Sam was foolish to think they would be in the clear once they ran past the border of New Hanover. These men who were pursuing them were not the law. They were mercenaries hired by Leviticus Cornwall.
So they were running up the greener fields of the mountain, with a group of Cornwall's mercenaries pursuing them. Arthur and Sam shot back at them when they had the opportunity, but it felt like every time they shot one man, two more showed up in his place.
Then there was an explosion, shot from a rifle. The blast landed near Aurora and she and her rider were sent tumbling to the ground. Sam raised his head from the grass he found himself lying in and patted his arms, feeling like they were on fire. How they were able to fire such ammo was a mystery to him, but that didn't matter right now.
Aurora managed to stand, but was whining loudly. Just as Sam was trying to get up, she just ran off. Sam panicked and yelled for her.
"Aurora, wait!" he yelled, still kneeling.
"Get him!" one of the mercenaries yelled. Their horses were closing in on him.
"Sam! Take my hand!"
Arthur had turned around and was racing to Sam's side, holding out his hand. Sam reached for him, and with a firm grip, the outlaw pulled the young man onto his horse, sitting behind him. With Sam's hands tightly gripping Arthur's sides, the two once again rode away from the pursuing mercenaries.
"Aurora!" Sam called for her, even whistled, but she didn't hear her voice, and didn't see her galloping to his side like she always would. "We can't leave her!"
"We need to get out of here!" Arthur hissed. "We'll find her later!"
"But-" Sam ducked, keeping his head low as more bullets were flying past them. Arthur growled, he looked ahead, seeing a wooden bridge that went over a deep ditch that they were going to have to cross. He reached into his satchel and pulled out a stick of dynamite.
"Hold this!" he demanded. Sam reached out one hand and did as he was told. Arthur lit a match and lit the explosive. Once Soleil was completely off the bridge, the outlaw knew it was now or never. "Throw it, damn it!"
Sam didn't need to be told twice. The red stick landed on the wooden planks, exploding just before the leading mercenary could cross. His horse neighed, standing on his back hooves, while the others caught up, unable to cross with a broken bridge in front of them. The leading man scowled as Sam and Arthur rode out of their sights.
"Well, at least he's still alive…" Sadie muttered.
Lily was sitting next to her under the tarp that was hanging off one of the wagons. It was where the girls slept, and Lily had just finished changing the bandages on Sadie's gunshot wound.
"He hates me," Lily said, sitting back down. "I think he does… The things he said, he… It was like I'm spoiled goods, or something."
"Just forget about him, Lily!" said Karen. "You don't need him."
"Forget him"? They made it sound so easy, but… what was there to do… or say? Lily tried to think of something, but nothing came to mind. He was still in her head, and thought made her tear up.
"It's hard… We've known each other since we were small." She sniffled. "How could I just…"
"Lily, get out here!"
The young blonde perked her head up at Dutch's voice to see him and John riding into camp. Strauss was riding on John's horse, but she could tell by the look on his face he was in pain. She stood up immediately, racing over quite fast for walking speed. The tears that were welling in her eyes disappeared, as her nose registered the familiar metallic smell of blood.
John's feet were planted on the ground almost immediately, before he turned to help Strauss down, who groaned in pain. Lily could see blood soaking his lower pant leg.
"Bring him to my tent," she stated. John nodded and helped the Austrian hobble in her direction, while Dutch stormed towards the onlookers who were curious.
"Listen up, everyone!" Dutch announced. "It appears our friend, Leviticus Cornwall doesn't take too kindly to sharing. We're going to move before things get too heavy. So, Miss Grimshaw, Mr. Pearson, please get everyone packing. I want us out of here, before too long."
Lily looked over in the direction of his voice, as John laid Mr. Strauss on the young lady's cot.
"We're leaving?" she asked. She bent over slightly, applying some pressure to the wounded man's leg. Strauss yelped, but otherwise didn't move.
"Don't have much choice," said John. "Cornwall's men were everywhere."
"Cornwall…" Just saying his name was making Lily tremble. "You messed with him, didn't you? He's gonna kill us all!"
"No, he ain't! Dutch has gotten us out from worse. Relax."
Lily huffed. She tore off the ruined fabric from Strauss' pant leg. He didn't seem to mind, when he was in pain. Then, the girl grabbed a rag and some whiskey, while John continued applying some pressure to the wound before Lily did her best to clean it up. Strauss did his best to stay still but the alcohol was like acid. He was shocked that a young girl like her could look at blood and cause pain like that without even flinching.
"It just grazed his leg, so there's no bullets to remove," said Lily.
"Thank God…" Strauss muttered.
"The bleeding appears to be slowing down. I'll just clean it. John, can you grab me those bandages?"
The old man was just glad no hands were poking or prodding at his leg anymore. Lily just ended up cutting most of the fabric covering his wounded leg and bandaging him up.
