Author's note: Here it is. Chapter 7.
Agnarr had told Dutch about the events of what happened last night. Soon, Javier and Charles came in with a red-headed irishman on Javier's horse, who was named Sean. They had celebrated his safe return. The girls had taken a liking to Mr. Maguire. And he with them.
The girls and Jack were tired from the day, so Agnarr and Iduna had put them to bed, and John and Abigail put their son in John's tent for once, before the gang started grabbing alcohol. Agnarr and Iduna were certainly not gonna get drunk again for a long time. So they danced to music coming from Dutch's tent.
The last of the Sun's golden rays disappeared over the horizon, plunging the countryside into night. Dutch had decided to show Agnarr how to fire a rifle, and he succeeded, so he killed a squirrel and gave it to Pearson earlier.
"I love you." He whispered into his wife's ear. "I live you too." Iduna whispered back. They continued dancing for a few more hourse. "Hello, fellas." Susan said as she passed the couple. "Well, should we go to bed?" Agnarr asked. "It's pretty late, so yeah." Iduna agreed.
They enter their tent, and lay down on a cot that Hosea was kind enough to buy for them. "I'll see you in the morning." Agnarr said as he kissed Iduna's cheek. They both fall asleep.
Morning
Agnarr and Iduna wake up before their kids do. "Morning, my love." The former king said. "Morning." Iduna said back.
Agnarr got his shoes on and went to go chop wood for the fire. As soon as he was done, he saw Hosea sitting on a rock, cleaning his sniper rifle. "Hey, Agnarr." He called out. "Yeah?" Agnarr asked. "You wanna go huntin'?" Hosea asked. "What are you hunting exactly? An elephant?" Agnarr picked up the sniper rifle. "No. A bear, a really big one. Biggest I ever saw. I reckon nearly 1,000 pounds." Hosea said. "Whoa. So you need someone to come with you?" Agnarr asked.
"Of course. Let's see if Arthur is up for it, too." Hosea went to Arthur's wagon to tell him about the trip. Agnarr walked to his tent to grab one of the Carbine Repeaters that was originally meant for camp guards, but Dutch said he didn't mind if he borrowed them.
"Agnarr, where are you going?" Iduna asked as she saw him. "Hosea is going to go hunt a big bear. He asked me to come. He is telling Arthur right now." Agnarr said. "A bear?" Iduna asked. "Yeah." Agnarr said. "Can I come too. I want to start hunting for camp more." Iduna said.
"My love, it's a bear." Agnarr said. "You and two other people are going." Iduna said. Agnarr mentally decided it wasn't worth arguing over. Besides, if anything goes downhill, Hosea and Arthur could take care of it. "Fine." Agnarr gave in.
Iduna gets her revolvers that Dutch had bought for her and her shoes on. Then, she gently shook Elsa awake. "Elsa, honey, Mama and Papa are leaving with Uncle Arthur and Grandpa Hosea for a while. Promise me you'll look after your sister?"
"I promise, Mama." Elsa fell back asleep. "Okay. It's time." Iduna said.
They found Arthur and Hosea at the horse post. "So you're taking her?" Hosea asked. "Yep." Agnarr said. "Who is this?" Iduna asked, motioning to a big black horse. "Oh, big Shire? I've been meaning to offload him for a while now, unruly bastard." Hsoea answered.
"Where'd you find him?" Agnarr asked. "Some big loud mouthed bastard tried to rob me while I was out riding, so I... You know." Hosea said. "Yes, we do." Arthur said. "You know what. Let's take him to Valentine. It's on the way, sort of. There's a decent dealer at the stable. One of you could trade him in and get yourself a new horse." Hosea said. "I like having mine." Agnarr said.
"This horse doesn't look very mean. I think I'll keep him." Iduna said. "Very well, put your saddle on him, and let's go." Hosea said. Iduna took her saddle off her borrowed horse, and with Agnarr's help, she got it onto the shire. He also helped her climb on.
"Well, we need to stop at Valentine for supplies to draw that bear out anyway." Arthur said. They all got on their horses and began the journey to Valentine. "We're heading out! Might be gone a couple of days!" Hosea yelled to the camp.
Within minutes, they were on the main road and headed for town. As soon as they get there, Hosea dismounts and tells the others to stay while he got the supplies. A few minutes later, he emerged from the store with everything he needed.
"So you still miss Boadicea?" Hosea conversed with Arthur as they drove for where the bear was.
Hosea, and Arthur talked about a lot of things, sometimes Agnarr joined in, and occasionally Iduna too. It had been a few days until, they were on a mountain overlooking a pond. "There it is. Moonstone Pond. I reckon we must be close." Hosea said.
"You've been here before too?" Iduna asked. "I rode throughout the country a little. Me and my love Bessie. I still miss her." Hosea said. "What happened?" Agnarr asked. "She got some kind of infection. Couldn't pull through. We buried her near Blackwater." Hosea said.
