The next morning...
Arthur walks out of his cabin toward the main building. The snowstorm has finally stopped, but the snow is still incredibly high.
"He ain't been seen for days. The weather ain't let up. He's strong and he's smart."Arthur walks into the main building, hearing Abigail talk to the girls about—obviously—John. He heads to the fireplace.
"Strong at least." she remarks, noticing Arthur placing an extra log in the fireplace. "Hello, Arthur."
"Abigail."
As she stands up from her stool and strides over to Arthur, his appearance is unmistakably rugged and functional, fitting for the harsh and unforgiving world he navigates. Arthur is clad in a thick blue coat that reaches down to his thighs. The coat is made of a heavy wool material, ideal for the cold weather, and features a high collar that adds both warmth and a touch of classic western style. The coat's deep blue color contrasts with the surrounding landscape, making it stand out distinctly.
Underneath the coat, Arthur wears black leather gloves, worn and creased from use. The gloves are practical, providing him with the necessary grip and protection against the elements. His boots are sturdy and well-worn, showing signs of use with scuffed leather and a bit of mud, suggesting he's been traversing rugged terrain.
Arthur's pants are similarly practical, designed for durability. They are a dark color, perhaps brown or black, and are noticeably dirty, hinting at the rough conditions and hard work he's been engaged in.
Completing his look is a hat, a classic cowboy style with a wide brim, typically black or dark brown. The hat not only provides protection from the sun but also adds to Arthur's rugged, frontier appearance.
"Arthur... how are you doing?" she asks, glancing at him with a hint of worry. Arthur looks up briefly. "Just fine, Abigail. And you?" He's a bit suspicious of where this is going.
She looks down for a moment, clearly nervous about her request. "I need you to—" She hesitates, and Arthur sighs. He knew she was going to ask him to search for her troublesome partner, John Marston. "I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry to ask you, but—"
He cuts her off. "It's Little John... He's got himself caught in a scrape again." He turns his head away from her, and she looks guilty for her request. Yet anger starts to take over. "He hasn't been seen in two—two days."
Arthur wasn't having it. It wasn't his problem if John couldn't manage on his own. "Your John will be fine. I mean, he may be as dumb as rocks and as dull as rusted iron, but that don't change nothin' just 'cause he got caught in some snowstorm."
Everyone was listening, including Hosea, who stood up and turned his attention to the two of them. "At least go take a look. Javier?"
"Yes?"
"Javier, will you ride out with Arthur to take a look for John?" Javier was smoking a cigarette off to the side of the room. Hosea walked toward him to continue. "You're the two best fit men we've got."
"Now?" Javier asked, a little in disbelief.
Hosea now stood next to Abigail and pointed to her. "She's... we're all... we're pretty worried about him." Arthur looked at Hosea."I know. If the situation were reversed and—" Javier began, picking up a shotgun and walking toward Arthur. "He'd look for me." Javier finished, handing the shotgun to Arthur, who accepted it with a resigned posture. Arthur let out a deep, annoyed sigh.
Abigail looked relieved and grateful. "Thank you." she said earnestly. Arthur didn't respond; he simply left the cabin and headed toward Javier.
༺༻
"This way. Last I know, John was headed up the river."Arthur had to focus hard to hear Javier through the howling wind of yet another storm. Everything was white, the snow obscuring their vision. They were both on their horses, Arthur on the new horse he had taken when 'raiding' Sadie's ranch.
"For all we know, he kept riding north and never looked back." Arthur grumbled, his arms tightly wrapped around himself, holding the reins. It was so damn cold.
"He wouldn't leave. Not like that." Javier insisted, but Arthur didn't really believe him.
"Well, wouldn't be the first time." Javier didn't reply. Silence fell between them as they focused on finding John, much to Arthur's displeasure.
They trudged upwards, deeper into the cold and the biting wind filled with snow."Hey, I see some smoke. Let's take a look." said Javier. When Arthur looked up, he saw a smoke trail in the distance, a sign of a fire, maybe a small camp.
"Let's hope it ain't more of O'Driscoll's boys."
As they moved closer, they saw a small fireplace that was out. Javier stepped off his horse and inspected it.
"Well... seems somebody left... recently... and..." He pointed in a direction before walking back to his horse. "That way." he simply said.
"Sure, well, come on then." Arthur replied.Once Javier was back on his horse, he added, "There's some tracks leading to the river." Javier kicked his horse in the ribs and took off into a canter, Arthur following behind. "Let's cross. See, they continue up that way." Arthur looked where Javier pointed and saw the tracks led further into the mountains. Damn.
