Wild Fire (Book II)

Let The Hunt Begin

     Arthur rubbed the stiff bristled brush longways down his horse's thick black mane. She wasn't the sweet companion he had lost so long ago, but to the old horse whisperer she already had his endearing heart. "River.... there's my sweet girl." He murmured lovingly against the animal's neck, secretly kissing her by the bumped curl of her waterfalling hair. "Ya know.... if you ever talked to a woman as sweetly Arthur you might just wake up one day something other than a grumpy ole bastard." Arthur slowly turned his head to look at Marston who had swept up beside him brandishing a glimmering white smile. "Could you do me a favor John and just go to hell?" John clapped his outlaw brother on the shoulder with a pressing pat.

     Arthur turned back to the horse, shaking his head, finishing three long strokes and replaced the brush into his pack. He shifted sideways striking a match to the sole of his boot and lighting the dry cigarette already bobbing from his mouth. "Whatchu tell Lilah?" Arthur grumbled straightening his shoulders and leaning leisurely against the sun heated saddle.

     John walked over to his own steed, patting Old Boy lovingly on his hindquarters and tossing a pack of supplies over his back. "Well...." He fiddled with an imaginary dust ball on the cuff of his shirt. "I told her that we were going hunting, you, me and Charles." Morgan clutched the smoke from his mouth between his thumb and forefinger just staring at John's stupid face. "Well Damn John, it's a good thing ya didn't lie about it." he barked out, taking another exasperated draw from the dwindling tobacco.

     John leaned his arms across Old Boy from the other side of his horse, hands splayed in the air in frustration. "Well, what the hell was I supposed to say? OH, me Arthur and Charles are going out to stop our beloved leader from mommy fuckin your best friend. No big deal honey, I'll be back in a few hours, love ya, see you at dinner."

     Arthur chuckled under his low tipped hat. "Yeah well, that may not have been taken so well I suppose." John was openly irritated. "No, the hell it wouldn't be. She's already worried about the girl enough, without having to be worried about our shmoozy leader putin his hands all over her." John walked back around the horse and glared at him. "Shmoozy? Did ya stay up all night trying to think of that?" "Oh, shut up Arthur." John turned back to the horse, tightening his tact with a jerk.

     Charles had approached them then, arrow quiver slung over his back, a long black braid trailing down the front of his shirt. He held the tin cup of steaming coffee in his hand, casually watching the two-year-old men in front of him. "Ya'll ever get along?" he chirped. "NO!" they said in unison pushing a smile to Charles's lips as he sipped the dark liquid. "Well, guess that's settled. Shall we go then?"

     They all mounted up trotting in a slow canter towards the edge of the camp. "What are we doing anyway?" Charles questioned reaching to pat Taima as they plodded along. "We're gonna find Dutch and where he took Emma." Arthur said dryly, not really wanting to explain their insinuated thoughts on the man towards the girl. But Charles pushed. "Why?"

     John glanced briefly over his shoulder but couldn't keep Charles's curious eyes. "We aren't too sure his intentions towards Emma are all that pure. Just need to make sure the girls ok." Charles shrugged off the information dismissively. "And Lilah let you out of her sight for two seconds Marston?" John smirked. "She does walk upright sometimes Charles." This brought a round of chuckles between the men. John loved Lilah. Loved the girl with everything inside him. Leaving her for any length of time was a complete chore. His hands ached even now for the soft curves of her body against them. But sitting by and doing nothing when the one other person on the planet the girl cared for may be in harm's way, well, he could never suffer her that kinda hurt if he could help it. "She'll be fine. It'll only be a few days and I made sure before I left that she had something to look forward to when I returned." He grinned inwardly at the lovemaking promise he had kissed upon her lips as he slid sideways finally wrestling from her restraining arms at their door. "You're gross John...and I'm pretty sure she's secretly blind." Arthur clipped screwing a lip at one side. "Jealous." Marston coughed into his hand and smiled. "Well, let's get to it then." Charles barked, rolling his eyes at the two idiots, and moving Taima up to the lead, training his skilled eyes to the forest floor.