#and after becoming his only friend; guess who rode another bastard cowboy?

[kalza]

Ember, you can't keep hooking up with every bastard cowboy you see....

[hysterialevi]

When the Devil Cries pt. 12

From Arthur’s POV

THE NEXT MORNING

KAMASSA RIVER

Well, here we were. Two lost souls on the run from God knows what as we rode across this “civilized” country, searchin’ for a freedom that I wasn’t even sure existed.

I mean, Dutch always described our gang as a community of free men and women, and yet the only thing I saw was a group of fugitives constantly bein’ forced to evade the law. I supposed it was better than actually being caught by them, but...I still had to wonder what we was truly chasing here. ‘Cause I sure as hell knew what was chasin’ us.

Despite how tense our situation was though, I had to admit: it did feel good to get away from that dreadful cesspit of a city. Walking around Saint Denis always made me feel like I was strangling myself, and half the time, I wanted to strangle the people around me even more.

And things weren’t that much merrier back at camp neither. There was always a pair o’ fools arguing with each other -- whether it was about Dutch’s so-called plan, or how bland Pearson’s stew was that day -- and it drove me halfway to insanity.  

But now that it was just me and Eddie -- surviving in the wilderness and ridin’ in the open country -- I felt like I could finally breathe again.

It was nothin’ but endless miles of lush grass and exuberant flowers out here. And we also had a more-than-magnificent view of the purple mountains in the distance, making me and Eddie feel like ants.

It was certainly a treat to be around nature again. And as strange as it sounded, I was almost excited to return to the humid town of Rhodes where I was pretty sure everyone was related in some way.

Hell, I even missed the mud-ridden streets of Valentine -- along with that rowdy saloon where I received quite the welcoming.

It just felt nice to be back in the wilds, despite how chaotic it could become sometimes. But I supposed that was the beauty of it.

There were no lawmen out here to restrain us, or ridiculous mannerisms that we had to hide behind. It was simply survival, and the things we did to achieve it.

I only prayed we could avoid the assassins for long enough. Things got risky enough back at the gala, and we had Dutch and Hosea helpin’ us out. If them bastards tracked us down out here -- where we was all by ourselves -- well, we’d have one hell of a fight on our hands. And I intended to be prepared for it.

Splashing water onto my face, I scrubbed all the dried blood off and ran my canteen through the cool river, filling it to the brim before returning to my horse as I chose a new shirt to wear.

So far, things appeared calm enough. And we had yet to run into any other people, except the occasional passerby. For once, things actually seemed to be goin’ according to plan. And it made me uneasy.

I knew I should’ve been grateful for gettin’ outta Saint Denis alive -- and I was -- but part of me just couldn’t shake the feeling that these men weren’t gonna let Eddie go so easily. I mean, if they was willin’ to send that many assassins after him alone, Lord only knew what they’d do once they figured out he wasn’t by himself no more.

Well...I supposed we would find out sooner or later. After all, these men certainly weren’t holdin’ back, and I had no doubts we would encounter ‘em again.

All I could do now was make sure Eddie was prepared for the next fight.

“You all cleaned up?” I asked the boy, pulling on my favorite blue shirt. He stood up from the river.

“Yeah,” Eddie replied, wiping some droplets off his face. “What about you?”

“Oh, I’m good,” I answered, sifting through my saddlebag for another shirt before handing it to him. “Here. Put this on. It ain’t nothin’ fancy, but you can wear it until we get to Rhodes. Or keep it, if you want. I don’t care.”

“Thanks.” He said, taking the piece of clothing in his grasp. It was a simple white French Dress shirt; just somethin’ I bought from the tailor in an attempt to fit in with the “good” folks of Saint Denis. Though, I was pretty sure it made me stand out even more.

“You got any money on you?” I checked, earning a nod from Eddie.

“Some. Only a little, though.”

I closed my saddlebag, patting my horse while she took a generous gulp of water from the river. “Only a little should be enough. The stuff in Rhodes ain’t as expensive as what they sell Saint Denis. And we can always make more.”

Eddie quirked a brow, removing his bloodstained shirt. “How?”

I took a moment to look at our options, doing my absolute best not to stare directly at him.

“Well...there ain’t no shortage of fools in this area. I’m sure we could easily rob someone. Jump a stagecoach or two.”

The pianist froze.

“...What?”

