Chapter 63: The Horses

"We need to move towards a conclusion now," Dutch explained to Arthur.

"Sure, but what's this gotta do with any of that?" Arthur asked him.

"Some good honest conflict between the army and the Indians might be just the distraction we need. Kill two birds with one stone. Cornwall was funding the Pinkertons' assault on us. Why do you think I dealt with him?"

"For Lilly!" Arthur barked out. "Or is that another two birds with one stone analogy?"

"Yes, it is. We got revenge for what happened to Lilly, and with Cornwall gone, the government is far more likely to divert them to other issues, especially if there's one more scandal. And then we can slip away. Like I said, we just need that noise and one more score. You know, I went back for the chest I had hidden outside Shady Belle, and we're close, Arthur. That dynamite, the railroad contract with the army, it was all in those papers Micah found. I have a plan. You just have to trust me."

"Revenge, huh?" Arthur said. "I ain't so sure revenge is what Lilly wants anymore, Dutch. You saw what she did to Brutus."

"Yes, and that concerns me. I should ask her what you and Hosea were talkin' about."

The group got near the river and Arthur saw an Indian and two canoes down a ways. They dismounted and walked over.

"There's Paytah," Eagle Flies said as he pointed to the other Indian. Paytah stood up but backed up when he saw Brian and James. He gaped at Eagle Flies and he laughed. "It's okay, Paytah. These are Mrs. Morgan's wolves, Brian and James." Eagle directed to the three respectively. "These men, and her, like I said...they'll help us."

"I got the canoes," said Paytah, then he pointed out to the river. "The boat is still moored in the channel."

"Good. Let's wait 'til nightfall."

They set up a small camp site near the river and Lilly settled next to Arthur near a large boulder. The wolves nestled down near her and she scratched behind their ears. "So," Dutch said as he approached them both. "Lilly, can we talk about somethin'?"

Lilly smiled up at him. "Sure, Da. 'Bout what?"

Dutch knelt down in front of her. "Hosea and Arthur said somethin' about what Catherine Braithwaite said to you. Would you mind tellin' me what they meant?"

Arthur saw Lilly's face go pale. "Da, I..."

"If you don't want me to know, that's okay. But can you explain this...this snake and rat business?"

Lilly sighed. "I believe someone is manipulatin' you, Da. I don't know who, and I can't prove it yet, but I'm tellin' ya, Molly wasn't our rat."

Dutch sighed. "Maybe so, but..."

"But nothin', Da!" She stood up. "Excuse me." Lilly turned and walked away from them both and the boys followed.

Arthur shook his head. "She's takin' Molly's death really hard."

Dutch nodded. "I...I am, too. I loved her, Arthur."

"I know."

"But if she wasn't the rat, she was...Christ, Arthur..."

Lilly found an oak tree not too far from camp and took a deep breath. The boys followed and stood guard over her as she pressed her hands to the trunk and shut her eyes.

Horses in the water. A brown liquid in a river. An explosion on a boat. Penelope Braithwaite writing a letter. Beau Gray at the train station in Rhodes. A hand in the dirt. Plants, trees, and animals dying from a darkness comsuming them. A rat and a snake being born from the darkness. Arthur fighting a big man with a small head. Arthur chasing after a very small man.

Lilly backed away from the tree and covered her mouth with a giggle. "Ó a Dhia..." [Oh my God...]

"Is everything alright, Mrs. Morgan?" Lilly turned around and saw Eagle Flies staring at her. "What were you doing just now?"

Lilly pressed a hand to her stomach. "Oh, uh...just the wee bairns kickin' about. Sometimes it tickles."

"I see." Eagle approached her. "I owe you an apology, Mrs. Morgan."

"You do?" Lilly said with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes. For how I treated you at the party, and when we were with Mr. Miller."

"Oh. Well, um," Lilly bit her lip. "Apology accepted."

Eagle Flies smiled. "I'm glad you do."

