Author's note: This is an alternate version of the story Frozen Redemption. Hope you like it.
The Van Der Linde gang slowly moved throughout the freezing mountain, having just escaped the Pinkertons when the ferry job in Blackwater went horribly wrong.
18 year old Anna, the adopted daughter of Dutch Van Der Linde and sister of Elsa and adopted sisters of Arthur Morgan, kept Little Jack entertained. Her friend, Reverend Orville Swanson, stepped out of the wagon and trudged to the main wagon. "Abigail says he's dying, Dutch. We'll have to stop some place." He said.
"Okay. Elsa and Arthur's out looking. I sent them up ahead." Dutch said. "If we don't stop soon, we'll all be dying. This weather, it's May..." Hosea said. "I'm just hoping the law got as lost as we did."
"There. Arthur! Elsa! Any luck?" Dutch called out. 21 year old Elsa raised her hand to shield her face from the snow, despite her powers making it ineffective against her. "We found a place where we can get some shelter. Let Davey rest while he... you know." Elsa informed him. She muttered a 'still can.' "An old mining town, abandoned, it ain't far. Come on." Arthur said as he took the lead.
"Come on!" Dutch yelled to the rest, and they drove forward again.
When they arrived at Colter, Hosea kicked open a cabin door and drew one of his old cattleman revolvers. Elsa joined him, and she had a schofield revolver that Dutch had given her on her seventeenth birthday. "Do you see anything, Papa?" Elsa asked. She and Anna had come to see Hosea and Dutch as father figures and called them 'Papa,' or 'Father.'
"Nothing here." Hosea said. "Bring him in here." Elsa yelled to Arthur and Bill, and they hauled in a gravely wounded Davey Callendar and put him on a table, as everyone else entered. Dutch and Anna were last. "Miss. Gaskill... get that fire lit quick. Miss. Jones, bring in whatever blankets we have. Mr. Pearson, see what we've got in terms of food." Susan Grimshaw ordered.
Abigail checked on Davey, and found no pulse, which only met one thing. "Davey's dead." She reported sadly. "There was... nothing more you could have done." Reverend reassured her.
"What are we gonna do? We need supplies." Hosea said as Bill placed two coins over the deceased friend's eyes. "Well, first of all you're gonna stay here... and you are gonna get yourself warm. Now, I sent John and Micah scouting out ahead. Arthur, Elsa, and I, we're gonna ride out, see if we can find one of 'em." Dutch said.
"In this?" Arthur asked worried. "Just for a short bit... I don't see what other choice we have." Dutch said before turning to face the rest of the group. "Listen... listen to me, all of you for a moment. Now, we've had a bad...well, couple of days. I loved Davey... Jenny... Sean, Mac... they may be okay, we don't know. But we lost some folks. Now, if I could... throw myself in the ground in their stead... I'd do it... gladly. But... we're gonna ride out... and we are gonna find some food. Everybody, we're safe now. There ain't nobody following us through a storm like this one... and by the time they get here... well we're gonna be... we're gonna be long gone. We've been through worse than this before. Mr. Pearson... Miss. Grimshaw... Anna... I need you to turn this place into a camp. We may be here for a few days. Now all of you... all of you... get yourselves warm. Stay strong. Stay with me. We ain't done yet! Come on, fellas." Dutch, Elsa, and Arthur step out of the cabin.
"Alright, we've got some work to do." Miss Grmishaw said as she and Anna lit more lanterns, and everybody got to work. "Well, we ain't run into them yet. So, they both must've headed down the hill." Dutch said as he gave his surrogate kids lanterns, and he lit his own.
"Sure. Hey, I never got to ask, Papa. What really happened on that boat back in Blackwater?" Elsa asked. "We missed you, and Arthur. That's what happened. Come on." Dutch said, and the three.of them trudged forward. "Hey! You need some horses?" Charles asked as he came up to them with three horses.
"Oh yeah... and Mr. Smith, get yourself indoors. You need to rest that hand." Dutch said. "I'll live." Charles said. "Get indoors, son!" Dutch snapped at him. The trio mounted up, and started riding out of the mining town.
"Come on, let's go." Dutch said. "I don't think we'll find anything out here, Papa." Elsa said. "We'll have to try. Both of you, stay close, we'll do our best to stick to the trail." Dutch said to her, and Arthur. "This goddamn weather." The latter said. "Been two days or more like this now. Oh, it has to blow over soon." Dutch agreed.