"You think it's John?" Arthur asked Javier as they crossed the river to the other side.
"You tell me. These are horse tracks for sure, but... could be anyone. Let's just see where they lead."
"So... you were there, Javier. What really happened on that boat?" If Dutch wasn't going to answer him, he'd get the answer from the other gang members, and he knew Javier would tell him anyway.
And he was correct, as Javier started to explain. "We had the money, it seemed fine, then suddenly they were everywhere."
"Bounty hunters?" Arthur asked in confusion.
"No, Pinkertons. It was crazy. Raining bullets—watch out for this crevice—Dutch killed a girl in a... bad way, but it was a bad situation." Arthur was shocked at that; it wasn't like Dutch at all. Was that why he didn't want to explain what happened on the boat?"That ain't like him, though." Javier didn't reply, and Arthur didn't push it.
Javier looked in the snow where the horse tracks were visible. "They continue along the cliff wall here."
Surprisingly, Javier continued. "Davey got shot, Mac and John... both shot too. Sean, we don't even know. I'm surprised we escaped at all. By the time you boys showed up from the other side of town, we were only just holding on." They cantered further upwards, deeper into the mountains. Arthur sighed. "Bad business alright."
As they cantered further upwards, they came into an open space between the mountains. Bad luck too, as the storm seemed to come back with a vengeance. The snow and wind tugged harshly at their clothes, freezing the bodies of both the riders and their horses.
"Damn snow's coming in hard again." grumbled Arthur as the harsh wind whipped through the narrow gap between the tall, snow-covered mountains.
"We'll lose these tracks if we don't move fast." said Javier. They kept pushing on, eager to find John as quickly as possible. They followed a pathway on the side of the mountain that led upwards in a circular manner. "Watch yourself, it's not very wide here," Javier warned as the pathway began to narrow.
"The horses are struggling." Arthur noted. He could sympathize; this weather was hell for both humans and animals, even those made for the snow.
"Yeah, a lot of fresh snow here." Javier agreed.
Arthur was starting to get skeptical. The tracks were not visible, basically gone. The new snow had hidden them completely. "I don't know about this, Javier. W-we can't follow nothing."
But Javier wasn't going to back down now. "Let's push on a little bit. Maybe we'll pick up the trail again."
Arthur knew he shouldn't probably believe that, but he didn't want to return to camp without John Marston. He didn't need to hear Abigail bugging him more about it. John Marston always knew how to get himself into trouble so easily.
They reached a sort of open area, and Arthur squinted his eyes. Luckily, the wind had stopped, making it clearer, and he saw something in the distance, though not very clearly. Javier seemed to notice it too. "Hey, look. Over there, you see that?"
They cantered closer to the object lying on the ground, and it turned out to be a dead horse. Its organs were exposed, as birds were picking at its stomach. When they were close enough, the birds flew away.
"John was riding that horse when we left Blackwater." said Javier.
"Oh... that's..." Arthur grimaced at the sight. It really wasn't an awesome sight to see. Yes, he killed people, but still, it was nerve-wracking to see the actual organs. "Let's see if he can hear us."
Javier took out his gun from his holster and pointed it toward the sky. He shot twice, and Arthur's horse flinched, but Arthur easily calmed it down.
Hey! Help! Here!
They heard someone yelling from afar. It was definitely John."Come on... up there!" They went into a canter and headed toward the other end of the mountains.
Hello? Over here!
They heard someone yelling from afar. It was definitely John.
"Come on... up there!" They went into a canter and headed toward the other end of the mountains.
Hello? Over here!
"It's coming from up ahead somewhere... I don't think we can go much further on the horses. We'll have to walk from here," said Javier, who dismounted. Arthur followed suit. Javier was correct; the pathway was getting way too narrow for a horse. Unless you wanted to slip and fall straight to your death with your horse.
"I'd grab that shotgun from your horse." Javier advised. Arthur nodded and retrieved the shotgun that was secured to his saddle. He and Javier continued on foot toward the narrow end of the path. The way was indeed treacherously narrow, and they had to descend a very steep slope.
"It's slippery, be careful." Javier warned.
"You sure about this?" Arthur asked, eyeing the precarious path ahead.
Javier couldn't answer as John's voice interrupted with his yelling.
Over here!
Help!
