Like a Cat {Arthur Morgan x OC}

9. Reunion

The next morning Irene wakes up and prepares herself a pot of coffee from the delivery of the barkeeper she received yesterday.
She sips away at the brown liquid as she stares into the empty yet full forest.
After finishing her cup she packs her things and rides into Valentine.

"Hey, Sheriff! Any bounties today?" The Sheriff looks through his papers. "No, nothin'. Sorry to disappoint you, Rex."
"Alright then, see ya."
"Wait!" He pulls out a dusty piece of paper. "Here's a supply run that was requested a few days ago." Irene grabs the paper and skims it.
"Coffee delivery to Emerald Ranch. Should be an easy one."
The Sheriff hands over the dusty boxes of coffee. "It ain't much. Peculiar request if you ask me."
He chuckles.
"I'll handle it. How much do I get?"
"50 dollars, my friend."
"Alright, see you when I'm back."
With that she leaves the Sheriff's house and hops onto her horse.

A small delivery like that shouldn't be hard. She did worse jobs.
Her horse speeds out of the city and down the trail towards the Emerald Ranch.

The ride is long and the sun starts to set but it doesn't bother the woman.
Irene plans on riding through the night to reach her goal the next morning.
A yawn escapes her lips as she looks up at the red sky.
The clouds look like a painting and the sun like a flame in the night.
A smile hushes over her rose colored lips as she admires the scenery. A sight she barely appreciates anymore.

Suddenly a gun shot echoes through the sound of nature.
Irene's horse yelps in pain as something hits its skin. "What the-" Irene bows down to touch her horses neck. As she looks at her hand her eyes widen.
Her horse's legs give in after Irene sees the blood on her hand. "No! Dammit!"
The horse falls to the ground and Irene falls off of its back and into the dirt.
She immediately pulls out her pistol and is surrounded by four riders.
"Why hello there, sweetheart."
"Who the fuck are you?!"
The men laugh at Irene's question.
"We're the ones who will be asking those questions."

One of the men walks up next to her and lifts up his shotgun.
The last thing Irene can see is the shotgun swinging at her.

Then everything goes black.

~

Arthur wakes up on the porch of the Saloon in Valentine. He grabs his aching head.
It was too much again. Ever since she left he can't get a grip. Ever since he read her letter...

He tries to stand up and is immediately greeted with loud noises. "Arthur! Thought we lost ya again!" It's Lenny. "I think you did", Arthur sighs. "What happened?"
"Don't know. We entered the Saloon, you bumped into someone and went completely nuts."
Arthur rubs his eyes. "I did?"
"Yeah, like always."
Lenny gives Arthur a few pats on the back. "Face it, Arthur. She's not comin' back."
"I know, I just..."

Arthur looks at the ground in disappointment. He knows Lenny is right but he still has hope.

Suddenly a memory returns. "I... I think I saw her last night!"
"What? Don't be ridiculous!"
Lenny shakes his head in confusion. "I did! Her campsite is right outside town."
Arthur jumps onto his horse and sprints away leaving a confused Lenny behind.

Arthur knows he's not wrong. He saw her. He's sure of it.

He rides down the road to where he believes was her campsite. Then he notices tracks on the trail. They're not ordinary tracks. Her horse has unrecognizable hoofs. "Irene!"
He follows the tracks with determination and high hopes.
His thoughts contain nothing else only Irene being in his arms.

Arthur rides without a break. He can't loose her again.
The sun starts to set but he ignores the beautiful scenery. Completely in his thoughts he almost misses the huge horse cadaver on the tracks.
Arthur jumps down from his horse and examines the body in front of him.
It looks half eaten, not surprising.
After further investigations he notices a gunshot wound in the horses neck.
"What cruel people. Can't even let a horse live."
He opens the satchel and looks through the things that were left.
His eyes widen as he notices familiar items.

Arthur lets out a groan and looks for further tracks leading away from the cadaver.
"She was cornered... and taken." He sees tracks that look like something was dragged.

"Alright, boy. Let's go!"
Arthur follows the tracks deeper into the grasslands and past Emerald Ranch.

After a long ride he finally reaches a lonely house covered by trees. The tracks end here.

The cowboy decides to continue on foot and sneaks near the house. He hears voices.
"Aw what a pretty lady."
"Let me go!"
A few men chuckle at the female voice.
Arthur sneaks further towards the noise and hides behind a tree.

The sight shocks him.
"Tell us where he is!"
"Like I said, I don't know!"

It's Irene completely tied up and sitting on the ground. Four men are surrounding and poking at her. "We saw you with him! Spit it out you bitch!" Irene looks up at the man and spits in his face.

Arthur lets out a small chuckle. That's exactly how he remembers Irene.

"Alright, wench." The man pulls out a knife and grabs Irene's face. "Maybe this will make you talk." The other men gather around Irene and hold her down. She struggles in their grip and can't get free. "You'll regret goin' against us."
The man then plunges his knife into Irene's stomach. She lets out a scream filled with agony and anger.
"Will you talk now?!"
He hits Irene in the face. "Like... I said. I don't know", She mumbles.

"Boss, I think she's right."
"Shut it! We saw her with Morgan, she knows where he is."
Now Arthur understands the situation.
They kidnapped Irene to get his location. He should of thought of this and never let her go.

Arthur pulls out his gun and shoots the man who stabbed Irene.
"What the-"
Next one down. "Fuck! They found us!" With a swift move of his hand Arthur then shoots the other two remaining men in cold blood.
Then he goes out of his hiding spot and runs to Irene who is barely holding on.

"Irene!" She looks up at him.
"Arthur? How did you-"
"No time. We need to take care of your wound now."

Arthur picks Irene up and carries her to his horse.

He imaged their reunion to be less violent and bloody. His hopes were that she just returned to camp, no questions asked. It doesn't really surprise him. He barely gets what he wishes for.

"Here, I have some bandages, some medicine and something to clean the wound. It doesn't seem like he stabbed you that deep."

"Arthur."

"I'll fix ya up, no problem at all."

"Arthur!"

The said man looks up at the black haired woman staring at him. "I'll be fine." She smiles to reassure him.
"If you say so. It still looks pretty bad though." Irene chuckles. "Fine. Let's camp around here and you can take care of me."
Arthur smiles at the girl's suggestion.
"That sounds great."

Arthur lifts Irene up onto his horse and decides to lead it to a nearby clearing to camp.
"Hey, Arthur."
He looks up at the girl sitting on his horse holding her stomach.

"I missed you."