No Time To Die- ARTHURMORGAN x O/C

part 46- New Perspectives

Two days have gone past, Arthur has been helping the native tribes collect medical supplies and fight against the army with Captain Monroe. Claudia chills around camp watching Dutch and Micah's every move, she notices Dutch acting more calmer about the law and the pinkertons trying to kill them.
Claudia places her clean clothes near Arthur's clothes chest, folding them one by one. In the corner of her eye she spots, Josiah Trelawny sitting by himself in the middle of camp. His knee jumping up and down and his eyes scanning the area. Claudia makes her way to him, a soft smile appearing on her face as she greets him.
"Josiah, you okay?" Claudia asks, sitting down at the table next to him. She takes out a cigarette and lights it.
Josiah turns his gaze to her, his grip tightening to his brief case, "Miss Jenkins, lovely to see you. I... I'm just going away for sometime."
Claudia sighs with a little laugh, "please call me Claud. Josiah, I'm not going to yell at you for leaving. I would if I was you as well, this gang is on its last thread" She mutters.
"Thank you Claud, for everything. I have enjoyed working with you, and don't you stay here as well. You are a bright young women, you should be travelling, or studying or living your dream" Josiah smiles resting his hands on the table, still scanning the area.
"Josiah, I think my dream is over. Are you waiting for someone?"
"Oh just waiting for Arthur, I best say thanks to him as he has been there for me since I joined this peculiar gang" He innocently laughs, Claudia could sense the sadness with in him. She could sense the sadness with in the gang, the gang has changed. Josiah spins his head to the sound of hooves galloping towards them. It's Arthur, he hitches his horse up and walks over to them with a worried look in his eyes.
"Josiah" Arthur mumbles, he realising what's happening from the small briefcase in Josiah's hand, and sighs.
"I, um, I was, uh..." Josiah stutters standing up quickly from where he was sat.
"Leaving again?" Arthur questions, he sits down next to Claudia and starts coughing. The sound makes Claudia's stomach churn, she hates it seeing him like this.
"Yes, just leaving... I'll see you soon"
"Perhaps" Arthur says wiping his mouth with his jacket sleeve, bloody mucus smears.
"What do you mean?" Josiah queries, his voice cracking.
"Well... if I was you, I'd disappear too. This is all pretty much over" Arthur explains, knowing that the gangs time is coming to an end.
"Well, I'll be back" Josiah says, his eyebrows raising.
Arthur gives out a dry laugh, "No you won't, let's not pretend no more. Get outta here."
"I'll miss you, Arthur. You've been a fine friend to me" Josiah says with a small frown.
"No, let's not get over sentimental. Go on, place is quiet, get outta here... you go with my blessing" Arthur says, Josiah's eye light up and he smiles.
"Thank you, Arthur" Josiah softly says getting one last look at his two friends, that he has got left from this gang. He slowly walks away dragging his feet through the leaves and mud.
Arthur sighs relaxing his shoulder, Claudia lifts her head up seeing his pale face.
"I have a feeling that we will have to do the same soon" Claudia speaks up acknowledging Josiahs decision on leaving. Arthur looks up to her a frown appears on his face.
"You know I can't leave Dutch after all he has done for me. He is like a father to me" Arthur mumbles trying to get his words out without coughing.
Claudia stays quiet, her mind overthinking the possible outcomes about this gang, Arthur or herself. Claudia turns her head around in the direction of Charles's voice.
"Found a friend looking for you" Charles mentions as he walks over to the Arthur from the trees. Claudia sees an old man, his hair reaching further than his shoulders.
"Mr. Morgan" the man calls out as he hitches his horse to a near by tree.
Arthur stands up and walks towards Charles and the unknown man his shoulder brushes Claudia's, "sir."
"How are you?" The older man asks, as he stands by the side of Charles.
"A little better. Claudia this is Chief Rains Fall" Arthur says, she gives a small smile and tilts her hat down in acknowledgment to the man, "How can I help you?"
"I am sorry to impose on you again... but I believe I've made progress brokering peace" Rains Fall says with worry in his eyes.
Arthur tilts his head and queries, "You have?"
