The caravan lead by Ms Rosalyn Bush packed up after breakfast. A hearty meal of egg and steeled oats with some of the strawberry jam on top. Arthur dressed in his travelling gear, had equipped his guns. A rustic vest made from a deer hide on top of a blue checked shirt which partnered with his denim jeans. With his saddles gone from losing the Duke the day before. Jeremy had pulled out some clean clothes for him. These clothes belonged to a different man, his name stitched into the collar. "Who's Tobias," Arthur asked quickly, but Jeremy just shrugged it off, not sure. After helping pack up camp and getting the horses rigged into the carts, the caravan made their way back to Blackwater. Arthur leading at the front was mounted on his beautiful white stallion Princess. Behind him, Jeremy rode by his side. Ms Roslayn was driving the carriage leading the carts. The rest of the caravan trailing behind them at a slow pace. They were on the road for nearly 3 hours before Arthur spoke up.
"At this rate, we will have to camp out again," Arthur grumbled.
"What was that?" Jeremy asked.
"I said we are moving slower than a dead turtle." Arthur projected for everyone to hear.
"We can't ask these people to wildly runoff in dangerous territory," Rosalyn replied, having heard him.
"Well, if I was an O'Driscoll. I would ride day and night till I found you for revenge." Arthur taunted.
"Tired men don't shoot straight," Jeremy spoke up. He had a long-barreled bolt action rifle sitting in his grip, ready to fire at a moments notice. His eyes scanning the rode like a hawk searching for its next meal.
"That is a good point, but when they overrun you." Arthur tried to explain.
"We don't let happen. We fire before the O'Driscolls get close." Rosalyn backed up Jeremy.
"You're savage bunch than, and foolish to think they would charge us in a frontal assault. I would put money down on the fact the O'Driscoll's are ahead waiting in a perfect spot to jump us. You did tell them we were going to Blackwater." Arthur said, chuckling nervously.
"You did!? Why are we going there, are you stupid? We should be going somewhere else entirely" Jeremy gave Arthur a look as he spoke with panic addressing Rosalyn mostly.
"Call me stupid again, and I will slap you so hard your momma will feel it. And... well, I need a new bodyguard. With Izzy gone... Arthur is the only person who can keep us safe, and he won't travel with us anywhere else." Rosalyn hesitated when she brought up Isabella's name. The three of them falling silent for a minute.
"No... I wouldn't." Arthur agreed before he too went quiet.
"You really think she's dead?" Jeremy asked with a mournful frown. The result of which was making Rosalyn breathe slowly under the pressure of guilt.
"She got shot point blank son, no one could have survived that." Arthur watched as Jeremy glared at him with the most hatred he had ever felt from a single expression. Jeremy then started to unload his gun and switch the ammunition with something else. From the looks of it, he had a handful of explosive bullets.
"Kid, careful with those," Arthur warned, shaking his head at how careless he was.
"Shut up Bandit. I don't care what she says I don't trust you, and if I see that son-of-a-bitch, Colm O'Driscoll, I will kill him myself." Jeremy clicked the chamber closed aggressively. Just as he readied the gun, a distant clanking of tin echoed up ahead, making Jermey jump and raise his rifle to fire.
"Whoa hold yer horses." Arthur put his hand out. The noise came from a man in the road who was walking towards them. A grey-haired old man with a large backpack and cane. He was limping as he walked, dirty from many nights on the road but smiling despite it. As they rolled closer, the white scars of his eyes were seen and the fragility of his person clear as day. He was carrying a tin cup which chimed with a few coins, and his soft voice called out to them.
"Help the blind." He chanted as Roslayn's carriage rolled to a stop suddenly.
"You gonna shoot him?" Arthur asked, distracted, watching Jeremy as he reluctantly lowered his gun.
"Any change to spare for a poor, blind old man," The gentleman asked. Rosalyn climbed down from her driver's seat and opened the door to the carriage. Arthur stopped his horse finally noticing she stopped the caravan.
"What are you doing?"Arthur asked, turning Princess around.
"I have something better," Roslyn said and started to rearrange the stack of boxes on the side of the road to get inside. Arthur's eyes rolled in frustration as he trotted up to her.
"Are you serious? You gonna make dinner for a drifter? We are trying to escape a gang sweetheart." Arthur rode up next to Rosalyn. Who ignored him.
"Here sugar, for your troubles." Rosalyn brought out a jar of jelly and a few dollars. She tucked the notes neatly into his can and handed him the jam.
"I hope you like Strawberries." She said sweetly.
"You shouldn't speak to her like that, you never know who will be the key to changing your fate, young man. Oh, ma'am, I certainly do love strawberries. Thank ye so much." The old man gleamed with a great smile after as she placed a little kiss on his cheek. Rosalyn then climbed back up onto her carriage and got moving once again.