Lilly looked down at Brian and James who were both panting and looking up at Eagle Flies with excitement in their eyes. Her nose wrinkled as she looked at them with confusion in her mind. "What is wrong with you two?"

They groaned at her and Brian nuzzled her hand. She chuckled and scratched his head. "They really do love you, don't they..." Eagle Flies said in astonishment.

"Yes, and I them." Lilly looked up at the sky. "Hmm, we got a long way to go 'til it gets dark." Lilly looked at Eagle Flies with a friendly smile.

"Who are you?" Eagle Flies asked her.

"Who am I? I'm Lilly."

"I mean...there's more to you. Who are you?"

Lilly felt a twinge in the back of her neck. "I don't think I understand what you're gettin' at, Eagle Flies."

Eagle tilted his head. "Our shaman says you are special...that you have two spirits in you."

Lilly's eyebrows raised. Shit. "Not sure what you mean."

"Who is the other?"

Lilly smirked. "You are a very curious man, aren't you?"

"Yes. I don't understand what he means, though. How can a person have two spirits?"

"Well..." Lilly chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck. "I suppose your shaman sees a lot of things."

"Yes." Eagle looked to the sky. "He said he would like to meet you and the wolves."

Lilly made a face of bewilderment. "You mean go to Wapiti? Oh I don't, heh heh heh, I don't think we'd get much of a welcome."

"Why not?"

"Well, I'm not a native. And they're, well, they're humongous."

"Wolves are sacred to our tribe. We respect them a great deal."

A look of revelation played on her face. "Ah. I can see why you were angry about me havin' them, then."

"Yes. But they seem happy with you. And I suppose they are better off with you than out in the wild. Giant beasts like them would be hunted and killed," Eagle Flies said sadly.

"Ha! These boys are pretty hard to kill."

"Are they?"

"Yes. They uh...let's just say they recover from pretty much everythin'."

Lilly and Eagle Flies, along with the boys, walked around the woods and continued their chatting. Eagle Flies was very curious about her life so she told him some of it. About her family and their deaths, about her life as a noble, about her life with the Dutch van der Linde gang, and about her life with Arthur. Eagle Flies seemed impressed by her, which was unexpected. She asked him about his life. He'd had a older brother who died, along with his mother. Both were killed by the U.S. Army and shortly after that, his tribe had been moved to the Wapiti Reservation. Lilly immediately empathized with him about it. However, he hadn't seen them die. Soon, Eagle Flies and Lilly rejoined the group and Arthur looked a little mad about how long they'd both been gone. They were about to eat lunch when Arthur pulled her to the side.

"A word, my wife," he demanded with a restrained angry tone.

Lilly raised a brow at his behavior. "Um, okay?"

He immediately dragged her into the woods and started yelling at her. "What the hell was that about?!"

Lilly's face scrunched up. "Excuse me? What was what about?"

"You and Eagle Flies!"

Lilly started laughing at him. "Oh God, don't tell me you're jealous now. Nothin' happened, ya silly man!"

"Well, what am I supposed to think when you and him are gone for hours?"

"We were just talkin', is all. Jesus, Arthur. Just gettin' to know each other."

Arthur scowled at her. "I bet he was!"

Lilly's mouth parted. "Do ya honestly think I would cheat on ya?!"

Arthur looked abashed. "Just next time, don't do that!"

A scoff of bemusement came out of her mouth. "I will do what I damn well please, ya jealous bastard!"

"Inconsiderate hag!"

"Pompous asshole!"

"Unfaithful harlot!"

Lilly shook her head. "I didn't cheat, you eejit. I been faithful to ya, always!"

"Not with Brutus!"

Lilly's eyes widened. She couldn't believe her ears. "What the hell did ya just say tah me?!"

"You heard me!"

"Ya honestly think I wanted it? Are ya fuckin' daft?!" Lilly shouted furiously. "I was raped, ya eejit! I was chained the fuck down with an enchanted collar around me god damn neck and there was nothin' I could do! I tried to fight him, I tried to get away! And I still feel guilty about it, and ya wanna go and make me feel worse about it?" Lilly shoved him. "Fuck you, Arthur!"