They turned right as the path led that way. At least now the path was flat instead of a steep slope. They had to be extremely careful, as just next to them was a sheer drop to death. The landscape was obscured by clouds, mostly due to the snowstorm.
"Mierda, we're high up here." cursed Javier, and he wasn't lying.
"You're telling me." scoffed Arthur.
Help me!
It was so cold that Arthur shivered and hugged his arms together for warmth for a second. "Careful, there's a drop here." Javier warned. He carefully dropped down, and Arthur followed suit.
"Watch out here." warned Javier. There was a huge rock blocking their path, and they had to descend a steep slope below it. The snow wasn't making it any easier.
"Watch your head here." Javier said as he crouched down. There was a rock jutting out just above the pathway, and it was the only way through. Luckily, they could crouch to get past it.
"Okay, good now." Javier stood back up and continued forward. Arthur noticed the path was getting more narrow and the situation was becoming increasingly dangerous. Yet, he wasn't about to back down.
"Watch your step, this is real slippery." Arthur's voice was tinged with deep concern. He didn't want anyone dying right now; they'd lost enough people—too many. "Stay close to the wall," he advised Javier. Arthur followed his own advice, keeping near the rock face. He shivered again and took a deep breath.
"Up this way." Javier gestured to the wall on their right. They couldn't proceed any further on foot, so they had to climb up the wall. Both scaled it with relative ease.
Hey! Over here!
"That sounds closer now. Come on." Javier urged, grabbing Arthur's arm to keep him moving. They pressed on, their breaths visible in the frigid air as they followed the sound of John's desperate calls.
"We're coming, John!" yelled Javier as he climbed up what appeared to be a sloped rock face—more of a roof-like surface than a proper wall.
"Damn, it's cold," Arthur muttered in annoyance as he shivered again. He clasped his arms tightly together, trying to warm himself. Javier, ahead of him, moved towards an opening between two stone walls. He took shelter there, and Arthur followed, finding relief from the biting wind.
"How you doing?" Javier asked, his tone concerned. Arthur fought hard not to roll his eyes."I'm miserable. Been a tough few days."
"I know..."Arthur looked at Javier, who was taking a swig from a flask. "Here... take a drink of this." Javier tossed the flask to Arthur, who caught it effortlessly.
"Thanks." Arthur opened the flask and took a big gulp of the Kentucky Bourbon. The warmth of the alcohol spread through him, helping with the cold.
"I'm not designed for this snow.." Javier admitted, shivering slightly as he spoke."Let's keep moving then, come on. John, can you hear me?" They moved to the other side, straining to hear John calling out again, but they didn't hear anything.
"John!" Javier called again.
Silence.
"John, where are you?"
...
"John?" Both men were clearly growing anxious.
Arthur decided to try his own call. "Marston, you hear me?"
I'm here! Out on the ledge!
"That's John! We're coming!" Javier shouted. Both men began to push through the thick snow as quickly as they could, turning left as directed.
"I'm down here!" John yelled.
"Hey!" he called again.
"Alright, pipe down, Marston!" Arthur shouted in frustration.
Javier approached a sort of half-exposed crevice in the ground. They peered down and saw John lying there, badly injured.
John's face was covered in deep, jagged scratches, evidence of a brutal encounter with wolves. His skin was torn in several places, revealing raw, red flesh beneath. His clothes were tattered, and blood mixed with snow around him. His body was covered in lacerations and bruises, making his condition look dire.
"That's quite a scratch you got there." Arthur joked, though his tone was laced with concern.
John looked up and saw both men. "Never thought I'd say this, but... it's good to see you, Arthur Morgan."
Arthur jumped down to where John was sitting and began to inspect his injuries. Both men shared a moment of eye contact. "You don't look so good." Arthur commented as he stepped closer, ignoring John's visible pain.
John extended both hands to Arthur, who took them firmly. "I don't feel too good neither." John replied.
Arthur then released one hand and wrapped it around John's waist, hoisting him up onto his shoulder. "I'm freezing." John complained, shivering against the cold.
Arthur carefully handed John over to Javier, who was braced on the edge, reaching out to support him. John groaned in visible pain as he was moved. Arthur looked at John and Javier, his expression a mix of concern and determination. "Don't die just yet, cowboy." he said.
Arthur then climbed back up and extended his hand to John, who grasped it tightly. Javier slowly dragged John out of the precarious position and tried to help him stand. "Come on, compadre." Javier urged.
Once Arthur was back up, he assisted in lifting John again, placing him carefully over his shoulder. Despite John's obvious discomfort, he groaned in pain as Arthur carefully carried him.
