Firstborn of the Frontier

A tent.

A big ol’ canvas one, tall enough to stand in, wide enough for four people, and long enough to cover her from head to toe. That’s the first purchase Sarah Jay would make, after getting Mama, Mary Anne, and little Jimmy out from under Oswald’s roof and into a house of their own, a dream that didn’t seem so far away after their big find yesterday. Originally, she only wanted to find a place to rent, or maybe even move into subsidized housing, since real estate inside New Hope didn’t come cheap, but Daddy used to say if you shoot for the stars, then even if you miss, you got a chance of landing on the moons, so Sarah Jay figured she might as well dream big. A four-bedroom farmhouse, fairly simple and straightforward as things go. Nothing too fancy like Aunty Ray’s ranch-style brick house, with its lovely porch, secure gun room, and sun room out back, but not bare bones like Howie’s tiny brick bungalow, if it could even be called that. Her dream house would have three rooms up top and one on the main floor, and maybe even a spare office where Mama could do her embroidery if they could swing it, with a fully loaded kitchen and dining room to boot.

Yea, that was the dream. An expensive one, and while ten percent of a Mage Armour Spell Core would make a nice dent, it wasn’t nowhere near enough for the downpayment. Not for a house in New Hope that was already built, especially not if you wanted something more, like a lawn, barn, tool shed, or even a stable. None of that was necessary, at least not to start with, but they usual came part and parcel with the house. All she needed though was something roomy enough for five to live comfortably inside the walls of New Hope, even right on the outer edge if need be, which she figured would run her about six-grand in total, or a $1500 downpayment. Would be a lot easier to buy a homestead outside of New Hope, as there were plenty of wide, open lots within walking distance of town. Seen some that were only fifteen, twenty minutes to the gates by foot, most of which she could buy outright for a few hundred dollars, and build a home for a few hundred more if they did it themselves. Wasn’t an option though, as convincing Mama to move back to New Hope was an uphill battle to begin with, and it’d be impossible to get her to move anywhere without tall walls and trained guards standing ready 24/7 to protect them. No sense making things any harder, especially once you added Errol into the mix. Mama was liable to pitch a fit once she learned Sarah Jay had relations with a man out of wedlock, but she didn’t need no vows or certificates to know she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Errol. Besides, words didn’t mean nothing. Actions were what mattered, and he didn’t blink twice at chipping in to help her buy a home for her family to live in, so she wasn’t about to kick him to the curb or let him room with Howie for even a minute longer than necessary.

For more reasons than one.

The sharp and poignant thought popped her little bubble of lethargy, meaning there’d be no more dreaming for today. Sighing as the last vestiges of sleepiness slipped away, Sarah Jay emerged from out under the covers and dislodged a small mountain of sand from her face before rubbing her eyes. Squashing all her gripes about the lack of creature comforts, she started on her hair and Makeup while pondering the pressing issue at hand, how to get Errol and Howie to mend fences. Wouldn’t be easy, as they weren’t exactly butting heads so much as coming to terms with how they had completely different perspectives and mindsets. To make matters worse, Howie wasn’t the problem, not directly at least. He told them the standards he expected and left it up to them to match it, or at the very least, ask for advice on how to go about it. Errol on the other hand was mistaking Howie’s ruthless detachment for cold-blooded cruelty because that’s all he understood. Sure, Howie’s temper and callous nature were a touch troubling, as was his conflict with Wayne, but a little apathy and friction with military types were part and parcel of the job description. Having to deal with scavs and bandits was unavoidable outside of town, and of course soldiers wouldn’t like seeing mercenaries doing the same job and getting paid better for it. Errol was just making mountains out of molehills is all, while struggling to decide if he even wanted to ride with the Firstborn. Or the Rangers for that matter, because even they failed to measure up to his high, and frankly impossible standards, and he kept himself so busy doing laps in his own head he didn’t have time to do anything else besides go through the motions. Man was in a funk is what it was, shook by what he’d seen and learned these past few weeks and struggling to come to grips with it. Broke her heart it did, seeing Errol confront the ugly truth and lose that starry-eyed look in his eyes, the one that saw the best in everyone and everything.

