No Time To Die- ARTHURMORGAN x O/C

part 11- Discouraged Men

The sun starts to set as everyone sits around the campfire enjoying each other's company. Arthur was the only one sat by himself on his cot with his journal in one hand and a pencil in the other. Claudia could tell that his journal meant something to him as he was always writing or drawing in it. She gets up picking 2 bottles of beer from the crate near Pearsons' and makes her way over to Arthur, he smiles as he notices her.
"Thanks Claud" Arthur mumbles as she sits next to him. Arthur realises her face changed as he said 'claud'.
"Is there something wrong?" Arthur asks.
"No, it's just no one has called me that in years" She smiles taking a sip of her drink.
"Oh I'm sorry" Arthur apologises with a smile.
"It's ok, I will have to get used to it" Claudia laughs as she gets up from her spot. Arthur follows her to where all the gang is, listening to javier's singing. The night went on with Uncle telling stories and Sean making fun of him at any point he could with his thick Irish accent. One by one, everyone eventually went to sleep or on guard. Claudia still sat by the table with a bottle in her hand, Dutch walks out of his tent and makes his way to her.
"It's getting late" He says sitting across from her.
"I know how to tell the time" Claudia snaps and takes another swig of her drink.
"You're drunk" Dutch mutters flipping a coin between his fingers while keeping his eyes on her.
"Why did you leave?" Claudia asks. His expression changes, realising that he should tell her.
"I didn't want your mother to get involved with this gang business, we were both young and stupid" Dutch sighs as he remembers the memories with Elenor. "You look just like her and you're so stubborn like her, no offence".
"Some taken" Claudia slurs opening another bottle next to her.
"She never told me about you, if she did I would have stayed forever" He says, Claudia stares blankly at him. "I will stay with you forever, I promise".
"Promise?" She raises her pinky towards him.
"Promise" He interlinks his as well. "You should get to bed, I need you for a job tomorrow". Dutch gets up and strolls over to his tent, closes the flap behind him. Claudia watches him as he disappears, she rests her head on the table just to close her eyes for a bit but it turns into a heavy sleep.

"Jenkins get up" Arthur's stern voice rings through her hears as she lifts her head up.
"What, what, what's wrong" she gets up startled from her sitting posistion still in her clothes from yesterday. Arthur laughs turning his back on her and walking away.
"Trelawny want's to meet us at Rhodes train station, didn't Ducth tell you about this?" He questions lighting a cigerette in his mouth.
"I can't remember but does he really need both of us" She whines mounting her horse.
"Well he asked for two people and Dutch wants me to see what you're like so maybe in the future you can join in on the bigger scores" Arther explains mounting his horse "follow me".
Claudia trails behind Arthur as they make their way into Rhodes, Rhodes is a quiet towm mostly run by the Grey family. They both hitch their horses up as they see Trelawny leaning agaisnt the fence of thr train station.
"Arthur, Arthur my dear friend" Trelawny beams as he makes his way over to them.
"Josiah Trelawny, lovely to see you" Arthur replies back but not in the same exciting voice as Trelawny did.
"This must be Miss Jenkins, what a pleasure" He tilts his hat to the women standing in front of him. Claudia tilts her hat back to him not saying a word. "Well me must get moving, my friend Alden in here knows things that good help get some cash" Josiah explains quietly opening the door to the station. The two gunslingers follow him to the desk of the post office where a man is waiting .
"Hello Alden" Trelawny says.
"Hello, Josiah, how have you been?" Alden greets as he sees his face.
"Dandy and you friend?" He says leaning agaisnt the railing in between them both.
"Like I said, times are tough" Alden sighs, "My Mrs, is a bad woman, A terrible woman" Alden moans.
"They often are but hows work Alden?" Trelawny asks trying to keep the conversation on track. Claudia and Arthur give eachother looks as they listen to the conversation.
"Terrible, wages got cut again, they reckon they just invented a new horseless carriage will be the end of us" Alden rambles on, whining.
"They've been saying that nonsense since they invented the wheel, the wickedness of bosses" Josiah says. Claudia yawns as they yap on hoping it will end soon.
"I know my comrades here and I are greatly discouraged from the adequate fulfillment of our duty" Alden states.
"A dicouraged man is no man at all Alden, no man at all" Trelawny says, "My friend Arthur and Miss Jenkins here, has a present for you" Arthur hands over a stack of cash to the man.
"Ain't you kind Sir" Alden says as he snatches the money in.
"Call him Arthur, he is one of us, a fellow man of distinction" Trelawny insits to the Alden.
"Okay well, this is perfect timing" They all lean in to listen which doesn't look suspicious at all. "I think you will like this one Josiah, it will be coming down south of river road through Siltwater Strand".
"Thank you Alden" Josiah thamks as Alden passes a peice of paper to Arthur. "Thank you very much".
"Oh and Josaih, if any of you are ever out in Strawberry way ask for my colleague there, feller named Hector" Alden suggests. "He's also one of the, what did you call us again" Alden asks.
"Discouraged men, Alden" Trelawny repeates.
"That's it, discouraged men, I like that" Alden says.
"Well goodbye Alden , or should I say adieu" Trelawny bows towards Alden.
"Oh, adieu Josiah" Alden giggles getting back to his work. The three of them walk out of the station, with the imformation in Arthur's hand.