"I'll get you something for pain," she then said, a reassuring pat on his shoulder. She grabbed a rag and wiped the sweat off his brow. "Just try to relax and stay off your feet."
"Thank-you…" Strauss said, still out of breath.
Lily marched over to her table. "Wait. Where's Arthur and Sam? Didn't they leave with you?"
"They drew the attention away from us, so we could get back to camp," said John. He sighed, when he saw Lily's frown, her brows furrowing in concern. Still her hands were steady and still as she opened a bottle and filled a syringe. "He's with Arthur, Lily. He'll be fine."
Lily growled. "For your sake, I hope you're right!" She stormed back to her patient. John just shrugged. Seeing as Lily had nothing more to say to him, he left her to tend to Strauss on her own.
The small pinch Strauss felt from the injection was nothing to what he just went through today. In only a few minutes, the pain began to lessen and his tense muscles started to relax. Lily smiled warmly to see him dozing off. She grabbed a spare blanket and tucked him in, before picking up his hat and placing it gently over his eyes.
Lily walked back outside. Miss Grimshaw and Pearson were already busy putting things away and getting everyone else off their asses to help. She stood there, looking in the direction of Valentine as she held her hands closely together.
She couldn't lose Sam… just as much Sam couldn't lose her. Even if Archie hadn't thrown her out, she still would go to protect him.
"Please be okay…" she prayed. "Both of you…"
"Is that everything?" the shopkeeper said.
Sam nodded and handed the money to the clerk. "Thank-you," he said. And with that, he stowed everything away in his bag, before heading out. He had done his best to dust himself off from his scuffle with Archie, and hoped the man selling to him wouldn't see the blood on his coat.
The young man stepped off the wooden deck elevated from the ground and back onto the dirt paths. The mountain air of Strawberry brought a chill, and it was getting colder. When Sam looked up he saw clouds beginning to gather above him. He let out a huff. That was totally what he needed right now…
Since Aurora ran off, Sam mounted Soleil and started on a slow trot back out of town. He passed by the sheriff's office, seeing a giant hole in the side where the basement would be. Arthur and mostly Micah had told him about the "daring" escape from this town, but the more he looked around, the less he was believing in that. Sure, most of the broken glass and other rubble had been cleaned up, but the damages to the town's buildings and businesses were still present. Sam's eyes couldn't get the faint bloodstains he saw on the walls and floors out of his head.
The bounty board was filled with flyers. One that caught his attention was a known shootist wanted for unlawful killings, named Joshua Brown, and two other wanted posters. One was for Micah Bell, a man who escaped police custody and proceeded to shoot down officers in the line of duty as well as killing a couple, who left a son behind. The other is believed to be his accomplice. They were able to get a sketch of him, and Sam knew it was Arthur. Thank god he had his bandana up the whole time.
Sam didn't know why he felt surprised. They were outlaws. This was probably nothing new to them, and he kept hearing tales from the gang of the massacre in Blackwater. It was mostly bits and pieces, and the most he got from Javier wasn't good.
"Dutch killed a girl in a… bad way, but it was a bad situation."
And Dutch would barely tell him a word. In fact, he seemed bothered by the mere mention of it.
"We did what we needed to survive. End of discussion."
Dutch, while a bit eccentric, was typically very kind and charismatic. His confidence and reassurance actually made Sam feel safe in the gang, but that's what he was in: a gang. And sometimes, he forgot how scary he could be.
"Don't ever point a weapon at my son again."
He sighed in defeat. He would just have to deal with that. It was the gang or nothing… It was his revenge, or nothing.
Soleil was at a decent speed galloping towards a place not too far from the mountain town of Strawberry: Monto's Rest. It was off the trail, and the hill led him upwards to a hidden flat land of rock that overlooked the mountain pass and was surrounded by cliffs. Apparently, Micah camped out here for a while after escaping Strawberry. There, Arthur was waiting, sitting by the campfire and scribbling in his journal.
"Was Soleil good to you?" Arthur said, glancing up from his writing.
Sam could only smile a little and nod. "Of course. You picked a fine animal." Holding his wounded side, he walked over to Arthur and pulled out some of the canned goods he bought.
"Was there any trouble?"
"No. These should hold us over for tonight," Sam said, softly. He sounded shaky and out of breath.
Arthur nodded. "Sure. We'll wait 'til it's dark and make our way back to camp."
"Uh-huh…" Sam could only mumble. He didn't stay to eat anything he bought, and just stumbled back to their small tent they set up.
Arthur was puzzled. Sam hadn't been himself since he left for the Downes' Ranch. He knew he should've gone there instead, but Sam was so stubborn, quick to upset when things didn't go his way.
He checked in his direction again, finding him laying on his side under the tent they had set up for the time being. Their bedrolls were already out. Another twenty minutes passed, before Arthur decided enough time had gone by for him to check on him.