Even asleep, his brows were furrowed in conflict and lips pressed in a grimace, a far cry from the goofy smile she’d engraved into memory the morning after their first night together. Couldn’t have been easy, confiding in her about his fear of Howie like that, and she wished she could’ve agreed. Fact was, part of why she fell in love with her man was for his guileless, forthright ways. Errol had a vision of how things ought to be, shaped by righteousness and morality like them stories from the old world, and he lived his life in accordance to that vision. When Richard and his ilk were bullying other boots, Errol stepped up and kept right on doing so because it never occurred to him to stop. Didn’t matter how miserable or alone he felt, he persevered for no reason other than it was the right thing to do. A philosophy most would agree with in theory, but things weren’t so cut and dry in practice. Over the years, Sarah Jay had seen plenty of folks look away from Mama’s bruises and Oswald’s dark moods to know you couldn’t count on the kindness of strangers.

Most folks looked after themselves first and avoided conflict. It was human nature, simple as that.

Which was why it was so refreshing to see someone like Errol, raised on old world morals here on the Frontier. This was a man who saw the world in black and white, and now he was coming to grips with how everything came in shades of grey. He simply couldn’t fathom why some people would behave in such horrible and despicable ways, or why good people would sometimes have to do bad things. Couldn’t even understand why none of the other boots stood up to Richard with him, and wondered if it was because he himself was in the wrong. Stupid some might call it, and while she didn’t entirely disagree, she also found it endearing and even somewhat inspiring, though she herself was a pragmatic sort. Errol was like a hero out of one of them shows the illusionists put together, those old world stories where the good guy always won against the bad and stayed squeaky clean doing it. Wasn’t possible here on the Frontier. The good guys didn’t always win, and in fact, they rarely ever did, because you couldn’t win against black hearted bastards without getting a little dirty yourself. Not unless you were the Marshal of course, as everyone knew he was a good man, and Errol had the makings of one too.

Except now he was having himself a crisis of faith, and she didn’t know how to help him find it again. Sure, she went to church as a kid and had all them hours of bible study, but prayers didn’t keep Daddy alive, nor did they stop Oswald from beating on Mama, Mary Ann, and little Jimmy, so Sarah Jay had long since given up on faith. Saying as much wouldn’t be any help, and she didn’t know who else to turn to, as all the men seemed ready to leave Errol to sink or swim on his lonesome. Granted, he didn’t even try to reach out to anyone, just retreated inwards after they talked about their future with Howie or the Rangers, and nothing she said could shake him out of it. Time was what he needed, and plenty of it according to miss Simone, as well as plenty of love and support. Which Sarah Jay tried to provide as much as she could, only it didn’t feel like she was doing enough to help. Putting aside his crisis of faith, Errol’s other problem was that he’d grown up as the big fish in a little pond, believing himself smart, talented, and capable. Which he was, except it wasn’t worth as much as he thought, and combined with how his world views had just been overturned, he felt lost and insignificant.

So rather than face facts and accept things as they were, it was easier to blame Howie for revealing the truth. A tale as old as time it was, shooting the messenger, and hopefully Errol wouldn’t actually shoot him.

Much as she’d love to let her man sleep in a little more, it was coming time for the wake-up call and Drill Sergeant Begaye wouldn’t be half as gentle. Reaching out to stroke Errol’s cheek, she smiled as she watched him come awake, blinking the sleep out of his eyes and relaxing as he took her in with a gaze so full of love and adoration. Hopefully he saw the same in her eyes, and they spent a quiet moment lost in each other’s love, a world apart from all their worldly woes where nothing mattered so long as they were together. “Hey there,” she began, smiling as she added, “You handsome hunk of man chocolate you.”

That put a smile on Errol’s face, but it only lasted a moment before reality kicked in as the camp came alive with the sound of the Drill Sergeants’ admonishments and the boots scurried to get dressed and cram their morning chow down their gullets.

Which was yet another benefit of riding with the Firstborn; they ate better than the poor boots. Army rations were so hard, there was a running joke on the most effective tactic with which to use them against Abby. Flinging them out with the Catapult Spell was the top contender, while force feeding them to Proggies was a close second, as most believed they’d stay well away from human civilization if ever given a taste. Made it all the sweeter to see Howie trade his homemade rations for Tina’s compact hard tack and eat it without so much as making a face, just another one of the many ways he looked out for his little sister. They was adorable together, as Howie was the only one who dared to tease Tina like he did, and the only one she couldn’t wipe the floor with for doing so. During Basic, she’d always been bright and cheery, yet cool, competent, and collected at the same time, a calm and confident beauty who never missed a beat. Howie brought out a different side of Tina though, a spoiled girl desperate to prove herself and coming up short, which was incredible to see. She’d taken the title of top boot with little to no effort at all, and held onto the spot the same way, never showing up for extra practice after lessons or joining in on their weekend trips to the gun range, so there was a distance there that made her seem almost unattainable.

