead bodies of three men on the side of the road. Dismouning his horse, he kneeled down to them, looting a few coins and a whiskey bottle. "Rest in peace" he whispered as he leapt back onto his horse, taking a swig out of the bottle. He shivered and threw the bottle onto the ground, it smaashed into several pieces. He never had cared too much for alcohol.

Elis' steed trotted to a nearby tree, it was less than a mile outside of the town. He tied his horse to the branches and sat down beneath the hanging leaves. He got a small fire going and placed some beans in a can, after adding in some other ingredients as well as letting it cook for a while a delicious smell arose from the can. He ate the food when it was cool enough and hummed a tune silently to himself as he surveyed the land. There wasn't much to look at, some tall grass, dirt and the mountains in the distance. Elis didn't mind. To his right he saw two hares running about, soon they were out of sight.

He leaned back and tipped his hat over his head. He saw the back of his eyelids and listened to the sound of the birds and the breeze. As relaxed as he was, his hands were never too far from his Remingtons.

Colton rubbed his forehead irritably with the back of his hand, he glanced at the lightening sky and took hold of his horse’s reins, swinging himself into the saddle. He thrust his feet into the stirrups and took off at a smooth trot, his hair bouncing against his neck in the slight breeze.
Narrowing his eyes, a odour of something cooking flowed through his nostrils, keeping a firm grip on his revolver, he decided to investigate.
After several minutes, he came across a man in around his late twenties, sitting back beside a campfire. Halting his horse, he chuckled lightly. “I never have been a huge fan of beans” he scoffed in a husky voice, glancing at the now, empty can, although the scent still lingered in the air.

Elis placed his hat properly on top of his head. He looked at the man on the horse and leaned forward, his right hand resting on the grip of one of his guns.
"Well you're in luck stranger. I'm cleaned out."

He got up and untied the horse's reigns. He kicked dirt on the fire, got his things and saddled up. He didn't like the look of this man, then again, who was he to judge. "I'm going to be heading down south to obtain some supplies. Good day sir." Elis squinted. Behind the man he could see dust rising from five horses. He pulled out a Remington. He turned to the stranger. "These bullets ain't for you mister. See those men yonder? No doubt they're on to avenge their half-wit friends. Courageous but foolish. I suggest you leave sir, this ain't your fight." Elis turned his horse to face the oncoming men, they were still quite far off, he waited until they were in range, at least he'd be able to take out one before they returned fire.

Colton chuckled half-heartedly. "I would suspect they're after me, never been fond of the law, myself" he said, voice rather dark. He glanced at the men, galloping towards them, sliding out his revolver as he aimed towards the riders. Pulling back on the reins, his horse reared as he quickly fired three bullets, two hitting the men in the neck, the other missing the opposing man by an inch. He grinned and spurred his horse on. "I'll let you deal with the other three" he said with a smirk before racing off into the distance, a cruel laugh echoing in the crisp air.

Elis watched him run off. He would have thanked him, that man just made his life easier.

He waited for the men to come closer. All the while leveling his pistols. Elis wasn't a man to miss, if he did he would not let himself forget it. He waited. time seemed to slow down. Everything went quiet. Then, two shots rung out causing the heads of the men on the flanks of the third man to swing backwards.
Elis dismounted and pulled out his tomahawk, the third man fired a shot, but missed, no doubt due to the fact that the movement of his horse caused his aim to be terrible. Elis waited for the man to pass him, which he did. The man had also slowed the horse down because he had to turn. Elis too full advantage of this send the the weapon flying into the man's back. Once he had fallen of his horse he walked up to the man, stole some items from the his horse as he watched and then finally killed him by pulling out the weapon. "Waste of bullets." Elis muttered.

"Now, where was I?" Elis searched the other men for usable ammo. Only one man had it, eighteen casings. "Good enough." Elis mounted his horse and rode South. Strange man. he thought, thinking about the stranger who killed the other two. He's wanted too eh?

Colton pulled back on Ricochet’s reins, nearing a campfire, dusk soon approaching the timeless land. He drew near to the three men who sat before the campfire, one smoking a cigar. He tipped his hat in greeting. “G’evening, partner” he greeted, dismounting his horse as he tied the reins to a dead tree. “Mind if I join you?” he enquired, taking a cigarette from his duster coat pocket, lighting a splint on his boot.
The stranger glanced slowly up at Colton, putting his cigar out. “Not at all” he replied coolly, gesturing for him to sit down.
Colton nodded in thank-you, taking a seat beside a drunken man who was loudly snoring.
“Don’t mind old Bill there, just had a few too many” he joked.
Colton puffed on his cigarette before throwing it into the blazing fire.
“What y’all doing all the way out here, only bandits and thieves around this way” he said in a slight Mexican accent.
“Running away from old problems” Colton answered, not making eye contact.
“Aren’t we all…aren’t we all” the stranger commented, pulling out a bottle of whiskey, taking a swig.
“Not much of a talkative fellow, are ya?” a man with a red bandanna around his neck remarked.
“Never been” Colton retorted.
“No need to get snappy mister, only making a statement”
Colton sighed, they sat in silent for a few hours, when the others had finally fallen asleep, he stole their ammo, daggers and around twenty dollars from their saddle bags, before mounting onto his horse,
“Foolish old timers” he whispered aloud, kicking Ricochet on as they trotted briskly away, towards the mountains.