Sam's hand was still clutching his side, but his eyes were closed, as if he was asleep, with his breaths heavy. The way his eyes were twitching and the way his bandaged hand was doing the same, Arthur knew he was in pain. He was careful to move Sam's hand away, but he still awoke, slightly, his bloodied, bandaged hand gripping Arthur's wrist tightly.
The young man's breath hitched, opening his eyes very slightly to see Arthur, knelt down next to him.
"You're hurt," Arthur said, his voice soft, but firm.
"I'm fine…" Sam stuttered.
"It'll get infected if I don't do something. You said so yourself."
Sam could only grumble incoherently before turning his head deeper into his bedroll in defeat. His own words were used against him… He let go, and let Arthur do what had to be done. He was far too tired to fight back anyway.
Arthur helped with taking off his coat. Sam's blue shirt was unbuttoned next, so Arthur could get a closer look. Up until now, Cliff had been his doctor and caregiver, not some outlaw. The older man was kind of impressed that despite Sam's scrawny physique he actually did have some muscle. Sam was far too tired to be embarrassed at another person looking at him. Plus, he had seen his fair share himself, working with other clients.
Arthur reached into Sam's bag for supplies. He was careful, checking for any signs of glass shards in the wound, which he did find a few. Once the wound was cleared, the outlaw doused it with some whiskey. Sam winced, shaking and groaning, his teeth tight, but Arthur just placed a hand on his shoulder and he stayed still. After some gentle touches with a dried up rag, the cut looked clean enough. It wasn't deep, and didn't look like he lost a lot of blood, but it seemed like it was enough to cause him discomfort and affect him.
Arthur tapped his shoulder, making Sam stir a little. "Think you can sit up for me?" he said.
Sam nodded, but his movements were sluggish. Arthur jolted when Sam rested his body heavily against him. He sighed, knowing he was still tired. Sam looked up at him, eyes glassy, but shiny like pearls. Sam never realized how nice Arthur's were, either. Arthur cleared his throat, but found himself unable to look away, until Sam shut his eyes again, lowering his head. The outlaw reached into Sam's bag, and proceeded to wrap up his waist, the bandages going over the wound. The young man was still and compliant, content just leaning against Arthur, with only the occasional grunts when pressure was applied to his side.
Once Arthur was done, he closed up Sam's shirt, making sure all the buttons were put back in place, minus the one on the top, since that one was always left loose, put his coat back on, and then laid him back down on the bed roll. Sam was already deep in sleep, before his head landed on the cushion. Arthur made sure to clean his hands and change the bandages keeping Sam's sore fingers together, along with covering the slightly burnt skin from that mercenary's incendiary round. The young man didn't even move or anything, far too tired to wake back up from it.
Arthur wiped the sweat off his brow. Sam was really neglecting himself, too lost in his own world to give a shit about himself. He had a bleeding wound that whole afternoon and said nothing, and he was supposed to be knowledgeable about stuff like this.
Of course, Arthur knew that Sam probably ignored it on purpose. He'd be lying if he said he never went through something similar, and he wasn't even as close to being a doctor as Sam ever was.
He sighed, giving a reassuring pat on Sam's shoulder as he slept.
"God, you're a mess…" he grumbled.
He crept out of the tent quietly. He probably wouldn't wake him up, anyway, but was careful, nonetheless.
When he was back outside, his boot stepped on a scrap of paper on the ground. It looked like a piece of a wanted poster, and it had been outside for some time.
The last person he remembered being here was Micah, but he looked at the poster, and saw that there was a huge reward for Dutch van der Linde.
Dutch had been wanted for as long as Arthur had known him. The reward was getting larger every day.
But, why was this here?
Lily tended to Strauss when he was awake. With the day ending, he was dozing off for the night. The girl placed some of the books she had brought for him to read in a neat pile. With the old man asleep she sat down on Sam's empty and looked towards the entrance of the camp. She sighed when she still didn't see any sign of Arthur or Sam.
The blonde would've neglected dinner if Miss Grimshaw hadn't shown up. She practically shoved a bowl of stew into her hands. Lily didn't say a word and ate as much as she could, despite her mind not wanting it… despite not feeling that a killer like her deserved it.
This time, however, Miss Grimshaw didn't leave. She watched Lily eating her food, making careful bites, because she still had good manners despite everything that had happened. The older lady sighed, sat next to her and placed a gentle arm around her.
"You'll be okay, Ms. Hawkeson," she said.
"Huh?" Lily kept her voice soft.
"It's never easy to lose someone like that, no matter what." Susan rubbed the girl's arm, before proceeding to stand. "Pack as much as you can, and we'll see about your cousin and Arthur getting back soon."