Until Howie strode right on in and stomped her back down to the same level as everyone else without really even trying.

Made Tina’s accomplishments all the more impressive to those who knew her, and put Howie even further ahead. Thing was, Sarah Jay suspected the Firstborn’s brash and cocky demeanour was more of an act than anything else. He put on a big show with all his swagger and bluster because it’s what most come to expect, but he wasn’t one to overstep. Captain Hayes even said as much, asking Tina if she’d ever known Howie to bite off more than he could chew, and after a few weeks in the saddle at his side, Sarah Jay was starting to understand why. Howie made things look easy because he was always prepared for every eventuality, cultivating good habits and always thinking ahead. Burying the hob, walking them through the dunes instead of riding over them, keeping a versatile Spell list and all his gear on him at all times, these were only a few of the things that set him apart from the rest.

All things Sarah Jay could stand to learn from, so she watched him close as he gathered Tina and Kacey up to have breakfast with them, even though there was a bit of tension between the men and women both. Well, less between the women, as Tina and Kacey seemed to have worked things out more or less, while Howie acted like there was nothing going on as he ate his army chow in silence.

“About an hour after we set out,” he began, after choking down the last of his breakfast and brushing the crumbs away for the kiccaws to fight over, “We’ll arrive at our destination, Pleasant Dunes. Fact is, you can see it once you get over yonder dune there.” Gesturing at the tallest dune ahead of them, Howie waited until they were all focused on him again before continuing. “Ground rules for once we inside. Not a single one of you goes anywhere alone, and you let someone know where you going before you leave. By someone, I mean me or a Ranger, preferably one of the Captains or Sergeants. Don’t care if they give you the run of the town; you move out in groups no less than three and check in before you go, even if it’s just out to the latrines.”

Sarah Jay could tell Howie was straining not to single Errol out, except all his efforts to not look at the man only made it all the more obvious. Course, Errol made it worse by speaking up. “Why?” he asked, making no effort to mask his disbelief. “We’re not kids who need babysitting. We can look after ourselves.”

“Track record says different,” Howie replied, and Sarah Jay winced to hear it, while her man tensed up at her side. “And this here is military SOP in any and all independent settlements, big or small. Standard Operatin’ Procedure,” he clarified, explaining the acronym for Kacey and breaking eye contact with Errol. Not sure if it was because Howie didn’t want to poke the bear or because he was fixing to keep a lid on his own explosive temper, but Sarah Jay appreciated his efforts nonetheless. Made it so she didn’t have to rein Errol in, which would only get his hackles up because it seemed like she was always taking Howie’s side these days.

Only because he was right most the time. Didn’t change the facts none though. A woman ought to stand by her man, only Errol was making it real difficult by being wrong more often than not.

“You should never fully trust locals outside of official settlements,” Howie explained, giving extra attention to Tina more than anyone else, which was more proof he was mentally done with Errol and Sarah Jay. “Ain’t sayin’ they all out to getcha’,” Howie continued, “But you don’t know their circumstances. They live out here, while you just visitin’, so even though the Rangers represent law and order, they know you ain’t gonna stick around forever. Come tomorrow, they gotta go back to dealin’ with the devils they know, so if some outlaw comes callin’ and tells ‘em ‘poison the Rangers’ supplies or else’, then they might well do it ‘cause they don’t see no other option.”

From there, Howie rattled off a long list of don’ts that seemed excessive, until he reminded them of what he went through last time he was here. “Keep in mind,” he began, his eyes shooting off towards the town as if he could see it through the dunes, “These folks ‘elected’ an outlaw wanted for rape and murder as their Sherriff and let him deputize his four accomplices, so don’t be countin’ on them townies havin’ your back. Nor are you here to right all their wrongs. You here to fight Abby and that’s that, clear?”

