#horses of heartland: rusty

[jarlshall]

Itsa me, Jarl. Gonna bring this over to the OC side blog since its relevant.

The elves are divided up into cultures based on their particular expertise of the five elements of magic.

The elves of the North, the Kwaycha, are masters of Mind - divination and illusion. One grandmaster of Mind is chosen to lead them as Sapa Kwaycha, based on their spiritual might.

The western elves, the Denosan Confederacy are the old friends of the Green, the element of change. Seven tribes, each divided three more, make up their people.

The swamp elves, the Magoean, learned from their homes the balance between life and death, and are peerless healers through their expertise in Body.

Tower Elves, the Tereshi, command a peerless skill over Spirit, the magic of war. Their grand alliance - the Dodecopolis - are comprised of twelve inviolate city states.

The elves of the East, Ulkan, hidden in jungle cities, the star gazers and veil tearers. Their knowledge of the hidden ways of the Grey has kept their civilization concealed and detached for untold centuries.

Humanity has four rough groupings, uniform to an outsider, but hiding tremendous depth.

Hydris, the people of the north. Master sailors, ferocious traders, famous mercenaries. Broadly they're split into the Fjordlings, isolated valley towns and nomadic shepherds, the Painted Men, who stand in the shadow of the ancient dwarf holds and remain close to the Green, and the Trueborn, those from the city of Hydris itself and its heartlands.

Citalens, them of the great southern Republic. Primarily the people of Inras Cital, there are roughly two dozen lesser Citals formed together as the Allies. Provinces beyond the peninsula have taken on aspects of this culture, but a wealth of differences remain.

The Fells. Tattooed nature worshipers, which is about all they share in common across their twenty four historical realms, split apart by low mountains, rivers, and ancient woods. A land of druids and poetry.

Magnia, the old Sun Empire, now known as the Hundred Kingdoms. The three founding kingdoms of Angromar, Neustre, and Royal Meadth have been joined by four other kingdoms. Two mighty horse nomads tribal federations dwell across the Thundering Plains to its southern reaches

The Telent, jungle city states organized into a grand triple alliance after Citalen aggression. Little but the rain forest, fear of the west, and homage to the spirits unites them.

And, of course, the dwarves - known collectively as the Maldranak. Ever since the homeland was lost a millennium ago, the dwarves fled and put roots where they could. And where they built their new halls, they interacted with their neighbors and were changed - thus becoming the Alloys.

One branch settled near the Magnians and became the Gold Dwarves. Nobility came to them with patronage, and knights sought their skill in weapon crafting. The Gold Dwarves became renown for fine detail and filigrees, masters at working the metals that gleamed and shimmered like the sun and moon.

Another settled in the Rusty Mountains beside Cital. The plentiful iron that gave the mountains their name and hue gave them plenty of practice in the working of steel and iron. Now, the foundries of the Steel Dwarves burn hotter and their metal is the strongest of all the continent.

Wrathful and distrustful, one band headed west and settled in the Gray Sentinels. They dug deeper than any of the others and scorned the company of their Denosan neighbors who balked at their razing of woodland. With vampires to the south and burned bridges to the north, the Bronze Dwarves have turned their craft fully to the pursuit of war.

The Deep Root mountains between Magnia and Telent had promise, but more than ore and darkness dwelled in those depths. The Obsidian Dwarves were known for their work in glass and stone and architecutre, but it did not save them. Their halls stand empty, their people scattered to the other holds.

Last and newest of the Maldranak are the Reforged. A century or two ago, growing fearful of a darkening world, Gold dwarves gathered an army from the other holds and enlisted the aid of Hydris to reclaim the original homeland. Built of all other dwarf holds and influenced by Hydris, these dwarves gather the skill and wisdom of the others, surpassing them in all but their specialties.

Making every other fantasy race except for humans a monoculture isn't just lazy, but actively robbing yourself of a wealth of story depth. Give them cultures with distinct nuances about things a human would have no idea about. Elves whose invisible and extremely nuanced cultural cues are not only incredibly subtle, but vary from one elven line to another, so something that would be considered a remarkably tactful and delicate choice in one elven house would be an atrocious insult in another.

Goblin clan feuds about The Sacred Bug - they all agree that this specific species of beetle is sacred to the Goblin Gods, but the question is whether it is taboo to eat it, or whether it would be blasphemy to not eat this bug that was specifically gifted to goblinkind by the gods. Can You Eat The Bug -wars are torrid affairs that can last generations. There's a theory that there are two different goblin gods who appear as the same one, and have deliberately given their own respective clans contradictory instructions about the bug just to fuck with them. Everyone who has ever asked a goblin about this theory has been bit.

Dwarves who have different regional measures for different ground depths. There's a confusion within a construction crew digging a new tunnel with some of the foreign builders using words like "first cracks deep" for something that's not a measure that's in use in the dwarvish universal metric system. And then it turns out that different dwarves from different areas are used to different kinds of bedrock that cracks at different levels, and they also disagree with each other about how deep is "first cracks deep".

And the Mason Master of the projct throws his pickaxe in the tunnel wall in frustration and goes "alright the next one of you to say some utter fucking hillbilly bullshit gets their ass beat so bad that your mother's beard falls off."

[ambermarshalldaily]

every episode of heartland ever [amber marshall as amy fleming]

|| 9.09 - a matter of trust

(first aired: December 6, 2015)

He’s been here a few days, and I know exactly what he ate the day before he got sick. Well, sometimes it can be found in contaminated water. None of us are sick. I don’t see how our water could be contaminated. Amy, you said you went on a ride with Rusty yesterday. Where’d you go? To Weber’s Creek. Did he have a drink? Yeah, he drank from the river, but it was crystal clear. Okay, I need you to show me exactly where you were.

[confessions-heartland]

NAC, but a question, what happened to Shorty? Caleb's original rodeo horse, and where did Rusty come from? either it's not addressed or I missed the episode where he changed horses

Thanks for using "NAC"

Um, Shorty went into the Heartland void and Rusty came back out is pretty much what happened.

[ginnieontherocks]

Heart of a Killer - Chapter 1 (RDR2 ArthurxOC)

(Author Note: I DO NOT own the RDR2 characters or the story line from the franchise. I only own my original characters & the original content that will merge along since it does run along with the in game story. Please respect my work & do not steal it. I have also posted this to AO3 for those interested!)