They found a snowed over bridge. "Careful over this bridge here." Dutch warned. They slowly cross over it. "I can't believe we lost Davey too." Elsa said. "He's the last one, Elsa. No more. We need to get those people warm and fed." Dutch said. "Least we don't need to worry about Pinkertons tailing us in this." Arthur said. "A couple more days, we'll be on the other side. You two, and Anna need to help me and Hosea pick the other's back up. You 4 are the only ones I can rely on to stay strong right now." Dutch said.
"We got fire, and shelter. That's a start." Arthur added. "Do you think it was a trap in Blackwater?" Elsa asked her father figure. "That many men? Oh, they knew we were coming. But there was money on that boat alright, lots of it. I stashed what we took with all our money in town, right before we fled." Dutch replied. So that's where he went. Elsa thought.
They soon saw a faint light up ahead. "Hey, I think I see something up the path." Dutch said. "You up ahead! Who's there?" Dutch called out. The mysterious figure got closer and revealed himself to be Micah Bell. The newest and meanest member of the gang. "Micah." Dutch sighed in relief. "Gentlemen, mi'lady." Micah said. "Found anything?" Dutch asked. "I think so. Found a little homestead down thataway." Micah reported.
"Okay. Anyone home?" Dutch asked. "Sure. Place is blazing with light and noise. Sounded like a party." Micah said. "Let's go see." Dutch said. "Follow me." They follow the red coated outlaw. "How's Davey doing?" Micah asked. "Ah, he didn't make it. Nor did Little Jenny." Dutch said sadly. "That's too bad. Davey was a real fighter." Micah said.
"How could they have known we were coming?" Elsa asked Arthur. "I ain't sure. But I think someone had ratted us out." Arthur said. "Of course." Elsa said. "I'm glad you're alright, Micah." Dutch said up ahead. "Always." The outlaw yelled back over the wind. "Ask him if he's seen John!" Arthur yelled to Dutch. "Hey, have you seen John, Micah?" Dutch asked him. "Didn't see much of anything once this storm came in." Micah reported.
"He hasn't seen him." Dutch said back to Arthur. "He'll be fine. Things always turn out right for that boy." Arthur shouted. "I hope Mac and Sean are somewhere out there too." Dutch said. "Hey, Elsa. Let me take the rear. You move up." Dutch said to her. They switch places and Elsa rides next to Micah.
"Did you run into anybody else?" She asked him. "I-I reckon we're the only ones crazy enough to be out in this, Elsa." Micah said. "Yeah, well don't talk to me about crazy." Elsa said. "Oh, so no 'Glad you're alright. I was worried, Micah'?" Micah retorted. "Look, it's all gonna work out, Elsa. We lost a few folks, but that's just how it goes sometimes." Elsa rolled her eyes at that.
"Well, I'm glad you're feeling so good about it." Elsa said sarcastically. "Where are all the others?" Micah asked. "At an old mining camp, back up the hill. It's not much, but it's shelter." Elsa informed him. The group soon came to a cliff, and found a shack, mostly shrouded by the snow and wind, but the light from it was visible. "Okay, let's keep it down now, fellas. It's just up ahead." Micah said. They snuff out their lanterns, no longer needing them.
"Okay... let's head down there." Dutch said and they followed him down the path, and up to a horse post. "Let's hitch up here." The gang leader said. They dismount and hitch up their mounts. "Let me do the talking, we don't want to scare these folks." Dutch said. "Sounds like quite the party." Micah muttered. "You three, get yourselves out of sight. One lonely man is a lot less intimidating, than four nasty looking degenerates." Dutch said. Micah took cover behind a wagon, and Arthur and Elsa hid in the nearby shed.
"Hello!" Dutch called. "Shut up, Billy! Shh, Shh, Shh." A man told his friend inside the shack. "Excuse me? Hello?" Dutch asked again. The door opened, and a few men stepped through. "Oh well, hello friend." Dutch greeted kindly. "I am very sorry to disturb you. Uh, my friends, and I, well we got into, some trouble up the way. Lost in the storm." Dutch started. "Ah, gentlemen." He said. "We can't help you, mister." The stranger said.
Micah looked to his left, and saw a frost bitten hand. "Arthur, Elsa... Fellas, we got a problem. There's a corpse right here." Micah said as he lifted the tarp a little from the body. "Fellas, there's a body in the wagon." He said as he drew his old Double-Action revolvers. "What?" Elsa asked as she peeked out and her eyes widened at the body.
"Yeah, I hear you. Just... both of you, keep your eyes on Dutch." He and Elsa drew their guns in preparation. "I think you should go now, buddy." The stranger warned. "Now, friend... I ain't asking for much. Please, I am... kinda desperate." Dutch said. "Hey, I don't believe it. Come here, partner. Come here!" The stranger's buddy said, and he got a good look at Dutch's face. "It's goddman Dutch Van Der Linde! Colm's gonna shit his pants!" It was now evident that these men were Colm's men, O'driscolls.