There was a dangerous glint in Howie’s eyes that ran contrary to what he said, but Sarah Jay figured he knew the rules well enough to break them as he liked. Errol on the other hand was still raring to challenge the Firstborn on anything and everything he said. “So if I hear someone screaming for help, you expect me to just walk away?”

“No,” Howie replied, without missing a beat, sounding more tired than angry. A bad sign that, because getting angry meant he still cared. “I expect you not to go running off without thinking twice. You hear a call for help, then you echo it, so others can go running in with you. That way, there’s more than one set of eyes to see what happens, which is important because sometimes, townies lie. Don’t matter why or what they lie about, they do it for reasons too many to count. A second and third reliable witness to corroborate your side of the story can keep those lies from gettin’ too out of hand.”

And that’s all he said, without going off on some story about why the extra precaution was necessary, which was another bad sign. Long-winded though his lessons might be, they contained valuable nuggets of wisdom all the same, so if he was done sharing, it meant his mind was made up. The burden was on Errol and Sarah Jay to change it now, and she wasn’t so sure Errol cared to. It hurt more than a bit, truth be told, as she’d given up so much to be with him, and now his actions meant she might have to give up even more. Working with Howie was a godsend, one that’d fallen into their lap after the whole mess with Richard, and she saw a light at the end of the tunnel wherein she could get her family out from under Oswald’s thumb before year’s end. She’d even laid it all out for Errol plain and clear, explained how there was no downside working with Howie for a few months more, and then they could go their separate ways after Basic if that’s the way things went. Would be mighty ungrateful, which is why Sarah Jay would make sure to pay Howie back for his time and efforts, no two ways about it, except Errol couldn’t be counted on to compromise a few months more.

Wasn’t fair to judge him at his worst, especially knowing how difficult this was for him. Didn’t change how she felt though, as the facts were still the facts, and wasn’t like all this came easy to her either.

Putting aside her worries for the future, she sat and listened to the rest of Howie’s instructions before setting off to saddle the horses. Was Winnie and Sunshine’s turn to stretch their legs, and they were all too happy to accommodate while Howie planted himself in the wagon’s driver seat to go about his weapons check. Man moved like a well-oiled machine as he went through the motions, so smooth and precise they could make a training video out of it. Checked the 3-Line first, which he handed over to her without a word once he was done, and she double checked the gun as expected and hoped Errol wouldn’t need to be reminded. He didn’t, which was all good and well, while Howie continued with his prep. He checked and loaded the El-Minister, his Ranger Repeater, Rattlesnake, and his snub-nosed Szass and Tam Model 10, which was cute as all heck and deadly as can be. Went through those five guns and finished before Sarah Jay was done checking her three, and as she racked the slide on her Model 45, she watched Howie go over the rest of his kit like a man possessed.

He had his own scars, of this she had no doubt. Not just from riding solo out on the Frontier, but from his training too, else he wouldn’t be so compulsive about everything he do. It was one thing to talk about getting hit with the Fear Spell for training, and another altogether to go through with it. Having seen how the steadfast Kacey reacted at sixteen going on seventeen, Sarah Jay had to wonder what Howie reacted when he was first hit by the Spell, or how old he was when it happened. He was upfront about having gone through it, but never touched on any details, and neither did Tina when the subject came up. Then there was the way he went about his readiness check, going above and beyond even what the Drill Sergeants demanded as he went through everything in his Spell Component’s pouch to make sure whatever he might need was easily accessible.

Yea, Sarah Jay could see how his focus and intensity could scare a man, but where they saw a man getting all gung-ho about killing, she saw it as more proof of how preparation was Howie’s greatest strength. Whether it was his weapons, his gear, or his Spell choices, the Firstborn always had a solution for any problem he might face. Man joked about keeping Featherfall on his boot for emergencies, and she’d laughed along with him, except now she realized it wasn’t really a joke. It was Howie spitting facts, because in all likelihood, that Featherfall Spell had saved his life at least once before, and the Longstrider Spell on his other boot most certainly saved his hide too. Then there was the fact that he didn’t stop to memorize a new Spell Structure before the fight yesterday, the one he cast to help keep them all concealed while watching the Rangers fight. He already had that Spell locked in tight and ready to go when needed, alongside other utility Spells like Expeditious Retreat, Floating Disc, Detect Aberration, and who knows what else. She’d long since lost count of how many Spell Structures he had prepared at any given time, though it was a given he was already into the double digits. That right there was a feat accomplished through hard work and nothing else, as everyone, big or small, rich or poor, young or old, started off with room for only two or three Structures in their heads. Mama said it was the same as working out your muscles, in that the more you use it, the stronger it gets, and Howie slung Spells as often as he could in his bid to get ahead, even Cantrips which barely made any difference at all. It made sense once you thought about it, because even if the lower levels of ambient Aether limited established Spell Casters like Captain Jung and Captain Clay to a certain number of Spells cast per day, it didn’t affect the total number of Spell Structures they were able to store in memory, so Howie was pushing for every edge he could get.