"Don't you mean fuck Brutus?!"

Lilly felt Adair clawing to get out. She was surrounded by light and Adair came out, pushing Arthur to the ground and squeezing his throat with her red wings flapping about. "How dare you insult your wife like that! I was there, I saw, no, I felt the whole thing and the only thing she kept thinking was how you would never forgive her! And this is exactly why she did not tell you in the first place!"

"Adair! Let go of him! Yer gonna make him have a coughin' fit!"

Arthur grasped at his neck as his face turned red. "Let go of me," he gasped out.

"Adair! Stop it! NOW!"

Adair changed back into Lilly and she let go of him. Arthur rolled over and started coughing like crazy. Lilly pat his back with tears rolling down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." she sobbed.

Arthur regained his faculties, rolled back over and held her to him. "No, I'm sorry. That was a stupid thing for me to say," Arthur uttered breathlessly.

Lilly sobbed into his chest and Arthur held her closer. They pressed their foreheads together. "Forgiven."

"Forgiven," Arthur repeated.

"Adair, dunna ya ever do that again! Takin' me over and hurtin' me husband like that! Shame on ya!"

"I am sorry, Lilly, but he wa-"

"As ucht Dé, we fight like this all the bloody time, it's nothin' new!"

Arthur kissed Lilly's forehead. "It's alright, Adair. I'm not mad. You were right to do that."

Lilly sighed and sat on her husband's groin. "No she wasn't! She is not allowed tah control me like that, nor is she allowed tah attack ya! Not ever!"

"I am sorry, Lilly."

"It's best if we dunna speak fer a while, Adair! I am so angry with ya!"

"But Lilly!"

Arthur put his hands on Lilly's hips. "I'm sorry I got jealous. I just feel-"

Lilly shushed him. "Ya lay off me husband! I mean it! He is mine, ya old feckin' witch!"

Arthur looked up at his wife amusingly. "Oooh, so possessive, Mrs. Morgan."

Lilly snarled. "Damn right I am!" She leaned down and kissed him deeply. "No one fights you but me."

Arthur rolled her over and he hovered. "Mmmm, all this talk is makin' me want you so very much, m'lady."

Lilly stared up at him with lust in her eyes. "You haven't called me that in a while...m'lord."

Arthur chortled into her neck. "I keep forgettin' you like it. Keep talkin', m'lady."

Lilly leaned up and nibbled his throat, making him groan in pleasure. "You belong to me, Arthur. I would kill any woman who would dare touch you."

"Ooh hoo hoo," Arthur guffawed. "You beautiful, possessive woman."

Lilly pulled him on top of her and wrapped her legs around him. "I'm bein' serious, mo chuisle. You are mine, and I am yours."

"Yeah, you are mine," Arthur said as he licked the crook of her neck. "All mine. You have no idea how much I enjoyed beatin' that man to a pulp."

Arthur hastily and angrily strapped Brutus down to a chair in the back of the cavern. He was so furious, he was seeing red. The nerve of this bastard. For him to even think about touching Lilly infuriated him. Once he was done tying Brutus up, Arthur punched the man repeatedly as Hosea, Micah, Dutch, Brian and James came running in.

"Arthur!" Dutch yelled. "What are you doin'?!"

Arthur continued to beat the man. Brutus only laughed at him. "What's the matter, Morgan? You jealous that I had your woman all to myself? Her pussy is so sw-"

"Shut the fuck up!" Arthur snapped angrily. "You're gonna be chewed up and spit out by my wife's wolves!"

To emphasize the threat, Brian and James circled around the man like the wild predators they were. Arthur punched the man again and managed to knock out some teeth. Brutus leaned and spit them out. "Is she here? I'd love to fuck her again, right in front of you because she loved it!" Brutus said, laughing at Arthur.

