The trip, like John had foretold, was long and strenuous but now I could just barely see a small town in the distant horizon. Well actually John had pointed it out and I had checked it out with my binoculars.

The weather was still and the air was no different. The sun pounded hot rays of light down on us. I had my adventurer helmet but at this point I was kind of wishing for something like John’s brimmed cow-pony hat. It seemed to block all the sun-rays from scorching the back of his neck.

Along with that, his duster coat may insulate the heat but he had his sleeves rolled up for the moment, revealing a nasty scar on his left foreleg, just between his shoulder and elbow.

“What happened there?” I asked, pointing to the scar. He looked to where I was pointing then snickered.

“Stopped in a saloon to grab a drink and a local drunk took my actions as imposing and attacked me with a knife before I could react. Stabbed the entire blade into my arm before I could grab a bottle and smash it over his head.” He informed me. Most of my scars were usually from crashing after failed stunts, like when I once tried to use a grape vine to swing across a small river and ended up crashing down into the jagged rocks below.

The only scar I had that wasn’t from a stunt accident was the one from Black Mane. “Any other cool scars?” I asked out of fascinated curiosity. He simply looked away and chuckled heartily.

He looked back to me with a laugh. “I would hardly call this scar ‘Cool’… but yes. Three others.” He told me. He lifted the left side of his duster coat along with his shirt, revealing a bullet scar. “Got this during a bounty mission for some bank robber. He shot me with his 30-30 rifle. Luckily I shot him in the leg and he fell in pain before he could get a follow up shot.” John began then pulled both the shirt and coat back down.

He shifted his body so that he could show me his lower right abdomen as he pulled up his shirt, revealing a small bullet wound much like mine. “From Black Mane… he shot me kind of the same way he shot you. But he was less courteous because he didn’t give me a grave and simply left me bleeding out on the ground. I had to crawl back to town and was patched up by some crazy crossed eyed blue pegasus with a funky looking cutie mark which she claimed to be a medical cross.” He chuckled with a smile. I laughed at statement.

“Well maybe if you had have dug your own grave first then he might have shown you some common courtesy.” I laughed and he sighed then nodded as our horses continued on along the dusty trail towards the town.

“So what about the last one?” I asked and he gave me a curious look. “You know? The fourth scar? You said you had three more but you’ve only shown me two.” I reminded him and he gulped shyly and quickly changed the subject.

“When we get to town we’ll have to go to the saloon first. I’m parched.” He told me but I quickly tried to resurface the subject about his scar that he seemed to try and hid. What could be so bad about a scar?

“Okay sure… so what about this last scar?” I asked and he tried to switch the subject to me.

“Meh, it’s not fun. What about you? Any cool scars? You look pretty unscathed.” He asked. I smiled then rolled my eyes.

“My scars don’t really show all that much. They’re pretty light. Well accept for the bullet wound from Black Mane. Other than that one, they’re all from stunt accidents but the cuts were never that bad so my scars don’t really show. So how about you’re last one?” I asked, prodding at the question some more.

“It uh… doesn’t show that well either… just a small burn.” He told me but I could tell he was lying. I just knew it.

“Oh come on John! What’s so bad about a scar? It’s not like I’m going to think any less of you. What? Did you get shot from a sheriff while on the run or something?” I asked, figuring that maybe he was shy about it because of something bad he had done to get it.

“I just… just forget about it would you? I don’t like talking about it.” He told me. I nodded then quickly dropped the subject. Sheesh, what could be so bad about a measly scar?

“Okay, so we get to town and have a drink. But after that you’re taking a bath. You stink.” I told him. He sniffed his coat then looked to me with a humored look.

“It’s not bad!” he exclaimed and I rolled my eyes.

“Not for you maybe, but you live with that stink every day. I’m not adventuring across Equestria with you smelling like that.” I told him with a laugh and he rolled his eyes.

“Fine then, stay in Dodge. I didn’t say you had to come with me.” He laughed and I groaned. Why did he have to be so difficult?

“John, you’re taking a bath. I don’t care if you don’t want to but you’re going have a wash even if I have to scrub you myself.” I told him and he snickered.

“Fine but if I have to bathe then so do you.” He challenged.

“John, bathing is not a challenge. It’s simple hygiene. You may have lived in the woods for the majority of your life but that doesn’t mean you can’t have common courtesy when in the presence of a lady.” I told him and he laughed. “What? What’s so funny?” I asked.

“A lady? Really? A lady doesn’t track down a notorious outlaw in a search for her treasure that he stole. I may not have ever been in a relationship with a mare but I know that real ladies don’t go off adventuring. They tend to stay home and cook for their stallion… so unless you’re sayin yah want to stay home and cook for me…” he trailed off with a chuckle.

“Oh please, don’t flatter yourself. You’re hardly much to look at and I would never want to settle down with some-pony as gruff and ruffian as yourself.” I teased. Though he was a strapping young stallion and did look fairly handsome, I just wasn’t interested in him that way.

“And you’re much different how?” he asked and I gasped from the teasing insult.

“I beg your pardon?! I’ll have you know that I’d make an excellent wife... when I’m ready!” I told him sternly, bent on winning this debate but he simply nodded to himself in a ‘Yeah… sure’ look.

“Daring… I’ve read a few of your books. You’re a good adventurer but I don’t think you’re cut out for the whole: Settling down and raising a family, thing.” He said with a laugh. I grumbled to myself, he was right. I didn’t want to settle down and have a family. I wanted to adventure and have the time of my life.

“You win.” I muttered and he leaned over.

“What’s that?” he asked in a squeaky and smug voice. I grumbled to myself.