"I believe so. Colonel Favours has agreed to a meeting... to discuss, and maybe resolve... his alleged grievances and mine. Now, he has lied to me more times than I care to remember... but maybe this time... he must want peace. Why could he possibly want to humiliate us further?" Rains Fall explains, Claudia stands up and leans her self against the table not wanting to interrupt the conversation but she still wants to listen in.
"We got words for his kind, but they're colloquial" Arthur mutters.
"Perhaps I could make one last request... my men are not allowed to carry arms" Rains Fall requests, looking at Arthur and Claudia.
"You want us to keep the peace?" Arthur questions as he points to himself and Claudia.
"Yeah, it'll be a lot of dull talking and ceremony... but I feel with some non-tribe members present... their chances of lying or worse will be reduced" Rains Fall says trying to persuade the two outlaws in front of him.
Charles turns his gaze to Arthur then to Claudia, "Will you, Arthur? Claudia?"
"It ain't my business, brother" Arthur says, rising his hands up like surrender.
"No, I know. But it is mine. Do it for me?" Charles begs, Claudia notices the pleading in his eyes. She pushes her self off the table and brings herself around Arthur.
"I will, I need to get out of this miserable camp" Claudia responds to Charles left open question to Arthur. Charles smiles, he knows that she would do it in a heart beat for him after all the things he has done to her.
Arthur sighs, "Charles, I got..."
"I've saved your life. Do it for me" Charles snaps, the annoyance in his voice growing.
"Sure... come on. You owe this man. You should have him do your negotiations."
Claudia moves first, walking confidently towards Nyrah, "come on then boys, show us the way"
They all get on their horses one by one, Rains Fall leads the way with Charles beside him. Arthur drops back with Claudia, he looks at her seeing her long black hair tied into a plat and then at the road before them and then back again taking in her beauty. She huffs, "what is it Arthur Morgan, have you got something to say?"
Arthur chuckles, "I was going to say you look beautiful today."
"Aren't you too old for flirting Mr. Morgan" Claudia smiles, her cheeks going crimson red.
"What do you mean? I'm in my prime" Arthur laughs, Claudia watches him. She hasn't seen him laugh in a while, nor smile.
"Well we will have to see when those grey hairs will come through on your head" Claudia says, nodding towards the direction of his hat.
"Very funny, I'm laughing so hard right now" Arthur mutters sarcastically with a small grin approaching his face. They both stop talking, taking in the silence that surrounds them. Rains Fall comes to a stop as a man appears by some trees waiting for them.  Rains Fall greets him in a different language which Claudia doesn't recognise. He turns his head to the 3 behind him, "This way."
They all follow him until they read a small camp with tents plotted in different areas and a big table in the middle of it all
"Colonel Favours... Captain Monroe, we come in peace" Rains Fall approaches the men sitting around the table, he pulls out the chair and sits down. Claudia notices the man at the end of the table, a tall slim old man which sort of looks like Leviticus Cornwall.
"Hello again. Who are these two?" He abruptly says, Claudia furrows her brows seeing the two men sat next to him. One must be Captain Monroe who Arthur helped before.
"They're, uh, friends of my people" Rains Fall says.
"Interesting looking fellows... why is she here? This is no place for a woman"
Claudia takes a step towards she places her hand on her hips, "excuse me?"
"I'm just saying, this isn't a place for women to be around. I bet you can't even use that gun in your holster, it's just for show!" Colonel Favours hisses the words hitting Claudia like rocks.
"Would you like me to use it? If not you better shut your mouth and get on with this meeting!" Her accent sores through her words, as anger rises with in her.
"Claudia wait by the horses" Charles sternly mutters, she listens and strolls off towards the horses; her anger still lingering. She scuffs her boots through the mud, the sky hanging heavy with dark clouds, matching her mood as she wanders towards the horses. Claudia settles against a large oak tree, trying to shake off the chaos of the meeting.
Claudia tips her hat over her eyes, surrendering to fatigue as she closes them, thoughts swirling in her mind. The stillness envelopes her, lulling her into a light sleep, away from the turmoil of the world around her.
Suddenly, the tranquility shatters. Gunshots echoe in the air, sharp and jarring, pulling her from her slumber. Instinctively, Claudia bolts upright, her heart racing as she strains to comprehend the chaotic scene unfolding before her.