"D… Did you… have someone?" Lily then spoke up. The older woman stopped in her tracks. Lily asked her question, her hazel eyes locked onto her like a child looking up at their mother. The young lady had never seen Miss Grimshaw being so kind.
"I… I was… I was engaged once to a man." She swallowed, her eyes drifting away from the girl's as she tried to talk more. "He died, and well… It weren't easy either."
Lily just sat there, her mouth opening slightly in shock.
"I… I had no idea… I…"
Grimshaw saw herself out. "Excuse me…" she said, quickly.
Lily could only stare as the light from her lantern suddenly seemed warmer than the night outside, the moon unable to cast a light from the clouds. Normally, it would be quiet, but she could hear Miss Grimshaw barking orders at the girls and some of the men, as well.
And for the first time since she had been back, she smiled. A pair of tears ran down from her eyes and down her cheeks. Then she gasped, hearing the panicked whines from no other horse than Aurora.
Lily left her bowl of mostly eaten stew on Sam's cot, and ran out to see Aurora galloping into camp and barrelling past Karen and Bill who were on guard duty. They tried to stop her, but she was too fast and strong.
"Aurora!" Lily called. The steed dashed to her. People cried out for Lily to get out of dodge, but she stood her ground, the horse reaching her, and neighing loudly, waking those who were sleeping, including little Jack. "There you are!" The horse was spooked, not calming down when the girl finally had a grip on her reins. She was nipping at the girl's blouse like she was trying to drag her along.
Lily looked into the wilderness and saw no one else coming, other than Bill and Karen. She didn't Soleil or even Arthur.
"Where's your rider?" Lily then said, her voice quivering as soon as she saw the burnt skin on the poor horse. Still Aurora continued to squirm, trying to pull Lily along. She blinked away tears, as the horrible thoughts of what could have happened began to form in her mind. This had happened before… on the stormy night that happened days after her Aunt Anna had passed. "SAM!" She was quick to hop on, and Aurora was already turning around to leave the camp. "Take me to him!"
Aurora was already galloping out of the camp, she looked over her shoulder to see Dutch and Hosea mounting their horses.
She didn't have her father, but she was still here. Her body shook as the rumble of incoming thunder made itself known.
"Hold on, Sam. I'm coming!"
"Shit!"
Sam couldn't hear the campfire roaring, but a blanket was wrapped around him, keeping him warm. He turned his head, and snuggled deep into his bedroll, trying to fight his body trying to bring him back into the waking world. His body was sore, no doubt that the eventful day today was catching up with him. Then, after a set of footsteps, he felt a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Get up, Sleeping Beauty. We need to move."
Sam grumbled, unable to escape the outlaw who was shaking him. He blinked, his sleepy eyes landing on Arthur, who had knelt down next to him.
"Hm? What? What's…" Just as Sam raised himself, Arthur covered his mouth and merely turned head towards the cliff. Down below, Sam could make out torches and the figures of men on horses.
As soon as his facial expression changed, eyes focused on the incoming enemies, Arthur took his hand away, and stood. The tent was taken down and Sam carefully stood to gather the bed rolls. The pain on his side lessened to just a dull ache, but he kept his actions slow, even letting Arthur give him a hand to get onto Soleil, riding behind him.
They rode out, waiting until the coast was clear to get back on the trail. It was way too dark and dangerous to travel all the way back to camp, and it was hard to see with the night in full swing and the light of the moon blocked from the clouds.
"They're persistent little bastards, aren't they?" said Arthur.
"They work for Cornwall," Sam whispered. "He's probably paying them top dollar for our heads. I warned Dutch about this!"
"Yeah, well… Hosea also warned him about the ferry…"
It was too dangerous to head through Strawberry, so Arthur took the long way around, even going off the trails to avoid Cornwall's mercenaries. Sam had been antsy since they left, trying to think and see straight. It was quiet for a while, the rocking of the horse was soothing, and Arthur was warm. Sam wished he was still in that blanket, but this would have to do. It was probably dangerous, but he found himself drifting off.
Then there was a flash in the sky, followed by a clap of thunder.
"SHIT!" Sam shrieked. He flailed and fell the horse back first, knocking the air from his lungs.
Arthur was off his horse and at his side, almost immediately. Sam had flipped over and was on his knees breathing and gasping for air. The outlaw looked up seeing more lighting in the skies and thunder rumbling.
It was similar to the night when they met. Dutch had told Hosea, who then told it to Arthur in confidence, but he couldn't believe it until he saw it for himself. The way Sam shook, and sharp intakes of breath… Arthur had thought it was just a reaction to having killed someone.
After all, he would know…
"Just… p-perfect…" Sam stuttered. He spat it out like poison, but he was trembling and tears were entering the corners of his eyes.
