Butterfly

Crisis Arising

Kieran had given the gang all he can about Colm's known hideouts. However, it is of no use, as his knowledge about them is very limited.

"I only rode with them a couple of months like I said. Sorry," was all he could say when they questioned him about it. No one doubted him—he had no reason to lie now that Elizabeth vouches for him and trusts him enough that the gang has started to treat him better.

"We're gonna find him, Liz," John says, patting his sister's back. "We told him," Elizabeth angrily says. "Arthur, Pa, and I told Pops it was a trap, but he blindly followed Micah... and what did that give us? A missing brother and the law on our backs!"

"Hey, calm down," John says, grabbing her by the shoulder. "There ain't nothin' we can do about it now. What matters is we find Arthur and bring him home," he sees a tear run down her face and he knows she's at her limit. He wipes it away and pulls his sister to his chest. "What if somethin's happened to him? What if we don't find him in time?"

"Ain't nothin' happenin' to him," John reassures her, but his wavering voice betrays him. He's just as terrified as Elizabeth. "He's a strong man, and we both know it. I reckon he's already breakin' himself outta there."

A horse rides towards them, and Charles greets them as the siblings break apart. "How are you holding up?" he asks the two. "Fine," Elizabeth mutters, looking away. Charles looks at John as the scarred man waves him off, telling him to leave it alone. John pats Elizabeth's back before mounting his horse and leaving the two.

The boys and Mrs. Adler have been on rotation every eight hours, heading out of camp and searching. All of them except Elizabeth.

"You haven't slept in two days," Charles comments as they ride into town to try and ask around. "Yeah, well, Arthur's been missing for three. I think I have a higher chance of survivin' than he does," Elizabeth throws back, making Charles sigh, resorting to keeping quiet instead.

After a while, the girl sighs, suddenly feeling guilty.

"I'm sorry, Charles. I didn't mean to snap at you like that," she says, looking down on her reins. Charles looks at her, seeing the pain in her eyes, and feels sorry for the girl. "That's quite alright. If I had the ability to do so as a boy, I would be in your position, looking for my own mother without rest."

The two ride around, asking strangers for tips on well-hidden locations--shacks, abandoned ranches and homes, campsites, and the like. Elizabeth, being quite stealthy and unknown to most townsfolk, easily slips in and out of towns to ask around, posing as a researcher or a writer. She meets with Charles out of town after, and they search for the tips given to her.

Elizabeth and Charles ride back to camp after searching most of Rhodes, coming up empty-handed. Micah and Bill arrive right after, having searched by the borders towards Saint Denis. "Suprised you hadn't killed each other," Elizabeth comments, brushing her horse, not sparing them a glance. "Hard not to, but we managed," Bill replies, hitching his horse next to hers. "How are you holding up, kid?"

"I'm fine. Stop askin' me the same old shit," she replies, before stopping and hanging her head. "Sorry..."

Bill understands.

Elizabeth could potentially lose the brother closest to her, of course she's not fine.

He's known the kid six years. She's the only one he could vent to without the need to get drunk or angry at.

"Let's take a walk for second," he says, taking the brush from her hands. "Duffy, clean Liz's horse for her, won't ya?"

Kieran nods in understanding and gets to work. He sends Elizabeth a sympathetic smile and a pat on her shoulder. "We'll find him, Liza. I'm sure we will," he tells her comfortingly. The girl simply nods and follows Bill towards the campfire.