In Search of Employment

[Hannah J Schellden]

As the first rays of sunlight crept through the break in my window's curtains, I brought the sheet up to my neck. Basking a moment in the warmth it touched my cheek with, before lazily stretching between the sheets. Finally, opening my eyes I looked out the window... I couldn't deny that the city itself looked rather appealing from where I laid, and of course I couldn't help but wonder what time it was. With a soft groan and I sat up, running a hand through tousled chestnut hair. I took the corner of the comforter and brought it well away from my body, and slowly crept out of bed. Using the sheet, I wrapped it around my naked body and made my way to the bathroom, only hoping that my clothes had dried enough during the night.

I paused a moment by the full length mirror that the room had come with, and with a well trained eye, I assessed my own body. All those years of training and studying, prep work for a top position, "I was almost there," murmured to the reflection in the mirror that I saw. Another shake of my head and I was passing the threshold to the bathroom where all the clothes I had arrived in Rhy'Din with, via the Nexus, were laid out and drying. Running my hands over the cloth, I was thankful that they were dried and clean. Hopefully, this job at the ranch would pan out, I couldn't very well go around wearing the same clothes every single day. Carefully folding each article of clothing and setting them on the sinks counter, I let the sheet pool at my feet and stepped into the shower, adjusting the temperature of the water accordingly.

After dressing and doing what I could with my hair, I took one last look at the reflection in the mirror. "It'll have to do." I glanced down to the Glock 23 sitting on the corner of the table, turning the idea over and over in my head of whether or not to take it with me. It was like a part of me, but I didn't want Cory and his wife to get the wrong impression of me if I brought it... They'd understand wouldn't they? I'd explain everything and then they'd understand.. Maybe. Checking the clip and making sure the safety was on, I tucked the Glock where it normally rested on my person, at the small of my back and nodded to the reflection. I was running late.

I started off at a brisk job through the city, stopping a few of the people that I saw, and asking them if they'd known the way to the Golden Sun. After the third person though, I'd managed to piece together enough of a mental map that would hopefully get me close enough to the ranch. I noted the play of the shadow on the ground, and nodded, increasing that brisk jog to a medium paced run. Hey, gotta keep up the figure.

Maybe twenty minutes had passed before I followed the curving path to the left and slowing my pace, I found myself looking at the gates to the Golden Sun. Gray-blue eyes quickly looked over the massive expanse of the ranch, I honestly couldn't believe my eyes. "Wow," I managed to mumble before I found myself walking through those gates, looking for an employee or Cory himself.

[Anjolie Quinn]

Life on the ranch began quite early every morning. By the time the sun had fully risen over the horizen the men had been fed and were well on their way to feeding the stock. As summer had made its way through the RhyDin countryside it seemed that the activity around the Golden Sun was well underway before the heat of afternoon had a chance to impact the color of bare flesh hard at work.

The middle-aged, down-to-earth woman who typically served as the den mother for the rather rowdy bunch of employees was at her post in the kitchen tending to the upcoming afternoon meal. Various younger men were working their way through the round training pens with seasoned stallions and yearling colts alike. Hank, Chuck, and Bill were busy overseeing some of the more important work concerning the upkeep of the stables and general condition of the ranch. And, per usual, the mad-scientist of a femme known best as Quinn was busy at work in her greenhouse.

Fingers worked steadily to maintain the perfect condition of her precious hybrids as the beloved green stone at her neck glowed with pride. The two of the spoke almost constantly while she was gardening. The plants were taken care of before noon and the training of her Arabians consumed her attention after the lunchtime meal. A dropper of slightly acidic water was positioned above a bed of particularly colorful hydrangeas while greenish-golden peepers narrowed in on the stem and heart of the plant.

"This new climate control system sure has helped ta keep thin's healthy through tha dry spells." Anjolie bit her lip slightly as she pulled back the dropper and tried to inspect her work.

"After the summer rush you should focus more on creating new varieties of the creeper vines you were altering." A simple nod was given as the soothing voice of Pathfinder worked its way through her mind.

Anjolie took a step back from the row of cerulean flowering plants just as she heard a knock at the door. Peepers glanced idly in that direction and the sight of a scrawny little farmhand named Aaron, who was now in his second season with the Golden Sun, pulled her out of her trance-like conversation with her beloved opal. A wave was sent in his direction and the youth took that as a good enough sign to open the door and take a step inside.


"Sorry ta bother you Mrs. Havoick, but there's a woman out front an' I think she wants ta talk business."

The comment caused Anjolie to smile. All the men seemed to notice the presence of a woman at the ranch. It was a system Quinn had come to cherish in the past year. They knew that any woman on the ranch was either a relative or a customer and that either one was to be reported to Elizabeth or Quinn immediately though some of the staff went to Hank and Cory instead, a mistake that Quinn was most eager to correct whenever it occurred.

"Ask her to wait one moment on the front porch, Al. I'll be out as soon as I wash my hands."

The farmhand gave a simple nod and then rushed out at a rather hurried pace to inform the visitor of his boss's message. It also didn't hurt that Aaron was young and extremely attracted to any feminine visitor the ranch might happen to receive. Anjolie moved towards her workbench to deposit the glass dropper in its proper place and then went to scrubbing her hands clean. After a momentary glance in the reflective surface of the seedbox tabletop she headed for the door and on towards the front yard of the Golden Sun property.

Eerie eyes appraised the stranger almost immediately as was her custom. A charming smile spread across her face and a hand was immediately outstretched in greeting to the young woman while her lips began reciting the standard 'Hello' she was so very use to saying.

"Sorry ta keep you waitin', dearie. Welcome to tha Golden Sun. I'm Anjolie Havoick. What can I do ya for?"

[Hannah J Schellden]

I was in total awe as I made my way slowly through the gates, and down the path into the Golden Sun. Gray-blue eyes continued their perusal of the land, with great appreciation. I could tell a lot of love, care and hard work had gone into the creation of the ranch, as well as the daily upkeep. I could only hope that if hired, I could help do justice to the land.

Off to the distance a bit I could hear the muffled conversing of some of the ranchers, and if I looked hard enough I could catch glimpses of them as well. I was rather unsure of which way to go, and whom to talk to. I couldn't see the man from the night before that had given me his business card, Cory, so all I could really do was wait until someone noticed me.

It couldn't have been long, only a matter of at the most I believe ten minutes, before the young man relayed the message from the woman I could only assume was Cory's wife. I nodded my thanks to him, before looking off to the left. I saw men working with some horses, and I realized then, just how much I did miss the ranch that my father had.

My father and mother had tried for a long time to convince me that the FBI and law, wasn't the way that the Schellden children were to follow. My twin brothers and my sister had followed in my parent's footsteps and all had land of their own. Least I can say is that I was quite stubborn and followed my heart. At least they're proud of me, despite not following the family bloodline. I was so lost in the view of the horses that I had barely heard the woman's voice.

Gray-blue eyes turned to study the woman, tilting my head to the right a bit and offering her an award winning smile to her offered greeting. Before speaking I of course extended my own hand towards the woman, gripping it firmly and shaking it before I reached into my back, left pocket. Withdrewing the business card her husband had given me the night before. Extending it between index and thumb towards the femme. "It's nice to meet you ma'am, my name's Hannah. Seems I was a victim of a thing you all call a Nexus here." Gone was my heavy New Orleans accent, I still really couldn't get over hearing my voice sound so.. So plain. A slight nod of my head to her, "I met your husband last night in the Red Dragon Inn, and he was kind enough to give me this here business card. Told me to come by today after I'd had breakfast. Said that ya'll were looking for help here around the ranch?"