𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐧 ♦ 𝐑𝐃𝐑

🇨​🇭​🇦​🇵​🇹​🇪​🇷​ 11

"Asher." I hear John walking up next to me before I turn to look at him once I caught myself from the deep and depressed hole I was falling into.
"John."
"Looks like you got somethin' eatin' you, boy. What's wrong?"
"Just everything right now, Marston. Everything in this goddamn situation has left a bad taste in my mouth. Did you know Selina's father was a famous outlaw?"
"No, no I didn't. Who is he?"
"Antonio Hinton... Apparently he used to go by 'Deadweight Hinton' till well, he met her mother and all."
"Oh yeah? So do they basically share the same story as you two?"
I begin to explain to John the story to the best of my ability that Selina had told me. I could only tell him so much from my own memory without putting words into the story or changing parts. He seems a bit stunned, knowing everything about Selina's life that he had never got to know back in the day. We both had different things going on then, him with his family and me with mine.
"Wow... I mean, she seems so innocent and--- I guess pure. But she's been through hell long before she fell in with us."
"I know. I thought the same thing--- Though, all I can think on is the fact that... Well, maybe I ain't as good a man. Just like her father..."
"Why do you say that?"
"Just don't feel like it... I feel like I ain't no good man, ain't no better. Makes me feel bad, Marston. I lead her into this life just as her father led her mother. Maybe in a whole different sense, but still... I love her. But I did this to her, and that makes me a bad man all together. "
John looks me over for a moment before he shakes his head. Disagreeing with my statement.
"Ya know, you're not a good man Asher, but you're not all bad either... You want me to believe you ain't good then fine. I'll say it with you, but if I look at your life. Your almost four beautiful children, the amazing ranch you and her have. The life you lead... Well, it's something out of miracles. This path, is everything that you both ever dreamed of."
"I'm worried my path is comin' to end, Mr. Marston. I'm doin' all I can for her... Sometimes--- It just ain't feel like enough."
John gives me a pat on my shoulder. "Go rest with her, Asher. You deserve it. But also, don't let your mind get to you either. I surely ain't no Arthur Morgan in your time of need right now, but I can tell you that you keep thinkin' like that, you'll eventually turn on her--- On your children, and on your life. Just by thinkin' so damn negative about it all. Think on that, boy."

That, well, that was probably the most useful amount of information that John could've ever given me. Arthur really was my voice of reason back in the day, same with Nathan. Not having them, well, I knew I was bound to fall into that dark tunnel of despair at some point. I missed them. Really did.
"Thanks John, maybe Arthur was wrong 'bout how stupid you can be at times."
"Very funny, you wear his hat and you insult me just as much as he did now too, get some rest. We got a long journey down here ahead of us." He chuckles as he nods his head towards mine and Selina's tent.
I give the male a tip of my hat before come up beside Selina, removing my hat and laying myself down beside her. She's quick to turn on my side so she can at least be close to me as she usually is. Just as she always did truly desire to be.

          The morning sun is quick to greet us, John is cooking up some breakfast for us. Just some meat he had hunted back in New Austin. Simple enough but he knew we all needed to eat a little before heading up to the city within our view. The white buildings of Chuparosa are just over the hills in the distance. We weren't sure what we there for, but John did state that we needed to meet with the famous Landon Ricketts. God, what an honor that would be. See, Arthur loves the stories about that man and what a great gunslinger Ricketts was and I'm assuming still was. He always wanted to compare me to him, but even I knew I wasn't as good as that man. "Good morning, Asher. How you feeling today?" The male questions as I'm sitting up, looking up to find that Selina wasn't beside me.

"Better I suppose, where's Selina?"
"Went for a small ride, not feeling too good I guess."
"Almost done with that crap. She hates it."
"Wasn't she sick like that with the boys?"
"A little yeah, this is just a more extreme level." I mumble as I'm coming to take up some of the meat with my knife.
"Could be the stress... Also could be her age too."
"Doubt it's her age, Marston. She was nearly thirty when she gave birth to Sadie. Been about five years since I guess."
"What led you guys into thinkin' 'bout another?"
"Ah.... We made a promise back at Clemens Point back in the day. Said I'd be happy to have at least four kids with her. Well, we was tryin' but she just never seemed to fall pregnant---"
"And of course she did when the timing just wasn't right."
"Yeah, in a sense." I laugh before I hear the horse coming back towards us. Selina quick to jump off of the animal. "My love, good morning."
"Hey, lover boy. Nice to see you this morning. Breakfast looks---- Good I suppose." She mutters with a slight laugh as she takes up some of the meat as well. "You feelin' alright?" Selina allows a shrug to roll through her shoulders for the moment. Blinking a few times before speaking once more. "Not as bad as I was a couple weeks back. Think we're finally hittin' that time where the sickness comes and goes rather than be a constant pain in my ass." We all laugh for the moment, just enjoying this time together. It was so different it just being the three of us and not a gang of over fifteen or so people. But, it was still nice to be in the presence of someone who didn't betray us in the end. Such as Dutch, Bill, and Javier.

     We tear down the camp and make our way up to Chuparosa. There, we do end up meeting the famous Landon Ricketts though, if I was honest, I wouldn't even know him if I saw him. But not before dealing with two gentleman whom Selina can understand perfectly. They do the talking to John though who doesn't understand much. One takes his hat before he demands John's boots, well, John plays them and is quick to shoot all three. "Oh, very good. Very good indeed, sir. What a great way to improve border relations. An illiterate farmer crossing the river, coming into their civilization and butchering the local peasants... Thank you very much, sir." The two have a lengthy exchange before he turns to us. "Then over here you got a girl and a boy, sure they must be together, you both must be angry too." We just shrug before he shakes his head. He then teaches John how to shoot, but then it comes down to questioning who John was and us as well. "No one interesting. Who're you?" John replies before the older gentleman finally says it. "Landon Ricketts. Not a name that means much anymore." We all shake our heads for the moment in disagreement. John then tells the other how we were here for Bill and Javier. All that, shooting range ends and we end up helping some of the locals and that's where it all ends. John, well, he was gonna handle as much as he could down here. Saying he was gonna try to play both sides of the field but if both of us were interested, we could try always keep in contact with Landon and maybe have him help us out as well with our shooting while he was off running around everywhere. It was up to us though, and thus, well, we were gonna choose to go along with having Ricketts help us out.