Genevieve ' Gin on the Rocks ' Holland was not your average outlaw. She had a reputation for enjoying the thrill of the kill - a confirmed 37 kills, actual kills were still unknown by 1899. Getting out of Sisika Penitentiary, Genevieve gets wind that the notorious Van der Linde gang failed at a ferry boat job in Blackwater led to them being on the run after the gang massacred nearly the entire city. Follow Genevieve on her adventures of love, laughter, death, and massacre.

~~~

Siskika Penitentiary - Spring 1899

“Jackson! Officer Jackson, move those prisoners.” A voice-directed from above, standing in a watchtower. “Officer Benton, kitchens needing staff.”

“Officer Townsend, those rocks ain’t gonna break themselves.”

“What are you standing for? Get moving!” Guards pass through the group of prisoners, Evans Repeaters in hand, just in case any of the prisoners decide to make a threatening move while they work on breaking rocks. A higher-up official of Sisika Penitentiary walked towards a specific group of prisoners, looking them over to choose who will go to Valentine to work.

“You. You with the hammer-” he looked over to a raven-haired woman. “-and you, you’ll do.” Jenkins walked over to the back of a prisoner wagon and opened the back, the rusty door opened with a loud creak. “ We need to perform a work detail out in Valentine. Come on, get in.”

Fellow officers started to herd Jenkins' chosen prisoners into the back of the steel-barred wagon. “Open the gate!” He called. “Come on Milliken.” A younger, dirty blonde officer lightly jogged around the wagon and climbed up beside his higher up. Jenkins whipped the reins and the pair of draft horses pulled out of the central building of Sisika. The group started to make their way through Saint Denis. It was about noon when the officers and prisoners were in the middle of The Heartlands - open wide territory with lush green grass covering the hills, the sound of birds chirping at one another as they started to head towards Twin Stack Pass.

“You know, my wife has acquired ideas significantly above her station. She’s been reading too many god damn books.” Jenkins spoke to anyone who would listen. Genevieve rolled her eyes. If her eyes could roll out of her head, they would’ve fallen out back in Lagras. “I’m personally against education-” Jenkins paused when he caught a glimpse of Millikin looking at him. “- of women I mean and men, I guess. Unnecessary. Doesn’t add much to the world, education.”

Walking along the Dakota River, Jenkins and Millikin rounded a corner and were greeted with a broken down stagecoach wagon blocking their path that reached Valentine.

“Good day gentlemen.” A woman called as she sat on the steps of the broken-down wagon.

“Whoa…” Jenkins spoke to the horses and brought the wagon to a stop, a few feet in front of the blockade. Millikin slowly brought his weapon up a bit for protection. The opposing woman smirked as one woman stepped out from behind the wagon and another stood from inside the wagon, gun pointing out from above the other brunette’s head and had the Sisika guards in her crosshairs.

“Don’t do anything stupid, nobody gets shot.” The brunette stood up from the wagon. “Act like fools and the pair of you will be dead in a minute.” The trio stalked towards the wagon. Neither one of the three was threatened by the guards. “What are your names?”

“Jenkins…and Millikin.”

“Well Mr. Jenkins, Mr. Millikin throw your guns to the ground and get down here,” she ordered as her backup went to both sides, shotguns pointed closely to Jenkins and Millikin. Both officers tossed their guns to the ground as directed. “I’m very glad to meet you. It’s not worth being rash. You boys get paid a salary,” the prisoners tried to catch a glimpse of what was happening in the front of the wagon, though it was a bit hard with the driver's seat blocking most of the direct view. Genevieve’s eyes widened a bit as the voice continued to speak.

It can’t be…

“You boys get paid a salary. You get that salary whether these prisoners escape or not. Your wives presumably want you alive?” The leader stepped closer and closer to Jenkins, intimidating him to take a step back out of fear. “Let them out. Now, please.”

“Okay! Okay!” Jenkins spoke as his hands were raised, showing he was not hiding anything from the gang in front of him. Stepping back with the gang following his steps, Millikin was already a step ahead as he unlocked the wagon’s doors. The prisoners watched in amazement, their hands up as well - out of fear more than anything - as the brunette had taken the keys from Millikin and tossed them to one of the prisoners.

“You all run away now.” The leader stared at Genevieve. “Aside from you.”

The prisoners had taken turns unlocking their ankle cuffs and exiting the wagon as the leader watched them one by one exiting the wagon. “Try to stay out of trouble. This is a stroke of good fortune for all of you. Use it. Now,” she turned back to the guards. “Mr. Jenkins. Mr. Millikin. Be so kind as to quickly run away. Before someone gets shot entirely unnecessarily. Go on! Don’t look back!” The orders barked and both officers hightailed it, not looking back. There was no way this was going to be easy to explain to their higher-ups; how they were ‘robbed’ essentially on their way to Valentine. Once the gang knew that both guards and the prisoners were well out of sight, they turned and looked back at the last prisoner remaining.

“You girls really ain't had to come save me.”

“Ginnie!” Gathering in a group hug, the girls relished at the moment.

“It hadn’t been the same since you got caught.” A brunette with green eyes named Clara spoke. “6 months..”

“I know,” Genevieve spoke, pulling away from the group and wiping the tears off the younger woman. “6 months of hell I endured but…I’d do it all again if it meant keeping you girls and the rest of the gang safe.”

“Ginnie-”

“How is everyone, Lily?” Genevieve looked at her right hand who got her out of the prison wagon. Lily looked her friend in the eyes. “They’re well, boss. We moved the group up a bit Northwest from Armadillo, a nice spot on the edge of Tall Trees.”

“Skinners?”

“We haven’t seen any, but they come and go as they please it seems,” Lily watched as Annie, a spitfire redhead, handed Genevieve her old gun belt to put on. “-last I heard, they were around a few years ago.” Genevieve nodded as the others mounted up on their horses.

“War Machine?”

“Waiting for his master’s call.”

An excited smile dawned over Genevieve’s face as she stuck her two fingers between her lips and whistled for her faithful mount. A minute passed and the ground shook as a bay roan Ardennes warhorse came from behind and let out a loud whinny. Taking the saddle horn in her hand, Genevieve swung up on War Machine and it was a moment of silence for all as the leader leaned down and hugged the thick neck of the horse below her.

“I missed you boy,” she whispered, giving his neck a soft stroke as she sat back up. Looking at the group, Genevieve spun War Machine around and kicked his side, causing the stallion to rear on his back legs and paw the air. “Let’s ride!”

Excited cheers followed and the group was off, crossing the Dakota River and following it downstream, the thunderous hooves sounded as the group rode back towards Tall Trees. Genevieve was back, back where she belonged. It had been months since she was in the groove of her saddle, riding to the rhythm of War Machine’s canter, feeling the wind in her hair. Nothing was going to stop her from seeing her family again.

A half-hour passed before the group was in West Elizabeth, the open plains welcoming them. Lily led the way back to their campsite where their posse of ten called home for the time being. Slowing down to a trot, the group made their way through a part of Tall Trees where they were close to the edge to leave in a hurry if need be, but deep enough where you couldn't see them on the ridgeline.

“Who's there?!” A scout asked, their gun raised at the riders.

“It's us, Annabelle!” Lily yelled in response as she passed Annabelle, only for a moment before the blonde ran ahead into camp.

“Everyone, Lily is back!” she shouted. “They brought Ginnie back!”

Anyone who was currently at camp stopped their current activities and came to welcome their family back from the journey. Chatter filled the air as people asked Ginnie what happened and the tails of her trouble. Giving hugs and gentle air kisses to her family, Ginnie tried to talk to everyone at once but it was chaotic seeing as her posse hadn’t seen her in nearly 7 months.

“Settle down please, everyone!” ordered Lily. “Ginnie, I am sure, had a long day. Please give her a bit to settle back in. We celebrate our leaders' return tonight!” Going back to their camp chores, Lily showed Ginnie where her tent was. “We put you right over here, Gin.”

“Thank you, Lily.” Genevieve followed Lily over to her camp and pulled back the tent flap. Looking inside, it was as if they hadn’t packed up camp and moved across the desert. Everything she owned was in its spot and accounted for. Genevieve turned back to her friend. “I can’t thank you enough for taking care of everyone while I was gone. I know it is not easy-”

“-don’t thank me,” Lily responded. She smiled at her long-time friend. “After the murder spree in Armadillo, well, you had no choice but to sacrifice yourself and protect us. I was just doing what we always agreed on if that chance of you being caught ever happened.” Genevieve nodded.

“I should've been in solitary confinement in Sisika but the idiots never put me there.” the raven-haired woman scoffed with a smile. “Five brutal murders was not enough for that.”

Lily looked at her leader in disbelief and amazement. “Who would be so dumb to not put you there?”

“Sisika.” the girls responded together, emitting a giggle fit.

“To be fair, they couldn’t blame you for it all. Lack of evidence and whatnot… cause you murdered the only few witnesses that weren’t already dead from Cholera.” As Lily turned to leave, she remembered what she had wanted to ask Genevieve. “You ever hear of the Van der Linde Gang, Gin?”

“A bit, why?”

“Not too long ago, they had a big shoot out in Blackwater, a growing town south of here. Big massacre from what I heard. They tried to rob a ferry that docks in from New York, filled with rich folk.” Genevieve let out a hum, interested in this story of this Van der Linde gang. “Rumour has it, they fled to the North to get the Pinkertons off their trail. Annie was out hunting up by Cattail Pond out on her adventures and said a huge caravan of like twenty people passed by. I suspect it is them coming back down to the East to evade their current bounties in the West.”

The Van der Linde Gang, Genevieve couldn’t believe her ears when Lily had mentioned them. She had heard of the group from her time in Tumbleweed but it had been a few years since she had heard hide or tail about them; she honestly figured they had vanished and left the state entirely. If this was true, Genevieve would want to uproot camp again and move them somewhere in the Heartlands. A gang with the reputation that the Van der Linde’s had, trouble was bound to follow and that’s what Genevieve thrived for.

“Interesting.”

[jordm]

Heartland 14x01 - Keep Me in Your Heart

So, just because I put off watching this episode for so long, I feel like I know most - if not all of the plot points thanks to my timeline but in any case, here I am - finally sitting down to watch the episode proper. I’m going to try to watch “live” and type as I watch but uhhh lets see how this goes.

Let’s start with the looming plot point - Ty’s passing.

First, i’ll start by saying, by no means do I blame Graham for wanting out. 14 years is a long time to have the same job, and if you don’t have passion for it anymore, it is by far better to leave then give a half ass effort. Did he think that the series would go on for this long? Probably not - nor did I. But if they knew Graham wanted permanently out and not just temporary, I do agree with this route. It allows Amy to move on, explore some new storylines and eliminates the whole absentee father aspect of it all.

A thought: do we think that they filmed this opening scene last year, knowing how the story was going to end?  I mean, it is summer here, same clothes and scenery as where last season ended, so it’s entirely possible they filmed this last year. Plus, we know that Graham wasn’t really on set with any other characters this year, so i think there’s a strong case to be made.

The house they were building on the plot of land was abandoned and a lil rusty. A metaphor shall we for how Amy is feeling. I wonder if the house will slowly get built as Amy heals her heart and slowly starts to live life again as the season goes on. So, as Amy slowly recovers and heals, the house will be built, representing a new beginning of some sort. Moving forward but never forgetting the past. (PS i wrote this before i got to the end of the episode so this was just a forethought OOPS)

Seeing Lyndy so carefree probably also mirrors real life - where children have no idea of what really happened or the gravity of the situation. I remember when I was a kid (around 5), at a funeral of my grandpa having the time of my life playing with my cousins, not realizing how serious things were. Of course, in real life, the twins probably had no idea what happened, just that “daddy” wasn’t on set haha.

All the flashbacks just hurt my heart. Seeing circa S5 Ty and Amy (or whatever season that was) at the fishing cabin, Ty and Amy working together to birth the foal & Ty at night with two mugs in hand and how those memories related to current day events was a good reminder that the smallest action/word can trigger a memory. Something as simple as a saw could trigger a memory.  I was also reminded of how good the older seasons were and how much the entire cast has changed over the past 14 years - 14 years.

