Kai stopped short of the gate. Sam stepped out of the saddle. The ranch looked the same. They weren't too concerned about the missing trio and didn't look to be expecting visitors. Sam took a moment to reload his revolver.

"Hide somewhere until you see me come out," he said. "Stay safe, okay?"

Kai huffed, but still strode away. He smiled as she walked away. Considering her size, and the fact that she had an impressive set of claws, he didn't want to put Kai in danger. She could probably take care of herself, if need be. Stumbling upon something nasty along the trail was one thing, taking her into a potential gunfight was something else.

The guards at the gates were missing a few people. Sam took that to mean that the three he took out were still gone. Hopefully, that meant they wouldn't pop back up while he was at the ranch. There was a chance, an incredibly small one that they had been coming after him of their own choice. Bartholomew might simply be a creep, not some villain who wanted to kill him.

A red triangle appeared of the head of the gate guards once they saw him. Without a word they raised their weapons to take aim. A spear sailed through the air and knocked one of the guards back into the yard. Sam looked for the source to find a Gnoll scout rising from the ground. Dry dirt and tangles of the remains of roots cascaded over its form.

Sam turned his attention back to the wall. The remaining guard had snapped out of it enough to get his weapon up again. More of the ranch hands patrolling the wall were making their way over. Sam drew his revolver and fired off a couple of rounds. He didn't hit the guard, but it got the guy to duck back to cover.

Three spears thudded against the wall, creating an improvised ladder.

* Quest Failed: Culling the Pack

* Optional Quest Started: A Change of Management

* Kill Bartholomew Twain

* +50 Reputation with Carson Bridge

* +100 Reputation with Gnoll Clan Oli

* +100 Reputation with Hank and Margie Jackson

The elf sprinted toward the wall. He grabbed the bottom spear, using it and his superior Agility to launch himself up onto the wall. Sam landed on the wooden walkway on the interior of the ranch. The remaining gate guard was hunkered down a few feet away by a lever. Another eight ranch hands were closing fast. Sam couldn't help but smile as the nearby guard stared at him with wide eyes. His hand snapped down and back up as he drew his revolver.

The guard flinched as it fired. He looked down to find a wonderful lack of freshly made wounds. A look of dread spread across his face as the gate began to open. The guard looked to the lever beside him to find the remaining chunk of wood was pointing in the wrong direction. He placed his rifle on the walkway beside him and scooted back against the wall.

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A group of Gnolls rushed through the open gate. Sam turned his attention to the approaching guards. He fired in their direction, but found his revolver to be lacking due to the range. The shotgun on his back wasn't going to do any good either. What he needed was a rifle.

"May I use this?" Sam asked the guard.

The guard shook his head, "go ahead."

* Replace Worn Double-Barrel with Varmint Express Rifle?

* Yes/No

Sam agreed. The Worn Double-Barrel dropped to the ground.

* Varmint Express Rifle – Lever Action

* Caliber - .22

* Capacity - 11

* Condition – 25/25

* Damage - 20

* Range – Medium to Long

He raised the rifle to his shoulder to take aim. The cross-hair appeared, but this time it was larger. When using his revolver the center was barely visible. Now, with the rifle, there was a noticeable gap. It merited some thought when he wasn't in the middle of storming a fortress.

The cross-hair turned red as his aim fell on the nearest guard. He fired and missed. The gap doubled in size. Sam lowered himself to one knee. Thankfully the cross-hair returned to its normal size. It shrunk even more as he took a deep breath and held it.

* +25 XP

The numbers followed the guard as he tumbled off the walkway, landing face first in the empty corral in the courtyard. A loud crack accompanied the impact. Not one from gunfire, instead it sounded like wood being broken, which added yet another thing that needed further attention after the gunfight.

A total of ten Gnolls had joined the assault. Three had made their way onto the walkway along the wall and the others were keeping the guards busy. They were scarily accurate with their spears. Two of the Gnolls had fallen. Sam watched as another slumped to the ground.

Movement from the house caught his attention. He had forgotten about the guard on the roof. The man had shifted to get a better angle on the Gnolls below. Sam brought the rifle back to his shoulder. The guard across the way was kneeling as well, presenting a nice stationary target. Sam waited until the cross-hair had shrunk to almost nothing before he fired.

* +75 XP

The guard on the roof tumbled down to the dirt.

"Do you mind if I keep this?" Sam asked.

"Go ahead," the guard said.

"Thank you," Sam said. "Stay here, keep your hands up, and you should be fine."

The guard nodded. He put his hands above his head, resting them on the wall behind him. Sam took a moment to relieve the man of the gun on his belt. The guard didn't protest. An identification window popped up as Sam grabbed the revolver.

* Replace Peacemaker with Single-Action Revolver?

* Yes/No

* Caliber – .45

* Capacity – 6

* Condition – 15/15

* Damage – 15

* Range – Close to Medium

The revolver disappeared into his inventory when he declined to equip it. Item number three that he would have to take a closer look at.

"One more thing," Sam said.

"Huh?"

"Is there another way into the house?" Sam asked.