For a moment, Sam remembered the grass. The tree that was on fire and the pain in his side wasn't helping. It made him remember his broken ribs and his burnt hand. They ached now, and so did his hands, and his wrists. The day had been such a whirlwind, that he could no longer tell if they were from today, or merely his brain playing tricks on him, bringing up the past.
But then, there were hands on him and a voice eventually broke through his panic.
"Get up, we gotta move," said Arthur. He grabbed his arm and got him onto his feet. His form trembled as they made their way back to Soleil. "That's it, deep breaths, Sam." He turned him around and hoisted him onto the back of his horse again. "Just hang in there. I know somewhere we can go. We're almost there."
More thunder was heard as Arthur picked up speed. Sam hid his face in Arthur's back, his reddened face hidden in the dark as they rode ahead. The rain poured down and they went into the mountains in the Big Valley.
Up ahead, they took a long road that narrowed down, and they found themselves near the entrance of an old mine…
Sam nearly yelped, when Arthur dismounted, suddenly feeling vulnerable with Arthur moving away. He shook, starting to sway. The outlaw cursed under his breath and helped Sam down. Another clap of thunder made Sam jolt, but Arthur just held his arms around him tighter until he stopped struggling. After that, they made their way into the old mining tunnel, making their way deep inside, but still able to see the entrance. There were a few crates around, empty canteens and tools and abandoned pickaxes.
"Let me just get set up," Arthur said, lowering Sam down to sit, his back against the wall of some wooden beams. "Give me a few minutes."
Sam hugged himself, and just nodded. He prayed he'd be quick.
Arthur guided Soleil inside. He got the bedrolls off and set them near Sam before getting a fire started. Luckily a small campfire was nearby. There were tons of ashes, like it had been lit many times before.
Thunder and lightning had struck a few times, while Arthur was busy. Once they were settled, he made his way back to Sam, who was holding his pocket watch in his hands, thumbs tracing over the engraving while his teeth chattered and hands trembled.
Arthur sat down heavily beside him. Sam had been so lost in own little world, he could've jumped into the roof of the mining tunnel when Arthur patted his back.
"It's okay," Arthur said, holding his hands out like trying to calm down an animal. "You're alright, now. Just try to breathe."
"I'm s-" Sam tried to stutter. "I-" Another clap of thunder made him shriek like a small child. He covered his ears, tears threatening to spill from his tightly shut eyes. He couldn't make sense of his surroundings, his chest was hurting as his breath came in short, rapid huffs. He felt so pathetic. He had killed O'Driscolls. He was a killer killing killers. He stole from the dead, and beat his former friend, all in the name of vengeance. And now he was like this…
If Arthur left him right now he wouldn't blame him.
Instead, when the next clap of thunder made itself known, he felt hands over his ears, and they weren't his. So, he grabbed the person's wrists. The tips of his fingers were somehow cold on his burning skin. The familiar smells entered his nose, reminding him of the outlaw who had brought him here, holding the scent of the trees, gun oil and tobacco. He opened his eyes, seeing that Arthur had his hands over his ears.
"Breathe, Sam. It's alright. I ain't going nowhere. I know it hurts, but you'll pass out if you don't calm down."
Sam nodded. He was right about that. He never thought outlaws would understand what he was going through. His breaths were shaky, but Sam tried his best to listen. Eventually, he had calmed down enough, reaching his hands away to pick up the pocket watch that had dropped to the floor where he sat. The young man yelped when Arthur started to move his hands away.
"A storm ain't gonna hurt you," he said. "They just like showing off."
Sam gulped, remembering the tree, the way his hand burned, and the way his ribs ached. He was doubtful, but believed if he stayed where he was he could be fine… maybe.
"Just listen…" Slowly, Arthur took his hands away, placing them carefully on his shoulders. For a moment, Sam just stood there, eyes slowly registering Arthur's blue ones, staring back at him. He heard the rain pour down, the crackling of the fire, his heart thumping away as his sight took in their dimly lit shelter.
The rain was still pouring, but Sam was at least calmer. He reached for Arthur immediately, when he went to get up, hands grabbing his wrist. Arthur jolted, but stayed still, looking into his eyes and heart aching at such a sight. It was… familiar to him.
"Relax…" he stated again. "It's okay…"
Sam nodded, hesitantly. His hands slowly let Arthur go. The thunder was still pounding, each rumble and flash, making the younger man jump a little or whelp. Taking his blanket, he walked back to the young man and sat back down next to him. Slowly, he began to unfold it, with Sam staring, his mind blank, and eyes still filled with the innocence of a child, no doubt he was reduced to that from all the panicking.
"Alright," Arthur said, scooting over, so his back was almost against the wooden beams for a wall behind him. "Get over here."
Sam needed a minute to process what he just said. Was he hallucinating now? Had he gone so far down in his sins and fears, that he was going crazy?
"What?" he asked, his first words since his little episode.
"I've only got one blanket, and I ain't about to let us freeze to death," Arthur grumbled. "Now, come on."