I loved hearing about Grandma Lyndy and Jack’s experience with dealing with his loss. As much as good intentions Tim has, I think Jack is the person to get through to Amy, the one with the one who can relate to her the most with his experience. I feel like we know so much about Grandma Lyndy, but also, so little so hopefully Ty’s death allows for a little more Jack story time.

Of course, just as Tim and Jack think that Amy needs to take on some clients, at the cabin they come across some trapped horses. Perhaps its just the thing to distract her from the event coming up - or the thing to bring up some memories and get her to finally open up. Either way, I loved that Jack was there for her and I love the relationship that they have.

Georgie falling off course during her run because she thought she saw Ty speaks volumes to how much Ty was always there for her during her competitions and the special relationship that they have. I was thinking that Georgie burying herself in school the last year may have been her coping mechanism to deal with the death. She said at the dinner table that she was too busy with school to come back, but it could be that she just couldn’t bear to come home to a place that reminded her so much of him.

The others at the memorial speaking about their memories with Ty, while the flashbacks play in the background was powerful. Ty had an important part to each one. He was Caleb’s best friend, Jack’s surrogate son, Lou’s first dance student, Amy’s best friend/inspiration/husband, Lyndy’s father. Even Tim acknowledged how crazy in love Amy and Ty were (even if it didn’t seem like it in the past few seasons haha). Ty was important to everyone and his loss will be felt throughout the entire season.

But onto other topics, it was nice to see Georgie and Quinn still together, as well as Mitch and Lou... engaged?!?! Plus, we even got a Katie appearance and it was nice to see the two cousins bonding, which has been rare up to this point. And, Quinn grew out is hair (even though I’m totally partial to the short haired Quinn)!

It was nice to hear that Georgie was focused on school and happy. The past few seasons has felt like the same-same for her, the focus on school and horse jumping and trying to juggle it all and the one year time jump allowed Georgie to do just that (without having to show it explicitly) which may not have been the most exciting television. Now that Quinn is her coach, I wonder how this changes their dynamic going forward- if they can get through this season and with him being her coach, then that is just good news.

Lou loving being mayor, or telling herself that she liked it seemed like an Omen for the future that her mayoral duties are about to become a lot more complicated. I look forward to the dynamic that her and Aidan bring to this season.

Also, the Spencer Twins are more vocal than ever and it just plays out so well on television!! They’re so cute 

The disadvantage to the one year later jump, is all the things we missed out on. It means we missed out on a lot of events I would have wanted to see such as:

* the start of Quinn and Georgie’s relationship (clearly its serious, they’re still together a year later)

* Mitch proposing to Lou?? Um, details please! I’d like some backstory on this please!

Overall, I really enjoyed this episode - dare I say favourite of the season so far? (ha ha ha). I will miss Ty but can’t wait to see how his passing affects the rest of the season.

[cowboisadness]

Hang ‘Em High {Arthur Morgan x FemOC} Chapter 6

Pairing: Arthur Morgan x FemOC Summery: Belle Hawthorne is high society looking to escape her mean husband. A robbery by the Van Der Linde gang could be her chance. Can she escape his cluches and possibly discover what love should feel like?

Warnings: Animal death, mentions of domestic assault and abortion.

AN: This is a long one, hope you enjoy :)

. . . . .  A few days had passed in the camp, many were busy either around camp or out on jobs to bring in money. Mary-Beth and Tilly explained to me what the jobs would entail, most of the time putting themselves in serious danger. Having enough to get by wasn't enough, especially for Dutch, occasionally giving smooth worded speeches to everyone like he was the Mayor of a grand town. He wanted more money, a lot of it for everyone to live a life of luxury. Arthur had recently returned from Strawberry to rescue a member of the gang i had not yet met, but had been warned about. Apparently the rescue mission didn't go as smoothly as planned. Arthur aimed to get him out of jail and out of Strawberry with minimum confrontation. The other guy had different plans. As I sat on my bedrole in my small tent stitching one of his shirts, the very man I'd been warned about approached.“I’m almost done with your shirt Micah.” i smiled politely at him, not wanting to get on his bad side from the get go but hoping to stay cautious while around him.He leaned against the tree beside my tent, lighting a cigarette as he did so.“So where did they pick you up from?” He looked towards me and it was then I realised everything he might say would be laced with venom. “Saint Denis. More of a rescue than a pick up.” I returned my attention to the task in hand. He blew out a cloud of smoke in my direction, the smell of cheap tobacco filling my nose. It was his way to invade my space without being too forward. I wouldn't let it bother me, what with the many social gatherings that involved being in rooms filled with smoke and smoking myself on those occasions. He let out a breath, a sigh, before pushing himself off the tree and walking away, but not before muttering words he still made sure I could hear. “Another deadweight to feed.”  All I could do was chuckle to myself, cutting the thread in my hand with a knife. Deciding that he didn't deserve my effort to achieve perfection. By late evening I joined the others around the campfire, sitting next to Charles and Karen, the former handed me a freshly opened beer bottle. I was so used to expensive French wine, chilled in an ice bucket. I've gotten used to so much these last few weeks, living in the wild. The thought before would scare me half to death but I soon found it was different with a sense of family around you. Growing up i was taught the life of a gang of outlaws was a brutal one, the men being fueled and finding joy in murder, rape and theift, nothing more than monsters that have no care for anything other than themselves. I was never told that sometimes they could be people out of luck, born and raised without security and certainty, needing to do what they could to get by with the hope that they could one day, live without worrying when their next meal could be. These people around me all have terrible backstories and that's what brought them together, with the hopes of a better future as long as they fight for it together, even if that meant doing bad things.

I was the opposite, my life was paved out for me from the day I was born. To learn to be a loving and doting wife and mother. We never had to worry about our next meal, always knowing it would be fresh and grand. I was also lucky that my father wanted to teach me some of what he would teach my two older brothers, mainly hunting and how to care for our horses. I was so lucky, I was privileged. Javier brought out his guitar and started singing in his native tongue, some of us swaying to the tune. I heard of Charles and Arthur going out to hunt tomorrow, this was my chase to ask to join with them.I turned my attention to Charles, tapping him lightly on the arm for his attention to turn to me. “Everything okay Bella?” “I heard you and Arthur are going on a hunt tomorrow.” “We are. At first light. You wanting anything in particular?” “Is it possible that I join you both? I know how to use a bow, father taught me and it’s...it’s been a while...i’d love to hunt again.” I looked at him with pleading eyes as he took a swig from his bottle before turning to me with a soft smile. “Of course, always happy to have someone else along that knows what they are doing.” I couldn't play down my happiness, grinning from ear to ear and professing my thanks to Charles. I sipped the rest of my warm beer before saying my goodnights to the ones remaining around the fire and to Charles that I'll see him at first light. I tried my best to prevent a skip in my step as I made my way to my bedroll, excited for sleep and the day ahead. ….. The sun was barely making an appearance when I woke, stretching out my limbs before readying myself for the day, thankful to Sadie for offering me a pair of her pants she didn't want. Not only was I able to get out and do something I enjoyed, being amongst nature, but I was able to do something to help the camp other than repairing clothes and washing dishes.   Making my way over to the coffee pot I saw Arthur was already there, sitting on a log near the now burnt out fire, coffee in hand.  “Morning” He jumped slightly and turned to me, watching as I poured myself a hot cup.  “You're up earlier than usual.” He turned his attention back to his cup as I sat beside him. “I’m coming hunting with you...and what do you mean earlier than usual? You been watching me Mr Morgan?” I took a sip, Arthur spluttered his, seemingly trying not to choke on the burning liquid. “What?...no...just...i'm usually first awake is all.” I smiled in my cup, hopefully hiding my slight giggle. A man of his size and how intimidating he can seem, he sure can get flustered easily, his cheeks turning a muted shade of pink. It was fun. We finished our coffee and made our way over to Charles and the horses, getting them saddled up. “You feel well enough to ride yourself Bella?” Charles asked, tightening the saddles girth so it fit snugly but comfortably around the horse.  “I'm sure I'll be fine…” I looked over to Arthur, grinning “...I won't be falling off anytime soon.” “Take Johns horse, he won't be needing her today.” Arthur pointed over to the horse mentioned and I made my way over to sadde her. .….. The ride out into the heartlands towards Cumberland Forest was pleasant, the morning sun warming the earth and birds filling the air with their song. It was peaceful,the most peaceful I've felt in a long while. Still nothing of the attempted robbery or information about my disappearance had been read or heard of. Maybe Arthur was right, maybe Frank didn't care that i was gone, maybe he thought i was dead. I hope he did. We made it to the spot at Cumberland Forest and hitched the horses within the outskirts, hidden from view. Arthur let me use his bow, saying he was better with a rifle anyway. The three of us walked further into the forest, making sure to keep an eye and ear out for bears that roam the area. “Why don't we split up?” Charles suggested in a hushed toned as to not to disturb the surrounding wildlife. “Sure. Bella can come with me, might not need to use the rifle if she don't miss.” Arthur smirked. My expression one of mock disgust and punching him lightly in the arm. Granted I might be a bit rusty, it had been a couple of years since I hunted or even held a bow, but I'm sure once I get my mind focused it will be like second nature. Another thing I hope for.  Charles moved further into the forest, me and Arthur moving closer to the Dakota river. The forest was tranquil and busy at the same time, the smell of pine and aspen filling my nose, the intense gaze of the sun being softened by the green blanket above, lighting everything in an orange hue. Any light that broke through the leaves lighting up in patches on the ground, able to see the suns daily path across the dirt from the sections of thick grass and various plants. Songbirds and sparrows weaving through the labyrinth of branches, hunting for bugs and seeds as they sang their love songs. For a moment it felt like we were the only people in existence as we walked in a comfortable silence. As we neared the river Arthur lifted his hand for attention then pointed ahead. Two whitetail deers drinking from the river. We crouched down, keeping out steps slow and light as we neared them. Once we stopped Aarthur looked to me, giving a nod for me to take my aim. I nocked the arrow, drawing it till the string resisted, keeping my chin low and feet steady, Arthur giving a soft whistle to get their attention. Two breaths and releasing on the exhale, the arrow flew to the mark, hitting the deer through its right eye, killing it instantly. I breathed in a huff of triumph as Arthur smiled at my glee. We made our way over, Arthur pulling on the animal readying to lift it. “Maybe i didn't need the rifle.” “Didn't trust me?” we smirked at each other, both pleased that we got a kill so soon. Arthur whistled for his horse as I gazed out at the river, hoping to see another distracted deer. He wrapped the animal in rope and secured it onto the back of his horse but we soon realised we were not paying proper attention to our surroundings as we should have. A guttural roar came from the thick forest behind us, too close for comfort. Before we had any time to react a mass of fur and teeth was bounding out of the treeline towards us, its black eyes trained on me. Fight or flight instincts kicked in, my legs pushing my back into a run, tripping over a river rock as I turned, planting straight into the river. I knew I couldn't get up quick enough, legs still pushing me backwards but failing to get traction, arms stretching out in front of my face like I could stop the beast with my own hands. Just as it was above me, staring down the cavern that was a throat, a crack of thunder rang out in my ears, echoing into the distance. The beast above me ceased and dropped on my legs, red splattered on my pants, shirt and no doubt my face.I looked at the stilled bear with wide eyes and then over to Arthur, rife in hand. My breathing steadying as I came down from the shock of what just happened and pushing the animal off me to stand. “Maybe you did need that rifle.” i giggled, looking towards Arthur, his eyes full of concern but a smile creeping on his face at my attempt to bring humor to the situation. I wasn't just covered in bear blood but soaked from landing in the river. I tried to shake off what I could and wring out the water from my shirt. Arthur walked over holding out a dry shirt for me to take. “I always carry fresh on my horse. Better than being soaked through completely.” I took the shirt and muttered a thanks, making my way out of the river and onto dry land, Arthur making a start on skinning the bear and whistling over Johns horse . The cold breeze hit my wet skin, making me shiver so I wasted no time in removing my drenched shirt, peaking over my shoulder to make sure he was distracted before also removing my camisole, now bare from the waist up. Pain shot up my side due to my hurried pace, letting out a quiet gasp, looking down at the still present bruise on my ribs, less angry, but persistent nonetheless. “There's trees right there y’ know.” My moment of pain must have caught his attention. Embarrassment flushed to my cheeks and I quickly pulled on his shirt and buttoned it up. It buried my small frame, stopping mid thigh, and it smelled like him, the faint hint of tobacco and gunpowder. “Scared.” “Why?” “Bears.” He huffed a laugh, lifting the bear hide and stowing it on johns horse. Both of us mounted up and started making our way to Charles' horse, silently deciding that was enough hunting for us today.Once there we built a campfire and I sat as close to it as comfortably possible, drying off my pants and sharing some fresh bear meat between us. We both were lost in thought, sitting in silence across from each other as we ate. I decided to break the silence with another request.