A point he hammered home as he cast a number of protective Spells on himself and Cowie. To match him, Sarah Jay threw up a Mage Armour over herself and Errol before conjuring up a Water Sphere to wet Sunshine’s neck. Set her champagne-coloured coat to glistening, and as Sarah Jay wet the other side too to make it match, the sweet horse shivered in delight as the cool water ran down her shoulders and legs. In the interest of extra practice, she did the same for Winnie who neighed in delight, before locking eyes with Errol and seeing if he’d gained anything. Rather than try, he simply shook his head and looked away, and it took all of Sarah Jay’s self-control not to smack him upside the head. If something didn’t come natural, he simply wrote it off as nigh impossible, when instead he ought to double down and work harder at it. A bad habit born from a lifetime of low expectations, one she was fixing to break him of right quick.

You know, after he sorted things out in his head. No sense overwhelming him all at once.

Wasn’t easy, toeing that line, and she didn’t have much time to work with as they set out for Pleasant Dunes. While they moved, the Drill Sergeants rode up and down the lines hollering questions at boots about protocol, most of which lined up with what Howie already said. Was a bit more in-depth with a lot more insults, yet she noticed Errol didn’t seem to mind it as much when Drill Sergeant Begaye got all up in his face for forgetting to say ‘sir’ before and after his answer. Still got him riled up, but not half as much as a look from Howie would, and Sarah Jay just couldn’t understand why.

Boys. Bunch of stubborn, hard-headed fools is what they were, and nothing seemed to change even after they became men.

As they crested the next dune, Sarah Jay got her first glimpse of Pleasant Dunes. Wasn’t what she expected, but not because it was unfamiliar. The opposite in fact, as it was as solid and imposing a town as one ought to be. Wasn’t nowhere near as large or impressive as New Hope, but the curved, serpentine walls seemed tall and serviceable enough to keep Abby out of their streets. Four massive towers gave them great sight lines out into the desert, and there was plenty of space up on the parapets for guns and gunners alike, as well as room enough to fit five-hundred people easy. No wonder Howie couldn’t be bothered to elaborate on what the place was like. Aside from scale and aesthetics, it was pretty much the same as what you’d find in New Hope, minus the trained and readied Rangers of course.

When the convoy drew close, the gates opened up to let them in, meaning their arrival was expected. Only then did she spot the guards, a grizzled bunch of sun-burned smokers sitting behind cover while giving the convoy’s gear a good once over. The guards themselves were a little lacking in discipline, but heavily armed with three guns a piece at a minimum, a rifle in hand and two pistols on their hips or shoulder harnesses. Didn’t seem none too impressed by what they saw either, barely hiding their disdain as the boots and wagons filed on through. Right up until it came their turn to head on in, at which point one of the guards, a seasoned-looking fella with a pockmarked face, opened his eyes wide and hefted his rifle with a shout. “Oh hell no! You ain’t welcome here, Qink!”

Howie already had his hands out and to the sides, as well as a big grin pasted across his face, and Sarah Jay noted it was because none them guards had their fingers on the trigger. “Oh c’mon now Carl,” he said, paying no mind to the many guns pointed in his direction, nor the Ranger guns that went up in response, all trained and readied on the guards. “I thought we had a connection.” Waving at both sides to put their weapons down, Howie turned on his charms and asked, “How ‘bout we dial things back a bit? No need to be pointing no weapons at nobody, I ain’t here to cause trouble.”

“Said that the last time you was here,” Carl retorted, looking askew at all the Ranger guns pointed at him, but he didn’t back down one bit, and neither did the Rangers. “Then you shot the Sherriff.”

