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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 4435991" data-attributes="member: 8530">Chapter Five, “Final Preparations“, Thursday, November 23, 1882:Ginnie, Emily and Colleen head off to pay a visit to Mother Jiminez, the most powerful druid in the southeastern United States.  Ginnie cautions the girls that Jiminez is not only the spouse of their teacher Jadito but also one who has a way with sensing people and animals so to always be one-hundred-percent truthful with her.   “What do you mean?” Colleen asks.  Ginnie says, “Let’s just say that she is connected to the area."The old half-Apache-high-elf and half-Mexican-wood-elvan woman lets them into her home.  Ginnie says, “You probably already know what I am going to tell you, you usually do.”  Jiminez gives her a quizzical look.  Ginnie says, “We have to go find Coronado’s sword.”   “Oh,” Jiminez replies.   Ginnie says, “There’s a map…”   Jiminez interrupts her and says, “There are always treasure maps, and they all turn out to be fakes.”   Ginnie replies, “True, but this one has the right names connected to it.”Jiminez nods and states, “That just means somebody did their research.  I wouldn’t put much stock in it.”  Ginnie shows her the newspaper article and summaries what has been decided about this upcoming trip and who will be going.   Jiminez lectures both Colleen and Emily, telling them that they are new with druid spells and that they should not be overconfident about their abilities.  She compliments them for their wisdom and common sense, that they have a lot of promise, but to be very careful.Colleen replies, “We’re not stupid, but I can’t say the same for my sister though.”   Jiminez points out that Colleen can use a spell to talk to her sister’s horse and convince it get away really fast regardless of what Cathleen wishes it to do.   She reminds them that even pulling buggies these horses can move much faster than anybody chasing them on foot, and if anyone is chasing them on horseback the druids can talk to the other riders’ horses too.   Colleen seems reluctant to taking responsibility for her twin. Jiminez points out that the leylines of Earth-magics of this region do extend that far to the east, so that the girls do not have to worry about their spells acting less powerful than normal.    Ginnie asks if she knows what types of animals and creatures might reside in that region.  Jiminez replies that the mountains of that region have mountain lions and cougars.   Meanwhile, Jake gets his horse and gear together.  Jake is a little sketchy about the background of why they are going on this trip.   He stops off at the mining supply warehouse to load up on some extra dynamite.    He runs into the girls and reminds them “I don’t want any trouble on the way, and what I mean by trouble is having to go find anything that might have been forgotten.  So if we need anything, let’s buy it now.”   “Like what?”  Emily asks.  Jake replies, “I don’t know, but we’re not nickel and diming our way to Dead Mule.   If we may need it, get it now.   And the quality and choices of supplies is probably much better here in Promise City.”   Emily points out that Jake just gave Ginnie permission to take every book they own.   Colleen exclaims, “No, we’re limiting the number of books.  We’re only taking two buggies and few horses.”  Jake double-checks to make sure that they have packed enough non-perishable food, just in case they get tied up.   Emily suggests that for safety purposes they find some clothing to make the girls appear from a distance to be boys, at least from a distance.   Jake says that is a good idea, at least for the Galeyville section of the trip.   The girls pass on to Jake some of the information that they have picked up about their destination. Hearing that Dead Mule is full of ex-Confederate soldiers Jake heads over to the Lucky Lady Dance Hall and Saloon to talk to bouncer Jeff Mills, who also served in this region’s Confederate Army back in the war.    Jeff indicates that he has been to Dead Mule, New Mexico and adds, “I hate that place.”   Jake says, “I hear that it is full of your old brethren.    Jeff says “It is.  I recall being there back during the war.”  Jake asks, “Were you camped near by there?”   Jeff explains that the town is in a pass between two steep mountain ranges, so it is the best way through the mountains, which is way the stagecoach goes that way.    So back during the war that pass was considered a strategically valuable place to hold, so the Confederate Army put a cannon to guard the pass.    Jake replies, “Okay.”   Jeff exclaims, “No, it wasn’t okay.  They made me haul the damned thing up there!”Jake laughs and says, “I see, so when the war was over did you get to toss it down too?”  Jeff says, “No, it’s still up there.  Too damned heavy for anybody else to move.”  “What way is it pointing?” Jake asks.  Jeff says, “Back then it was pointing towards the pass.  The town is apparently there now, so I imagine they might have turned it.”   Jake asks which end of the pass it is on and Jeff says, “The northwest side.  They expected the Union would come down from Albuquerque to the northeast.  Jake says, “I always like to know where all of the big guns are.”  Jeff adds, “That cannon has a lot of sentimental value to the folks there, since it’s what kept the Confederates safe there.”  “One cannon held off the whole Union Army?”  Jeff says, “They like to think that.  I think that the Union Army just never bothered with Dead Mule.”   Jake asks, “Know anybody there still?”  Jeff replies, “Oh yeah, Ernest Johnson’s there.  Hear he’s the Sheriff now.  He was the Confederate Lieutenant in charge of the troops around that area back during the war.  Biggest coward you’ve ever seen.  Whenever there was trouble around he was elsewhere.”   Jake says, “Good to know what the local law is like.”  Jeff says, “He’s somewhat like his cousin, Promise City’s barber Biff Johnson.  All of those Rock Ridge Johnsons are no good.”Jake asks, “Anything else interesting in Dead Mule?”  Jeff says, “Not when I was there, it was just the pass and the cannon.”   Jeff indicates that after the war most of the local Confederates headed down to Mexico with his old Colonel, the others just stayed put in the Dead Mule area.   Jake asks about Coronado legends and Jeff indicates that the only legends he knows pertain to the Promise City area.  He says that he never heard of Coronado heading over to the Dead Mule area.    Lastly, Jeff tells Jake to be careful around that area of rattlesnakes.  It seems like you can’t go ten feet without stepping on one of them.   Jake says, “Sounds like I should bring some extra rounds.”   Jeff also points out that the Apache sometimes head that far east too, but that most of them in that part of the country are on the reservations now. Jake thanks him for the information.Jake fills in the girls on what he heard.   Ginnie makes a trip back to Mother Jiminez to get information about possible encounters with the Apache.   Everyone heads to bed early this night, planning to set off before dawn.</blockquote>

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