 “Teach me to shoot properly?” it came out as both a demand and a question.He just looked at me while he chewed on the meat, the flames dancing over his face.“Father taught me how to handle a pistol, but i want to be sure i can protect myself...against bears...and people.”  “You never went hunting after bein’ married?” I shook my head and sighed, looking down at the unfinished meat in my hands. “No. Frank wouldn't allow it. He would say the only things women are for are cooking, breeding and fucking.”   “The more I learn about him, the more I wish I'd shot the bastard.” The anger in his tone was evident and with no hint of doubt.  We sat in silence, the midday sun now high in the sky. He seemed to be lost in thought for a while before opening his mouth wanting to say something before changing his mind. I looked to him expectedly, wanting him to say what he wanted. His eyes locked with mine, knowing I was giving my permission to speak his thoughts.After a brief moment of silence, he finally broke it. “I...those...those scars ya have. They from him too?”  So he did see. I hummed in response before giving him a proper answer. “My broken ribs weren’t from falling off your horse either. A lesson for flirting with the bastard on the balcony.” “Jesus” “He was so kind when we first met before getting married, always sending me gifts, flowers, jewelry. Written love letters and saying that he was building a stable at our future home, a homecoming gift for his sweetheart…” Arthur didn't speak as I paused, instead standing to retrieve something from his saddlebag before making his way around the fire to sit beside me, handing me a bottle of Bourbon. I smiled as I took it, opening it and taking a few gracious gulps, feeling the burning sensation trickle down my throat. “...He gradually changed after only being married for a few weeks. Dictating what i could wear and what hobbies i could indulge in, preventing me from seeing or talking to my childhood friends. Then the beatings would start getting worse... the assaults...eventually i couldn't sleep out of fear of what was to come when sharing a bed with him.” I took in a shaky breath, willing my tears not to breach. “Couldn't ya have returned to ya parents?” I shook my head before taking another swig and handing the bottle back to him. “I wanted to but...i was married off to him because my parents were struggling with the farmlands after three bad winters. Franks promised financial support in exchange for my hand. He even ceased all contact with them after only a month. I wrote letters to them but I never got one back. I have no idea what happened. Frank knew I wanted to leave so he promised to force a baby into me. That way, I'd have no choice but to stay with him.” I didn't know why i was telling Arthur all this, maybe because i knew it would help to get it off my chest, maybe because i felt like i could trust him. I didn't want pity, I realised, just a listening ear, someone to lend me their comfort for a little while.I hesitated before continuing. Arthur's eyes on me like I was a lost puppy, reaching out my hand for the bottle again he passed it to me without a word. I took another sip for courage, or so I couldn't feel the pain of reliving my horror. “I ended up falling pregnant. When I found out early on, I was more terrified in that moment than I had been in my life. He was elated of course, finally getting what he wanted. I knew he would be a horrible father, knew he wouldn't think twice about lifting his hand to a child. So I decided I couldn't let that happen. Had a doctor visit while he was on an overnight business meeting, some of his practices a known secret amongst many women.” Tears silently flowed as I stared into the growing flames of the fire. A hand placed gently on my knee for comfort and in understanding. “Did...did he find out?” “Told him I lost it. He shot my horse as punishment for being a failure of a woman.” “Bella...I’m sorry” It was barely above a whisper, anything louder and i might shatter like century old glass.He drew circles on my knee with his thumb as I wiped away the fallen tears. I made a silent vow never to cry over that man again, not to let him take up space in my mind. Absentmindedly I leaned into Arthurs touch, his shoulder meeting my temple, breathing in my first steady breath, Arthur wrapping his arm around me.

[the-real-tc]

Review! Heartland Ep. 1207: Running Scared

Super-late with my thoughts on this episode, but better late than never. Tim's prize pupil has been cleared by the docs after her concussion, so she's initially eager to get back bustin' those broncs. Easier said than done. Jade's apparently got a touch of PTSD: she bails the first time she sits on a horse in the chute, blaming a "sore shoulder". Georgie is growing steadily more intent on becoming the top jumper, worthy of Coach Kim's tutelage. Since Ms. Price planted the notion that the only thing standing in Georgie's way of becoming that top jumper is Georgie herself, the kid has taken it to heart. Except that has translated into vigorous workouts and shrinking meal portions devoid of fatty meats. She's also weighing herself on the sly, and always seems disappointed with her results. Side note: it's been my concern since Day 1 that without guidance, Georgie could develop an eating disorder, so hopefully someone in her life notices the unhealthy extremes and intervenes before it's too late. (Jade? Amy? Wyatt? Jack? Lou? Anybody?!) 

At dinner, Tim wants to know what's up with the hard-core training Georgie's been doing with Jade as her side-kick; Georgie changes the subject by asking how Jade's doing now that she's cleared by her doctor. Tim admits Jade is all workout and no bronc; says he thinks she's scared. Jack picks up on that and suggests Jade needs to get her confidence back. He thinks an event involving horses might help Jade slowly work her way back up to broncs. Tim agrees it's not a bad idea. Says he's even been thinking of putting on a team penning clinic at the school. Jack reminisces about a team penning event that saw his team of "old timers" best Tim's team. Eli Stark and Will Vernon were on Jack's winning team. (On a somber note: RIP, Donnelly Rhodes, who portrayed Eli.) That leads to a discussion about a little friendly, "family" competition. The team penning idea starts off as just a simple Guys vs. Girls (Tim, Jack & Caleb against Amy, Jade & Georgie), with the losers buying a fancy dinner for the winners. Tim morphs it into a "Fun Family & Friends Day" to be held at Heartland with lots of events for everyone attending. He's even going to sell tickets with the proceeds going to the winning team's charity of choice. He also changes the bet: Losers don't have to buy fancy dinner: they must dig a new hole for the outhouse. The Guys' side seems to have one problem: Rusty the horse. Caleb wants Amy to look at Rusty who isn't performing as expected. When she does, she diagnoses the problem sitting squarely with the rider, not his mount... Caleb's "problem" is revealed later when after a Guys' poker game the night before the Fun Day, he tells Jack how he and Cass are having great difficulty conceiving. Doctors aren't any help, and it's weighing heavily on the couple. Jack reveals that he and Lyndy had similar problems; were told they'd never have kids, but Marion came along (their "miracle baby") when they just relaxed and decided to let life come to them, whatever it might be. At the team penning event, the Girls predictably win (by one second). They raised $2000 with the ticket sales, and Amy suggests they split the winnings so both their charities of choice benefit. Another benefit? Jade feels she's conquered her fears and wants to get back on the broncs again. Final thoughts: Okay, everyone knew that after all the goading and trash-talking that Team Amy was going to beat Team Tim. Because Jade needed the win to get over her issues, right? Disappointing that for the 200th episode of Heartland things couldn't have been more "epic". Ty, Lisa, and Lou were no-shows. There was nothing especially memorable or special about this episode, to be honest, but it wasn't a terrible episode, either. Jack's talk with Caleb was unexpected, but welcome, as it fills in some of Jack's own backstory about why Marion was an only child. That said, sure wish we had learned stuff this like TEN SEASONS ago. (Sheesh.) I mean, I guess it's the sort of normal quiet, canon information the whole family knows (but the viewers aren't privy to) so the Writers don't think it necessary, but it feels like it was conveniently written in for this specific episode and not something that was always on the page. I found Amber Marshall and Chris Potter to be especially great and entertaining as their characters heckle each other over the team penning event. My, how Amy and Tim's father-daughter relationship has grown over the years! One negative: The one-liner about Ty's absence about a camping trip with Luke. Not a "good look", Heartland. I mean, Ty is clearly not a sicko, but a single man who is not the parent or legal guardian with a minor out on a camping trip? Alone? That does not work for me. I hope it is explained that perhaps it was a big foster kids' camping event with other kids and camp counselors and so forth.

[krycss]

Crossroads | oc:Alice Harkins/Arthur Morgan/Charles Smith

Chapter 3: Horseshoe Overlook (Part 1)

[Read on AO3]

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Alice tried not to complain now that they were out of the snow. The Heartlands were beautiful and Alice felt more at home in the area when compared to the deserts of New Austin. The temperature allowed her to finally be able to put her hair back up in a bit of a messy bun – although it still wasn’t exactly warm yet. Spirits were up in the camp. However, the first two weeks of settling into Horseshoe Overlook were a bit of a mess. Coordinating with everyone to ensure they all weren’t spotted in town at the same times in order to make it a little less obvious they all weren’t together, having to figure out the lay of the land and any emergency exits from camp, and mostly just readjusting to not freezing to death at every waking moment was making her feel a little stuffy. A few of the boys were already in town at the moment and Alice was not afraid to admit she had wished she could have gone along with them instead of being stuck with chores.

She was currently elbow-deep in a load of laundry. Her pruned fingers were itching for something to do that was a little less…typical. She didn’t always get stuck with the camp chores but when she wasn’t needed on a job she ended up with the ones Miss Grimshaw knew didn’t enjoy. Alice loved the woman, she practically raised her alongside Dutch and Hosea, but she knew how to put someone to work. Alice knew her and the other girls were antsy to get out of camp and actually do the things they were good at. Her and Mary-Beth in particular were worried their pick-pocketing skills might be starting to get rusty and were not afraid to use that as an excuse to get out of work if need be. She had overheard Uncle talking about heading into town earlier, so when she saw him talking with Arthur she knew it was now or never. Looking towards where she last saw Miss Grimshaw she saw her in a heated argument with Molly. Alice quickly began smacking Mary-Beth on the arm, splashing water on her face.

“It’s time!” She whispered loudly. “Get the girls! We gotta get out of here!”

The girls burst into a fit of giggles as they chased after Karen and Tilly.

The girl-gang assembled, they all quickly made their way over to Arthur and Uncle.

“Arthur!” Alice called out as she neared him. “If you’re takin’ Uncle into town, could you take us too?” She batted her eyelashes up at him.

Arthur struck a match to his boot, lighting the cigarette at his lips.

“Why, what you got planned?” He arched an eyebrow.

“Nothin yet, but we’ll find something. We always do.”

“We’re bored out of our minds.” Mary-Beth chimed in. “Been cooped up here for two weeks now! Karen’s about ready to murder Grimshaw.”

“Well, can Miss Grimshaw spare you?”

The girls all scoffed.

