Honors And Redemptions Of The Outlaw

Chapter 23: Marston's Pay, Day

We started moving camps, still haven't found a place but we decided we'd camp here for a couple of days until everything cooled down. I wish things ended differently back there with Henry. Me and Archie found a nice spot to bury him, a hill with a perfect view of a sunset across the lake we passed a few times, been a week since then and I haven't spoken to Jameson once. He's been distant since Henry died and I can't blame him. Elizabeth though, can't figure out how she manages conversation with anyone she meets. Then again, she isn't too hard to get along with. Shea's managed not to get sepsis, and Archie is still hobbling around, refusing to help even if it's just something simple. I just hope these next day look better for us.

July, 13;1866.

I closed the journal with a loud, dramatic thump, turning my gaze to Jameson who was waiting for me to finish. "You all right? Do you need something?" I eyed him a moment noticing his freshly wrapped shoulder. Didn't Elizabeth change that a couple of hours ago? Jameson spoke pulling me from my thoughts. "No, but Elizabeth needs something from you."

He must have noticed me eyeing his shoulder when he sighed. "I know what you're thinking." I chuckled. "At least she cares." Jameson gave a weak smile. "Sometimes I wish she wouldn't care so much." I furrowed my brows in confusion. "What do you mean by that?" His gaze fell to his feet. "I'm not worth whatever she has planned in that pretty little head of hers." I smiled, knowing very well what they both meant to each other and knowing that feeling especially. "You're worth more than this old piece of shit your talkin' to, and well. I'd say the same, but she thinks otherwise." He rolled his eyes, prompting a chuckle from me.

We walked over from the small tree I had leaned up against while writing in my journal, to the back of a wagon that Elizabeth and Shea were in. "What'chu want?" I hopped on the back of the wagon sitting with my one foot on the wagon while my other dangled off the edge. I watched as Shea flipped a coin, bored as can be while Elizabeth looked at me for a moment.

"I-uh. I was wondering if you'd, maybe go into......" her voice got real quiet, so quiet I couldn't hear her last few words. "What?" I raised a brow in confusion. She repeated, drifting off at the end again. "I might be a little deaf from all the shootin' I do, but I don't even think Shea heard that and she is right beside you." Shea looked up at me hearing her name, but quickly looked at Elizabeth when she sighed ran her hand down her face.

"I wanna go into town damnit!" Elizabeth said quickly in a slightly irritated tone. I looked at her a moment seeing if she was just joking when Jameson spoke up. "Town? It will be crawling with Murtle's bounty hunters, you can't go back." I nodded, agreeing with Jameson as I returned my gaze to Elizabeth. "I would say he's just being overprotective of you, but he does have a point. Why'd you even wanna go into town?" Elizabeth sighed before speaking.

"I need to know Peggy's okay." I gave an unamused chuckle. "You ain't serious." Elizabeth's gaze was unwavering as she looked at me. "No."I said sternly, Elizabeth quickly began to plead with me. "Amber, Please. You don't understand." I looked at the bottom of the wagon for a moment, tapping my fingers as I thought.

It would be extremely dangerous for us to go back for Peggy, but Elizabeth would never forgive herself knowing Peggy died from her involvement.

I sighed looking at Elizabeth for a moment. "Please, Amber. I'll have you, a-and I trust that." She pleaded again. I looked out past Jameson at the horses before hopping down off the wagon. "Fine, we're in 'n out. That's it." Elizabeth squeaked excitedly as she scrambled off the wagon. Jameson stepped in front of me. "You can't be serious about this." I glared at him before speaking in a hushed tone. "You should know better than me that she'd go with or without me sooner or later." Jameson gave a frustrated huff as I continued to walk past him. "At least let me come."