The wild, wild West (Arthur Morgan x f!reader)

CHAPTER 5 - Avoiding eating Mister Pearson

Pearson sighed. „We're gonna starve to death up here, Mister Morgan."

Arthur stepped inside the small room that was open to one side that Pearson used as a kitchen, while I leaned onto the wall. It was still freezing cold, each breath formed clouds in the air. Shivering, I pulled my coat tighter around me. I was only here to check on our food supplies, but then I had found Arthur occupying the space. Now I stayed as silent as possible, so he would ignore me.

„We're ok.", Arthur replied now.

„We have a few cans of food and a rabbit. For what, ten, twelve, people?", the cook objected. „When I was in the navy..."

„I do not wish to hear about what you got up to in the navy, Mister Pearson.", the Arthur interrupted numbly, but the other man kept talking anyways.

„We were stranded at sea for fifty days..."

„And you unfortunately survived.", Arthur rasped rudely.

Pearson grunted and turned to him. Arthurs unfriendly comment made him change the topic. „When we ran away from Blackwater I wasn't able to get supplies in."

Arthur huffed. „Well, when government agents are huntin' you down, sometimes shoppin' trips need to be cut short.", he started, slowly walking up and down in the cabin-like building. „We'll survive. We always have. And if needs be, we can eat you. You're the fattest."

Neither of the men laughed at that joke and I sighed and stepped away from the wall, giving up on trying to make myself as invisible as possible. „Well, let's not do that. I'll get somethin'."

Both of them looked up like they only now acknowledged my presence. Then Pearson smiled a little. „Yeah, that's a good idea." I heard how he grumbled to himself: „At least someone is doin' something."

I left the kitchen and marched over to the horses. The crunching of the snow behind me told me that Arthur was following me. I sighed quietly.

„You two bicker like small children." I untied the knot that kept my mare at the hitching post and formed some reigns with the end of the rope.

He let out a dismissive grunt and untied his horse, ready to mount it. „That's somethin' ya should be quite familiar with, aren't ya?"

I ignored his remark. „I never asked you to come."

„No, but it would be stupid to ride out alone."

Ignoring him again, I changed the topic. „Usin' a gun is probably not the smartest idea, but there's no other option." Quickly, I checked my equipment and made sure that everything I would need was there. Then I followed Arthurs example and got on.

He took off and urged his horse into a quick trot. „Should be fine as long as it's a clean kill. Just don't miss and scare it of."

„You questionin' my aimin' skills?", I muttered, giving my horse a gentle kick to speed it up.

„At least a deer isn't goin' to shoot back if you miss.", he mocked. „You recon that we can find something to kill up here that isn't an O'Driscoll?"

I took a deep breath to keep myself from replying something rude. „Sure. There have to be animals up here somewhere.", I assumed while I scanned the landscape.

„You don't seem so sure about that.", Arthur stated, throwing me a quick glance.

„Well, I'm not, but I'd rather try and fail than do nothin'."

„Sure.", he replied. „Ya didn't tell why you came up here in the first place. Why'd you leave your little gang?"

„That has nothing to do with each other.", I replied stiffly.

He seemed a little annoyed. „So how 'bout you tell me anyways?"

„I left O'Driscoll three years ago. I've been on my own ever since. And I have a bounty on my head so I had to to find a place where they weren't goin' to follow me.", I summed it up quickly, not keen on telling him about myself.

„But you don't plan on stayin' up here?", he asked with a raised eyebrow.

„I'm with you now, right? I can't abandon this now.", I mumbled, unsure of what he wanted to hear.

„So you're a loyal one, huh?"

„I'm not in the position to judge that."

„What about Colm?", he asked.

„What about Colm?"

„You weren't loyal to him. How can we be sure that you ain't goin' to abandon us the next chance you get?", Arthur clarified.

„Are you tellin' me I should be loyal to your enemy?" I raised an eyebrow.

„I'm sayin' that if you weren't loyal to one, it wouldn't be smart to trust ya to stay loyal to us."

„When have I ever asked ya to trust me?" I could feel his eyes on my face but I didn't turn to meet his gaze.

„That's kinda what you did when you joined us.", he clarified.

„See these tracks? Let's get off and follow them.", I distracted from the conversation and stopped the mare.

The way through the high snow was exhausting and we were quite slow. But at the same time, our prey wouldn't notice us that way. We had spotted a group of deer that we were sneaking up to now.

„If we both shoot at the same time, maybe we can get two.", I suggested in a low voice.

„Sure, let's give it a try." The familiar sound of a gun being loaded mixed with Arthurs voice while he spoke. „You ready?"

I checked my revolver and prepared myself. Then I trew him a quick glance. „You give the signal."

I aimed precisely, waiting for Arthurs command. „Ready."

Then he hissed: „Shoot!"

Two almost simultaneous shots rang through the air, followed by the distressed noise of the deer. One of them collapsed in the snow, tainting it deep red. The rest of the small herd fled with hectic jumps.

Another one fell behind after a few steps. It was clearly fatally injured, but still determined to escape. My finger tightened around the trigger once again, and it tumbled to the ground limply.

I stood up, rubbing my freezing hands together, and made my way over to the cadavers. I noted the clean kill while I picked the first carcass up and trew it over my shoulder. Then I trudged through the deep snow towards my horse, loading the game onto her back.

Arthur was carrying the second deer. It had left a few bloodstains on his shoulder.

„Pearson's gonna be happy 'bout this. Now we won't have to eat him.", I hummed sarcastically.

„Sure. Hurry up, 'm freezing."

{-}-{-}-{-}-{-}-{-}-{-}-{-}-{-}

-1109 words