I've thought about what I have to say to convince them. I've thought deeply about it. I have to use the right words, otherwise they won't listen to me.
"Girls, can I speak with you a second?" I ask to Tilly and Mary-Beth.
I lead them to the table and make them sit down.
I must admit, I feel a little nervous.
"I didn't ask Karen 'cause I don't know what she could say around when she is… you know… and I must be sure this remains a secret between you and me."
When they stare at me without saying anything, I take a deep breath and look around before keeping on.
I tell them about what Arthur and I discussed the other day. I tell them about Dutch, how he has lost himself, and that they have to stay ready and leave as soon as I tell them to do it.
They try to reply: they don't want to leave the only family they've ever got. They're scared.
"I know, I know. So am I. But… I can't sit back and look while they ruin your life" I whisper nodding towards Micah and Dutch in the distance.
"What about the others? Abigail, Jack…" asks Tilly.
"Arthur is taking care of them. I just ask you… when you go, take Karen with you."
When it seems I'm finally able to convince them, they stand up, thank me and go away.
I just have the time to take a sigh before Trelawny comes to sit next to me.
"May I?" he asks politely pointing at the chair.
"Sure" I say with a smile.
While he sits, I glance at the two bags he is carrying, being careful not to be seen by him.
Well, at least I don't have to convince him to leave.
"Yes, I'm leaving" he states.
"You truly have a great power of mind reading, Mr. Trelawny" I laugh.
He smiles in turn and I sense a change of attitude, now he is more relaxed.
"Where are you planning to go?" I ask.
"I don't have a long term program, but first thing… I think I'll go to Saint Denis, pay a visit to my family."
"Your family?" I ask amazed.
"Yes, my dear. I am a family man. Hard to say, but I am. And my wife and children haven't seen me in a while."
"Mr. Trelawny, every time I talk with you, you surprise me more and more. And… I know it won't make any difference, but I want you to know I kinda like you, and that you're doing the right thing. Leaving, I mean."
"Thank you, Miss Faraday. Do you allow me to return the compliment?" he asks.
"Of course."
"You are one of the smartest and wisest girls I have ever met."
"Well… I can agree on the first, but strongly deny the second, Mr. Trelawny" I reply with a giggle.
In the distance a man at horseback reaches the camp, dismounts and walks towards us.
I raise a hand to call Arthur.
"I-I think I gotta go" says Trelawny suddenly nervous.
"No need to be anxious Mister. Let Arthur say goodbye to you" I reply.
"Josiah" Arthur greets the man sitting between us.
"I, uh, I was…"
"Leaving again?" asks Arthur.
"Yes, just leaving. I'll see you soon."
"Perhaps."
Why is he so tensed now? There's no need, I'm sure Arthur won't judge him.
"What do you mean?" Trelawny asks.
"Well… if I was you, I'd disappear too. This is pretty much over" answers Arthur.
Mr. Trelawny glances at me for a second before he speaks again.
"Well, I'll be back" he lies.
"No, you won't. Let's not pretend no more. Get outta here."
"Don't worry Mr. Trelawny, we won't tell anyone. Go, live your life, with your family" I add with a smile.
"Well I-I… I thank you both" he says standing up.
"Let's not get over sentimental. Go on, place is quiet" replies Arthur doing the same and patting him on the shoulder.
I move my eyes around the camp as he says this, making sure nobody is watching us. Trelawny nods to Arthur and turns his back to us, walking fast.
"We'll come visit, some day" I say.
"I hope you will. My wife is a magnificent cook" he replies.
Arthur sits down and the two of us stay for a couple of minutes in silence. When he speaks again, it is for telling me something I didn't expect.
"You should get going too."
"What?" I ask perplexed.
"You. And Charles. You should get outta here too."
"What are you talking about?"
I truly can't understand. He wants me and Charles to go away? But he knows I can't do that. At least not until everyone else is safe. And Charles, he would never abandon us.
"You know I won't leave until everyone…" I try to say.
"Sorry to interrupt. Found a friend looking for you."
I jump as I hear the voice.
After all this time, Charles still hasn't lost his habit to show up from behind me.
I turn around to look at him and to the friend he's talking about.
"Chief Rain Falls" I say standing up.
"Miss Faraday, Mr. Morgan. How are you?" he asks to Arthur.
"A little better" he answers.
"I hope so. I heard you've been at the reservation. Helped with the vaccines and not only" he says looking in my direction.
"Well… just what we had to do" I reply glancing first at Arthur and then at Charles, who smiles at me.
"I was sorry to hear about your son" I say then.
A shadow of pain and sadness passes over the man's face.
When Arthur and Charles came back the other day, they told me Dutch's plan was a complete failure and that Eagle Flies was captured by the army.
"We're working on something for making him escape" Charles says.