"I'm sorry." Iduna said. "No need. Things happen. It doesn't matter whether you like it or not. All you can do though, is at least try to move on." Hosea said. They were off the mountain now, and a few rabbits ran over the path. "Look there. Rabbits. Maybe we should catch some and cook em." Hosea said. Arthur drew his bow and managed to kill 2 rabbits.
"Ah, there we go. We should probably set up camp. I wanna be up at first light to find this monster." Hosea said. Agnarr and Arthur got firewood, while Iduna helped Hosea set up a tent and a few sleeping bags. Agnarr manages to get a fire going, while Arthur added some fry leaves for it. It was night now.
"I'm starving." Iduna said. "Cook that rabbit then. They're delicious on an open fire like this." Hosea said. Arthur had skinned the rabbits earlier, and Agnarr had helped, but he was very disgusted with it. Arthur cuts a piece of meat off, and puts it on his bowie knife, and started cooking it. He handed a fully cooked piece to Iduna, and Another to Agnarr. "Do you want some." Iduna asked Hosea.
"Nah, not really. I don't like eating this late." Hosea said. "Okay." Iduna replied.
Soon, the 3 of them were full. "Let's get to bed." Hosea said as he laid down on his bedroll. Iduna and Agnarr entered their tent, and were sokn fast asleep. Arthur stared at the flames for a few minutes before getting on his bedroll, and was out.
Morning
Iduna came out of her tent with Agnarr close behind. Arthur was just waking up. "Morning fellas. Coffee?" Hosea handed them a cup he had brewed. Iduna took a sip and gave it to her husband, then to Mr. Morgan.
"Arthur, you wanna make the bait while we put everything away?" Hosea handed Arthur what he bought in Valentine. Arthur managed to get it ready. Soon, everything was put up. "Come on. Last I knew, he was near the water." Hosea leads them to O'creagh's Run. Then dismounted. Agnarr got his Carbine Repeater ready. Arthur had a double-barrelled shotgun he had got when that O'driscoll, Kieran had told them where Colm was hiding, which was wrong. But since Kieran saved Arthur from being killed, they reluctantly welcomed him into the gang.
"Are those paw prints?" Iduna asked aloud. It was true. They saw huge paw prints in the mud. "Seems to be. Follow my lead." Arthur said, and they followed the trail to a half eaten and rotted fish. "Half-eaten fish. Must've been left by our friend." Hosea said. They followed Arthur to a patch of grass where he suddenly halted. "Bear shit here. Watch your step." He warned.
They continued following the track to a bunch of rocks, wher it disappeared. "Dammit. Looks like the trail ends here. We lost him?" Arthur asked. "For now. I think we should split up, and each have a look." Hosea suggested. "Either that, or we could place that bait here." Arthur added. "That would work too. Which do you think?" Hosea asked.
"I think it's safer to put the bait here." He said. "Alright, leave it near those boulders. We'll hide." Hosea, Agnarr, and Iduna take cover behind a rock. Arthur sets up the trap and retreats to his friends.
"It's set." He said. "You look nervous." Agnarr said to Hosea. "So do you." The old man countered. "You said this thing was 1,000 pounds?" Agnarr asked. Iduna kept her breathing stable. "More or less. Big scar down his face." Hosea said. "Let's take a look at that bait."
They exit their spot and walk over to the bait, guns drawn. Arthur starts carefully examining it. Iduna looked ahead and her heart stopped at what she saw. "Uh g-guys?" She stuttered. They all heard heavy footsteps and look to see the bear right in front of them. "Shit!" Hosea whispered.
"What do we do?" Arthur whispered. "Kill it!" Hosea grabs his sniper and starts shooting the bear. Arthur grabs his revolver and starts pumping its face full of lead. Iduna fumbled for her revolvers and starts trying to shoot it. Agnarr grabs his repeater and tries to kill the bear.
Soon it couldn't take anymore and it ran off. "Thank God." Agnarr sighed. "You're fine, old man." Arthur said to Hosea. "Of course I am, I just... to be honest fellas, I'm a little old and beaten up to be after the biggest game. Arthur, you can have this." Hosea gives Arthur a map. "Fella in the saloon gave it to me... or I stole it from him. But, that's another story." Hosea said.
"Thank you, guys. This trip was fun. Minus almost being lunch. I'm heading home to lick my wounds. You lot comin? Or are you gonna track that monster?" Hosea asked. "We're coming with you." Agnarr said. Arthur and Iduna nodded in agreement. "Then, let's go."
The trip back to Horseshoe Overlook was a long and quiet one. Eventually, they entered the treeline to camp. "Let's agree to not tell Dutch about this. None of us need another 'We gotta be out there, making money' speech." Arthur said.
"Simple. We'll just tell him we were following a lead. He doesn't need to know it was a big, furry one that almost made us his lunch." Hosea said.
They enter camp and dismount. But Arthur leaves again to go get Micah. Iduna wasn't going to argue with an outlaw about it right now. After the bear, she needed to stay in camp for a while.
"Let's not tell the girls about what happened." Agnarr said. Iduna nodded. "Okay."
Author's note: Sorry to end the chapter like this, but the story will still be good. With any luck, you are finding it good. The next chapter will be up soon.