A boisterous laugh escaped me. “Ha! Relax, kid. I’m only playin’ with you. Nah...if we wanna make some real cash, our best bet is pickin’ up a bounty at the Sheriff’s office. Now -- don’t worry. It ain’t as intimidating as it sounds. Some o’ these outlaws are no joke, but the ones with a smaller bounty can be plain idiots sometimes. Easy money.”

Eddie slipped into the shirt I gave him, clearly still a bit unsure about our plan as he adjusted to his new clothes. “...If you think that’s best.”

I grinned at him, finally placing my prized hat back on as the two of us prepared to leave. Lord, did it feel good to be wearin’ this thing again.

“Well, to quote my good friend Tacitus Kilgore,” I playfully punched his shoulder, strolling over to my mount, “...have some faith, Eddie.”

A WHILE LATER

RHODES

Riding under the white-hot sun as puffs of red dust billowed around us, Eddie and I finally arrived at the Rhodes Train Station, slowly bringing the rest of the town into view the further we walked.

Things seemed lazy ‘round here as usual. Most of the locals was either drunk or asleep, and the ones who weren’t were doin’ their absolute best to get there. To be honest, it hadn’t changed that much since I was last here, and frankly, I didn’t know if that was a good or a bad thing.

I guessed we would see for ourselves soon enough.

“Welp, here we are...” I said, slowly coming to a halt. “...Rhodes. It ain’t no Saint Denis, but this town’ll leave a mark on your memory in its own way, for sure. What d’you think?”

To my surprise, Eddie appeared to be fond of the place.

“It’s...much prettier than I was expecting,” he confessed, admiring the quaint stores scattered around. “And you can actually breathe the air around here.”

I chuckled. “Sure, but I’m afraid the people are just as rotten. Only difference is they’re honest about it here. Most o’ the time, anyway...”

Eddie glanced around. “So, what do we do now?”

I gestured to the side. “The general store’s right over there. Why don’t you head in and buy yourself some proper clothes? Also some provisions. We still got a ways to go till we reach Valentine, and I doubt we’ll see another saloon for a while.”

He softly tugged on the reins, getting ready to divert our paths.

“Very well. What about you?”

I pointed a bit further down the road. “I’mma head to the Sheriff’s office. See if they got any bounties posted. I’ll meet you outside when I’m done.”

Eddie nodded. “Sounds good.”

“Oh -- and make sure the clothes you get blend in somewhat. The folk ‘round here don’t take kindly to outsiders. Or ‘yankees’ as they call ‘em.”

The pianist smirked jokingly, trotting towards the general store as he waved a temporary goodbye.

“Of course. I’ll look like a proper cowboy once I’m done.”

I went in my own direction, rollin’ my eyes at the boy. “We ain’t cowboys, you silly fool.”

Eddie snickered, enjoying my annoyance far too much.

“Whatever you say, Mister Morgan.”

THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE

Hitching my horse to a nearby post, I quickly made my way into the Sheriff’s office and tried my utmost to look civilized, admittedly not too eager to present myself to an officer of the law.

After all, even though we was mainly concerned about the assassins on our tail, I couldn’t forget about the money-hungry bounty hunters after my own head, as well as the Pinkertons flippin’ this country over just to find me.

I let out a guilt-ridden sigh at the thought, my eyes stuck to the floor as I climbed the small steps to the Sheriff’s office.

Eddie still didn’t know who I truly was.

Sure, I was being a “good man” and helpin’ him survive out here, but the boy didn’t even know I was an outlaw, let alone that I had five thousand dollars on my head. Hell, maybe I shoulda just let him turn me in. Then he’d have more money than he would know what to do with.

I just...couldn’t bring myself to tell him. I mean, what the hell would he think? Would he even trust me anymore? I doubted it. Eddie had a hard enough time trusting people in general. If he learned about who I was -- or even “Mister Kilgore’s” identity -- I was willin’ to wager that our relationship would be over. Along with...whatever else was goin’ on between us.

...I supposed I would have to confess at some point if I wanted to gain Eddie’s full trust. I just weren’t too sure that now was a good time. We was already busy enough runnin’ away from Rose’s men. The last thing he needed was to learn that his only friend happened to be an outlaw himself.

Well...whatever happened next, now wasn’t the time to feel guilty.

Eddie and I had a job to do, and we didn’t have very long to do it. If I wanted to get him outta this alive, I would have to focus...no matter how much it pained me to keep all these secrets from him.