"Anyway, how can we help you?" asks Arthur to the old man.
"I'm sorry to impose on you again, but I believe I've made progress brokering peace" the Chief answers.
He tells us Colonel Favours agreed to a meeting, but they aren't allowed to bring weapons. So, in order to protect themselves from any kind of trap that man could be setting, he asks us to take part at the meeting.
"I'm in" I say as the Chief stops talking.
"Arthur?" asks Charles.
He sighs and shakes his head before answering.
"It ain't my business, brother."
"No, I know. But it is mine. Do it for me?" Charles replies.
"Charles…"
"What about the 'fix things'?" I ask bewildered.
Arthur stares at me and from his expression I understand there must be something else if he doesn't want to come with us.
"Okay, never mind. I think Charles and I will be enough, right? As the Chief was saying: it's just dull talking and ceremonies" I say in the end.
"No, no. I'll do it. Of course I'll do it. Come on" replies Arthur making us a sign to follow him.
While we head to the meeting, we talk about Eagle Flies. Charles apologizes for Dutch's behavior, for letting his son being imprisoned. Rain Falls assures us his son has always been like this and it will be hard to make him change.
Halfway from the camp, the Chief introduces us two of his men: they will come with us, but they will be unarmed, as supposed by the agreement.
We ride for some time, until we reach what should be Colonel Favours' camp.
We dismount, tide the horses and head to the table they prepared at the centre of the camp, under a big dark tent.
Some armed men watch us from head to toe, tightening their rifles while we draw closer.
Seated next to the man I suppose to be the Colonel, I spot Captain Monroe. He doesn't show any sign of knowing us, as I thought he would.
As soon as Rain Falls reaches the only free chair at the table, the others stand up.
"Colonel Favours, Captain Monroe, we come in peace" the Chief greets them.
Arthur and Charles move to both his sides, just like they were his bodyguards. I stand a little back, right behind him, with the other two fellers he brought with him.
"Hello again. Who are these people?" the Colonel asks pointing his finger to us.
He immediately shows to be a rude man, as I imagined.
"They're… friends of my people" answers Rain Falls.
"Interesting looking fellows… and I didn't expect to see a woman. You must be truly desperate" he laughs sitting down.
Rude and disrespectful. The list goes on.
"Listen Mister… err…"
"Chief…" Rain Falls corrects him.
"Yes, Mister… I can't say that silly name."
"In English they call me Rain Falls" replies the Chief sitting on the free chair.
"Yes, yes, I'm sure they do."
Arthur on my left coughs.
"Listen, we're all Americans here and we… want an outcome, but quite frankly…quite frankly, I'm confused. Your men are… little more than criminals, in my opinion" says Favours.
I tighten my teeth.
How does he dare?
Arthur coughs again. This time more insistently.
"Keep breaking peace treaties we've made. Causing disturbances in everybody's lives. But… I pride myself on being a gentleman. Really, I do…" he keeps saying.
And an arrogant son of a bitch, I think starting to breathe heavily.
"But there are limits. So…"
Arthur begins to cough hard, almost suffocating. He bends on his knees and I immediately get closer and put a hand on his back.
"You okay, man?" asks Colonel Favours with annoyance.
"Can't you see he's not well?" I snap.
"Then he shouldn't have come, don't you think, Miss? Jackson, take him away" he adds to his man.
"Go sit a little Arthur, I'll take care of it" I murmur pushing him gently away.
"I'll bring you some water, Mister" says the man called Jackson leading him to a tent.
I move my eyes on Charles for a second and nod to him before I stand again next to Rain Falls, in Arthur's place.
"So, where was I?" says Favours.
"You're a gentleman with limits?" jokes Monroe.
I can't help but smile at his provocation.
"Are you being facetious, sir? I said, "are you being facetious", Captain Monroe?" asks again the Colonel when Monroe doesn't answer.
"No, sir, I'm not."
"Chief Rains…" Favours addresses the Chief.
"It's Rains Falls."
"Yes, Chief Rains, the thing is: it seems you lost control of the situation, you can't control your people anymore. Or maybe they follow exactly your orders when they do what they do."
"My people is behaving how they always behaved. We made treaties, you gave us rules and we followed those rules…"
"No, you didn't. You broke the rules. And by what the United States Government says, now you have to move from the land you're occupying."
"Colonel Favours, we signed a treaty, and that treaty says that land belongs to us" Rain Falls replies quietly.
"No, you violated the treaty, and now that treaty is null. Get that through your skull. You have to move."
"But they don't want to move!" I yell at him.
The arrogance of this man bothers me so much, I don't have the strength to restrain myself from stepping in.
The faces of all the present men turn to me.
"We didn't ask for your opinion, Miss" answers Favours with his unpleasant tone.