“You win this round… but just you wait Mr. John… I’ll get you… oh yes. I’ll get you one of these days.” I told him but he simply chuckled from the comment and sat back upright on his horse as we began to approach the town.

“Well Ms. Do, I await the day that you ‘Best’ me.” He chuckled as we strode into town.

On the very outskirt of town, by a small building, sat a taxi carriage service. Across from the taxi carriage was the train station which looked to be empty at the moment save for a few workers here and there. Past the train station on the left side of the street sat a stable and yard where several horses mingled about while a group of ponies played what looked to be poker, at a table.

On the other side of the street from the stable sat a hotel that was mixed in with the local saloon. We entered the town and looked down the one main road. At the far end of the street, opposite that of the train station, sat a municipal office on the left and a sheriff office on the right.

The town had about ten buildings in all: A train station, the saloon/hotel, the stable building, the sheriff office, the municipal building, a local gun shop, a medical clinic, a small general store and two large buildings with what looked to be houses meant for several families.

The entire town was shaped like a capital ‘I’ with four roads, each one leading out near the bottom and top going in a separate direction each way. The gun shop and medical clinic faced each other from opposite sides of the street. The two house buildings were on the right side with the gun shop and the general store was beside the medical clinic and closer towards the sheriff’s office. Ponies mingled about throughout the town, talking to one another and trotting along carelessly.

“Well come on now, I’m parched.” John said and led us both over to saloon. He dismounted Marry then tied her to the riding post. I followed his action but he tied Nostalgic up before I fully disembarked the large horse. I gave the horse a gentle pat on the rear before following John into the saloon. We entered through the from swinging doors.

Multiple acts of profanity went on. There were whores trying to sell themselves to stallions, ponies gambling at just about every table and above that, ponies seemed to yell and holler as they got drunker by the moment.

There was a staircase at the far left end of the saloon that probably led to the hotel rooms. We both approached the bartender counter and John set down a single bit coin on the countertop. “Two glasses a water.” He ordered and the bartender quickly grabbed us two mugs of water.

He served them to us and we both quickly grabbed hold of the mugs and slurped back the cold water. It felt totally refreshing. I hadn’t had cold fresh water since… well I guess back at John’s house. John let out a satisfied sigh then looked to me. “Want another?” he asked but I shook my head.

“I need a bath.” I told him then looked to the bartender. “Any rooms have a bathroom?” I asked and the bartender nodded. “How much?” I asked.

“One night goes for five bits. Every service is included except… well the one that you won’t need.” He replied. I didn’t catch on as fast as John did, who quickly spoke before I did.

“Oh no, trust me, it’s not like that. We’re uhh… bounty hunters.” He told the bartender and that’s when I clued in. The bartender thought we were a couple, I think. I looked around to the whores and shuddered as I only imagined why John would ever want to associate with such profanity.

The bartender nodded with a smirk, he probably still thought we were a couple. John handed him five gold bits and in turn the bartender slid a key across the counter to John. He picked up the key and handed it over to me. “Room five.” The bartender told me. I nodded then proceeded upstairs.

I quickly found room five and opened the door. As I entered the room I quickly closed the door behind me. Luckily the sounds of profanity didn’t fully breach the walls of the room and were silenced somewhat.

I looked around. It was a single bedroom room with a door which I presumed led to the washroom. There was a window to the right of the room just above the bed. It wasn’t in the least bit fancy but I wasn’t one to complain, maybe if I had to pay the five bits than I would’ve but for now it was fine. I looked to the bed. It was a single bed mattress. I looked over to a somewhat fine couch.

I snickered to myself. “Sorry John, but I call the bed.” I chuckled to myself as I locked the door behind me. I slipped off my saddlebags as I trotted across the floor. It sounded as if I was trotting across solid ground rather than an upper floor of a building.

As I neared the washroom I kept discarding garments of clothing, not really caring to look decent since no-pony would see me. I slipped off my adventuring olive green shirt and pants which I usually wore when threshing through heavy jungle so that my legs didn’t get cut up but found them to be invaluable when horseback riding because the pants would shield my legs from dirt and clutter that was kicked up by the horse.

I opened the washroom door and stared in amazement at the washroom. There was a fine sink and toilet along with a very swanky looking porcelain tub. More than what I expected from Dodge Junction.

I grew up in Dodge and watched it grow from a simple little train stop in the desert into a small thriving town that was founded by a Mr. Red Jubilee. His wife was Mrs. Orchard Jubilee though her maiden name was something like Carnation or something. Hence her cutie mark was actually a flower not a cherry like Mr. Jubilee.

When I was young growing up with my aunt I came to know the sheriff quite well and since my aunt was never married, the local sheriff had always been like a father to me. If I was correct then, despite his rather old age, he was still the sheriff or well as he liked to be called ‘Marshal’.

I let my adventuring helmet clump to the ground as I dropped it. I had a feeling that by the end of the day that I’d be wearing a cow-pony hat much like John’s. I wondered if Mr. Crow still ran the general store. I thought about how old he was when I was young and figured probably not.

He was about fifty years old when I was ten so he’d be sixty now. He had beige fur but his facial hair had started to grey along with his blond mane. He had beautiful purple eyes and his cutie mark was a crow feather.
I ran some hot steamy water into the tub then after I was satisfied with the amount of water I sat down in the tub and let out a relieved sigh. Hot bubbly water soaked into my fur and cleansed my body thoroughly. I wondered why John didn’t seem to like bathing all that much. I quickly forgot about John for the moment being and simply laid back then relaxed in the bubbly water as I let out another sigh.

Author's Notes:

Yeah, excuse me while I go play some Red Dead Redemption

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69QejKf4am4