I just hoped he would learn the truth from me, and not someone else.

Pushing the office’s door open, I waltzed in with a casual-enough temperament as the Sheriff’s head perked up from his desk, his eyes flicking towards me upon my arrival.

“Afternoon, mister,” he greeted. “You a bounty hunter? I haven’t seen you in town before.”

“Yes, sir.” I replied.

The Sheriff stood up from his chair. “Well, you’re in luck. We got a couple o’ bounties available at the moment. Quite a hefty sum on both their heads. Why don’t you take a look at the posters?”

Following the Sheriff’s line of sight, I wandered over to a nearby wall and examined the pair of posters, thinkin’ about which one would be easiest for me and Eddie to catch.

The first one had a portrait of a feller who looked to be near my age. The upper part of his face had been mostly covered by wide, black hat but the parts I could see weren’t that much prettier anyway.

He had a mean set of features. His face seemed to be stuck in a permanent scowl, and he had a built, structured nose along with a deep cleft chin. There was also a rather nasty-looking scar crossing over the right side of his mouth, forming some kind of a forced, lopsided frown. Who was this sad son-of-a-bitch?

“That’s Archibald Hill,” the Sheriff explained, noticing my interest. “He used to run with the Lemoyne Raiders, but became somewhat of a lone wolf a few months ago. Now, he terrorizes Lemoyne’s countryside, robbin’ and murderin’ anything that moves. It’d be preferable if you brought him in alive, but I won’t protest if you kill him neither.”

I brought my attention to the second poster, listening to the Sheriff talk while I observed the portrait.

This one actually had two outlaws displayed on it -- a  man and a woman -- and both of them had a deranged look their eyes. The woman hid her tangled, messy hair under a pinned-up hat and wore a loose, casual shirt along with a bandolier slung over her shoulder. Her face was long and sharp, and her wild eyes seemed to be stuck in a permanent twitch.

As for the man, he had a head of extremely short, ruffled hair that kind looked like it had been cut from all different directions, and there was a rather thick, graying goatee decorating his chin. His eyes shared the same devilish glint as his partner, and just like before, he had a constant glower creasing his face.

Jesus. I didn’t even wanna think about what I looked like in my wanted poster.

“Ah, the Arlington Twins,” the Sheriff introduced. “Minnie and Jesse. They’re a pair o’ bandits been murderin’ their way across this country for years now. Plenty have gone after them, but so far, none have come back. And to make things trickier, they’re wanted alive. Think you can handle it?”

I considered it for a second, devising multiple plans in my head on how we could capture them as the Sheriff waited for a response.

Goin’ after Hill was probably the easier and safer option, but these Arlington Twins had quite the bounty on their head -- a hundred dollars, to be exact -- and I was pretty confident that Eddie and I could corner them without too much trouble.

I folded the poster and slipped it into my satchel, giving the Sheriff an agreeing nod.

“I’ll see what I can do.”

He sat back down at his desk, giving me a wary look.

“Alright, then. Last I heard, they were spotted somewhere near Dewberry Creek. I’d start lookin’ around there. Careful, though. Them Arlington Twins aren’t the only dangers lurkin’ in that area.”

I opened the door, making my way out of the office. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Well, good luck to you, then.”

Taking my leave, I stepped back into the scorching weather of Rhodes and wandered over to a nearby bench, having a seat while I waited for Eddie to finish up his business.

Thankfully, the Sheriff didn’t seem to realize who I was, and judging by the lack of alarm in the town, I assumed no one else had their eyebrows raised just yet either.

Instead, they simply carried on with their daily lives and strolled sluggishly through the cloudy streets, doing their best to ignore the one-legged veteran hollerin’ outside the general store.

It weren’t exactly the most eventful day, but...I didn’t need it to be. I had already gotten my fair share of action this week, and I certainly wasn’t looking for more trouble right now.

Trouble always seemed to have a habit of findin’ me anyways, and I had no doubts it’d come ‘round to me again eventually. I only prayed that, unlike before, it would at least have the courtesy of lettin’ me train Eddie some more.

If we was to get caught in the middle of another shitstorm, I didn’t just wanna be ready. I wanted to have the upper hand.

Halting my train of thought, I suddenly heard the man himself calling out to me from a distance as I glanced to my side, only to be greeted by one hell of a sight.

