"Pleased t' meet ya," said Lucinda. "Hope you're hungry...there's plenty more down cellar in a teacup."

"I am," answered Hank.

" You and Joe always are, " answered Lucinda.

Loraine laughed and nodded her head,"Yes ma'am ive had along journeys behind and ahead of me." Loraine looked out the window to see if Frank had folloqwed them, no sign of him but she did see Joe coming though.

Hank pulled out a chair for her to sit and gently pushed her in, taking the seat beside her.

Lucinda smiled. "Well, I hope you're stayin a spell."

Jerimiah stepped forward and gently kissed her cheek.

"Well if it ain't little Lorraine Davenport...well I ain't seen you in an age, certainly didn't recognise ya when ya showed up with Hank there..."

Loraine looked to Jeremiah,"Yes sir it has been quiet a spell since i seen ya'll.""Well now Miss Lucinda I wouldnt wanna put you and joe and dixie and specially hank, out of house and home." Loraine looked to Hnak and winked at him.

Hank smiled. "No fear of that darlin..."

Loraine proped her arm on the table and sighed, smiling to Hank. Dixie walked through to the kitchen and smiled to Loraine.

Hank smiled back a dimpled grin. She was the prettiest thing he had seen in a month of Sundays. "Where's Joe?" he asked.

Lucinda smiled. "I think he just got back."

Joe put Splinter in his stall and encouraged him to lay down, petting his neck gently before jogging inside, not noticing Lorraine sitting at the table as he hunted down some shine.

Jeremiah looked at him. "Well there he is but uh...what are yu a huntin for boy?"

Hank looked up at him as he came through the door. "You alright? You look like the devil's after ya."

Joe shook his head, finally getting one of the jars of shine and heading back out again.

"Splinter's got a huge gash on his leg..."

Jeremiah fowned. "A gash?"

"You need help with him?" asked Hank knowing frm the look on his face that Joe was worried.

Joe looked back, nodding a little.

"I might...this stuff stings like crazy.."

Hank looked at Lorraine. "S'cuse me darlin...I'll be right back...." he said slowly getting up and following Joe out.

Joe hurried back to the barn, grabbing some of the horse equipment they had for treating such things and going into Splinter's stall, seeing he was laying down where he had left him.

"Good boy...we'll get you fixed up right quick..."

Hank frowned entering the stall and looking at the gash. "How'd he do that?!" he asked scratching behind the horse's ears.

Joe shook his head, kneeling down by the horses back feet softly and inspecting the gash closely.

"I have no idea...one minute we were tearin' across the land an' the next he's rearin' up in pain..."

Hank instinctively sat behind his head rubbing his neck but holding his head firmly so that Joe would not get bit.

Joe sighed and poured a little moonshine onto a clean rag, swallowing gently as he looped a rope around Splinter's back legs and tied it to the stall bars so he wouldn't get kicked.

"I'm sorry about this boy..." Wincing himself, he pressed the rag against the wound, hearing Splinter whiny loudly and struggle against the holds in pain.

"Shhhh...easy boy you know Joe don't wanna hurt you," said Hank struggling to hold the stallion's head back.

Joe eventually removed the rag, wiping the wound clean and seeing how bad it was, frowning a little.

"I think this might need stitches..."

Hank frowned. "Pretty deep, huh?"

Joe nodded, shaking his head.

"I just don't understand it...I don't know how the heck he could have gotten this in the middle of a field..."

Hank stroked Splinter's mane. "Where exactly were you?"

Joe frowned, thinking as he started to wrap the wound tightly.

"I think...near the caves..."