The Last Love Of Arthur Morgan

Matters of The Heart

Arthur left camp sometime in the night, he didn't know where he was going, he just knew he needed to leave. He told Lenny because he was the one on watch, but asked him not to tell anyone. He swore.

It didn't take long before he realized where he was headed; The Heartlands. He needed to be one with nature for a while, to figure himself out and find out where he really wanted to be.

The gang was his whole life, but the gang also took away his whole life. Because of the gang, he couldnt walk down the street without being judged for what he did years ago, or enjoy a beer at the saloon without someone making a snide comment.

He was beginning to see the dark side of the gang and what having a family meant in this life - he saw what it was doing to John and Abigail and little Jack; the gang was all he ever knew.

Arthur wasn't sure he ever wanted to be in a relationship with anyone again, not after what happened to Eliza and Isaac - the pain didnt seem worth it. If he did happen to be with someone again, he knew it wouldn't work out, seeing as he would be too scared to ever get close to them.

Maybe I do run away from people I connect to. Maybe Mrs. Grimshaw was right, I am afraid of commitment. But I think I'm more afraid of what happens next, because life doesn't always have a happy ending. Somehow life finds a way to bite me in the ass whenever I least expect it, but I guess that's the way it goes.

I do like Lorna a lot, but she's weak and timid, not really 'running with a gang' material. But then again, Mary-Beth surprises us every now and again, so maybe she will - I hope she will, because I'd like to be wrong about her.

Arthur did a quick scribble of Lorna the night they kissed by the lake, then closed his journal and shoved it back into his satchel. Walker was grazing by a nearby tree, while the fire crackled in front of Arthur. He'd been gone about two days now, and had no intentions of going back, not yet. He still had so many things to think about.

He laid his head back against the tree and closed his eyes. He knew sleeping up against the tree would reek havoc on his back, but he didn't much feel like laying out his bedroll. He could hear Walker milling around near the tree, trying to find a decent spot to bed down for the night.

"Y'all right boy?"

Seeming to understand him, he snorted in response. Arthur chuckled.

...

The next morning, Arthur put out the fire and fed Walker some apples he'd bought yesterday, and ate one himself then headed out. It was a chilly morning but he knew it'd heat up by the afternoon.

The morning started off really nice and peaceful and as he predicted, by noon the temperature rose. However around three o'clock a storm begun brewing to the East of him. The sky turned an ugly grey, thick rolling clouds, thunder way off in the distance. He prayed it went the other way - he didn't quite feel like making camp again so soon.

He decided to ride away from the storm instead of continuing the route he was on, it was risky but he figured it couldn't hurt.

Riding out in the middle of nowhere, reminded him of when he first met Lorna. He shook his head, once again his thoughts drifted to her.

"Damn girl." He muttered under his breath.

When he came up on a house he slowed Walker down to a trot, the last thing he wanted was the owners, if any at all, to think he was coming to rob them. He never did that when he was alone, unlike the others, he supposed. He didnt like the look people gave him.

A woman with her young child was outside, and a dog was sniffing around the corner. There were a few horses in the back corral, grazing.

He tipped his hat."Ma'am."