𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐔𝐩 ✧ 𝐑𝐃𝐑𝟐

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐱.

Audrey awoke later that night to a snort of a horse like it had just been galloping for miles. She looked around her dark room before quickly lighting a lantern.

"Arthur?" She called out. Silence. Audrey frowned, but her thoughts were put to rest when Arthur quickly snuck into her room, he was being extremely quiet. He raised a finger to his lips, signalling Audrey to be quiet. Audrey frowned again, turning her head as she gave him a questioning look.

"O'Driscolls. Colm must be looking for you," he whispered. Audrey's world seemed to stop and come crashing down all at once. She couldn't go back to him, for once she was quiet happy with things even if it meant being kept in a cabin. Arthur noticed her panic and put a hand on her shoulder, pulling her back to reality. "You'll be okay. I won't let them touch you," he assured. She nodded quickly, her palms growing sweaty with worry.

"Go check in there, Colm wants every house in New Hanover checked," a gruff Irish accent rung from outside. Audrey couldn't recognised the voice as someone she knew, then again the men she lived amongst had all been murdered.

"What 'bout you?" Another voice asked.

"I'll keep an eye out here," the voice answered. There were a few mutters of annoyance before they were stopped by the front door opening. The floor boards creaked as footsteps moved around the small cabin. Arthur stayed close to Audrey, holding his revolver in his hand. Audrey was terrified but she felt somewhat safe with Arthur.

"Check the other rooms," A different voice ordered. With that Audrey could hear footsteps approaching her bedroom door. Arthur pointed Audrey to hide in the corner by the door so she wouldn't be seen. Audrey crawled quietly over, holding her breath in fear as she did so. She thought her heart had stopped beating until she was relieved to have reached the corner. The door opened and Arthur's revolver fired, his shot lighting up the room for a split second. There was a cry of agony before a loud thud, Arthur had killed the man.

"Shit!" An O'Driscoll called out before Arthur moved towards the doorway, his gun ringing again. There was a yelp of pain before Arthur shot again, another thud was heard. The front door flew open but Arthur was quick, instantly firing a bullet at the front door and hitting the Irish man who had been waiting outside. Everything was silent so Audrey rose to her feet, gasping at the sight in the door way. The man's eyes were still open, blood staining his chest. Audrey finally came back to her senses and stepped over his body, avoiding eye contact with the other two bodies. Arthur turned to her, holstering his revolver.

"You okay?" He asked, his chest heaving from the adrenaline. Audrey tried her best not to be shaken up from the situation but she couldn't help but question if she could ever hide from Colm. They almost found her.

"I...I-I," she stuttered as she tried to wrap her head around the situation. Arthur walked over to her and pulled her into him. She was shocked by his bold but comforting movement.

"You're okay," he assured. Audrey nodded, she needed to be told that. He broke the hug after a few moments, Audrey feeling a lot better. "Go get your stuff, we'll leave now. It's not safe here anymore," Arthur informed. Audrey nodded hurrying back to her room to grab her things. As she stepped over the body in the doorway she heard Arthur grunt as he heaved a body over his shoulder, disposing the bodies from the shack.

"Arthur?" A female's voice called out as the two of them rode down a small path through trees and shrubbery. "Dutch said you weren't meant to be here until tomorrow," the woman emerged from the trees, her blonde her became a noticeable feature.

"Don't worry about me, Karen," Arthur informed her as he continued riding. Audrey kindly waved to Karen, Karen giving her a smile as her and Arthur continued down the path. "I know riding this late at night isn't ideal but at least your safe now," Arthur explained. Audrey watched as the two of them emerged from the trees to a clearing, the gleam of two campfires were eye catching along with the smoke that drifted from them. There wasn't a lot of movement from the camp because it was so late. "Dutch!" Arthur called. He dismounted before helping Audrey down, his hands resting on her waist before lifting her carefully off of his horse. She thanked him once her feet touched the ground and heaved the saddlebag from his saddle and placed it over her shoulder, they had moved everything from the box into the saddle bags so they could travel easier. "Dutch!" Arthur called out again, this time louder. This time Dutch emerged from a tent in the centre of the camp, his face screwed with confusion.

"Arthur? What on Earth are you doing here?" Dutch asked as he approached them. His eyes rested on Audrey, he could see she was tired and worried.

"We got attacked by O'Driscolls. I managed to get rid of them but we left in case more of them came," Arthur explained. Dutch shook his head in annoyance.

"Goddamn," he muttered. Dutch sighed. "Susan hasn't set up a place for Audrey to sleep because we didn't expect her here until tomorrow."

"She can have my bed," Arthur offered. Audrey looked at him in surprise. Where would he sleep?

"That isn't necessary. I'm sure there is somewhere else," Audrey spoke. She would feel guilt if she took Arthur's bed. Arthur shook his head at her.

"There ain't. It's fine, I can't sleep anyway and you look exhausted," Arthur ensured. Audrey still didn't like the idea of leaving him bedless for the night.

"Well that's that then. We'll sort your sleeping arrangements tomorrow Miss Davis," Dutch announced, looking at her. "You're safe here. Arthur, show her to the bed," Dutch looked at Arthur and Arthur nodded. Dutch turned away, leaving the two as Arthur and Audrey split from Dutch.

"It's over here," Arthur informed as he led her towards a small shelter built from a canvas sheet. Audrey caught the flicker of a flame in the corner of her eye and looked to her right to see a few people sitting around the fire, it was hard to see who was who but she worked out one of them to be Bill. She was broken away from the fire when Arthur took the saddle bag from her and placed it on the small table by his cot. "This is it. If you need anything at all just come find me," Arthur informed her.

"Are you sure you're okay with this? This is really generous of you," Audrey questioned, Arthur laughed as he nodded.

"It's fine, really. Now stop questioning it and get some sleep," Arthur chuckled. Before Audrey could question him again he was already walking away. Audrey pouted in annoyance at him as he knew she was going to continue, she soon got over it however when she looked around his small shelter built off of the side of a wagon. She sat down on the cot, her eyes lingering on the small plant in a glass object. It was quite beautiful. She continued to look to see a photograph of a young woman, her hair in a braid with a small mole on her face. For some strange reason she felt a pang of sadness. Audrey quickly looked away, feeling rude for prying. She should've known Arthur would have had a lover, he was a nice man. Audrey looked away from his table and caught a glance of a few photographs pinned against the side of the wagon. She noticed one to be Arthur, Dutch and Hosea when they were younger. She smiled, it was intriguing how the three of them still remained close. Audrey decided it was time to stop looking into Arthur's life and go to sleep, she didn't want Arthur to catch her and things to be strange between them. Audrey laid down, staring at the canvas until her eyes fell shut.