Even though Eddie’s new clothes weren’t particularly flamboyant or flashy in any way, the boy still managed to look better than the entire town combined. Includin’ me.

In addition to the shirt I gave him, Eddie had bought a navy-blue vest to go over it, a black frock coat, and a matching Nevada hat along with a simple tie. Was it even possible for this boy to be ugly?

“Well, look at you,” I said with a grin, rising from the bench. “Ain’t you a handsome devil.”

Eddie returned the grin, shrugging casually. “I do my best. So, did you find any bounties?”

I showed him the posters. “Two. Minnie and Jesse Arlington. Apparently, they’re twin bandits been raisin’ hell in these parts recently. Wanted alive for a hundred dollars.”

The pianist examined the portraits. “Any idea where to start?”

“Well, the Sheriff said they were last seen near Dewberry Creek, so my guess is they’re probably targeting the railroad that crosses into New Hanover.”

Eddie quirked a brow. “What makes you say that?”

“Lots of wagons with valuable goods pass through there,” I explained. “Not to mention the weakly-guarded trains that also make the occasional appearance. Good money for people like them.”

“Makes sense. Have you got a plan on how to catch them?”

I nodded, putting away the posters. “Yeah, but we’ll focus on that later. At the moment, I’d feel better if you knew how to handle a larger gun. Like a rifle. You still got Middleton’s old weapons on your mount?”

Eddie peered in Bullet’s direction. “Fortunately, yes.”

I whistled for my own horse. “Then let’s you and I find a place out in the wilds where we can shoot in peace. Them assassins ain’t gonna shoot at us with handguns, and I wouldn’t want you to be usin’ one neither. Besides, I think it’s time you got in some more practice. You ain’t a bad shot, but you’re still a bit slow.”

The boy smirked at me, mounting Bullet before following me outta town. “For now.”

I chuckled, the two of us galloping away just as the sun began to sink in the sky.

“For now.”

THAT EVENING

CLEMENS POINT

Riding all over Lemoyne’s vast countryside, Eddie and I spent the rest of the day shooting, hunting, fishing, exploring...and I even taught him a few new tricks with his revolver.

The boy had certainly improved since the last time I showed him how to shoot a gun, and to make things even better, Thatcher left behind quite an impressive arsenal of weapons.

The Lancaster, in particular, was an especially beautiful gun. It was decorated with a sleek ebony varnish, blackened steel, and on the frame, there was a golden engraving of what looked like a side-view portrait of a little boy’s face. The gun was also in pretty good condition, considering how much Thatcher must’ve used it, and to my surprise, Eddie couldn’t seem to get enough of it.

Heh. Maybe I’d make a gunslinger outta him yet.

With a powerful bang, Eddie took another shot at the bottles I had set out for him, getting more and more used to the rifle with every bullet he fired. There was a certain look in his eyes -- the same one he had when the two of us killed Middleton -- and part of me couldn’t believe this was the boy I ran into outside the Bastille.

Nowadays, Eddie appeared more adamant. Determined. Unafraid to fight back. Certainly not the scared, frightened kid Atticus Rose probably still had in mind. And I was gonna do my damnedest to make sure he didn’t know about this Eddie until it was too late.

After all, if I had learned anythin’ from my time with Dutch, it was that underestimating your enemy was as good as giving them a victory before the fight even started. And Lord knew we needed an advantage.

“Remember to press the stock against your shoulder,” I reminded Eddie, standing closely beside him. “Make sure there ain’t a gap. Otherwise, the recoil will send that stock flyin’ straight back at you, and it’ll leave quite a nasty bruise.”

I readjusted Eddie’s posture slightly, pushing him forward just a bit. “Also remember to lean in And...as always...”

“...Fire on the exhale.” He finished. I smiled proudly at him.

“Exactly.”

Pulling the trigger, Eddie almost effortlessly blasted one of the bottles right off the stand, smoke now gliding through the air. I patted his shoulder in praise.

“See? You ain’t so terrible, after all.”

He lowered the rifle, chuckling in response. “Perhaps not.”

Placing the Lancaster against a nearby tree, the pianist switched back to his more familiar, timid tone as his eyes softly gazed at me, watching with a certain affection.

“...Thank you for showing me that, Arthur. The amount of things you’ve taught me this past week -- I feel like a changed man.”

I took a seat next to the campfire I’d built for us earlier, quoting one of Hosea’s favorite philosophies.

