Love Bites

Chapter One - Colter

Up in the relentless ridges of the Grizzlies, a new chapter had begun for the gang. The death of Davey Callander had been no shock to most, but remained a dreadful conclusion to the disaster of a so-called simple ferry robbery turned wrong. The addition of a new member was a far less dire event, one leaning more towards the concept of a fresh start. A new beginning if they could survive long enough to get off of this god-forsaken mountain.

Arthur was no stranger to cutting ties and booking it far away to avoid pursuit of the law, but Colter barely seemed like a better alternative to being persecuted. Stepping outside of the walls of the dilapidated buildings they found refuge in was like taking a plunge into a frozen river. The wind was harsh, it bit at any exposed skin it could touch and brought a deep red flush on to everyone's faces. Riding out resulted in returning with numb fingers and toes, heavy lungs, and a desperate need to huddle around the fire with a bottle of jack to warm their insides.

Being the only member unaffected by the extreme conditions meant Arthur was put to work. He had rode with Dutch and Micah to the home where they found a small group of O'Driscolls, their newly welcomed member Sadie Adler, and the corpse of her recently dead husband. After arriving back to the camp he was directed towards gathering any dry pieces of wood to feed the fire, taking guards out by the entrance of the town, and completing any other chores provided by those who were worse off.

Unfortunately one of those chores, given to him by Abigail, was to track down and bring back John. The fool had gotten himself attacked by a small pack of wolves, leaving a gnarly criss-crossing wound on the side of his face and the scent of blood in the air.

Arthur lingered in his designated room after returning from the rocky cliff, detailing the current events in his journal. He could hear clumps of snow thump onto the ground outside, sliding off of the roofs of the town buildings and adding onto the inches of cold covering the ground. Dutch and Hosea huddled by the fire outside of the doorway, talks of needing to gain strength and wait for a warm pass to begin their descent down the mountain.

He tucked his journal away with a sigh, making his way out of the small room and out towards his fathers. "You two holdin' up alright in here?" he asked, leaning his body weight against the rocky structure of the fire place. The two older men looked over at him while they rubbed their hands together, using the friction to create warmth in their palms.

"We're holding up. I can't decide who has it worse up here, us common folk or you," Hosea said with an all too familiar glint of concern in his eyes. "You haven't been looking too great these last couple of days."

Arthur knew he probably looked like a walking corpse, the lack of sustenance for him wasn't too kind on his appearance. With barely anything to feed on he had become frail in a way; his skin had lost all of its color and shone gray and dry in the light of the fire. His cheekbones poked out of his face and heavy bags pulled under his eyes. "Aw, I'll be alright. I'm the only one you shouldn't be worried about right now."

Sure he was struggling, but in ways so different from the rest of the gang. While the others' stomachs ate away at the fat lining their bellies, craving to be filled with any food they could stumble upon, Arthur's hunger was different. The carnivorous need had been scratching away at the man's insides, clawing at his throat and urging him to hunt, to find anything he could sink his teeth into and drain the life out of. His teeth ached where they sprouted from his gums, missing the pressure of skin and muscle before the layers would snap, flooding his mouth with blood. It had gotten worse after John's rescue, the old scent of Davey's decaying blood on their clothes was forgotten in favor of the fresh liquid that ran down his brother's face, leaving marks in the snow, scraps of fabric used by Swanson stained red, and a strong temptation for Arthur to pounce.