“’Can Miss Grimshaw spare you?’” Karen repeated. “What’s happened to you, Arthur? Four young, healthy women want you to take ‘em robbing, and you’re worried about house chores?”

Arthur had the decency to look bashful, covering eyes with the brim of his hat.

“Come on!” Alice tugged on his arm.

Arthur chuckled under his breath. “Fair enough, you got me. Come on then.”

The girls all whooped as they hopped into back of the supply wagon. Tilly was excited to see more civilization than they had in a long while. Alice picked the spot that was directly behind Uncle. Mostly because it was the first seat available, but it wouldn’t be a complete lie to say that she also knew it would reward her with the best view to gaze at Arthur as he drove. After some idle chatter, Uncle asked the girls if they’d sing a song for the road. The others agreed. Alice stayed quiet – she never liked singing in front of others, made her far too shy. She was more than happy to clap along to provide a beat for the girls to go off of. She spotted Arthur’s smile as he mumbled along the words that he knew. Suddenly, there was a commotion as a carriage coming along the road nearby sped past uncontrollably, crashing into a rock ahead of them causing one of the horses to break loose.

“Is one of you gonna get that fella’s horse?” Tilly asked, causing Arthur to stop the wagon.

“Oh, I got lumbago, it’s very serious!” Uncle turned towards them.

“Alright.” The girls all chuckled when Arthur groaned and shook his head as he stepped off the wagon. “I’ll see what’s going on.”

Alice watched as Arthur spoke to the man and then made his way over to the horse that broke loose. It was a lovely, white draft horse. She never got the hang of rounding up horses like Arthur did. He tried teaching her once, didn’t work out too well in her favor. She loved watching him do it though.

Everyone on the wagon was silent as they watched Arthur slowly make his way towards the horse, calming it along the way. When he was finally able to grab hold on the reins there was a quiet cheer from the girls so as not to spook the horse once more. Turning the horse back over to the driver, Arthur rubbed his neck at the thanks given to him.

“You’re a gentleman, sir, a gentleman!”

“No, not really…I was just, trying to impress the women.”

Arthur muttered the last bit but he was close enough for them to hear. Mary-Beth nudged Alice in the arm, leaning close to whisper.

“Or impress a particular woman?” She grinned widely.

Alice shushed her, shoving her into Tilly.

That was a silly thought. He had no reason to impress her.

With a cheer from Karen the wagon was back on the path towards Valentine.

  Valentine was exactly how the boys had described it when they came into town before. Alice knew it was a livestock town long before they got near the sheep pens. The smell packed a punch. The girls were happy to finally see other people. Alice was taking in the various buildings and surroundings. She had to admit, a part of her missed living a town sometimes – at least for the familiarity. As they passed through the main street the girls got a little more serious as they eyed the people, looking for marks. Karen was a little too excited, causing Arthur to remind them to keep a low profile. Alice wasn’t quite sure what to look for just yet so for the moment she just observed, trying to figure out how the people of Valentine acted and how they dressed so she could spot any uniqueness. That would be the target for her. So far she wasn’t seeing much. Eventually Arthur stopped the wagon at the end of the street near the stables and the girls started jumping off. Alice grimaced at the sight of the mud that had splashed onto her shoes when she hit the ground. Karen announced that the girls were going to start at the saloon. Alice wasn’t quite sure yet if that’s what she wanted to do. At the moment she was just enjoying her time out of camp. She just wanted to explore a little, leave the mischief to the others.

“Alice?” Mary-Beth turned towards her. “You comin’?”

“Nah, ya’ll go on ahead. I’m gonna look around a little.”

She nodded and the girls were off, giggling along the way.

“Just stay out of trouble,” Arthur called out to them before they got too far away, “and don’t get yourselves noticed.”

Uncle mentioned something about the stores so Arthur called out for them to meet back up at the general store.

“What about you?” Arthur looked towards Alice.

She was currently stepping very carefully towards the porch of a nearby building to avoid the deeper puddles of mud.

“Well, I don’t have any ideas at the moment. So, I suppose I’m stuck with you two fools.” She smiled back at him.

As the three made their way towards the general store Arthur continued to pester Uncle much to the enjoyment of Alice.

“You’re a sad man, Arthur Morgan. I don’t know how you put up with him, Miss Harkins.” Uncle waved a hand through the air at no-one in particular.

“I sometimes ask myself the same thing. Uncle.” Alice grinned up at Arthur so he knew she was kidding.

Alice held a hand to her mouth to stifle her laughs when Arthur glared at the back of Uncle’s head.

“But I know you love me.” Uncle glanced back him.

“Desperately,” Arthur deadpanned. “You’re my favorite parasite.” Arthur stopped for a brief second as they neared the door of the general store. “No…ringworm’s my favorite parasite, you’re my second favorite parasite.”

“Very funny.” Uncle stopped in front of the door.

“I lied…”Arthur continued, causing Alice to turn around to laugh politely. “Ringworm, then rats with the plague, then you.”

Uncle mumbled something that Alice didn’t quite catch and went inside the store.

“Oh, Arthur.” Alice was still smiling when he turned around towards her with a grin of his own.

“What?”

“You’re ridiculous.” She shook her head as he held the door open for her.

“Perhaps.”

 The inside of the store was small and musty but it had all the essentials. Alice’s sweet-tooth betrayed her as she honed in on the candies display in the center. Arthur walked around, grabbing a canister of coffee and a few other small things before he walked back to Alice.

“Can’t decide?” He mumbled, leaning down to her height.

Alice shivered at his voice being that low and that close to her ears. She felt her face heat up.

“There’s too many options.” She pouted.

Arthur hummed. “Get a little of each, my treat.”

Alice turned on him, his face now inches from hers. Arthur’s eyes widened at her sudden movement, coughing a little and standing up once more.

“I-I couldn’t ask that of you, Arthur!”

“It’s fine.” He waved her off, handing her a small bag and the scoop. “Just know that I get a bit of that.”

Alice smiled up at him. He was too sweet for his own good sometimes. She went to work scooping small portions of each of the candies available. Mostly hard ones that would last her a while before she could get more. Her full bag in hand she went up to the counter where Arthur was looking through the catalogue at some boots. Arthur smiled up at her as she placed the bag on the counter along with his items. The owner glanced between the two of them, a smirk forming on his lips. Alice had a feeling she knew what he was thinking and her face heated up once more as Arthur paid for everything.

Uncle was already seated on the bench outside the store nursing his new bottle of whiskey. He passed it to Arthur as the two relaxed. Alice sat next to Arthur, pulling two pieces of candy out. One was peppermint, the other she wasn’t sure. She chose the peppermint and held her hand out to Arthur.

“Here.” The candy clacked against her teeth.

Arthur looked down at her hand, a smile ghosted his lips. His free hand grabbed the candy from her palm, his fingers brushing over her own caused her to shiver. If he noticed, he didn’t react. Despite it being such a normal act, Alice couldn’t help but follow the candy to his lips. She was thankful Arthur wasn’t looking in her direction lest her heart burst from her chest. She’s saved a death by embarrassment, by Uncle drawing Arthur’s attention with a story.

 They aren’t quite sure how much time had passed while the three of them sat there. Enough for Arthur to fall asleep, his body slightly leaning into Alice. She didn’t mind. She knew the man barely got enough sleep as is with all the work he did. She wished he’d just take a day for himself to catch up and relax for once. Perhaps she’d talk him into it another day. Alice was almost dozing off herself when she saw Mary-Beth approaching. They both smiled at one another.  

“Gentlemen.” She called out to the men, startling them awake. “I think I’ve got something good.”

Alice moved closer to Arthur so Mary-Beth could sit on the edge of the bench.

“So, I snuck into this fancy house and acted like a servant girl - usually works.” She leaned in. “Someone was saying her sister was taking a trip from New York or some place. Train full of rich tourists, heading to Saint Denis, and then cruising off to Brazil!” Her excitement was infectious as Alice was smiling at what that could mean.

“Okay.” Arthur was nodding slowly, thinking about it.

“A train laden with baggage and passing through a bit of deserted country at night as to get to the docks in time for the tides.” Arthur seemed to get more excited as she went on. “Some place called Scarlett Meadows.”

“Yeah, I know it.” Uncle spoke up. “Yeah, yeah, it’s right out near New Hanover. Right, it’s real quiet out there.”

“Sounds good.” Arthur smiled to himself, enjoying the idea.

“Where’s Tilly and Karen?” Alice looked around.

Mary-Beth scoffed. “I think at the hotel, they were picking up some drunken fellers that they was gonna rob.”

“Why?” Arthur looked over at her.

“It seemed easy?” Arthur let out a sigh at that. “They have been gone for quite a while…”

Arthur groaned, shaking his head briefly before standing.

“Guess I’ll go see if there’s any trouble.”

Alice stood to go searching as well when Mary-Beth spotted Tilly being dragged away roughly by a man into an alley.

“Excuse me.” Arthur marched his way over.

Alice followed, not trying to get in his way but hoping to get Tilly out of there when he was through with…whatever he was about to do. As they got closer they could hear the man was arguing with Tilly, it seemed as though he was someone from her past. Arthur pulled out his gun, Alice placed a hand on the hilt of her knife, standing behind him.

“Get your hands off her, friend.” Arthur’s voice rumbled.

“Who are you?” The man was holding Tilly against the wall by her shoulder.

“A friend of mine.” She glared at him.

“Get off her.”

The man, idiot that he was, stepped up to Arthur, sizing him up.

“Or what, exactly?”

“You wanna find out?” Arthur’s voice was deadly low.

The man took a step back, glancing between Arthur and Tilly.

“You’re making a big mistake, Tilly Jackson.”

As soon as the man started walking away, Alice rushed in to take Tilly’s hand, taking her away from the scene.

“Take her to the others. I’ll go see about Karen.” Arthur’s voice was back to its normal timber.

Alice nodded, keeping her attention on Tilly. She wasn’t shaken up so much out of fear but out of anger. Alice didn’t press the issue as they walked on. She turned briefly to see Arthur make his way over to the hotel.

 It wasn’t too long before Karen and Arthur exited the building. Everyone met up near the wagon, the girls immediately looking over Karen’s bruised face.

“Are you okay?” Tilly turned Karen’s face to get a better look at it.

“Sure, he only punched me.” Karen let out a quick laugh. “Arthur punched him a lot harder.”

Arthur was about to reply when Mary-Beth spoke up.

“Hey, who’s that guy over there looking at us?”

Everyone’s attention rounded on a man seated on horseback staring very obviously at the group.

“Weren’t you in Blackwater a few weeks back?” The man called out, his attention on Arthur.

Alice’s skin prickled.

“Shit.” She muttered under her breath.

“Me?” Arthur shook his head. “No, sir. Ain’t from there.”

“Oh, you were.” The man shook his finger at him. “Well, I definitely saw you. With a bunch of fellers.”

“Me? No, impossible.” Arthur stepped towards the man. “Listen, buddy. Come here for a minute.”

“I saw you…” The man grabbed his reins. “Come on, get!”

“I don’t like this.” Uncle watched the man ride off.

“Me neither. Go get the girls home.” Arthur saddled up on a nearby horse. “I’m gonna go have a word with our friend.”

“Be careful, Arthur.” Alice spoke up.

“Just a word!” He called back as he galloped away.

Alice watched him until both he and the man passed out of the town’s limits. She briefly heard someone yell after his stolen horse.

“Come on, girls. Let’s get you in the wagon.” Uncle started walking over.

“I’m gonna stay here, wait on Arthur.” Alice smiled at the girls. “I think we’re gonna meet up with the boys if they’re still in town.”

They all nodded, telling them they’d see her later. She let out a sigh as she went back to the bench she had been seated on previously while she waited, popping another candy in her mouth.

  Alice guessed it was maybe an hour before she saw Arthur walking back down the main street. He must have returned whoever’s horse he had borrowed. He spotted her and she met him halfway in the road. He seemed okay. No blood on him from either him or the man.

“How’d it go?” She looked over his face.

“Fine. Don’t think we’ll have any more problems from him.” Arthur laughed through his nose. “Got a fancy pen out of it though.” He held the silver pen up for Alice to see.

“Well, look at that. Gonna sell it or use it in your journal?”

“Dunno yet.” He looked it over before putting it back into his satchel.

There was a bit of a lull in the conversation, but not an awkward one as the two walked out of the middle of the street.

“Well, I’m gonna see if I can’t find the boys. Knowing them they’ll probably be at the saloon.” He glanced down at her. “Why didn’t you go back with the rest of the girls?”

