For only a fortnight there we were, learning love as we learned ourselves.
War and escape raging in the mind of the wishful peacemakers.
The only thing Eagle Flies cared for was revenge for those who harmed his tribe.
All Lena cared for was proving...
Each flake of snow was so abstract from its neighbor as they fluttered to clumps on the ground.
How with each sting and prickle of the cold air kept me from leaning against the cabin in comfort.
As I was mesmerized by each frozen design, my eyes followed the two horses galloping away in search of...what exactly?
Arthur and Dutch are fading out of view as they search for supplies and shelter as well as our missing members. If I had known I would have been out in this snow storm keeping watch as Davy withered away inside, I would have let the Pinkertons take me.
A public hanging sounds much more appealing than slowly freezing over now.
The passage of time is something that doesn't exist this high up in the mountains.
If I had been held upside down, I could confuse the sky for the snow crunching beneath my feet.
But, the numbness of my fingers and stiffness of my knees is enough of a clock to signal enough time has passed.
Sliding my hands up and down my body as I simultaneously dusted my feet off the best I could before pushing through the cabin door.
The ping of needles in my heart was enough to avoid the left side of the cabin where my fallen friend had laid.
Instead, I focus on the three men huddled on the floor; draped in fewer coats than the others as one could suspect they sacrificed.
"Need me to keep watch?" Hosea smiled. His frail body vibrates as he stares up at me.
"It's not worth it, anyone out there would freeze before getting close to us" I scoff, tossing my frozen to the touch revolver to the ground.
Settling in the ground beside Charles in hopes his large frame can bestow some heat. Head leaning back against the log walls as I close my eyes and sigh.
The moment of relaxation only lasts a moment and a hand gently shakes my knee. I raise a questioning look as I'm met with Lenny leaning over Hosea attempting to get my attention.
"Why don't you go with the other woman? I'm sure it's warmer there."
My arms push myself up straighter as I lean my entire being against the wall, "This was closer."
Lenny sinks back to his spot, letting out a sigh that swirls with the frozen air out of his lips.
Turning my head up, analyzing the side profile of Charles before his name slips out from between my lips.
"Huh?", his body jolts as though my presence beside him caught him off guard. "Your hand? How is it?", my voice low and seeping into a whisper.
"Fine, it's not anything serious", the evenness that he carried in his voice was enough to indicate he wouldn't be confining in me tonight. "Honey helps, if we survive this."
"Lena" Hosea said once and firmly, enough to make me turn my head and look away.
Davy sat on the opposite side of the cabin, more or so laying as he groaned in agony.
"Do you think he's going to make it?"
There Hosea was again, saying my name like I was a disobedient child.
"What? You think he's actually listening to us?"
The bite in my tone carries much more anguish than I should have. My pride battles my morals as I cast my eyes down and apologize. Before another word can be said, the ruckus outside shoots me up to my wobbly legs and out the cabin door.
A tiny fear of the revolver in my hand being actually frozen over and useless.
I sigh, the breath coming out as smoke as I stumbled over to the cabin door and peaking out. Arthur and Dutch had returned, unfortunately, so did Micah.
I walked to the cabin everyone else was in, my brows like magnets of confusion as I saw an unfamiliar lady there.
Her golden hair cascading around her face in knots and tangles as her breath is rugged.
A lean against the door post, not saying a word as Arthur turns towards me, gesturing towards her rigid form; mouthing the words "help her."
I don't argue, going to my knees as my hands gently rub her back.
"What's your name?", my voice no longer holds the grudge it once did.
This poor lady doesn't deserve my anger.
The lady clings to the blanket Dutch wraps around her. She takes a breath before turning her head towards me, taking in my form as I take in hers.
"Sadie, Sadie Adler."
♤♡ ~ 𝓪 𝓭𝓮𝓼𝓹𝓪𝓲𝓻𝓪𝓽6𝓸𝓬𝓵𝓸𝓬𝓴 𝓯𝓪𝓷𝓯𝓲𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 ~ ◇♧
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