Elsa, Arthur, and Micah started shooting at the enemies. Elsa killed an O'driscoll in the window above them. Soon, every enemy was down. But one managed to escape in the storm. "Good shooting, fellas!" Dutch praised them. "Thank you, Papa." Elsa said.
"Goddamn O'driscoll's boys here? Why?" Dutch asked. "I don't know, maybe same reason as us." Micah tried to answer. "Micah, go bring the horses closer to the house. Arthur, Elsa, let's go search the cabin." Dutch said. The trio entered the house.
"Smells like a party in here." Artbur said sarcastically. "Turn the place upside down, grab as many supplies as you can." Dutch instructed. "We need the essentials. Food, medicine... whiskey."
"Oh, I'm very hungry." Elsa groaned a little. Dutch gave his surrogate daughter a few rolls he found on the counter. "These should do. You need to get your strength up for the ride back." Dutch said. "Big ol' pool of blood on the floor here. Probably belonged to the poor bastard that lived here. Micah found a body in the wagon outside." Arthur reported.
"I know, I saw." Dutch replied before saying, "O'driscolls! I don't believe it."
"It's a strange one alright. Maybe they're hiding up here too. There's a big price on Colm O'driscoll's head." Arthur said. "It's nearly as big as the one on yours." Elsa teased Van Der Linde. "Wanting Colm dead is about the only thing me and Uncle Sam agree on." Dutch said. Elsa grabbed a few cans of vegetables, and saw a picture of a man and a woman above the fireplace. "Looks like the poor fella was married to, at some point." She said as she examined it.
"If we can't eat it, or drink it, put it down." Dutch said. He then grabbed a blanket from the nearby bed, and put the supplies inside. "Place is dry and warm. We could maybe move the women, and Jack down here." Arthur said as he examined the floor above them. "Maybe. We'll see how they are when we get back. I don't really want us to split up." Dutch replied.
"I'm going to start packing the horses. You keep looking." He said. "I'll come with you." Elsa said. After the chaos in Blackwater, Elsa didn't really wanna be away from Dutch for now. They step outside, and were greeted by howling wind, and sub-freezing temperatures. Elsa was really thankful for her magic. She just wished she could make the storm go away, but she can't affect winter weather when she isn't the cause of it.
She and Dutch then put the supplies on the horses, with Micah's help. Arthur soon emerged from the cabin. "Micah, Elsa, Arthur, keep looking for stuff. Elsa, go see if there is anything in that barn." Dutch said.
Elsa gulped a little, but Dutch had noticed her visible discomfort and he gave her a quick and reassuring hug. "I'll be fine. Just give it a quick search, and we can leave." He said. "Okay." Elsa replied. She then trudged through the snow, her dark blue coat looked like it could turn to ice any moment. She sincerely hoped not.
She opened the big door, and drew her gun. Then, an O'driscoll tackled her from above the door, and knocked her gun away. The surprise had triggered her powers a little, and she accidentally froze the handle a little, before it was knocked away from her. The O'driscoll didn't notice. "You and your bastard friends shot my cousin!" He yelled at her. "Well, he started it!" Elsa yelled back as she pushed him off.
"I'm gonna enjoy breaking your neck!" The O'driscoll growled. He swung his fist at her, but Elsa dodged it, and started punching him. The O'driscoll then punched her in the gut, and he drew a knife. He tried to stab her, but she dodged it, and tackled him to the ground.
"Elsa! Are you alright?!" Dutch asked as he ran up to the barn as quickly as possible. "Yeah, I'll be okay. This guy just jumped me!" Elsa said.
"Big mistake on his part." Dutch said. "Sneaky little bastard! Should I kill him?" Elsa asked as she picked up her assailant and tossed him to the middle of the room. "No. Not yet. What are you doing here? And where is Colm?" Dutch interrogated him.
"Talk!" Elsa said angrily. After a moment, the O'driscoll gave in. "With the others. At an old mining camp, southwest of here, near the lake." He answered. "What are you bastards up to?" Elsa asked. "We're fixing to rob some train, gonna blow the tracks. I don't know more than that, I swear!" The O'driscoll said quickly. "Well, it looks like you have this, Elsa. Do what you want with him. I don't care. But bring that horse when you're done." Dutch left to rejoin the others.
