RUNNING WILD [JOHN MARSTON]

11: the grays and the braithwaites

Just a little side note - I've just published a Sean Macguire fanfic if anyone would like to check it out!❤️

John Marston sighed, shuffling uncomfortably as he pretended to listen to the strange boy in front of him that was Beau Gray. The gunslinger was stood in the rather upper class grounds of the Gray's estate, listening tediously to the family's son discuss with Arthur Morgan his love for Penelope Braithwaite; belonging to none other than the Gray's enemies. John was bored of the tragic Romeo and Juliet story already, and by the way that Javier Escuella had been shuffling next to him, he clearly was too.

The outlaws were supposed to be on their way to the Braithwaite's, geared up and ready to steal their horses, for the sole purpose of playing up to the Grays, and making some money. What John hadn't realised was that Arthur had apparently already had a run in with Beau Gray, which left them with the courtesy of listening to his romantic troubles.

"Alright then Mr Gray, don't you worry." Arthur spoke as he and the boy said their goodbyes and the men made their way to the front of the large estate. John took the plantation in as he left - the mugginess in it's air, the huge brick walls that stood tall at the front of their property, with two miserable men standing guard on each side. The plantation house had gorgeous white pillars that grew themselves up the exterior of the three story house, and little windows poked themselves out of the walls.

"Why don't the kid just marry the girl?" John grumbled to Arthur as they mounted their horses.
"You know why, Marston. Them two families been feudin' for nearly 90 years."
"And now we're stuck in the middle of it." Javier muttered. As soon as the gang arrived at Clemens Point, Dutch and Hosea heard wind of the age-old feud between the two richest families in the state of Lemoyne. Dutch was convinced, straight away, that the families had gold - and lots of it - hidden away somewhere. Now, Dutch's main goal was to get between the families, playing them off one another, steal their gold and disappear. He and Arthur were even acting as some sort of deputies for Sheriff Gray.
"Let's just go get these horses from the Braithwaites." Arthur instructed the men as they began to ride in the direction of Braithwaite Manor.

The men made their entrance to the Braithwaite's stables through the back of their tobacco fields, with John bullshitting some story about how they were there to discuss business. Bandanas up, the men stole the horses, riding briskly through the fields until they reached the two rather strange brothers they had been told to sell the horses to. Clay and Clive were an odd pair, who claimed the horses were only worth $700. Arthur Morgan was grumbling away, claiming the gang had been robbed once again, just like with the sheep in Valentine.
"Let's just head back, come on Morgan."

The three horses walked at a steady and calming pace, as the men atop of them chatted and discussed the situations that the Van der Linde gang were currently experiencing.
"I feel like, I don't know man, we just been doin' so much robbin' - stagecoaches and shit - and Dutch is still on about one more big score." John Marston complained to his fellow members as they rode along next to him. Trees lined the pathway either side of them, as they made their way back through greenery and fields to eventually reach Clemens Point.
"Yeah, you been doin' a lot of robbin'!" Arthur Morgan exclaimed as he let out a loud laugh. John shot him a confused look, feeling like he was hinting at something through his comment.
"I just noticed you got yourself a new partner to go robbin' with."
"Rosalie?" John questioned him as Arthur smirked, raising his eyebrows, and Javier chuckled. "Seriously, man? You know her and Micah can't partner up, they'd fucking kill each other."
"Oh!" Arthur laughed again. "So you just want Micah to kill you instead?"
John glared at the two men riding next to him as they laughed and joked.
"You know that's what would happen if anyone went near Miss Bell, though." Javier joked.
"Guess you're lucky nobody is, then, Escuella. I look like I got time for a woman?" John smiled now, knowing that laughing along with the two men would be easier than getting defensive.
"I don't think a woman's got time for you, Marston." Javier laughed as the three men's horses emerged into the trees that lead them to their camp.

It was late evening as they rode back in, the smoke from the campfire beginning to travel into the air as camp members began to gather round it. The usual suspects, like Bill or Karen, were drinking already and the ladies were helping themselves to Pearson's stew.
"I guarantee you, if it wasn't getting late Dutch woulda' been sending us straight back out to mess with those families again." Arthur sighed as he hitched his horse and removed his hat, ruffling his hair. John agreed as he patted Old Boy and fumbled into his pocket for a box of cigarettes.

Rosalie Bell emerged from her tent as her eyes settled on John, Arthur and Javier making their way back into camp. The men were joking and laughing as they climbed off of their horses, and Rosalie was glad that John and Arthur were coming closer together again. She watched John as he lit up a cigarette immediately after hitching Old Boy and made his way over to the campfire. She wanted to go to him immediately, steal him away so that they could hide in his tent or sneak off into the woods again, but she knew what the men were like once it got dark. They were always fixated on drinking, or smoking, or playing poker, or joking with each other about women or being outlaws. Rosalie sighed to herself, at the situation she was in. It was hard for her to spend time with John - they couldn't let the camp know and they certainly couldn't let Micah find out. They'd been sneaking around with each other for weeks now - ever since Horseshoe Overlook, and Rosalie was beginning to wonder how much longer it would stay a secret.

Rosalie wandered over to the campfire, joining the men by sticking a cigarette between her lips and lighting it up. She took a seat on the crates next to John and took a sip from the bottle of whiskey that he offered her.
"Where you boys been?" She looked to John, but her question was directed to Arthur and Javier, too.
"Messin' with them families again." John shook his head. "Stealin' horses off that Braithwaite woman."
Rosalie chuckled at John's dismay. She'd taken a backseat in terms of the rich family action - Arthur, Bill and Dutch had been deputised with the Grays, and Hosea was in control of messing with that Catherine Braithwaite woman. The Bell's weren't the best choices for playing the nice-and-innocent type, and Dutch knew this as well as the Bell's themselves. Their tempers were too thin to be pandering to a rich old hag.

"You doin' okay?" John turned to Rosalie as the other camp members began their own conversations, leaving the pair to finally speak just the two of them. "Feel like you're gettin' agitated."
"I am." Rosalie sighed as John smirked at her. "I ain't interested in this family feud. Robbin' trains, banks? That's my thing."
"You think there really is gold at the bottom of all this?"
"I doubt it!" Rosalie laughed. "I think Dutch and Hosea are gettin' ahead of themselves."
"Don't worry," John placed his hand on her leg, before realising that they were still sat with everybody else. "This'll be over soon." He smiled as he quickly removed his hand again.
Finishing his cigarette, John looked over his shoulder in the direction of his tent, which stood next to Dutch and Arthur's.
"Come on," he whispered, standing up, "Dutch is arguin' with Molly again and Arthur's gettin' drunk."
Rosalie giggled as she stood up next to him, silently following John and forgetting everybody else in camp.