"Thank the lord for that" Claudia huffs mounting her horse.
"Oh she speaks" Josiah says happily.
"And you don't know how to stop"Claudia snaps picking her reins. Arthur smirks listening to Claudia with a temper.
"River road through Siltwater Strand, he said" Arthur read out thr paper.
"Okay, I think I know a good spot to wait follow me" Josiah mounts his horse and sets off with the two of them following behind. "Okay let's go, this way". They all ride out leaving the town Rhodes behind them. "What did I tell you? Simple as can be. Seems a lot of the station workers are in on it these days" Trelawny adds "Earning a pittance, the unions are whipping them up, so they want something on the side". Josiah rambles on about job opportunities for Arthur in Strawberry.
"I ain't sure about going back to Strawberry after all that Micah business" Arthur queeries.
"Not going to lie Arthur but I don't think you left anyone alive there that will recgonise you" Claudia butts in riding up to Arthur.
"It wasn't my fault, Micah.." Arthur snaps.
"Ye, ye blame someone else" Claudia laughs trying to wind him up.
"Anyway children, this is the spot" Trelawny slows down his horse into a trot then stops. "Okay, this should do". Arthur passes the paper to Josiah. "Miss Jenkins, how good are you performing my dear?" He asks turning his head to her.
"Performing what exactly?" Claudia questions as she takes her hat off and wipes the sweat off her head.
"Just a little acting job of my wife dying, how does that sound?" Trelawny smiles, Claudia nods in agreement. "Then Arthur can scurry around open the strong box and relieve them of their goodies".
"And how do I open this strong box, without threatening someome to open it for me?" Arthur asks with his gun in his hand.
"This should work" Trewlawny passes him a lock picker, "Miss Jenkins, do you think it's best to go on my horse to make it more realistic".
Claudia huffs, hitching her horse to the tree behind her because if they do need to use guns it will startle the horse. She climbs up on Trelawny's horse behind him wrapping her arms around him. "Hold tight, they'll be here soon". Claudia scraped mud off her boots and smudges it underneath her eyes to make it look like she's ill.
"Here it is, keep your distance so they don't see you and please keep that gun in it's holster for once" Josiah pleads Arthur and as he starts to follow the coach. Claudia shuts her eyes and leans against Trelawny's back to make it look like she can't keep herself up. He rides up to the side of the coach, "Excuse me do you have any medicine we could use, it's my wife she has fallen ill so suddenly and we just need it so we can get to Blackwater".
"Stop the coach, stop the coach at once" The woman inside yells to the drivers. The coach comes to a hault and the door swings open to a lady in a purple dress. "My, my hold on, let me get my bag I have some in there". She climbs back into the coach and comes back out with a bottle.      "Here this should help" She passes the bottle to Trelawny and gets back in the coach closing the door behind her. Arthur walks back up to us as the coach drives off.
"Nicely done, Arthur. A little Finesse for once" Josiah says getting off his horse, Claudia follows.
"It was easy" Arthur mutters, "you two did all the work".
"Teamwork, my dear boy, teamwork" Josiah says taking the cash out of Arthur's hand, he passes Claudia's shares to her as well. "Go and see Alden from time to time, see you soon Arthur, oh and Miss Jenkins it was a pleasure working with you". Trelawny rides off leaving Arthur and Claudia together.
"We better get back to camp, you did good today" Arthur smiles mounting his horse. Claudia whistles for Nyrah and mounts herself.
"I have robbed before it's not my first rodeo cowboy" She claims placing her hat back on her head.