"Well, we can't go back the way we came. Let's try this way." Javier decided. They moved forward, avoiding the split rock on their right. Arthur turned his focus to John, who was now silently groaning in pain.
"Ain't you a sorry sight?" Arthur remarked with a hint of dry humor.
"Can't... argue with you there." John replied, his voice strained.
"See, I told Dutch you weren't the right man for this." Arthur sighed. John groaned again, wincing in pain before replying, "I'm sure you did."
Suddenly, John let out a loud, raspy grunt in pain. "You alright?" Javier asked, glancing at him with concern.
"I think so.."
"Come on, hopefully this will lead us out," Javier urged. Just then, he noticed something in the distance.
"You see that on the ridge?" Javier asked more to Arthur then John. Arthur, feeling John shift uncomfortably on his shoulder, strained to see what Javier was looking at. As he did, he cursed under his breath, "Shit."
John, evidently in distress, flopped heavily against Arthur's shoulder. Arthur grimaced as he adjusted his grip, trying to balance John.
They spotted three wolves on the ridge, their eyes glinting with menace as they spotted the group. The wolves turned and began heading toward them.
Arthur quickly lowered John to his feet, holding him by the waist while John draped one arm around Arthur's neck, his leg clearly in pain. Javier stepped in to support John. "I'll distract them while you get to the horses. Go, I'll draw 'em off you." Arthur said firmly, and Javier nodded in agreement.
Arthur moved forward to the thick opening beside the ridge where the wolves were approaching. He drew his gun from its holster and prepared himself. He stood still as the wolves rounded the corner, their eyes locked on Arthur, ready to close in.
The three wolves charged at Arthur with a menacing speed. He quickly focused on the first wolf, aiming carefully. The crack of his gun echoed through the cold air as he fired, hitting the wolf squarely in the head. The animal flopped lifelessly onto the snow, its momentum abruptly halted.
The second wolf lunged at him, sinking its teeth into Arthur's shoulder. Arthur grunted in pain, the sharp bite sending a jolt through him. With a fierce shove, he threw the wolf off, the creature yelping as it hit the ground. Arthur didn't waste a second; he raised his gun and fired again. The second wolf collapsed, a fresh pool of blood spreading beneath it.
The third wolf, momentarily stunned by the chaos, barked furiously at Arthur. It seemed hesitant, perhaps confused or frightened by the death of its packmates. Its growls grew louder as it prepared to pounce. Arthur locked eyes with the wolf, sensing the imminent threat. Just as the wolf sprang toward him, Arthur fired once more. The bullet struck the wolf's head, and it too fell, its body twitching briefly before going still.
Arthur stood, breathing heavily, his shoulder stinging from the bite and his hands steady as he lowered his gun."You got 'em all. Good work, Arthur." Javier's voice was filled with relief as he carefully carried John away from the scene
.Arthur scanned the area quickly, ensuring no more wolves were lurking nearby. He then headed back to Javier, who was now supporting John. The horses stood calmly nearby, though Arthur's new horse was still a bit skittish, her nerves frayed by the recent commotion."Okay, let's get going before any more of these bastards show up." Javier urged.
Arthur mounted his horse and Javier carefully positioned John on the rear of his own mount. As Javier climbed onto his horse, he immediately set it into a canter, and Arthur followed suit, matching his pace.
Arthur watched as John limply hung onto the back of Javier's horse, his condition clearly worsening.
"Come on then, let's get back to the others." Javier urged, his voice firm yet concerned. Arthur cantered alongside Javier, keeping a close eye on John.
"I don't feel too good." John muttered weakly. Arthur glanced over at him for a brief moment.
"You'll be fine. It's just like a... a dog bite." Javier reassured John as they pushed forward through the relentless storm.
"I knew a feller, got bit by a dog. Died an hour later." John replied nonchalantly, his voice weak but tinged with dark humor. Arthur rolled his eyes at John's pessimistic remark.
"You ain't gonna die. Not yet." Javier responded firmly, his tone leaving no room for doubt.
They cantered in silence for a moment when Javier, who was again upfront, noticed figures in the distance. "Up there, more of 'em!" Arthur followed Javier's gaze and saw three more wolves running toward them. He quickly drew his gun from its holster and, with practiced precision, shot each wolf in quick succession. The immediate threat was neutralized.
They continued riding and soon reached a grove of trees, a sign they were descending from the higher, more dangerous mountain terrain. "You see any more, Arthur?" Javier asked, his voice tense.