Sam didn't have the strength to stand and feared how wobbly he'd be if he did. He crawled over to him, sitting down carefully next to him while still maintaining a small distance, but Arthur just scooted closer himself, to get the blanket around the both of them. The young man knew he was just being nice, but he looked away as he could feel his face beginning to burn. His heart was thumping fast, not just because of the thunder and lightning, but because of the man who was sitting so close to him. He had helped him, taught him a few things, offered advice, and even gave him comfort, without even having to ask. He had shaken it off when he saw him dance with Mary-Beth, but what the hell was he supposed to do now?
Sam just gulped as they sat there for a while. He didn't deserve to sit with a man like him… not with the… impurities in his head.
He still shivered, and Arthur couldn't tell if it was from the cold or the storm.
"Sensations," Arthur then said.
"What?"
"Tell me what you're feeling. What you see, or smell. Or hear."
"Uh…" Sam looked around blankly. "I see the fire. The wood beams around here. It's… raining outside… uh…"
Sam finally leaned back against the wall again. Arthur smiled at the accomplishment. It was progress on getting Sam to settle down.
"The wood burning on the fire…" Sam then said. "It's warm…" He bit his lip. "In the… In the blanket," he then stuttered, quickly.
The silence kicked in before long. Sam had run out of things that were activating his senses, but he was appreciative of the blanket. They're clothes were kind of wet from the storm. Sam knew that he was safe, for now, and not just from the storm, but from the mercenaries, as well. It wasn't like he had a choice for Arthur to see him the way he was, but seeing as he was more understanding, he trusted him.
His body still trembled, from the nerves. He had curled his fingers so tightly that his ring and pinky finger were hurting again on his left hand. Sam ran over them carefully with his thumb from the other hand. Arthur just stared. He leaned forward to grab the can of beans he had heating over the flames and sat back down.
"What happened?" he then said.
Sam held out his hand. "An O'Driscoll stepped on it while we were in the mountains."
"I mean, on the ranch."
"I…" Sam trailed off.
"We ain't going nowhere for a while. You might as well, since you came into our camp and passed out immediately."
"I've…" Sam's hand drifted down to his wounded side. "You said we ain't exactly saints, and… Well, neither am I. I was so angry and upset. Lily was so angry and upset."
Arthur turned to him slowly, the younger man's eyes were focused on the flames burning before them, but Sam looked away and towards the outlaw. A frown formed on his chapped lips. "I beat Archie up."
Arthur just stared, jaw hanging slightly. "Jesus…"
"He threw me through a window," Sam said, flatly. "I'll give him that. He said awful things about me. About Lily. About… my mother…" He blinked through the stinging heat of tears about to form, while clutching the pocket watch tightly. "But, maybe he's right. I…" His hand curled, forming fists, gripping the blanket tighter. "I… I am a killer… a thief… I…"
Arthur just stared, his heart sinking a beat at what Sam said next.
"No wonder they all leave me…"
The outlaw had finished half of the can. He passed the remaining half to Sam, he was taking deep breaths, trying to away as the tears left his eyes. He took the can, along with the spoon.
"Even Aurora…" Sam lamented. "I… I don't regret shooting that man, though…" he then said, his voice shaking. "The night we met…"
"I told you," said Arthur. "Stick with us, and we won't leave you. Dutch ain't one to do that."
"And you?" said Sam.
Arthur sighed. "Of course not. I told you, you ain't alone no more. You've got the whole damn camp, damn it! I know the first is never easy. And there's always gonna be people who don't like what we do, especially now."
Sam looked up at him, the tears had long left his eyes, but they were still a bit red.
"How can I be so sure? Archie told me the same thing… that he'd always be there… Lots of other people have… And now they're gone."
"I don't know," Arthur answered, honestly. "If your friend there was looking for a real monster, then it's me." He lowered his head, eyes shaded by the shadow his hat was giving. For a moment, the outlaw debated on talking about this, but he just went for it. "Dutch has always been there… And Hosea. For as long as I could remember…" He stared up, and took a deep breath. "I was thirteen the first time I killed someone."
The younger man's mouth dropped open a little, but he didn't use that to try and eat.
"I was very young when my mother passed," Arthur continued. "She caught something awful. I still ain't really sure what it was, but I think it was the last straw for my father. He had me work, saying I had to earn my keep. There were nights where I'd be stuck outside my home, and days where I had to find my own food. If I didn't do as he wanted…" His words slowed. "I was beat."
Sam continued to listen intently. Arthur swallowed hard. It had been many years, but the memories somehow didn't get easier. He felt a reassuring pat on his arm from Sam. it was gentle, but he could sense he was shy, keeping it brief.
"Pa had me go to the store one day to pick up some whiskey. I did, but on the way back, I was approached by some of the other kids. They robbed me, and for some reason, I thought my father would understand if I explained everything to him. He…"
"He… what?" said Sam.