“And his deputies.” Winking like it was some big joke, Howie waited a beat before laughing. “Wasn’t my fault the man had a bounty on his head. Big ‘un too. Look, I get it. I ruffled some feathers last time around, but I saw my shot and I took it. Wasn’t expecting to come in and gun down no lawman, and I promise I won’t do it again.” Pausing again, Howie shrugged and added, “Unless you elected another outlaw to fill the position. Then I’m afraid my hands are tied. Either I get him or the Rangers do, and the Rangers can’t collect no bounty.” Looking around without even a hint of concern for the weapons pointed in his general direction, Howie asked, “How’s Vicente by the way? Hated leaving him how I did, all shook like that. Hope he’s doin’ good.”

“He’s fine. Big man’s tougher than nails and got over it quick.” There was a resigned note to Carl’s voice as he lowered his rifle, though it probably had more to do with all the threat of retaliation rather than Howie’s reassurances. “Don’t be causing no trouble this time.”

“Aw Carl, you’re breaking my heart here. Like I said, wasn’t like I set out to cause a scene last time around.” Far as Sarah Jay suspected, that’s exactly what Howie did, because he didn’t strike her as the type to count on luck when it came to bagging a bounty. Then, showing exactly how far he planned ahead, Howie bent down to grab something by his feet and slowly lifted it up for the guards to see. “Still, I feel real bad about it all, so I brought a gift for the whole town. A set of speakers for the saloon, so y’all can listen to music whenever you like.” Putting the speakers back down, Howie pointed at Carl with a knowing look and added, “Got more of that fizzy starmelon mead too, and a bottle with your name on it once you done here.” Looking at the other guards, Howie grinned and whispered, “Or one for each of you here and now, if y’all so inclined? I won’t tell if you don’t.”

Didn’t take him more than a minute to charm them guards after pulling his wagon over to the side for a chat. Had a whole schtick ready too as he pulled out four bottles of mead and used a Freeze Cantrip to chill them before handing them over. Even lit up a Silent Image Spell Core to show off a bunch of formulas, Freeze included, saying he brainstormed up with a couple Cantrips that could help with desert living. This was the Firstborn putting on a show, the seasoned traveller who went from town to town to make a living. A cheery and exuberant young man with all of Howie’s rough edges smoothed over, or at the very least covered up out of sight. Was amazing to see it in action, this seamless transition from grumpy and boring fuddy duddy to a caring and thoughtful young man who was eager and excited to be out in the world. Made Sarah Jay wonder how much of it was really an act, as she suspected this was who Howie was before reality wore away at his spirited self, leaving only a jaded pessimist who always expected the worst in everyone he met.

That’s what Errol didn’t understand. Howie was a good man too, when you came right down to it. Only difference was his willingness to cross a few lines if they happened to need crossing, and Sarah Jay wasn’t gonna judge him for doing what needed to be done. Like telling little white lies for example, ones that painted him in a better light. Had the guards eating out of the palm of his hand by the time he finished catching them up on what happened after he left, as Howie made it sound like he only had Pleasant Dunes’ best interests in mind. “So yea,” he concluded after finishing his tale. “Only seemed right I come along to help out with yer Abby problem, seeing as I was the one who brung it up to the Rangers. Had to, ‘cause I know good and well how some companies be. So long as it don’t affect their bottom line, all deaths are acceptable deaths.”

Interestingly enough, not a one of the guards agreed out loud, though they all took a swig at the same time. “Been getting bad these days,” Carl said after a beat, pitching his voice so low Sarah Jay had to strain to hear it. “Barely a day goes by without an attack. Ain’t more than a trickle most times, but down in them tunnels, even a handful of orcs can make a real mess of things. Man can’t make a living if the mines shut down every other day.”

“Well that’s why we here,” Howie replied, clapping the older man on the shoulder. “Clear out them tunnels and send Abby packing for a bit. Give y’all some breathin’ room to shore up the defenses and what not. Y’all made great strides, more than any town I seen round these parts, but you know how it is. Proggies churn out Abby faster than factories churn out bullets, so we all gotta lean on one another a little bit. Ain’t about being American or Independent or whatever else y’all might’ve been; just humans versus Abby, and I ain’t bout to let no greenies get one over on us.”

