"Hosea-"
Hosea had been on watch, old rifle held between spindly and skillful fingers which cracked often and were wrinkled. His boot scuffles along the grass, dislodging a few tiny stones and kicking up dirt when a voice spoke. Alarm had hit the old man before he registered who was talking or even saw them. He just knew. Maybe it was his dad instincts kicking in and telling him. Whatever it was, it made Hosea spin around faster than he thought he could with his old bones.
There stood Arthur, a soft but sad look on his aged and scarred face. He held his worn hat in his hands and had a splatter of blood on his shirt and cheek. Hosea dropped the rifle without a care and stepped towards his son, hands outstretched.
"Arthur- are you…are you hurt?" He asked, voice cracking just a little as if a cough was building but Hosea knew it was the panic. His hands shook with a tremor that had never been there unless he was in a time like this. Arthur refused to meet Hosea's eye, head shaking from side to side and settling the older outlaw's worries. He was still concerned but anything that ended with doom and death was wiped from Hosea's mind.
"Hosea, I-" The man's shoulders were drawn in and his face twisted tightly. It was a sight Hosea hadn't seen for a while but he still remembered what it mean. He nodded, hand gently squeezing Arthur's bicep.
"I'll be right back, Arthur." Hosea picked up his rifle, heading off to find Lenny or someone else who would take up guard duty and not complain or ask questions. He found Karen who just took the rifle and watched as Hosea rushed off. The conman ignored the slight wheeze in his chest as he reached his son's side again. "Let's go."
The early evening sun shone over the steady flowing Dakota River which divided up New Hanover and West Elizabeth. It turns the sky a beautiful gold as it began its slow descent to let the night roll in and the half moon glow. Hosea walked alongside Arthur, waiting for the man to speak. He had placed his hat back on his head and instead fiddled with the satchel strap around his chest. It was then did Hosea notice the lack of Arthur's giant blood bay stallion Romulus. The horse was always with Arthur when he left camp, practically attached since the man had brought him back after finding him in the wild. At first he had a bit unruly, stubborn but grew to love Arthur and Arthur alone. A beautiful horse with excellent speed.
The two ended up sitting in the large boulders that had settled in the river, watching the current flow around them with the odd fish or two visible through the water. A few ducks and Canadian geese rested near the shore, some washing themselves and other just quaking or honking away. Hosea noticed Arthur's hands twitch towards his satchel which he knew held the younger man's journal. Hosea wasn't about to stop him however Arthur didn't get it out.
"I lost Romulus." Arthur confessed after sometime just watching the world around them.
"Arthur-"
"Damn O'Driscolls got the drop on me- ss'a gunfight and he took one right through the skull. Sent us crashing down, it did." He drew a breath, boots shuffling on the ground. "Died quick at least. Poor thing." Hosea nodded, hand reaching out and gently touching Arthur's forearm. Hosea knew just how attached his son got to his horses, Boadicea had been dear to him, her death hadn't quite healed yet.
"You'll be okay."
"I-I know, just a damn horse..." Hosea shook his head, standing up and patting his shoulder.
"No, Arthur. They're more than that and you know it."
"Yeah, well…thank you, Hosea"