Alice shook her head. “I figured while I’m here I might as well see what horses the stable’s got to offer. Gonna need another eventually. I’ll meet you over there when I’m done?”

Arthur huffed with a sharp nod. Clearly not wanting to leave her alone after what had just occurred. She smiled up at him, grateful for his concern before waving him off as she turned back towards the stable.

After greeting the stable-hand, Alice made her way to the stalls to see what was available. At the moment they had three horses ready to be sold on the spot. There was a lovely palomino dappled Standardbred that reminded her far too much of her late Caramel. It hit a little too close to home. Next was a Warmblood with a lovely chocolate roan coat. Alice had to crane her neck to simply look up at the beast’s face. While beautiful, she had a feeling she would never be able to get her foot in the stirrup no matter how hard she tried. Finally, there was the Halfbred with a shiny, dappled, dark grey coat. Still, it would be slightly too tall to saddle, she thought. It also seemed far too strong for her to control.

Sighing, Alice thanked the stable-hand for his time. She’d have more options in other towns. That, or she could take up Arthur’s offer from long ago of taming a wild one for her.

Stepping back into the muddy streets of Valentine, Alice made her way up to the saloon. The sky was starting to darken as the late afternoon rain clouds began their approach. The town had quieted some as most of the traders were beginning to leave, the only sound coming from the saloon. Alice was eager, and almost giddy, as she got closer. It had been so long since she’d been able to have a nice drink, and actual hot food that wasn’t stew – no offense to Pearson. She ignored some of the looks she got from the men hanging outside the door, she’d grown used to them. Swinging it open carefully as to not knock into someone, she felt her cheeks pinch into a smile.

 Which immediately fell along with her stomach as she took in the sight before her.

 Javier and Charles were currently leaning against the bar, with two working girls between them. One of them had hair similar to Alice’s in color, but a much fuller chest than she’d ever have. The other, who had Charles’ arm draped around her waist, was beautiful, Alice would admit. Her slightly tanned skin and dark hair made for a lovely sight next to Charles. Arthur was currently saying something to the ladies. Alice couldn’t hear anything aside from the blood rushing through her ears. Seemingly upset with whatever nonsense had come from Arthur’s mouth, the girls stomped their way off. Javier pouted, glaring at Arthur. Charles almost nearly fell onto his face trying desperately to hold onto the hand of the woman that had been at his side. Alice felt her chest tighten. When Charles finally turned around after failing to keep his companion from leaving, his eyes found hers, still paralyzed in the doorway. He froze. His sudden shift in demeanor caused Arthur to follow his gaze. Alice was already small, but she felt in that moment that she had shrunk even further as her eyes shifted between them. Before either men could make a move or sound she was already out the door. She spotted their horses nearby, heading over to tend to them. Anything to clear the images from her mind.

“They’re here for one day.” She mutters. She’s not sure if it was to herself or Taima who she was currently brushing. “I know it’s silly. It’s for information. But do they have to look so…happy to do it?” She turns to Boaz, giving him a small treat. “Surely they can get information in some other fashion.” She rubs the muzzle of Arthur’s horse.

 If she thought the noises from the saloon were loud before, the distinct sounds of a brawl was enough to break her attention from the horses. She walked around them and was almost in the street when someone was suddenly thrown through the window, landing harshly in the mud. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized just who was currently rolling around on the ground.

“Arthur!” She cried out.

Before she could come to his aid, an extremely large man came rushing down the stairs of the saloon.

“Come on, pretty boy!” The man bellowed out.

“Pretty boy?” Arthur growled. “You’re kidding me. Pretty boy?!”

A crowd was forming around the two men as they readied up to fight. Alice made her way around the edge of the crowd, keeping her eyes on Arthur. She spotted Javier, Charles, and Bill standing on the saloon porch so she made her way to them. She could feel Charles staring at her but her concerns were focused on Arthur who was struggling. Rain had finally broken free from the clouds, making the street even muddier. Every hit Arthur took caused Alice to flinch. She knew he was a good fighter, but whoever this man was certainly packed a punch with his size. She could barely register the cheers made by the men next to her. The man had Arthur pinned to the ground, one hand holding his face down into the mud while the other gripped Arthur’s forearm, appearing to try to break it. With a quick punch and kick to the gut, Arthur had Tommy – she learned from the jeers from the crowd – down on his back. It only took a few hard hits from Arthur for her to realize that Tommy was not going to be fighting back any time soon. But Arthur kept hitting. And he kept hitting. Alice turned her face away. She was no saint, she had blood on her hands, but that didn’t mean she enjoyed it; whether it came from her or someone else. She realized at that moment that she had instinctively gotten closer to where Charles was leaning against the wall of the saloon. Before Arthur could finish Tommy off, a man burst through the crowd, begging Arthur to stop. She could see the tension in Arthur’s shoulders, she couldn’t see his face with his back turned away, but she could imagine the thoughts going through his mind as the man continued to plead for Tommy’s life. Alice released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding when she saw Arthur push the man out of his way and move his way through the crowd. He kept going, nursing his bruised body as he walked along the porch toward the general store. Alice and the boys stayed where they were, giving Arthur his space. A familiar voice broke through the rain, causing Arthur to stop.

“Making new friends again I see, Arthur!” That voice was hard to miss.

Alice smiled as she saw the man, it had been quite some time since they last crossed paths with the magician. Dutch was with him, sending a nod her way.

“Look who we found sniffing about.” Dutch did a quick glance over Arthur.

Arthur shook his head. “Josiah Trelawny.”

“The very same!”

“Well, well,” Arthur continued, brushing the mud from his face as best he could. “I thought you’d gone to New York?”

“And miss all this glamour?” Josiah stretched his arms out sarcastically. “You must be joking.”

Alice worried her lip as she saw Arthur limp his way towards the two, rubbing his jaw. She could only imagine how his face was going to look tomorrow.

“How are you?”

“Well. Quite well indeed.” Josiah leaned against the hitching post nearby. “I went to Blackwater looking for you gentlemen. You’re not very popular there it seems.”

Arthur grimaced as he brought himself down to sit on the porch. As Alice and the boys neared, they drew the attention of the others.

“Ah, Javier and Charles. Alice.” Josiah tipped his hat at her. “I’ve missed you.”

Bill sauntered up behind them.

“And Bill, looking as well as can be. Always a pleasure.”

Alice looked amongst the men, out of all of them it seemed Charles was either blessed to have not been injured in the fight, or was really good at not showing his weaknesses. She was still avoiding his gaze, despite her observations. She helped Javier onto a nearby crate as he nursed his shoulder back into place.

“You’re right.” Dutch spoke up. “We ain’t too popular in Blackwater.”

“We left a lot of money there.” Arthur muttered.

“And young Sean it seems.”

Dutch’s shock was mirrored on Alice’s face.

“Sean? You found him?”

Josiah nodded. “Yes, I have. He’s being held by some bounty hunters, trying to see how much money the government will pay them. I know he’s in Blackwater… but there’s talk of them moving.”

“Well, if we step foot in Blackwater,” Arthur groaned, popping his jaw back into place. “Well, then we’re dead men for sure.” Arthur was already halfway standing before Alice could step forward to help.  

“There’ll be Pinkertons all over the place, but,” Dutch looked over them all. “If he’s alive we’ve gotta try.”

Everyone nodded.

“Yeah, of course.” Arthur muttered.

Alice knew Arthur had mixed feelings about the Irishman – at least when he wouldn’t shut up.

Josiah looked over to Dutch. “It’s you they want, Dutch.”

“Always is.” Dutch thought for a moment. “Charles, go find out what you can. Carefully. Take Alice with you. I’m sure she’s itching for something to do.”

Charles nodded quickly, already walking away without a word. Alice hesitated a moment before complying, sending a tight smile towards Dutch. She had wanted to get out, but this wasn’t exactly going in her favor.

“Josiah, take Javier. Arthur, go get yourself cleaned up. Join them when you’re ready.”

Alice stopped for a brief second at that before continuing.

Javier was walking Boaz over to where Josiah had hitched Gwydion. Alice stood silently next to Charles who was searching through his saddlebag. She knew what he was looking for.

“Sorry,” She spoke softly. “I put the brush in the other one. Didn’t realize.”

He glanced back over his shoulder.

“Thanks.”

She wasn’t sure if it was for letting him know where the brush was, or letting him know that she had already brushed his horse. She gave him a quick smile that she knew didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Charles stepped up into the stirrups, pulling himself up onto the saddle. He let out a deep breath when he settled before leaning over to help Alice. She took his hand, allowing herself to be pulled up onto the back.

 The ride out of Valentine was quiet except for the sound of the occasional groan from the man in front of her when either she or Taima moved.

She swore this man was just as stubborn as Arthur.

“Charles, just stop for a second.” She sighed.

He hummed in question.

“I know you’re hurtin’. And this is already an uncomfortable ride as is, we don’t need you physically uncomfortable as well.” She felt herself worrying her lip again. It was going to be sore later.

Charles didn’t say anything, and for a moment she wondered if he would just keep going until he pulled Taima off to a small clearing on the side of the road. Javier and Josiah rode up behind them but Alice waved them on, telling them they’d catch up. Alice slid out of the saddle, watching as Charles’ face contorted as he got down. She didn’t have much in her satchel that could help with anything serious, but she had a tonic that would probably help with the pain.

They stood there for a moment, neither speaking.

“Well?” Alice huffed. “Let me see.” She waved her hands vaguely towards him.

Gone was the flirty Charles from the saloon, and instead she spotted his cheeks darken as he began unbuttoning the collar of his shirt to remove it. Alice gulped, her face heating up just as much his. When his shirt finally came off he tossed it onto the saddle. His attention returned to Alice who was doing her utmost not to look him in the eyes. Not that she could drag her attention from the sight before her if she tried.

She had seen countless shirtless men. It was inevitable with the ratio of men to women in the gang, but none of them – save perhaps Arthur; she shook her head from that image for it would be too much to handle at the moment– could compare to Charles. She already knew he was a large man, both in stature and in bulk. His hands engulfed hers, and she now saw just why her arms could never fully wrap around his torso when she rode with him. Pushing her less than lady-like thoughts from her mind she focused her attention on the nasty-looking dark, welt that was forming on his right side. It was dark outside, but there was just enough light from the moon to allow her to see, just barely. She hoped he didn’t have a broken rib, there wasn’t much she could do about that. She stepped forward hesitantly, holding her hands up to prepare to feel the area. He didn’t stop her. She could feel his eyes on her, watching every move. She let out a slow breath as she placed her small, pale hands against his broad ribcage. The contrast in both size and color was fascinating to her. She prodded at him gingerly, trying to feel for anything broken without causing him too much pain. She didn’t feel anything too out of the ordinary.

“I don’t think anything’s broken.” She risked a glance up at him. “You got lucky.”

He huffed a laugh through his nose.

“Perhaps.”

She dug the tonic from her bag, handing it to him. He tried turning it away but she insisted. Charles went to put his shirt back on. As she was about to walk back to Taima, Charles’ hand latched onto her own, stopping her gently. His grip loose enough to allow her to escape his grasp if she wanted. She turned back to look at him, though her eyes focused on everything but his face.

“Alice.” His voice rumbled through her. “Please, look at me.”

She kept her head down a bit, but her eyes flitted up towards him. He looked…upset.

“I…”He struggled to find the words, his hand tightening and loosening its grip. “I hope you don’t think too poorly of me for what you saw earlier. Javier knew they’d be a good way to get information on some of the people in town…you know how it is.”

She nodded. She knew that. She knew. She didn’t know why he felt the need to apologize, if that was what he was doing.

“I just,” He grabbed her other hand in his free one, bringing them between the two of them. “I don’t know whether it’s just one-sided or not, but I do enjoy whatever it is we have going on. And I don’t want to ruin that.”

