༄ heart sick and eyes filled up with blue

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He'd heard the sounds. The screams, the sobs. They echoed through the valley, beckoning forth any to respond.

Eyes narrowed and heart hitched, he felt two very different emotions. Fury, that someone might be trespassing on their land. And then there was a hint of sympathy. No one made a cry for help quite so frighteningly without an honest reason to.

Racing across the plains, he came to a screeching halt just a yard short of the wobbly thing. Tilting his head, he studied the situation carefully. Weighing his options, really.

With a slow pace, he inched a bit closer. Clearing his throat, he spoke out, blatantly interrupting. “Cryin’ ain’t gonna get you far, ‘cept maybe a pair of eyes you don’t want watchin’.” And maybe he was that pair of eyes. But this valley belonged to Callahan. To him. To the gang. No one would soil it without being called out for it.

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The cowboy had been campin' outside of the main camp for the past nights to give him the chance to map out more of the valley he was fixin' to settle. He had found a few vantage points along the mountain paths he'd forged on his scouting trips, even some small cave systems that could be a shelter should they ever need it.

But on this morning, Callahan was studying the fish who resided in the river when a screech interrupted the silence. The only time Callahan had ever heard a cry of this intensity was the day he lost them. And this time, Cal wasn't going to lose someone again. The brown-haired man took off in a sprint, ears listening to pinpoint their location.

When he arrived at the scene, he hadn't expected to see his right hand loomin' over a girl. Callahan's lip curled with a warning growl, instinct drivin' him to protect the blonde. “What's goin' on here, Rhett?” Cal wanted to trust Rhett wasn't the one who hurt the girl—they were partners now after all—but trust was hard to give these days. Levi had made sure of that before he left Cal to his fate. “Miss, are you alright?” He lowered his head to speak softly to the girl before him.

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misc skill ; outrider

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callahan took a step back, givin’ her the space she needed to calm down. the girl looked like reed when he’d wake from a nightmare screamin’ and kickin’. the tears that streamed down her face spoke enough for him to know aggression was not the answer to the problem at hand.

“easy now, sweetheart. i ain’t gonna hurt ya. just take a breath.” cal weren't sure what more he could do to calm the girl, but he kept his distance in hopes it'd help. “why don't you tell me your name, hm? would that be okay?” he allowed a soft smile to appear as he kept his eyes on the crying blonde.

and when the girl threw a bunch of dirt at his face, callahan pulled on every source of strength to not snap at her. it stung as it settled in his eyes and nose, irritating the sensitive skin. “you need to relax 'fore you hurt yourself.” cal didn't mean for it to sound like a threat, but if it did, he knew there was nothing he could do about it. god he wished it'd been bunny who found her with him. she'd know how to handle somethin' like this.

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cal couldn't make heads nor tails of the girl, but he knew he wanted to help her. somethin' terrible must've happened to her and by the hands of a man. he couldn't understand what had happened to get her to this level, but he knew it were somethin'. she seemed like a troubled kid, but what did he know?

the quick flash of her teeth had him impressed. she were a small thing but a fighter, and that was how she' survive out here. “no, you're not. and i ain't some saint but i ain't a woman killer, now calm down so i can help you. he ain't gonna hurt you none and i ain't either.” cal gave a pointed look at the pale man as he spoke, a frown disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared. the two would have a talk about his behavior later, but as of now, calming the girl was his focus. “you don't talk, i can't help.” he simply stared as a laugh left her. she sure acted like a mad woman, but cal weren't here to judge. she was losin' her damn mind and it was on him to help.

“no, i ain't your friend.” he agreed, though his patience wearing thin. cal knew better than to get upset, but she weren't listenin' to a damn thing he said! but what she said made him pause. kill? was she, murdered? “i don't know who you're talkin' 'bout, but i ain't a killer.” anymore. he watched her attempt with pity, and took a deep breath before taking another step back. “would it help if you knew my name?” he asked, doin' his best to keep her calm.

watchin' how she used a paw to wipe at her face reminded him of somethin' that also happened to him. “you were human, weren't you?” he spoke softly, still treatin' her like a bronc he'd find out in the forests of ambarino.

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