I open my mouth again, but Charles gets near and takes me from my shoulders.
"Don't complicate things" he just whispers in my ear.
"I'm sorry" I say taking a step back and nodding to Charles.
"As I was saying, the land you occupy, belongs to the Government and that's the end of the question" says the Colonel ignoring my apology.
As I move my eyes on Arthur, who's coming back from the tent, Rain Falls slowly stands up.
"Good day, Colonel Favours" he simply says going away.
I smirk to the Colonel before I turn my back at him. He deserves to be left there without an answer.
"Well, that was remarkably unproductive. I'm afraid the Federal Government was quite clear, Colonel…" Monroe says with reproach.
We follow the Chief when Arthur calls us to make us stop.
"They said they wanted the peace and peace for all and that the treaty had not been broken by anybody" Monroe keeps saying.
Rain Falls and his men mount on their horses and leave, but we stay right were we are, looking at the Colonel and the Captain arguing.
"Oh, is that so, sir? And did it want impudence, sir, from a junior officer in public?" asks Favours.
"I don't think it will end well" I murmur starting to feel uncomfortable.
"You insult me, you insult this regiment. Arrest this man" orders the Colonel.
"Arrest me?" asks Monroe in disbelieve.
Oh no, I feared that, I think tensing up.
"Gross insubordination. Disobeying an order. Treason!" yells Favours.
"Are you mad?"
"Should we do something?" I ask to Arthur grabbing his arm.
As I say this he moves.
He gets close to one of Favours' guards and takes him from the neck pointing his pistol to the man's head.
Quick like a lighting, Charles and I take out our guns as well.
My heart starts beating fast.
"Let him go" says Arthur.
Charles takes me from my shoulder and pulls me back towards the horses.
"Go. Quick. Get back to camp" he whispers.
"What? No, Charles…" I try to reply.
"Go away" he insists pushing me back.
"I want to help."
"Come on Captain Monroe, let's get outta here" says Arthur to the man.
As we slowly retreat, Charles turns to look at me right in the eyes.
"Please."
I stare back at him feeling a void in my chest.
The way he said it makes me understand a million things.
"Okay" I whisper.
While they keep the guards at bay, I get to Isabella, mount on and glance at them for one last time before I hit the spurs.
I run through the trees, not looking back and without even be sure of the path I'm following. When I feel safe I make Isabella slow down until I stop completely.
Am I leaving them? Am I truly leaving them in this bad situation? I think breathing heavily.
I look around me, inside the woods, unaware of where I am.
I know Charles wants me to be safe, but I can't run away while they risk their lives. But at the same time, he expects me to go away, to be already far from here.
A sudden distant sound catches my attention.
Shots.
They're still close to me. So close I can almost hear their voices. I can't go away. I just can't.
"Ready to dance?" I ask to Isabella.
I hit the spurs and leave the trail.
While I run among the high trees, I take out my gun and check the charge.
"Come on, come on" I whisper as I feel the shots closer and closer.
I stop suddenly to watch the scene in front of me.
The army surrounded them, creating a circle around Arthur and Charles, who are doing what they can to hold them off. Captain Monroe isn't even shooting.
Without thinking, I hit the spurs.
I decide to run with my horse among the guards. If they focus on me, Arthur and Charles will take advantage of their distraction and get rid of them, or at least run away.
As I pass next to a man with the uniform I shoot him in the face. The others soon understand what's happening and turn in my direction. Quickly, I recharge my pistol and shoot again hitting a man in the chest.
I reach another and this time I run so close to him that there is no need to shoot: I just take my foot out of the stirrup and kick him.
In the chaos of shots and shouts, I hear a familiar voice call my name, or maybe it's just a feeling, but I don't pay attention to that.
I make Isabella turn around and spur her again, leading her towards another man with the uniform, I recharge the gun and aim at him. He sees me in turn and points his rifle to me. My finger is on the trigger, ready to kill, but I have no chance.
Isabella makes a strange movement and bends on one side, neighing desperately.
I try to keep her steady, but lose my balance on her. I let the gun fall from my hand as I try to grip on the saddle not to fall down.
I feel a void on the stomach and instinctively close my eyes while I keep falling for a time that seems endless. The pain on my right shoulder tells me I hit the ground and then…
black.
Hello hello!
Honestly, I hate Favours with all my heart! My goodness! If I were there I would have stuck a knife on his chest regardless of the consequences. If they had killed me in turn, I'd happily died. Besides, he's the one who shots and kills Eagle Flies in the end, so I would have saved the Chief son's life too.
Okay, stop with the murderous intentions.
Every time I hear Charles saying that "do it for me?" in that sweet way I just... want to jump on him. He's sooo sweet! Yes, of course I'll do it for you. I would jump out of a window for you!
Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter.
See you soon!