"Don't think so." Arthur replied immediately, scanning the surroundings for any further threats.
"Jesus." John muttered out of nowhere, his voice weak and strained.
"You still here with us, Marston?" Arthur called back.
"Just about." John replied, hanging on as they continued their descent through the snowy forest.
"You're gonna be okay. We have some shelter now." said Javier, his voice filled with reassurance.
"Thanks for coming for me." John said, his gratitude apparent despite his weakened state.
Javier responded, his tone light but sincere. "Of course. That bullet in Blackwater, now this? You've had a hell of a time."
John chuckled quietly, his breath visible in the cold air. "And Arthur always says... I'm lucky."
Arthur smirked, glancing over at John. Yet Javier spoke before Arthur could. "We should ride in the water for a bit, try to lose the scent. Don't want to leave a trail right back to camp." They approached a river, a familiar landmark signaling they were getting closer to the camp.
They guided their horses into the river and continued cantering through the water, the icy cold splashing up against them. Arthur broke the silence. "You know," he began, "we're gonna have to come up with a better story for that scar."
"So, freezing, bleeding, starving, damn near getting eaten to death, ain't good enough for you?" John grumbled moodily. They crossed the river and emerged on the other side, the horses' hooves crunching through the snow.
Arthur didn't reply directly to John, instead turning his attention to Javier. "Yeah... c'mon. Let's push hard and get back."Javier nodded and looked ahead. "See those buildings up ahead, John?" he said, pointing. "That's where we're camped. Nearly there."
They reached the camp and headed towards the middle. "Come on! Someone help John off this horse!" yelled Javier, trotting forward. Arthur also called out, "Can we get some help here?"
Both men stopped, and Arthur dismounted. Just then, the door of the main building burst open, and Abigail, along with a few others, ran out.
"C'mon, help him down," said Javier as he watched Abigail rush towards his horse. "You're alive! Oh, you're alive!" Abigail said happily as she reached John, who was still on the horse with Javier. Arthur noticed two men running out but didn't pay them much mind as he focused on the scene unfolding before him.
"C'mon, there we go. There we go." someone said as they carefully tried to get John down from Javier's horse. John groaned hard in pain, causing Javier to scold the men, "Ay, careful, idiotas, it's his leg." Arthur rolled his eyes at the scene.
"Come on, let's get you warm," Abigail urged, watching the two men supporting John as he hobbled on one leg. John's both arms were draped over their shoulders, his full weight on them. Abigail turned to Javier and Arthur, her face lighting up with a big smile. "Thank you. Thank you both."
Javier nodded with a small smile, while Arthur remained stoic, his eyes fixed on John being carefully laid down inside. "Thank you, Arthur. Thank you." Hosea said from behind them, placing a hand on Javier's shoulder. Javier turned to face him, but Arthur kept his gaze on John until he was settled.
Finally, Arthur turned towards Hosea, who stood with another man. "You got any other lost maidens need saving?" Arthur joked, a hint of weariness in his voice.
Hosea chuckled, shaking his head. "Not today."Javier left to attend to other matters, leaving Arthur with Hosea and Strauss. Arthur glanced around the camp, the cold biting at his skin, before turning his attention back to Hosea. "Have you and Dutch talked about how we're gonna get out of this?" Arthur asked, his voice heavy with concern.
Hosea shivered and replied, "I was just discussing with Herr Strauss–" he gestured to Strauss who stood next to him. The door of the main building closed, and the two men who walked out were now recognizable as Lenny and Bill. "–when the weather breaks, I suppose we'll have to keep heading east."
Arthur looked shocked. "East? Into all that..." He lowered his tone to a whisper, "that civilization?"
"I know. The west is where our problems are worse." Hosea replied, his tone resolute.
Arthur nodded, acknowledging Hosea's point. Just then, Hosea cut the conversation short as he addressed Herr Strauss. "Come on, Herr Strauss. Let's get you warm."
Herr Strauss looked at Arthur and thanked him again. "Thank you, Mr. Morgan." he said, before following Hosea into the main building. Arthur nodded in acknowledgment and watched them go for a moment, feeling the weight of the cold and the day's events pressing down on him.
He then turned and made his way towards his own cabin. The snow crunched under his boots, and the wind howled around him, but there was a sense of grim satisfaction in having brought John back. The camp was a bustle of activity as everyone tried to get settled and warm, but Arthur was ready for some much-needed rest.