All four guards let out a little cheer in agreement, and the passing boots and Rangers chimed in. Was a sight to see for sure, especially knowing how this didn’t come natural to Howie, yet he played the part like he was born to it. Were it Tina charming townies with a smile and a song, Sarah Jay wouldn’t think twice since it was to be expected, but Howie made do with what he had and won people over all the same. She couldn’t do that, not in a million years, as she had what some referred to as ‘resting bitch face’. The Ice Queen of boot camp, they called her, on account of her pretty features and frosty demeanour, because warm and cuddly didn’t come easy like it did for Tina. Even friendly was a stretch, not that Sarah Jay minded, though she admitted it might do her good to learn a thing or two about talking up strangers.

Howie left the guards smiling like they was old friends, even though two had to introduce themselves then and there. As he led them away to follow the tail end of the convoy into town, he explained, “Never hurts to make nice with the guards. Might make them hesitate when ordered to shoot you dead, though I suspect Carl and his boys wouldn’t hesitate for long. They a hard bunch, and while they ain’t no company men, their livelihoods depend on the company to sustain them. Keep that in mind when you here. The Rangers play a pivotal role in the war against Abby, but they don’t put food on these people’s tables, and we all about three missed meals away from total anarchy.”

Now that there was a fact, yet Sarah Jay could tell Errol couldn’t believe it. Guess he never went too hungry back home, which didn’t come as too much of a surprise. Between the fertile Emerald Plains and the Deadline waterways all full of fish, she suspected missed meals were never much of an issue for his nameless little village. Not so round these parts, as the pickings had been mighty slim for the first decade or so, what with the Proggie under Last Chance Lake raiding the surrounding farms and fisheries for biomass and the occasional inroads from Abby raiding parties coming out the badlands and the Divide beyond it. Nowadays, food was aplenty largely thanks to the discovery and widespread adoptions of breadroot farming. The whitish-purple tuber was hard and bitter no matter how you cooked it, but could be ground up into flour to make delicious, fluffy breads and chewy pasta noodles.

Or unpalatable hardtack, which was a real kick in the teeth, in more ways than one.

The interior of Pleasant Dunes wasn’t as pleasant as the exterior, as it had the look of a haphazard shanty town than a village proper. There wasn’t much in the way of proper structures aside from a strip of buildings in the centre, though there was plenty of shade to be found under the many patchwork canvas canopies dotted about. Seemed these townies lived hard lives, lacking even personal tents for themselves, and it made Sarah Jay feel mighty small for complaining as much as she did. Only spent a few weeks without a roof overhead, while these townies went years without, so if they could hack it, so could she. They were dressed shabby too, though surprisingly clean all things considered, and she saw more than one townie using the Water Sphere Cantrip to help others wash up.

The formula for which Howie had shared the last time he was here, according to his conversation with the guards, so Sarah Jay could only imagine what it was like before that.

Though most watched him with suspicion, more than one child waved as Howie passed, and he waved back with a big grin and told folks he had more candy to hand out once he was settled in. It was a strange thing to see, folks so guarded against him yet hopeful at the same time, like they wasn’t sure if his return was a blessing or a curse. By the time they made it to where the Rangers made camp, Howie had answered the same questions more than a dozen times without batting an eye to soothe nerves and reassure townies, while making good on his promise of music by popping the speakers down outside the saloon and setting them up right quick. The townies loved that, and turned out in droves to listen, but lot of the younger kids wanted to watch the Rangers instead. Wasn’t much to see, because after setting a perimeter, staking the horses, digging the latrines, and unloading their supplies, the Drill Sergeants brought the boots out to inspect the walls.

Which led to more digging and more prep as they secured the town as best they could, but the people of Pleasant Dunes had done well enough. To hear Howie tell it, the Rangers would do their best to keep Abby confined to the tunnels, but chances were, them greenies would dig their own way out the mountain soon enough. Bugbears could burrow through solid rock using nothing but their bare hands, while orcs fared only a little worse, and goblins were probably smart enough to make tools for them all. It made for a complicated puzzle, setting defenses against Abby, one the Drill Sergeants made them piece together bit by bit while going over all sorts of different scenarios and how they played out in real life. Holding walls wasn’t typical Ranger work after all. Rangers were the tip of the spear, which meant more often than not, they were deep in the thick of it behind enemy lines, far away from any and friendly forces and fortified defenses. Truth be told, bringing the boots all the way out to Pleasant Dunes didn’t make much sense now that Sarah Jay thought about it. There was no way the Rangers would let them go down any mining tunnels, nor was it like there was a shortage of Abby attacks to defend against back home. Wait long enough around New Hope and there was bound to be one force of Abby or another emerging from the badlands over the next few months, so it wasn’t like the boots couldn’t get live-fire experience then.