Arthur charged him again and pummeled his face again and again, then his stomach repeatedly and he kicked the man's legs until Hosea and Dutch pulled him back. "Hey hey hey, save some for Lilly!" Dutch said.

Arthur turned and glared at Dutch who backed off. Micah started laughing. "Why'd you stop him? Brutus deserves to be tortured. I say let Brian and James go at him."

Brian and James inched closer to Brutus, their jaws open, teeth showing, hackles raised, and in a position to pounce. Brutus stared at them wide eyed and began to struggle. "You boys are sick," he mumbled.

Arthur scowled. "We're sick?! You raped and tortured a pregnant woman! You scarred her fucking face!"

Arthur went and punched Brutus in the face again. The audacity of him calling the rest of them sick. That was the only coherent thought Arthur could manage because he was so furious, he couldn't even think straight. Hosea and Dutch pulled him back again."Arthur, let's go get Lilly," Dutch said. "Calm down, son. Just calm down."

Arthur was directed towards the entrance of the cave when he felt his eyes water. "He raped her, Dutch. He fucking raped my wife."

Dutch pat him on the shoulder. "I know. I'm mad about it too, but Lilly will get over it. She's a strong young woman."

Arthur plopped on the cave floor and started to weep. "Jesus Christ, Dutch..."

Dutch knelt down and shook his shoulder lightly. "Hey hey, get yourself together."

"I can't right now. I was supposed to protect her and I didn't. I put her in danger."

"Arthur, what's important right now is that she's alive and back with us."

"But what if she did like it?"

Dutch scoffed. "Don't you believe a word that fool says. He's only doing it to rile you up."

Arthur nodded and wiped his tears. "You're right. You're right. I just...I feel awful."

Dutch helped Arthur up. "So do I. Now go get Lilly."

Arthur nodded and walked out of the cave.

Lilly frowned and kissed Arthur's cheek. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Arthur asked her.

"For all of that. What you just told me. I didn't know Brutus said all that stuff. If I had known, I probably would have let the wolves eat him."

Arthur chuckled and kissed her deeply. "You're safe now, mo ghrá. No more gigantic bounties on your head, and no one else is after you. It's over."

"Except Mr. Pierce. We need to take care of that fucker."

"Oh yeah. Heh. Don't worry. We'll find him and we'll kill him. Now..." Arthur put a hand on her hip and kissed her throat and Lilly let out a soft moan. "Keep talkin', Mrs. Morgan."

As night fell, everyone broke down camp. "Alright, let's head out," Eagle Flies said.

Lilly shooed the boys off and they went running. Lilly and the rest got into the canoes. She got in with Paytah and Eagle Flies while Charles, Dutch, and Arthur were in the other and the group began to paddle out. The trip was silent until they got to the boat. "Good luck," Paytah said.

Eagle Flies climbed up first then helped Lilly up. Eagle hung off the side and grabbed the other canoe as Lilly hid behind a crate. "Pull up alongside, quietly," whispered Dutch.

The men climbed into the bigger boat and they squatted down. "Try not to kill anyone, Arthur," Charles spoke softly.

Arthur snuck up behind a man and put him in a choke hold until the man passed out. Lilly waited as the others went to knock out the others and then she went into the stables. She did her best to calm the spooked horses.

"Shhh," she whispered. "You're okay." When they wouldn't quiet down, Lilly began to hum a tune. Almost immediately, the horses stopped bucking and neighing and began to listen to her. Apparently humming worked too. All of a sudden she heard gunshots and the horses got spooked again. "As ucht Dé..."

The firing ceased. "Boys, go find out about those horses down below," she heard Dutch say. "Arthur, deal with that anchor."

Lilly pat one of the horses and hummed in its ear softly, and the beast became calm.

"You think I have the first idea how this anchor works?" Arthur snapped.

Charles and Eagle Flies came to help ease the riled up horses. "Just blow it up then. Hurry!" Dutch shouted.

