Embers in the Dark

Regret

Arthur smirked as he followed his son into the pasture, some of the horses perking their heads up to look at the group of men and children walking towards them.  Junior plopped the wheel down and rubbed his hands together before taking a few steps back and looking up his dad.

"Ready?" Junior asked.

"Ready," Arthur said with a grin.

Junior giggled and held up his hands, palms out as he made a face of concentration.  After a few moments, the wheel started wobbling and then it went straight on his side.  Arthur, Dutch, Hosea and Finn all stared in amazement at the wheel.

"Are you kiddin' me?" Dutch said to no one specific.

"Wait, I'm not done yet," Junior chastised.

The wheel started jiggling about until it started floating into the air.  The men's eyes went wide as they watched the wheel go horizontal and start spinning.  It spun faster and faster, making a humming noise in the air.  Junior began straining his fingers and grunted, biting his tongue.

"Brother, yer gonna hurt yerself," Aoífe stated.  "Put it down!"

"Okay!" Junior shouted.  "I'm trying tah slow it down!"

Suddenly the wheel went zooming off, crashing into the ground and breaking apart.  Pieces of it went flying into a window in the house.  Arthur Jr. grasped his knees and bent over, breathing heavily.

Arthur Senior and the rest crowded around the boy.  "You okay, kid?" Arthur asked.

Junior gasped a couple times but nodded.  "I'm okay."

Arthur Sr. stood up straight and sighed.  "I'll be right back, gotta make sure no one was hurt."

Junior pouted up at his father.  "I'm sorry, Daddy," he mumbled.

Arthur pat the boy's head.  "It's okay, boah.  Dutch, Hosea, saddle up."

Arthur went jogging towards the house, realizing as he got closer that the window was one in Lilly's main study.

"Shit..." he grumbled.

He ran into the house and to the study, stopping in his tracks at the door with shaky breaths.  He gulped before putting his palm on the handle, gripping and turning it.  Mr. Morgan walked in slowly, flicking on a light and looking around.

Everything was in its place, except for the broken shards of window on the floor and a chunk of wood on the war map.  He sighed before walking over to the map and grabbing the wood.  As he grasped it, he placed his other hand on the map and frown, bowing his head.  He started thinking about the last time he was in this room.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"God dammit, Lillian!" Arthur snapped as he threw a bottle of bourbon at the book shelf.  It crashed and splintered into a thousand pieces, liquid splashing and dripping.

Lilly snarled and tightened her hands into fists.  "God damn ya, Arthur Morgan!  God damn ya tah hell!"

"Well good luck with that, 'cause hell don't even exist!" Arthur shouted.

"Oh, but it does!"  Lilly barked.  "This is it!  Livin' here with ya is feckin' hell!"

Arthur approached her with an angry, red face, breathing deeply.  "If it's so bad here, Lillian, then why don't you just go?!"

"Fine!  If that's what ya want!  Ya want me tah leave, Arthur?!"

"Yeah, go on and get, then!"