Just Like Old Times

The Riddle Song

Song is "I Gave My Love A Cherry" by Unknown. It's also known as "The Riddle Song".

As she rode on Liath, Lilly thought long and hard about what the blind man said, and as much as she tried to focus on the other things, her mind was most occupied with the last piece of information she was given.

"He's already sick," she whispered to herself. Just saying it out loud made tears fall from her eyes. She caressed her eighteen week pregnant belly and sobbed, putting a palm on her mouth to muffle the sounds as she stopped her horse. "Oh, Arthur. You promised! You fuckin' promised!"

She wiped her tears and rode along with Brian and James trailing behind her. By midday, she got near Rhodes and traveled south from there to Shady Belle. There was no one there except a few horses.

"Hmm." She went inside and found Pinkerton bodies. "Arthur?! Are you here?!"

No response. She checked all the rooms. He had been here recently, so she'd have to track. She went back outside and told the boys to find Arthur, and they headed back out.

X===================X

"Arthur! Arthur's here!" Mr. Pearson exclaimed.

Abigail laughed and hugged Arthur. "Oh Arthur, you're alive!"

"Just about," he said, coughing a little. He still felt like crap.

"Did Lilly make it?" she asked him.

"Yes. We all boarded ashore separately. She should be here soon."

"Come inside, come on, it's rainin'!" They all went inside. "Hey everybody, look who's here!"

"How y'all doin'?" Arthur asked as he brushed himself off. He went to Uncle's hammock and shook it. "Hey, old man, wake up!" Charles embraced Arthur with a short hug.

"Hey, Arthur, they got John," Abigail mentioned.

"Yeah, he got arrested," Sadie said.

"He ain't hung yet?" Arthur asked as he sat down.

"Not yet, they moved him to Sisika. He's been workin' on a chain gang."

Arthur looked around and saw Micah, Hosea, Lenny, Javier, and Sean had made it back. "Where's Dutch and Bill?" he asked as he was given food.

"He ain't here yet."

"Glad you boys made it here." Arthur began chowing down into his food. "Mmm, good. I'm starvin'."

"Yeah, you look it," Sadie commented. "In fact, you look a little under the weather. You feelin' okay?"

"Not really, but I'll be fine," Arthur said. He was worried, though, about what Lilly had said about him getting sick. When he'd finished his meal, he started chatting away with everyone when Mr. Pearson burst through the door. "Lilly's here!"

Arthur got up and ran to the door. She was coming in with Brian and James but she didn't look too happy to see him. She dismounted, ran to him and almost tackled him over. He laughed and held her close, but his smile soon faded when he felt her body shaking. "Hey, what's the matter?"