Arthur rode up next to Rosalyn again, who just merrily whistled as she flicked the reigns.
"Are you crazy? You can't just stop on the side of the road!" He scolded but kept his voice hush as not to alert Jeremy.
"And why not? Am I supposed to ignore the hungry?" Rosalyn asked.
"That's what you do, right? I bet if we weren't here, you would have robbed him. Wouldn't even keep him alive." Jeremy stated. Clearly, the two were holding some pent up aggression towards him. Both were keeping their eyes away from him.
"I'm not a murderer what I'm trying to say is..." Arthur was cut off by a scream from the back of the caravan.
"We're being robbed!" Juniper hollered.
"See! He's a distraction!"Arthur yelled before taking off, riding for the rear as a couple of bandits ran off into the trees. Arms full of supplies. With a few pops of his repeater, the bandits sped off in different directions. His tired eyes from a restless night's sleep. Had left him dizzy, so Arthur missed all his shots. Jeremy caught up but could not find a target and aimlessly looked around for the thieves.
"Where the fuck did they go?" Arthur cursed.
"I don't know I thought you had them." Jeremy panicked.
"If any of you fools had any sense you would have figured out not to trust anyone on the road!" Arthur yelled at Jeremy and rode back for the front of the caravan.
Meanwhile, Rosalyn had patiently waited, aiming her gun standing on the seat of her carriage as Arthur and Jeremy approached her. Just before they stopped, she fired. Seconds later, a squeal echoed in the distance trees, whoever she shot sure hollered about it.
"I got him!" Daniel, the eager boy, rode out from behind Honey's cart and after whomever, Rosalyn just shot. Arthur reared his horse to a stop and did a double-take of the distant target and Rosalyn. Genuinely impressed. Jeremy uncovered the blind man who was hiding in the bushes nearby. He clearly was unaware of what was going on and fearful hearing all the gunshots. Daniel quickly retrieved the thief and rode back with a body. A man in tattered black and brown farmers clothes hanging off the flank of Daniel little spotted horse.
"Ms Rosalyn good shot, but I think you killed him." He said just as the farmer spurted blood still barely alive.
"What did he take?" Rosalyn asked as Arthur rode up beside Daniel. Looking over the body. He had got shot in the chest and was bleeding out.
"Just some blankets and pillows," Daniel said, handing the rolled-up bundle to Rosalyn.
"Such a shame, a waste of life over something so cheap," Rosalyn said as the farmer expired before their eyes.
"Jeremy, could you take Daniel and go look for the other two. If their armed come straight back, if not try not to hurt them and bring them to me, please. We will keep going don't be longer than 20 minutes." Rosalyn asked as Jeremy while he helped the blind man stand up out of the bush.
"You got it, Miss." Daniel nodded and headed off first to follow the trail. Jeremy soon following behind after remounting his horse leaving the old man alone sitting on a stump.
"What about the blind man?" Arthur asked, pointing to the shivering coward who did not know where to look.
"He's done nothing wrong." She said gently before whipping the reigns and starting the horses onward.
"They could be in cahoots," Arthur warned.
"I highly doubt it, even so, they're using him," Rosalyn said as they finally left the old man behind. A few others in the caravan reached out to drop coins in his cup generously. His grateful thank yous echoing in the trees.
"You are a difficult woman Rose." He said casually as the two of them rode together side by side. An awkward silence between them as they continued moving down the road. Arthur was lost in thought, these women and children were kind yet savage. Generous but strict. The idea of a house full of ladies of the night in St Denis started to picture in his mind. The vicious customers, gang violence and dirty men who abused women. Everyday folk who would prey on a place like that. Left him feeling sick to his stomach but also proud. Seeing how many of them were incredibly strong spirted.
"You must be used to living a rough life," Arthur spoke up after the long period of silence.
"That's putting it gently, but yes, I am used to it," Rosalyn replied, having to make Arthur wait for a few beats of silence before responding. It was clear she was angry with him, and that usually didn't affect him. This time it did, especially the fact she wouldn't look him in the eye now.
"For crying out loud, look I said I was sorry, what do you want me to do? I agreed to take you to Blackwater, and I can't bring her back and I sure for shit can't take care of you so what you don't even look at me without having a nasty remark?" He demanded. Not going to put up with this snarky behaviour from her.
"Bring her back? Arthur shut up!" Rosalyn snapped. "I want you to stop talking to me, I... I can't handle this right now." Rosalyn said and turned her head away from him altogether.
"No! I am completely innocent in all this. I may have a history, but not once did I take anything from you. You took things from me. I did not ride into the gang fight, and I definitely didn't pull the trigger first!" Arthur yelled at her.
