Hells Acre - 3

Darling looked over the edge of the ravine, a smirk plastered accross her sun darkened face. She was wearing a thin white shirt with no sleeves, and a pair of pale blue jeans, and the sun cut through the sky like an inferno. She didn't seem to mind the heat, and let it pound her back like a massage. It calmed her, even as the far-off sound of an explosion resonated throughout the desert.

"Bye bye, handsome," she said to herself, running a hand across her face. Sweat coated it, but was quickly evaporated into the air. It was too hot to be cooled by one's own perspiration.

Smoke billowed from the bottom of the canyon, but the taller it went, the faster it faded. Soon, the disaster at the bottom would calm, the smoke would clear, and nobody would have any realization that it even existed. Darling walked away from the ledge, whistling on dry lips, stuffing her hands into her back pockets. Several yards away, her horse stood grazing on dry grass, his dark eyes giving a quick glance toward Darling before resuming his meal.

"Attaboy, munch it down ya eatin' machine," she chuckled, unstuffing her hands from the denim so that she could hoist herself up on to his back. It felt hotter on the saddle, but the air on her arms gave Darling the illusion of freedom. She would rather burn her skin to a crisp than wear sleeves. "Ready t'go, Peaches?"

Peaches gave a snort, and turned his head in another direction. The shifting of his ears alerted Darling to a sound in the distance, one that always caught Peaches' attention; horses.

"Too far out for a herd.." She muttered, pulling the reigns tight with one hand. Her other hand reached instinctively for the sawed-off shotgun by her side, which was strapped familliarly to her saddle. Darling unstrapped it and lay it accross her lap, peering toward the sound.

She was right. Rather than a herd of horses heading her way, she saw two, each bearing a rider. One of them, she could tell, was wearing a heavy duster. His hat and coat were the same color. The rider beside him had an odd colored hat.

"..green?" She murmured to herself.

She didn't recognize the men, but she did recognize the purpose. The smoke behind her was still billowing, and it was enough to tie her guilt that she was the only person present. Sliding her weapon into another strap on her back, Darling grabbed Peaches reigns with both hands and kicked his sides. He broke into a canter, and then a run, his hooves kicking dust into the air behind them.