Which meant there had to be another reason why Captain Clay dragged them out all this way, and why Howie was so keen on coming back after kill the local lawmen outlaws.

A question whose answer eluded Sarah Jay as she went about her day, digging, hauling, and otherwise labouring away beneath the hot desert sun. Say what you will about the Firstborn, but he was working right there alongside them, without so much as being asked. Worked faster than most too, using his Mould Earth Cantrip to great effect as he dug out trenches bare handed quicker than any two boots with tool. Was amazing how much utility he could eke out of that one Cantrip, as it wasn’t all about raw power. It was mostly technique, as he’d wave his hand back and forth over an area and set the sand to swirling until it was flowing like water. Then, with a quick flick of the wrist, he’d send all that sand surging up and out into the mouth of an open canvas bag, leaving a six-inch deep pit the size of a serving platter behind. Took about five seconds start to finish, and soon as the sandbag was filled, his Mage Hands would set to sewing it shut so his Simple Servant could drag it away for some other boots to haul. Didn’t take Howie long to dig out a whole section of trench and fill more sandbags than any three of them combined, all without breaking a sweat. Looked fresh as a daisy while the rest of them lost litres of sweat moving sand the good old-fashioned way. Those who tried to copy him got the hammer brought down on them by the Sergeants in charge, including Sergeant Begaye who challenged them by saying, “If you can Spell half as good as Howie, you can do the same, but those who fail will be digging until nightfall.”

Sarah Jay wasn’t fool enough to try, but a few boots gave it a go, and a couple more even asked Howie for tips after the others failed. “Ain’t no trick, just familiarity,” he replied, grinning from ear to ear as he added, “Few weeks digging foundations will get you close. Or laying cobble for streets. Fair few stretches in New Hope done by yours truly, which was enough construction work to last me a lifetime.”

It was all delivered in a light-hearted mood, but it put Sarah Jay in mind of those scars again, the ones no one could see. Was all good and well to know Howie had dabbled in a number of different careers before, but it made her wonder what sort of childhood he lived. Digging foundations, laying cobblestone, resisting Fear Spells, hunting Abby, Etching, shooting, skinning, Spellslinging, and who knows what else, all of which didn’t leave much room for just being a kid. Tough as she might’ve had it growing up, all she was expected to learn was her numbers and letters, and she always had Mary Anne and later little Jimmy to play with, even if she was keeping them out of trouble half the time. Keeping that in mind, it was no wonder Howie was ahead of the pack; he must’ve spent the last ten years training for this life, whereas the rest of them just started learning the ropes a few months back. It was one thing to hear it, and another to see it in action, and Sarah Jay wasn’t sure if she should be more impressed or sympathetic.

While they continued to dig, a handful of heavy guns were rolled out and the boots brought over to learn how to operate them in teams of five. They covered belt-fed machine guns in Basic, and the Drill Sergeants put them through the motions again to make sure they remembered how to load and unload them, but there were plenty of new weapons too. Mortars for lobbing Third Order Bombards, Secord Order Arc-rifles for chain-electrocuting Abby, recoilless Lance rifles to bring down heavily armoured targets, and more, they spent the afternoon learning the ins and outs of the big guns which was like a dream come true for Sarah Jay. Howie was even worse, acting like a kid in a candy store while rattling off specs about the different guns and the history behind them. Errol even cracked a smile as he hefted the big, tubular recoilless Lance rifle over his shoulder, and outright laughed when Howie asked if he could touch it, showing just how tasteless the both of them were.

Still, it was something, and Sarah Jay hoped her boys would sort things out sooner rather than later. For all their sakes really, because if they couldn’t figure out a way to get along, then she was gonna have to make them, and she didn’t have the foggiest clue where to begin. Who knows though? She wasn’t ready to call it quits, and they might could forge a bond in the fires of battle over the next few days, one that would see the three of them through to the Watershed and beyond.

Now that was a dream, one Sarah Jay wasn’t so sure would ever come true, but so long as she was dreaming big, she might as well go whole hog.