“Well, maybe you ain’t changin’ at all,” I suggested. “Just getting closer to the man you always was.”

Eddie sat down next to me, his expression glowing with endearment.

“I never thought about it that way. Maybe you’re right, though. I just wish I could’ve started changing sooner. Would’ve done me and my family a whole lot of favors.”

I let out an understanding sigh, lazily staring at the sparks dancing above the fire.

“Don’t we all. But...ain’t no point in regrets. ‘Cept learning from them.”

Eddie took his hat off and placed it in his lap, running a gentle hand through his loosened hair.

“Do you have any regrets, Arthur?”

I nodded subtly, tryin’ to hide the sorrowful frown that threatened to creep on my face.

“Oh, I’ve got plenty o’ regrets, I’m afraid. And even more mistakes.”

“Like what?” He questioned. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

I gazed upwards at the violet sky, sifting through all my godforsaken memories as the hypnotic fire crackled softly in front of us.

A despondent breath escaped me. “...I’ve loved all the wrong people. Killed the right ones. All in the name of greed.”

I furrowed my brow and leaned slightly towards the campfire, mindlessly speaking my thoughts as they came along.

“Money...money’s a strange thing, y’know,” I muttered. “I’ve barely got any of it and yet, it’s the thing affectin’ me most. Makes me wonder who I’d be if money didn’t exist. If such a world is even possible.”

I paused for a moment, bringing my attention to Eddie.

“...But I’ll tell you one thing I don’t regret,” I gently grabbed the pianist’s hand, holding it securely. “Meetin’ you. I know I don’t really talk ‘bout this sorta thing often, but...you mean a lot to me, Eddie. A whole lot. ...My only regret is that you had to end up with a man like me.”

Eddie almost appeared upset at that comment and he quickly placed a hand on my cheek, gently turning my head so that I was facing him.

“What are you on about? I’m happy to be with you, Arthur. I know you see yourself as the devil, but...you’re the only reason I’m still alive. The only reason I actually have a fighting chance against Atticus. So stop beating yourself up all the damn time, and realize that, to some people out there, you’re an angel. Because you certainly are in mine.”

My gaze fell to the ground. “You’d be the only one.”

Eddie leaned in, resting the bridge of his nose against mine. “Sometimes, you only need one.”

Pressing a short kiss to my lips, Eddie lingered for a second before separating it, only to be pulled right back in when I wrapped my arms around him, bringing the musician into a tight embrace.

Despite the gesture being somewhat sudden, Eddie warmed up to it soon enough and welcomed the kiss, practically melting in my arms as the sky darkened above us.

I had no idea what the hell I was doing, and I could hear my own mind screamin’ at itself...but at the moment, I didn’t care. Right now, all I cared about was Eddie. And regardless of how wrong this mighta been, or how foolish I was acting...it just felt right. It felt like somethin’ I needed to do. And I was powerless to resist it.

Deepening the kiss, Eddie began caressing the sides of my face before pulling me closer, both of us completely lost in our own thoughts.

It was almost as if I’d forgotten about all my troubles. About all the shit we was runnin’ from, and runnin’ towards. Like the outside world didn’t even exist no more, and we were free to live our lives.

But the longer we stayed like this, the more I found myself growing addicted to that feeling...and it frightened me. It was just as dangerous as it was thrilling, and regardless of how much I wanted to continue, I knew I couldn’t.

I hurriedly forced myself to stop and broke the kiss before I could get too carried away, backing up from Eddie as much as it pained me to do so.

I turned back towards the campfire, shamefully looking away from the pianist.

“Erm -- we should...” I cleared my throat, “...we should get some rest. Got a busy day ahead of us.”

Eddie looked at me in a manner that said he could tell somethin’ was wrong, but he decided not to say anything on the subject anyway. He knew me, after all. And he knew I’d tell him when I was ready.

So, instead, the boy simply agreed and stood up from the fire, tiredly walking over to his bedroll as the stars began to twinkle around the rising moon.

Eddie glanced at me over his shoulder, saying a brief goodnight.

“Well...I suppose I’ll see you in the morning, then. Goodnight, Arthur. And thank you. For everything. You really do have a heart of gold.”

I remained at the fire for a while longer, tryin’ to process everything that just happened as the flames began to die down.

“So do you,” I replied. “...Just not the same kind.”