{open party post | who is the tall, dark stranger there?}

[tubemods]

The sun rises on another day in Devil's Creek, painting the night sky a burnt orange and the edges of clouds a pale yellow. Although not a large town by any stretch of the imagination, the early morning hours are the most quiet it will ever see. The night's chill still holds close to the dirt, keeping people inside, tucked away in their beds.

A perfect time for a return.

Three horses, three riders with one less rider than they left with come into town at quiet trots. Anyone awake this hour and foolish enough to look outside their window may recognize the silhouettes, but most are smart enough to leave it be. The riders don't linger long, going their separate ways in town. A long, low howl of wind whipping through the distant gorge signals the night's work is done.

In a few hours, the sleepy town awakens. It's a busy day today. Although the general goods store is always there and always open for business, shipments and other businesses from the city have arrived today for some trade and everyone could use a few supplies they won't get for another couple of months. By the time everyone has set up their carriages and stalls, the sun has climbed into the sky, warming the city's dusty town square as well as its streets and alleys.

There also seems to be the arrival of some more new faces this morning and to these outsiders, there seems to be something that's going without saying among the natives. It's the same thing they've thought of the other newcomers to their little town over the past couple of days.

Old Nibbles might just have a feast in its near future.

Comments

church

[inloco]

Door shows up at Derek's side as he trails out of the church. Not too close, but not too far either. She doesn't know him well - truthfully, she doesn't think anyone knows him very well - but she understands not appreciating Sister Anne just fine.

"Are you all right?" she asks quietly, once they're out of earshot of most of the congregation, her hands clasped tightly behind her back.

[instinct]

Derek appreciates Sister Anne just fine — it's her sermonizing he doesn't have time for. But he certainly has time for Door, and he shortens his stride so she can walk with him, away from the church and down the main street.

"Been better," he admits with a shrug, as though to say: what's a body to do about it?