Her head lifted at this, her eyes searching his face for any sign that this was an illusion. That she hadn’t just been sleeping away in her tent back in Horseshoe Overlook and she’d wake any moment. She wasn’t naïve, she had feelings for him. Ever since he joined up with their gang she felt drawn to the man. The little moments and the ease at which the two were able to touch one another as if they had been together for years spoke volumes to their…whatever it was. Did she believe in destiny? No. But even her feelings for Arthur had taken their time to manifest over the years she had known him. With Charles it took only a few weeks.

Arthur’s face popped into her mind with her thoughts.

She was thrilled with knowing that Charles reciprocated her feelings, at least somewhat. He seemed interested enough to see where things could go at least. But she couldn’t deny that she had strong feelings towards Arthur as well. Was the world playing a cruel trick on her, forcing her to choose between two men she cared for equally? Hell, she thought, she didn’t even know if Arthur returned her feelings at all. Perhaps he only saw her as some sort of sister as John did.  She’d never know, she’d never be able to ask him.

She didn’t know how long her silence had dragged on, but Charles did not seem impatient. Kind enough to allow her to process everything. She smiled up at him.

“I’ll admit.” She laughed sheepishly. “I may have been a tad bit jealous. But I know how information gathering works. I understand.” She felt him squeeze her hands. “And I can honestly say that it’s not one-sided, Charles. Whatever we have going on, if you’re willing, I’d be more than happy to see what could happen? If you’re agreeable to that?”

The soft smile that pulled across Charles’ face was enough to turn her somber mood completely upside down. She wanted to see that smile for as long as she could.

“I’d be agreeable to that.” He laughed under his breath.

With a final squeeze to her hands, Charles let go.

The two stared at one another for a moment, the rain still coming down softly as a cloud passed over the moon, darkening the world once more in night.

“We should catch up to the others.” Charles’ eyes never left hers.

Alice nodded, not finding her voice. Her mind still turning.

Charles hopped back up onto Taima, if the tonic worked she didn’t know, but he didn’t make a noise even as he helped her on behind him. She was gentle with the arm that neared his bruised side as they started off once more.

   The ride to Blackwater was already going to be a long one. It was especially arduous due to Javier and Charles’ injuries slowing the party down. A trip that may have normally taken one night of camping ended up taking two. Javier’s injuries were greater than Charles’ simply due to the difference in size between the men. Charles could take a few good punches, Javier could not. The biggest issue for Javier was his shoulder. Everything else would heal fine, but his shoulder had been dislocated in the fight. For now it was simply a bother for him that he complained about in order to be doted on by Alice. The man loved teasing her, ever since he had joined up. Perhaps that’s why they got along so well. She could both take the teasing and dish it back in equal measure.

They had found a ridge overlooking Blackwater to camp in. Josiah took the time to head into town for information since his face wasn’t known there.  For now it was simply a waiting game until Arthur showed up.

 It was just reaching noon when Arthur finally crested over the hill. Alice was currently seated on a rock as a look-out as Charles and Javier laid on the ground scouting with their binoculars. She quickly made her way over to Arthur as he got off his horse.

“How are you feeling?” She looked him over. Whatever swelling he received from the fight had gone down significantly over the past three days, and his face was only slightly yellowed in spots from the old bruising. She didn’t know about the rest of him.

He smiled down at her.

“I’ll be fine. Don’t you worry about me.” He grabbed his things from his saddle.

“I’ll always worry about you, Arthur.”

He stilled for a moment before pulling out a cattleman revolver.

“I know if I ask you to go back to camp where it’s safer you’ll just argue so…here.” He holds it out to her. “I can’t always be there to keep you safe, but this should do the job.”

Alice’s gaze shifted between Arthur and the gun until she finally grasped it. It was small enough to fit in her hands without being too heavy. It seemed brand new as well, the silver plating was carved with roses and thorns along the barrel and grip. She noticed a small engraving on the bottom edge, “A.H.”

“Arthur…” Alice could feel her face heating up and she blinked away the tears that threatened to fall. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”

She held it off to the side as she placed a quick kiss to his cheek without thinking. She saw him try to hide his face behind his hat but the flush on his cheeks was hard to miss. She didn’t have a holster for the gun at the moment so she opted to just tuck it into her belt for the time being.

“The, uh, the boys are over there.” She pointed in their direction.

Arthur coughed a quick thank you before making his way over. Alice released a slow, shaky breath as she gathered herself once more. She did a quick scan of the area before heading back to where she was seated before. She couldn’t quite hear the boys since they were talking lowly amongst themselves, but she turned around to stare at the two men who were currently tugging her heart in two directions.

She was saved from going down that confusing rabbit-hole by the sight of a familiar red jacket coming up the hill. She nodded at Josiah as he dismounted and stalked his way over to the others. She caught a little of the conversation. Sean was being moved and it was now or never if they were going to get the man back. She saw Arthur point Charles off in one direction. Charles passed by Alice to grab his weapons.

“What’s the plan?” She walked over to him.

“Sean’s being moved to a federal prison. We’re getting him before they can get too far.” Charles pulled his sawed-off out of his saddle.

“And you’re going…?” She saw that Arthur and Javier were still on the ground.

“We’re gonna cut them off from two directions. I’m going up North.”

Alice blinked at him.

“…by yourself?”

“Yes?”

Alice huffed. They always sent Charles off to do things on his own. She knew he could take care of himself but, surely he needs back-up when it comes to dangerous missions like this?

“Well, I’m comin’ with you then.” She tapped her gun.

“Alice…” Charles tried to fight it but stopped when he saw the look on Alice’s face. “Just, keep close.”

By this point the others had showed up to mount their horses. Arthur did not take the news of Alice going with Charles very well, but she could tell he was holding his tongue. He did give her the gun for a reason. He was at least happy she’d have Charles with her to watch over her. The group split up, Charles and Alice in one direction, the rest in the other.

 When they reached the Northern edge of the canyon Charles tied Taima up to a tree far enough away from where any action may take place. He and Alice sneaked over to an area of secluded bushes and rocks and waited for their opportunity. The only sounds were the rustle of leaves and a few bird calls every now and then. Off in the distance they could see the others on the cliff above where the bounty hunters had stopped their boat. Charles stepped out towards the edge, pulling out his binoculars. He waved at the boys.

“How’s it looking?” Alice whispered.

“I see Sean. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens until the others get here.” He made his way back to her quickly. “They’re bringing him up this way looks like. Keep a watch on where they take him.”

Alice nodded. She could hear voices getting closer and the distinct Irish accent of someone causing far too much trouble for the situation he was in. There was a party of about ten or so men who walked past with Sean in tow, kicking and screaming about something or another. Alice tucked herself closer to Charles. She wasn’t a stranger to gunfights and the like, the life of an outlaw meant she had to learn. But she only ever fought and killed when necessary. She never went out of her way to harm people. Her thing was stealing for a reason.

A few minutes went past when the sound of bullets came echoing from the canyon. Some of the men from before came down the hill to investigate, rifles at the ready. Alice looked towards Charles who was holding onto his tomahawk. She adjusted the grip on her new gun. He glanced down at her for a moment and she nodded. After that it was like the floodgates had opened. Charles jumped from their hiding spot, surprising the closest man with a hatchet to the back of the head. Alice had her sights set on a man currently too distracted by shooting her friends in the valley. She shot him in the arm, causing him to drop the gun, when he turned to face her she fired again, in the chest. Her new gun felt like an extension of herself. She was thankful for all the practice she’d gotten in the past from Arthur and Hosea as her aim wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be.

Bullets were coming from every direction: below, around, and above as the bounty hunters surrounded the area. She briefly spotted Arthur and Javier climbing the hill towards them when she heard a shout from behind her. She saw Arthur pointing up and when she turned she saw Charles being choked by one of the men. She raised her gun. Her hands shook at the possibility that she might hit Charles but Charles elbowed the man in the gut, giving her just the right amount of space for her to fire her weapon. She hit him in the neck, the bullet passing right through him. The man fell and his body toppled over the side of the cliff. Charles was currently coughing, catching his breath when Alice ran up to him. Her hands were still shaking from being unused to a firefight in such a long time.

After insisting that he was okay, she and Charles ran to meet up with the others as they crested the hill. The bounty hunters from their campsite had stopped shooting, probably to gain a defensive position.

“You good?” Charles called out as they got closer.

“Wouldn’t go that far.” Arthur replied, reloading his rifle.

“Their camp’s up this way, come on.”

The four of them crested the hill. Alice’s lungs were burning but she pushed through it.

‘Gotta get Sean.’ She kept reminding herself.

Javier and Arthur went left when they reached the camp while Charles and Alice went right. The fight started almost immediately. Alice could see Sean hanging from a tree near the back of the camp and that fueled just enough adrenaline for her to return fire from her cover. She saw Arthur pushing in, not even bothering to try and hide behind cover when the bullets got too close. Alice would have to argue with him about his bullheadedness later. A bottle near her head was shattered by a bullet, the shards of glass scratching at her cheek. She ignored the sting caused by the cuts but she could tell it wasn’t that bad.

Then there was silence.

Alice’s ears were ringing from the gunfire, but there was currently no one firing anymore as the last man went down. The only sounds now were the grunts of Sean trying to reach the rope around his ankles. Arthur quickly shot the rope, dropping Sean onto his back before running over to cut the rope off him.

“You know,” Sean started, “you’re a lot less ugly from that other angle, Arthur.”

Alice could see the cheeky grin on Sean’s face. Oh how she had missed him, she’d never admit it though.

“Do I get a hug, Arthur?” Sean laughed as he got up to his feet. “A warm embrace for a lost brother, now found.” He held his arms out.

Arthur placed a hand on his shoulder, laughing. “You know, nothing means more to me than this gang. The bond we share, it’s the most real thing to me. I would kill for it, I would happily die for it, but in spite of all that, I would have easily left you here to rot if Charles hadn’t stopped me.”

Sean scoffed. “I don’t believe a word of that Arthur.”

Alice laughed, drawing the attention of all the men. While they had been busy with Sean she had been catching her breath off to the side. Sean’s eyes lit up when he saw her.

“Alice! Now there’s someone who’ll give ol’ Sean a hug!” He walked over towards her, his arms out.

Alice shook her head with a smile.

“Yeah, yeah. You best behave yourself now. Arthur wasn’t kiddin’.” She winked at him as he brought her in for a quick hug.

Arthur huffed from behind them. “Get him out of here.” He called out to Javier.

“You’re a great man. Arthur Morgan!” Sean yelled out as he walked away. “The kind a young whippersnapper can really admire.”

“Oh, shut up.” Arthur rubbed a hand down his face. “Right, we should split up. Javier, will you escort Mr. Macguire back to camp? Charles, best you ride separately.”

Charles started making his way to where they had tied Taima.

“Be careful, there’s patrols everywhere.”

“What about you?” Javier turned towards Arthur.

“I’m gonna see what’s worth taking here. I’ll meet you back there as soon as I can.”

With that, Javier went to where Sean was currently seated on Boaz. Alice could see the displeasure on Javier’s face with his riding partner when he was already starting a story for the road. Alice watched as Charles made his way down the hill. She hated that once again they were just going to send him off on his own. She turned to Arthur.

“Well…I’d rather head back to camp now so, I’m gonna ride with Charles I suppose.” She kicked the patch of dirt near her as she looked up at Arthur. He was currently running a hand through his hair, sweaty from his hat. “I’ll see you back at camp?”

Arthur looked at her for a long while before he finally nodded. “Stay safe. I’ll see ya soon.”

