Dolce Vita - Arthur Morgan

Chapter Three

The light of a bonfire peeked through the trees surrounding the gang's hideout near Valentine. It had been nearly five hours since they left Saint Denis and Hallie felt like she would fall from her horse at any given moment. She hadn't paid attention to her companions for the last three hours as they babbled on about some heist. As exciting as it sounded, she was frankly too tired to care.

Even though it felt like the whole world was asleep, the little camp was beginning to awaken. Usually, only the young girls were up this early in the morning doing chores, but with a new woman arriving, a few more members had gotten out of bed.

She sat up straighter when her eyes glanced on the small crowd forming, falling into old habits of wanting to make a good impression.
"Welcome to the camp, Hallie," Dutch said as

he jumped off his horse and went on to inform her that she would need to do her share of work, just like the rest of them.

Hands slightly shaking, she approached the little group with Dutch and Arthur by her side.
"This is Miss Hallie Appleyard. She'll be running with us. Susan, will you show her to the tent? We all need some rest."

A couple of people greeted her with a small wave, and others didn't bother. Not all were thrilled to hear that Dutch had let a girl of aristocratic means join the group. The riches of her people weren't looked upon fondly by them. What she represented was what their gang was a movement against.

Susan was a mean-looking woman. She murmured, which seemed passive-aggressive greeting, and stomped her way over the small tent that Hallie would be sharing with the other girls.

A bedroll had been prepared for her. Suddenly she missed the luxury of a real bed. That thought quickly disappeared when she laid down, and she was just grateful not to be on horseback anymore.

Arthur couldn't stop thinking about her. Something about her mesmerized him. She left a life in wealth and privilege to be free. It made him believe that what they had built with this gang had meaning. She also irritated him greatly, but he couldn't exactly put his finger on what about her that made him feel that way.

"Would you stop staring at me?" Hallie smirked, her eyes still closed.
"Sorry! I wasn't looking. I was just-"

"Whatever you say, Mr. Morgan. Goodnight," She said as she laid on her other side.

"Goodnight, Hallie."

_____

The sun shone brightly when Hallie opened her eyes. What felt like two minutes had been two hours, and she didn't have the conscience to sleep anymore. Her entire body felt drained of energy, but she had to ignore that for now. It had never been so vital for her to leave a good impression.

The camp looked so different by day. Hallie observed as people were doing chores, and others were chattering. She hoped she could genuinely one of them at some point. The young girl had a longing to be a part of something bigger than herself. She knew it was going to take a whole lot of effort on her part. But firstly, she had to talk to Dutch.

Carefully, she trotted through camp in the pursuit to find its leader. She peeped into all the little tents she passed on her way until she came upon a familiar figure. Arthur was on his mattress, legs and arms crossed, and his hat covering his eyes.

"Arthur, are you awake?" She whispered loudly, quickly fixing her hair.

A small growl fled his lips as he sat up in his bed and ran a hand down his face.

"I sure am now. What can I help you with?" His eyes quickly fixated on her loose wavy hair. It seemed so different than it did last night.

"Where can I find Dutch?"