"He was drunk," Arthur continued. Somehow his words were slowing more. "If I hadn't done anything, I would've been dead. I was bleeding, and he weren't done. I… I managed to run into my pa's room, and then I saw the gun just sitting there, and when he broke down the door…"
Sam did everything in his power to hold back a gasp. He knew what Arthur was implying.
"It was me or him."
The silence took over for a while. Despite what he said, the young man shifted his body just a little bit closer to his friend.
"I'm sorry…" Sam said, softly.
Arthur sighed, exhaling through his nose. "Don't be." What came next was very sinister. He turned his head towards Sam, brows furrowing and frowning. "Bastard had it coming…" His face softened again after that. He ran his hands down his face, and looked towards the fire. Still, Sam wasn't too phased by it. "It weren't long after that Dutch found me… hiding under a house..."
"And then he found me…" the young man responded. A small smile finally formed on his face.
"And you… You've got us, now, and so does Lily." Arthur smiled for a moment, remembering when it was just him Dutch and Hosea. It wasn't long before John came along, and then the many others who soon followed. "That gang… Nothing is more real to me than that," Arthur continued. "The bond we all share… it's the most real thing to me. I would kill for it, I would happily die for it… but, that's why-"
Arthur jolted, suddenly feeling a weight against him. Sam was leaning heavily against him, eyes closed and breath steady. He sighed, but was glad to see that the young man had at least eaten the rest of the can. Sam was gripping his arm gently, and despite it being easy to slip out of, Arthur didn't move it. At least he had stopped shaking. He just moved his hand and patted Sam's knee, somehow astounded that Sam could fall asleep after what he just confessed.
"You'll be okay, Sam…" he said, keeping his voice low. "I promise." He sighed and tried to lean himself a little more against the wall behind him. "You clingy little shit…" But he made sure Sam's head was stable on his shoulder. It was nice to see Sam comfortable enough to fall asleep during a storm around someone like him.
He couldn't remember the last time someone would hold him that gently. There were the occasional reassuring pats from Dutch or Hosea, or from one of the girls, but they never lasted long, even from Mary. They knew he had his boundaries, and he wasn't much of a hugger, but Sam made him realize how much he had missed and craved human touch.
It then occurred to Arthur: Sam didn't have any nightmares while he slept around him tonight, had he?
He spaced out, staring at the dilapidated tunnel. He never tried to dwell on what he had done back then. He knew if he hadn't done what he did, he never would have met Dutch, and he certainly wouldn't have the gang who were probably looking for them now. He just hoped Cornwall's men wouldn't find them, and hoped the weather would clear up enough for them to go back to camp soon.
Arthur didn't realize how tired he was, until he noticed his eyes trying to close on their own. He let them, letting his head rest on Sam's gently. With the blanket around them both securely and the fire still burning, Arthur let himself slip gently into sleep.
The fire had died out in the night, but that didn't really matter. Arthur woke up warm and was unsurprised to see Sam still snuggled up to his arm, but he did look a lot better than yesterday. He had slept completely through the night, and now the sun was shining down from outside. His horse was still asleep, having moved near the fire for warmth. At least he wasn't the only one who needed it.
Arthur tapped on Sam's knee. Sam just grumbled, nuzzling his nose into his arm.
"Come on…" Arthur grumbled, shaking Sam a little. "It's morning. We should get moving."
Sam finally pulled away and rubbed his eyes.
"How you feeling?"
The younger man blinked slowly, shaking the sleep from his eyes. "Better…" he said. He smiled, as Arthur patted him on the shoulder with a grin before getting up. Sam wished he could've stayed wrapped in that blanket with him for just a little bit longer.
"Dead end."
The voice startled the two. They looked towards the entrance, seeing a man of medium build standing there and walking in, while chuckling to himself.
Sam suddenly recognized him from the posters. Light hat, light blue coat, white collared shirt, reddish brown vest, dark hair and mustache, with a dark complexion. He looked to be in his forties or early fifties.
"Joshua Brown…?" Sam stuttered.
"We ain't here for trouble," Arthur said, he pulled Sam to stand up, as well, keeping their movements slow.
"Wouldn't matter if you were," said the man.
"It was raining last night," said Sam. "We just needed shelter."
"Do you know this guy?" Arthur whispered.
Sam shook his head. "I saw him on a poster," he whispered.
"A likely story, bounty hunters," Joshua snarled. He lit a cigarette in his hand. "There's only one way outta here… and that's through me…"
"Take it easy, partner," Arthur said, his voice still calm, despite their situation. He held out his arm, gently guiding his rookie friend behind him.
"N-No…" Sam could only stutter. "Arthur…" But he was powerless against his strength.
"We don't gotta do anything. Me and my friend were just waiting for the storm to pass."