Rosalyn threw the reigns down in a fit and got up faster then he could react, and she lunged at him. Taking Arthur by surprised as she tackled him like a linebacker off his horse. They both hit the ground and tumbled down a steep hill hidden by the brush. They rolled and hit a few rocks on the way down. Falling together until they spilt out in the creek below, getting soaked in the shallow running water. Arthur, having his head be submerged under the surface as Rosalyn landed on top of him. Rosalyn got off him quick and even pulled his head up out of the water. Her eyes widen in panic as Arthur sat back up. He took in a desperate breath, having been winded by the initial tackle then drowned.
"Oh my god, I am so sorry!" Rosalyn shouted as panicked voices cried up from above.
"Are you alright!" Honey's voice pierced through.
"Are you crazy! You could have killed me!" Arthur shouted but choked on some water resulting in a coughing fit.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry I lost my temper again!" Rosalyn yelled apologizing again and again. She too was breathing heavy, but soon her shouting had turned into crying. Straddled on top of him in the water, having lost control of her emotions. Arthur was suddenly starting to understand. What kind of complicated women Rosalyn was for clearly, she was hiding a lot of pain. "Your right, okay! I killed her! It's all my fault! Everything is always my fault!" She said hysterically before covering her eyes. Arthur sitting up and held her shoulders before she could try and run away. He wanted to say something, but Honey interrupted him before he could get it out.
"Are you two, alright!" She screamed again. They were rather high up, and the steep hill down was rather treacherous, especially after his personal experience tumbling down it.
"We're fine, just keep moving the caravan and leave my horse. We'll catch up." He barked back and turned back to Rosalyn. "Just relax, okay, I...I didn't mean like that." Arthur stuttered and rubbed her arms as she broke down in front of him.
"Yes, you did! You're right, I'm a terrible person." Her hands fell from her face, and she hung her head in shame. Arthur had been at a loss for words, looking up to see the caravan pull away from the trail as Princess nibbled on some grass nearby. The sounds of the distance birds chirping beginning to conquer over the distance panging of wood of the carts. He pursed his lips and huffed with a heavy breath sitting in the water, letting her have a few minutes to cry. The silly noise his lips made as Arthur became inpatient, making Rosalyn chuckle a bit. So he did it again. This time, creating a longer and more ridiculous sound. Which made her grin and lookup.
"Stop it!" She said, trying not to laugh.
"Of all things to make you giggle, that was it?" He asked uncontrollably smiling at how adorable she was. "You're a twisted lady." He chuckled.
"I wasn't expecting that noise to come out of you," Rosalyn said, taking a deep breath to calm down looking him in the eye again.
"There is a lot you don't know about me," Arthur replied. Her shirt was soaked and clung to her frame. Her curvaceous figure thin at the waist with a blooming chest. The chill of the cold spring water, making her nipple perk out under her shirt. He stared, but she must have been as well because her hands had found their way to rest of his chest. Her fingers even trailing the down the damp cotton of his shirt. He to suffering the same as her in the cold. The last time they were in this position. Was when they were back on the hotel bed in Strawberry. Without a second thought, he kissed her. Not missing this chance again as he pulled her in by the neck and she leaned into it. A fiery passion overwhelming them as Arthur rolled her over into the shallow rocks and laid her down. Climbing on top of her as they furiously kissed in the creek. The running water was washing over their bodies, as they entangled with one another. The taste of her lips was sweet and minty, which surprised him but turned him on even more. The swell of pressure in his groid despite the cold water burning for more. His hands grabbed and squeezed her hips and chest. Pinching the stiff nipple which perked through her blouse, making her gasp against his lips. His breath growled with lust as he attempted to unbutton her shirt before she grabbed his hand.
"Wait, I... I can't do this." She stuttered, she didn't sound entirely honest, but he stopped. Looking into Rosalyn's eyes as she panted under him, the visage her, making it difficult to comply. Her blonde hair was floating in the shallow water under her, like a painting by a fine renaissance man. The top button of her shirt popped open as he could see every inch of her through the fabric. By far she the most beautiful woman he had ever had in this position.
"Ms Rosalyn Bush you are teasing me." He said bitterly. Was she playing games with him?
"Izzy," Rosalyn said simply. "She was your girl, wasn't she," Rosalyn asked.
"A long time ago... Dutch asked me to get close to her," Arthur said, honestly. Why was he trying to make it Dutch's fault though? He liked Isabella when she was younger. Now she was hateful and bitter and frankly scared him a bit.
"You're a terrible man," Rosalyn said, looking him dead in the eye. The world was slowing down around them as she spoke true. Which made his heartache but also, made him angry.
"You're right about that." He said, and they stared at each other blankly for a moment. The same thought on both their faces as Arthur quickly had control of this situation. His hand's gripped tight on her wrists as he pinned her down.