Lilly froze. "Oh shit." She went running to Arthur. "No don't blow it up! It's gonna-" But it was too late. Arthur already lit the stick. "Fuck!" Lilly ran back to the horses. "We need to get them out now."

"But why?" Charles asked

"Because the boat is gonna-" There was a big explosion but nothing happened to the boat itself. Lilly sighed. "Nevermind. I just had a feelin'," Lilly said, eyeballing Charles.

He gave her a look of awareness. "Oh."

The boat started moving...a little too fast. Lilly looked out front by the bow and scowled. "Uh, Da?! What are ya doin'?"

"We seem to be goin' pretty fast, Dutch!" Arthur shouted up at him.

"I'm trying!" Dutch shouted back. "We're headin' to those rocks!"

Lilly looked at Charles. "Okay, now we need to let them out."

"Hold on!"

The boat hit rocks and Lilly almost toppled over the side. "Shit!"

"What is wrong with you?!" Arthur snapped at Dutch. "You alright back there?" Arthur asked everyone else.

"Yeah, I think so," Charles said as Lilly started opening the stable doors with Eagle Flies. "But there's a huge hole in the boat! Horses are spooked and we're taking on water!"

"Come on, let's get 'em outta here!"

Lilly got the last door open. "Go! Shoo!"

The horses all ran into the water and started swimming around. The men started vacating the boat but Arthur scolded Dutch. "Well whatever else is wrong with you, you're quite the best pilot I've ever come across!"

Arthur jumped into the water as Lilly was swimming to one of the buckskin colored American

Standardbreds. Lilly mounted up and started guiding the horses to shore. "Come on, beasties." Lilly clicked her tongue a few times. "Come on."

The horses followed and Arthur got on the other buckskin standardbred. Lilly and Arthur guided an appaloosa with them. "Well, that was fun," Arthur spat sarcastically.

Lilly cackled. "Yeah. You know, maybe I'm just cursed when it comes to boats."

Arthur wheezed out a laugh. "Maybe you are, Lilly."

They finally made it to shore and the couple dismounted then walked towards their own horses to regroup with the others. "Ah, seems like Uncle Sam likes you fellas even less than he likes us!" Dutch said.

"So it goes. My father doesn't want to fight again," Eagle Flies said. Arthur started coughing and wheezing and Lilly went to him. "Will one of you help me return the horses to my men?"

"You okay?" Lilly asked her husband.

"Mmhmm," Arthur said with a nod. "I'm fine."

"Well, Arthur will..." Dutch motioned to Arthur but then saw how he was doing. "Ah, Arthur needs to rest. I will. I like you, son. And after the horses, are we gonna wait for the army to come and wreak its revenge?"

"I hope not," Eagle Flies responded.

"Of course we ain't! Now let's go check out that fort of theirs."

"Is this a good idea?" Arthur asked Dutch.

"This is the only idea and it is one that will suit both of our purposes." Dutch got on The Count.

"Fightin' the army ain't wise."

"Stop worryin'. Oh, and Sadie told me about Colm. Meet us at Doyle's Tavern in Saint Denis when you can. Shall we go, son?"

"Certainly," Eagle replied.

"We'll start some light reconnaissance out at Fort Wallace and when Colm's dealt with, you come meet us there. We'll set up a good spot for you."

"I don't know, Dutch," Arthur growled lightly.

"Yeah well I do! This is exactly the distraction that we need."

Charles went to Eagle Flies. "Your father said that fighting was an impossible gamble. There's no winning for you in this," Charles said to him.

"Father need not know anything, he'd rather live in ignorance," said Eagle Flies.

"Come along, gentlemen!" Dutch announced.

"Your father would rather you did not do anything so foolish!" Charles persisted as Eagle Flies, Paytah, and Dutch rode away. Charles turned to Arthur. "I said I would stop this from happening...would you talk to him?"

"Speak with Rains Fall?" Arthur asked.

"Yes. Would you?"