"Get out of here." The 21 year old let him go. The O'driscoll took off. She turned her attention to the spooked horse. "Hi there. Easy. It's okay, the bad man is gone. You can trust me." Elsa said gently as she opened the door, and stepped up to the horse. She shushed it a little, before patting its neck. It soon calmed down, and Elsa took the lead, and led it outside.
"So you let him go. Saw the little bastard scurrying off." Dutch yelled to her. "Yeah, I didn't think he would get far in this anyway." Elsa responded. She regrouped with him and Arthur. "That looks like a decent horse. You should keep him." Van Der Linde said to her.
They heard something crash in the house, followed by a woman's scream, "Get away from me!"
"What the hell?!" Arthur shouted. They enter the house, and found Micah fighting a woman. "Micah! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Dutch scolded him. "Look what I found in the cellar. Wild thing, ain't ya?" Micah asked her, obviously excited by the moment.
"Leave her alone!" Arthur said. "I wasn't doing nothing. She's one of them O'driscolls!" Micah shot back at him. "No she ain't, Micah! Look at her!" Dutch yelled. "Miss, Miss..." Dutch tried to calm her down, until Micah grabbed the table and tossed it onto its side, breaking the lantern, and starting a fire. "What the hell did you do, Micah?!" Elsa yelled at him.
Micah ignored her, and tried to approach the woman again, until Dutch pushed him back. "Miss, now it's gonna be okay..." Dutch said, the woman grabbed a knife. "We mean you no harm." Van Der Linde continued.
"Miss! Miss... Come on. It'll be okay." He said gently. "We need to get out of here, and quick." The fire was everywhere now. The quickly exit the burning cabin, and were now a bit thankful for the cold of the blizzard.
"You okay, miss?" Dutch asked her. "T-T-They came 3 days ago...and my husband, they..." The woman stammered, her voice a little raspy. "Okay, miss. You are safe now... and you can't stay here." Dutch said. They turn around and saw the fire erupting from the upper window.
"You come with us. Arthur." Dutch gave Arthur his lantern, and he helped the woman up onto Dutch's horse, The Count. "Miss, it's okay, alright? We're bad men but... we ain't them." He reassured her. "It's okay. Get on. we'll keep you safe, until you figure out what you wanna do."
Elsa mounted up on her new horse, and they began to ride away. "What's your name, miss? Miss?" Dutch asked. "Adler." The woman replied. "Adler?" Dutch asked curiously. "Sadie Adler." Sadie corrected, "Mrs... I... he... He was my husband." Sadie started crying a little. The roof of the house caved in, and smoke and embers flew out of the new hole.
They eventually made it back to Colter. "Hey, somebody's coming!" The guard, Lenny, yelled as he cocked his rifle. "Looks like it's Dutch." He said, relieved. Everyone came out of the cabin to check on them. "What happened?" Anna asked, she stood next to Hosea. "Micah found a homestead, but... he weren't the first. Colm O'driscoll and his scum, they beat us to it. We found some of them there... but there is more about apparently... scouting a train." Dutch reported as he got off The Count. "That's the last thing we need right now, Dutch." Hosea said. "Well, it is what it is... but we found some supplies, some blankets... a little bit of food... and this poor soul, Mrs. Adler. Miss Tilly, Miss Karen, would you warm her up... give her a drink of something." Tilly and Karen escort Sadie to a nearby cabin.
"And, Mrs. Adler, it's gonna be okay... you're safe now." Dutch said to her. "They turned her into a widow. Animals. I need some rest, I haven't slept for 3 days." Dutch said warily. "You, Elsa, and Anna are over here... Miss. O'shea will show you the way. Mr. Morgan, we put you in a room over here." Susan said. "Thank you, Miss. Grimshaw." Arthur thanked her before walking off. "Mr. Bell, you're with the fellers over there." Susan pointed to Micah's new cabin.
"Wha? How come Arthur gets a room, and I get a bunkbed next to Bill Williamson and a bunch of darkies?" Micah asked angrily. "Get yourself to bed!" Hosea ordered. Micah snarled, but complied.
Dutch, Elsa, and Anna entered the main cabin. Their father figure grabbed a lantern, and saw only rooms. "One of you will have to sleep with me, I guess." Dutch said. "I'll go with you." Elsa volunteered. Anna shivered a little, and took the room opposite of them. "Are you sure everything will be okay?" Elsa asked. "To be honest, no. But we just need to have faith, and we'll get through this." Dutch said. A bunkbed was there. Elsa took the bottom, and Dutch climbed on top.
"Good night, Papa." The former said. "Good night, my daughter." Dutch whispered. They both passed out.
Author's note: How good was that? Chapter 2 will be up soon.