She smiled up at him before heading off.

She’d never admit it, but she was looking forward to being back in her uncomfortable bedroll for once.

  The ride back to camp went by much faster. They took one night of rest for Charles to help Alice clean the cuts on her cheek. He said they should heal up fine with no scarring. The ride from their camp to Horseshoe they took a little slower just to enjoy the scenery. Charles had let Alice sit up front in the saddle so that he could wrap his arms around her. She didn’t mind. She was thankful that things between them weren’t awkward. She was a little worried that once they acknowledged their feelings towards one another that there would be that limbo one has when they try to navigate the early parts of a relationship.

If that’s what this was. She hadn’t actually asked him. For now she was content with knowing that she didn’t have to worry about her feelings being one-sided anymore.

  By the time they reached camp it was late in the afternoon. Javier and Sean were already back in camp, apparently having stopped for drinks on their way so that a party could be thrown. Arthur arrived not too long after and once everyone was accounted for, the night began.

Like Charles, Alice wasn’t that big of a drinker, she liked to at least stay somewhat conscious in case of emergencies. So tonight she resigned herself to simply having one or two beers and nursing them throughout the party.

 Javier had other ideas.

 Alice wasn’t about to turn down a challenge when it came to who could drink the most shots of whiskey, so when he asked she immediately said yes. They still aren’t quite sure who won.

 She immediately regretted it. She wasn’t drunk, per say, but her brain was currently lagging a bit behind. She was singing at the top of her lungs with Karen and Sean while Pearson played his accordion. The notes were a little jumbled but no one cared. Alice’s attention was brought to Arthur who was sitting just out of sight near Dutch’s tent with Hosea. Dutch had turned on his gramophone and was taking Molly out for a spin. Alice’s legs were up before her brain could stop her.

“Arthur!” She sing-songed.

The man looked at her, shaking his head with a grin.

“Yes, Alice?”

“Wanna dance.” She meant to ask it as a question.

Arthur had been pulling a beer to his lips but stopped it just to look at her again.

“I, uh, I ain’t much of a dancer.”

Alice felt a pout forming.

“Come now, Arthur.” Hosea laughed, looking between the two of them. “Be a gentleman and give the lady a dance.”

“Yeah! Dance with me, Arthur.” Alice grabbed his free hand.

With a groan, Arthur tipped his beer back, finishing it off before being pulled into the space in front of Dutch’s tent. Alice heard Dutch say something to Arthur but she didn’t quite catch it. Whatever it was caused Arthur to grumble, his face flushed.

After a few turns on the impromptu dance-floor, Alice was finding herself smiling once more.

“For someone who says they ain’t much of a dancer, you sure is good at it.” Alice looked up at him.

Arthur simply chuckled.

“I think that’s the drink talkin’, sweetheart.”

Alice sighed. “I like it when you call me that.”

Neither of them said anything else, just enjoying the dance until it ended. Alice tried to curtsy, she ended up fumbling a little and that caused her to start giggling uncontrollably. Arthur simply laughed – she wasn’t sure if it was at her or the situation.

“Why don’t you go sit down? Charles is seeming mighty lonely over by the fire.” He nodded in that direction.

Alice turned around far too quickly, causing the world to spin a bit.

“Well, we can’t have him bein’ lonely.” Alice turned back to Arthur. “We should do this again! Perhaps when I’m not such a mess.”

“Alright.” Arthur tipped his hat, his smile soft. “You have a good night, Alice.”

 Alice flopped rather unceremoniously on the ground next to Charles’ leg. He was seated on a log, poking the fire. The night seemed to be winding down as everyone started splitting off. Javier was plucking at his guitar by his tent, not playing anything in particular. They were the only three over here at the moment. Alice leaned her head on Charles’ knee.

“Please remind me never to drink with Javier again.” She glanced up at the man in question who simply smirked.

Charles’ laugh rumbled through his body.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” He placed his hand on her neck. “You should probably go get some rest. Don’t want a headache in the morning.”

“But I wanna spend time with you!” She leaned back so she could look at him. “You were all ‘someone’s gotta watch the camp while everyone drinks.’ “Her voice lowered in an attempt to match his. “And I didn’t get to see you all night.” She batted her eyelashes up at him earning a smile.

“Yeah. But you had fun though, didn’t you? Saw you dancing with Arthur.” His thumb rubbed circles on her neck.

She nodded. “It was fun, yeah. Next time I’m dancin’ with you though, no excuses!” She poked at his knee.

“Of course.” He laughed as he stood, helping Alice to her feet. “Let’s get you to bed first.”

Alice simply nodded, allowing herself to be guided to her tent. Charles was holding her hand gently. It was warm. She brought her free hand up to place it on the top of their joined ones.

“I’m real happy, Charles.” She leaned into him. “Real happy.”

Her tent wasn’t very far but he seemed to be walking much slower than necessary. Perhaps to prolong their time together. But like all good things, it came to an end. She looked at the front of her tent then back up at Charles.

“Let me know if you need anything.”

“I will.” She smiled. “Goodnight, Charles.”

“Goodnight, Alice.” He squeezed both of their hands together before letting her go.

Alice’s tent wasn’t much. It was a good enough height for her to stand, probably not the boys if they ever – she stopped that line of thought. She didn’t bother changing out of her clothes and instead just fell down to the ground onto her bedroll. She was out before she even knew it.

[brokehorrorfan]

New Release Review: American Fable

American Fable is true to its name, often playing out like something of a dark fairy tale in the country's heartland, but the fantastical elements heavily featured in the trailer and on the cover art are only a small aspect of the film. And, despite a similar penchant for showing a wide-eyed kid on a bike, it's not a Spielbergian coming-of-age adventure either; it's best described as a drama, though mystery/thriller elements are present to propel the plot forward.

Slightly misleading marketing aside, American Fable is a dynamic feature debut from writer-director Anne Hamilton. It's set in the 1980s, sold by snippets of President Ronald Reagan on the family's static-riddled television. But the year is largely irrelevant; Hamilton instead focuses on capturing a rural Americana timelessness. She immerses viewers in rustic visuals with the aid of Wyatt Garfield's (Beatriz at Dinner) sun-drenched cinematography. The young director began as an intern on The Tree of Life, and it's apparent that she learned a thing or two under Terrence Malick’s guidance.

The story revolves around Gitty (Peyton Kennedy, Odd Squad), a young girl with an affinity for storytelling. Her father (Kip Pardue, The Rules of Attraction) is struggling to keep their family farm afloat amidst the farm crisis, while her pregnant mother (Marci Miller, Death Race 2050) works in a factory in an effort to make ends meet. The family dynamic is rounded out by Gitty's rotten older brother (Gavin MacIntosh, The Fosters).

The plot doesn't really get moving until the end of the first act, when Gitty becomes a part of a real-life fairy tale; she discovers a man named Jonathan (Richard Schiff, The West Wing) imprisoned in a silo on their property. Gitty and Jonathan form an unconventional friendship, bonding over stories and games. Gitty wants to help the man, secretly bringing him food and books, but she's mature enough to surmise that her family is responsible for his entrapment. Meanwhile, she experiences nightmarish visions of a Maleficent-esque horned character (Zuleikha Robinson, Lost) roaming the countryside by horse.

Although Gitty is portrayed as an 11-year-old girl, her simplistic dialogue and overall childlike innocence feel as though they were written for an even younger actress. Nevertheless, Kennedy shares a good dynamic with Schiff, who is the highlight of the show. Pardue excels in a couple of meaty scenes as the conflicted patriarch. Robinson has a dual role as two mysterious characters: a business woman and the being in Gitty's dreams. Horror fans will recognize Rusty Schwimmer (Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday) as the bumbling local cop who lightens the tone and Theresa Tilly (The Evil Dead) as Jonathan's sister.

Unlike most IFC Midnight titles, which receive physical releases in a partnership with Scream Factory, American Fable's home video release is distributed by MPI Media Group. They opted not to release it on Blu-ray, which is a shame considering how well-shot the picture is. To watch it in high definition, you'll need to pick it up on VOD. The DVD features three deleted scenes totaling 5 minutes, three behind-the-scenes still galleries (costume design, silo build, and silo sketch), and the trailer.

The parallels between American Fable and Pan's Labyrinth cannot be denied. Not only are the stories thematically analogous, but American Fable's horned creature could be a relative to the mythological faun from Pan's Labyrinth. American Fable, with its surrealism occasionally coming at the expensive of logical narrative progression, isn't nearly as affecting as Guillermo del Toro's foreign masterpiece, but its an admirable American complement.

American Fable is available now on DVD via MPI Media Group.

[libertineangel]

The first thing Marius did after leaving the Imperial sewers was take off his ill-fitting leather, stow it in his hiking bag and jump into Lake Rumare. For one thing he'd just been on a terrified run through a sewer and needed a wash, but mostly he hoped submerging himself in the cold waters would give his body enough of a shock to ease that of his mind. It helped a little, and when he was feeling slightly more comfortable he dried off with a heat spell and dressed, not in the armour he sincerely hoped never to need again but in his proper clothes.

As much as he wanted to go back to his regular daily life he knew he had to deliver the Amulet of Kings as quickly as possible, not least because that would hopefully be an end to his involvement in all this momentous business, so he set off around City Isle to Talos Bridge. He had hoped to find Thelen, a carriage driver in the employ of one of his friends' parents, but unfortunately he was absent, and as he certainly couldn't walk all the way to Chorrol in decent time he had no choice but to ask at the stables, a battered old building he'd only ever glanced at in passing. He managed to convince the owner to lend him a horse after some amount of pleading and promises of generous compensation on his return, and he set off; he was never a good rider, so he was rather thankful that he was riding the oldest, slowest horse in the paddock despite the urgency of his task.

He rode across the bridge, through Weye and off toward Chorrol. Before long the sun began to set, and he was very reluctant to travel alone at night, so he took a detour in what he believed was the direction of a country manor owned by some relatives of a friend. Eventually he found it, though rather later than he hoped, and he knocked on the door. Their butler answered, clearly confused and not too pleased with the unexpected night-time visit, and Marius explained that he was a friend of the Galenus' niece Claudia, he was alone and without food and in desperate need of somewhere to stay and that he would be gone in the morning, and it was apparently sufficient for a guest room was quickly made up for him.

He tried to rest as best he could, but he slept fitfully, with all-to-real dreams of assassins and dripping blades interspersed with unfamiliar but deeply terrifying images of flames, cold iron towers and an unshakeable sense of doom. He awoke with the sunrise, quite uncharacteristically, and found as he left the room that a small parcel of food and water had been left at the door for him - he dashed back to write a quick note of profuse thanks, gathered up his belongings and left.

After some time riding through the hills and forests of the Imperial heartland he found himself in trouble once again, first with a sharp whistling sound followed by the snap of an arrow against a nearby tree. He tried to speed his mount but the old mare was having none of it, so he did what he sorely hoped to avoid and dismounted, drawing his rusty old sword. He crouched behind the tree until the highwayman was close, then he ran out swinging wildly as his opponent dropped their bow in favour of an imposing iron mace. Whether by luck or divine favour Marius prevailed, and for the third time in two days he threw up onto the body, still deeply unused to the idea of having taken another's life. After some time spent sitting and slowly breathing, he thought that perhaps he needed to be more cautious, and he once again donned the old leather he recovered, stowing his favourite green doublet, now sadly torn and blood-stained; he had often been warned about travelling the roads alone but had never run into any trouble before, and only now did he realise that perhaps that was because he only ever travelled the roads in a closed carriage whose driver carried a large sword, and he presented a far more inviting target as a clearly uncomfortable young noble riding alone wearing velvet.

His journey to Weynon Priory was otherwise uneventful, and he reached the door as the sun began to set.

[ambermarshalldaily]

Heartland - 12.07 - Running Scared