"Sure. I'll speak with him."

Lilly frowned. "Wait a minute here, what was wrong with what we did? We got their horses back and these Indians need help, Charles! I mean, you're half Indian yourself! Doesn't it bother you that-"

"Of course it bothers me!" Charles snapped at her. "But there's nothing we or anyone else can do about it."

Lilly sighed and shook her head. Arthur put a hand on Charles' shoulder. "You head on back to camp, check on the others. Dutch's behavior, it's..." Arthur paused and took in a deep breath through his nose.

"I understand." Charles got on Taima and headed out. "Thank you, Arthur."

Lilly shook her head and walked to her horse Liath. Arthur followed her to Rose. "What's wrong with you?"

Lilly scowled. "I just can't stand to watch those people suffer like this. They lost everything and the stupid bloody army keeps taking more and more from them." Lilly stopped and turned to Arthur. "It's unjust! It's...it's...it's bullshit!"

Arthur huffed and put a hand on his hip. "Well, my wife, what do you think is gonna happen now that Dutch is involved? That every Indian will get saved somehow? That the U.S. army will stop and leave them alone?"

"Yes! I believe that!" Lilly snapped.

Arthur growled and mounted on Rose. "If you say so."

Lilly crossed her arms. "So what's this about Colm?"

"Oh. Colm is gonna get hanged in Saint Denis."

Lilly started laughing. "You shittin' me, lad?"

Arthur cackled. "No, I'm not. But while I'm down there, I need to go get Pe-"

"Penelope Braithwaite? Her and Beau are finally runnin' off together?" Lilly said with a smirk.

Arthur leaned on the horn of his saddle, chuckled, and smiled at his wife lovingly. "Did you see the letter or was this in a vision?"

"A vision. You also have to fight a very tall man with a small head, then chase after a tiny one. Oh, and you gotta go deal with Butcher's Creek, I believe."

"Yeah, there's somethin' weird goin' on there. Some Indian shaman talkin' 'bout the place bein' cursed. Had to fight off "demon dogs" and now I gotta go deal with demon charms and...but where is the tall guy at?"

"Van Horn."

"Hmm. Well, looks like we are gonna have some adventures if you're up for it."

Lilly smiled. "I am."

"Then let's go pack for a long journey, mo stór."

Lilly and Arthur trotted off together and the wolves joined up with them somewhere down the trail.

Lilly looked at the letter that Penelope Braithwaite sent to Arthur and she started laughing while he packed. "My family have turned quite mad and are threatening to send me away, to stop my work, which they say is disgracing them. As if their history of absolute moral depravity, utter debauchery and perpetual drunkenness did not disgrace them enough!"

Arthur wheezed out a cackle and pointed at the note. "That part made me laugh, too."

"Well we're gonna show them, ain't we mo chuisle?"

"We sure is."

Lilly finished packing her traveling supplies and ate a pickle. "Better make sure I'm stocked up on these babies."

Arthur chuckled. "No carrots and chocolate, hmm?"

"Ooooh can we stop somewhere and get those too? Please?"

"Of course. We gotta stop there anyways."

"Are we goin' to Butcher's Creek first? It's on the way."

"Yup."

They both finished packing and brought their stuff out to the horses Liath and Rose. Sean and Karen walked up to them both. "Where are you two runnin' off to?" Karen asked.

"An adventure," Lilly said with a bounce to her voice.

"An adventure? Doin' what?"

"Lilly had some visions about some folks. Hey, you two can come along if you want."

Sean and Karen smiled at each other then back at Arthur. "Hell yes!" Karen shouted.

"Alright, well go get packed. Hurry up now."

Sean and Karen went running and Lilly smiled at her husband. "This should be interestin'," she said, pulling out some salted beef and chewing on it.

"Yes it will," Arthur said with a chuckle.

The couple didn't have to wait long for the other couple to get ready. Soon they were all mounted up and ready to go, then they rode out of camp with the boys trailing behind them.