"It ain't gonna be easy," said Joshua. "You're gonna have to draw on me to get me out. You mighta found me… but you won't beat me, bounty hunter."
Sam felt helpless, unable to do anything but shiver. He couldn't let this happen again. Not Arthur! He didn't want him to get shot, but once again… it wasn't his choice.
The silence that fell over them felt like an eternity. Sam knew to have faith in Arthur. He had done this for years, but he was still fearful of what was about to happen. Arthur narrowed his eyes, his left hand still held out to keep Sam back.
Then the guns were out. Arthur drew his gun and took aim as Sam shut his eyes tightly.
BANG!
Sam shivered more, eyes closed tightly and hands curled into fists so tightly he swore his nails would dig into his skin.
He heard a yell, and hearing that it wasn't Arthur's voice was probably the most relieving and beautiful thing he ever heard. Sam opened his eyes, seeing Joshua making a run for it while clutching his arm, his gun left forgotten on the floor.
"Goddamn bounty-hunting son of a bitch… damn you," Joshua yelled.
Arthur stormed after him. "Come on!" he yelled to Sam. Knowing that the young man was quicker, Sam dashed after him, quickly passing Arthur and headed outside, using the momentum of his speed to jump and tackle the gunslinger to the ground. He kept his arms around the man just as Arthur had taught him. The outlaw caught up to the pair with his lasso.
"Be a man about this," said Arthur. Sam held Joshua down while he tied his hands behind his back. "Let's tie up that shooting arm."
"You shot me!" Joshua spat. "And you didn't even have the decency to do it right. You duel a man and oughta put him down… not knock him out and tie him up."
Arthur leaned over him, still crouching. "I'm sure it seems that way." Then he just whacked the other man on the head with the back end of his gun, knocking him out cold.
Sam was just relieved. He breaths evened out, seeing as they had the situation resolved. He stood up with Arthur, but now had a captive with them.
"You said he was wanted in Strawberry?" Arthur said, wiping his brow.
Sam nodded. "Guess I could take him there."
"You ever carried another person before?"
"No, but I've carried other heavy things before," Sam pouted, hand on his hips. "How hard can it be? I mean, what else are we gonna do with him?"
Arthur thought for a moment. "See if he has any cash on him."
Sam giggled. "Okay."
"Saaaaaaam…" a voice called out.
Sam was searching Joshua's person. He found some bitters and a few dollars, which he split with Arthur. The older man tapped him on the shoulder and they both looked to see Lily riding on Aurora with Dutch and Hosea riding behind her.
The young man's face lit up as they approached. "Lily!"
"There you two are!" said Hosea. "Dutch was worried sick!"
Lily smiled, tears racing down from her eyes. She slid off Aurora with ease and raced towards her cousin, wasting no time embracing Sam and squeezing all the air out from his lungs.
"What did I tell you?" said Dutch. "I told you they were okay!"
"W-We heard the gunshot…" said Lily. "A-And I… I thought…"
"It's okay," said Sam. "It was Arthur. He took out this idiot." He gave the unconscious Joshua Brown a small kick to his limp body. Then his eyes turned to Aurora. She hadn't left him. She had just gone to get help. He held out his hand petting her snout gently.
"Cornwall's men chased us out here," Arthur explained. "We was hiding there, when this feller showed up. He's wanted in Strawberry."
Sam nodded. "Yeah, but Arthur had it handled."
Dutch chuckled. "Well, sure looks like it. Come on, let's get you two back. You look like you've been through a lot, and we've got some packing to do. We can have Sam and Lily drop off our bounty real quick."
"Sure thing, Dutch," said Arthur.
After Sam and Arthur gathered their things, they stowed their unconscious bounty on the back of Aurora, and Sam rode with Arthur, with Lily still riding solo on her cousin's horse.
The outlaw helped Sam up with a firm grip of his arm, throwing him on board like yesterday when they fled from those mercenaries.
"Thank-you, Arthur," Sam spoke, placing his hands on his hips to prevent himself from falling. "I mean it."
Arthur shrugged. "Not really sure what I did, but… you're welcome."
Somehow, Sam knew he was just playing dumb. "Well, still…" Subconsciously, his head leaned forward, forehead pressing against the back of his neck. Arthur patted his knee and they began the journey back to camp.
It felt like just yesterday, Sam was running from this man, was terrified of him, but after last night he was trying to cling to him whenever he could. He may be a monster, but Sam was glad to at least know he wasn't the only one.
He and Lily were with the gang, now, and now, as Sam looked at the man steering the horse they rode on, he knew then that he wanted to be stronger. He had to get stronger, not to just protect Lily, he wanted to protect the gang who helped him when no one else would. He wanted to protect Dutch, Hosea, John, and everyone else in the gang.
He wanted to protect Arthur.