Charles bursts into her line of sight, dragging Captain Monroe by the arm, who is usually composed demeanor is now marring by panic. She can see Arthur, his broad shoulders tense, holding an army soldier in a headlock, a gun pressing firmly against the man's temple.
"Get on!" Charles yells, urgency lacing his voice as he hoists Monroe on to Nyrah. Claudia scrambles to her feet, her heart thundering in her chest. The mud squished beneath her boots as she sprinted toward her horse, feeling the adrenaline sharpen her senses.
"Come on, Captain!" she shouts, her voice slicing through the chaos as she swiftly mounts her horse, glancing over her shoulder to assess the unfolding chaos.
"Where to?" he asks, his voice strained.
"Anywhere but here!" Claudia replies, kicking her horse into motion. The creature surging forward, galloping away from the turbulent scene as the sounds of chaos faded behind them.
"Claudia take him to the train station I will direct these away!" Arthur yells from behind, he and Charles turn away leading the following army men into the wrong direction. Claudia digs her spurs in going into a gallop.
She sees the train station await them both from afar, "Thank you for saving me, Claudia," Monroe says, tipping his hat slightly as he stands in front of the waiting train, "Please extend my gratitude to Arthur for all he has done for me."
"Of course, I will," she replies, her voice tinges with emotion, "You take care of yourself out there, Captain. I would move counties if I was you."
He offers her a warm smile, but she can see the worry hidden behind his eyes. As he turns towards the platform, the whistle of the train echoing loudly in the air, reverberating through her chest.
"Take care, Claudia," he calls back warmly before stepping onto the train.
Claudia waves goodbye, the doors slam shut, and she stands there for a moment. She turns away, when a familiar figure caught her eye. In the corner of the station, Reverend Swanson sits with a few pieces of luggage at his feet, his eyes scanning the crowd. She approaches him, her footsteps echoing softly on the wooden platform.
"Reverend?" she greets, sitting down next to him, a heaviness settling in her stomach.
"Hello, Claudia," he responds, his voice warm but lining with the weight of unsaid words, "How are you?"
She hesitates, chewing on her bottom lip nervously, "I'm okay, It's just... a lot. With the gang, and the world out there... I don't know what I'm supposed to do next," she finally admits, her voice softening, "what are you doing here?"
He studies her for a moment, and she feels exposed under his gaze, "I'm leaving And what will you do now?" he asks gently.
Claudia opens her mouth to respond, but the words fail her; they crumble beneath the heavy silence. She fumbles for a reply, stuttering, "I... I don't know, Reverend. I just... I feel lost."
Reverend Swanson sighs, a soft sound that echoes their sharing struggles. "Claudia, you're a good person, deep down. But you must come to terms with the choices you've made. You have to understand that they do not define who you are."
Claudia swallows hard, grappling with his words, "But what if I am a bad person? What if I've done things that can't be forgiven?" The tremor in her voice reveals a vulnerability she rarely allows herself to show.
"Everyone has demons, Claudia," he replies kindly, "You've walked a dark path, but you are not condemned to it. You have a good heart, and that means you have more in you than this life. You can choose differently, even now."
The train pulls up to the platform, the whistle blowing loudly as steam billows out in heavy clouds. Claudia watches the spectacle unfold, the anticipation and dread choking her thoughts.
"I—" she begins, but the words escaping her, dissipating into the air.
Swanson studies her, his gaze penetrating yet gentle, "What you do next is important, Claudia. It matters far more than you realize."
For a moment, they sit in silence as the conductor steps out, calling for the passengers to board.
"Reverend, I—" she stutters, trying to formulate the weight of her thoughts, "I'm not even sure what I want anymore."
He turns to her, his eyes bright with compassion, "Then take your time. There is strength in seeking clarity, in understanding your own heart. Don't rush into decisions you might regret."
She nods slowly, absorbing his words like a balm against her doubts, "Thank you, Reverend."
He smiles softly, a hint of sadness lacing the gesture, "You're stronger than you know, Claudia. I believe in you." He points toward the incoming train, the conductor's shouts ringing out above the growing noise, "But for now, it seems I must also say goodbye."
Reverend stands up from the bench, his hand gripping tightly to his luggage. He walks away slowly and climbs upon the train leaving Claudia behind with a new perspective.