Tattered Pages

Found

"Yeah yeah, I know. Just sew it up will ya?" He finished sliding the injured shoulder out with a wince and reached for a nearby bottle of whisky to take a chug. "nabavi mu odjeću" the old shaman said to a young girl peeking in the tent sending her scurrying off. "You're ruining all your clothes as well." he said with a slight humor and began stitching the inflamed trench in the shoulder muscle. John winced a second time, took another swig and said, "Yeah well, I've never been one too heavy on fashion." He scrunched his face in a grimace, his voice straining with the pain. The girl scurried back in and carefully laid a change of clothes at John's feet. "Thank you," he mumbled through gritted teeth. She nodded and dipped a cloth in water wiping the blood from his face and eye. When she was almost done, he gently swatted her away and clinched his jaw as the old man tied off the suture.

John stood up the arm and head dropping to a dull throb and began to slip on the clothes the girl had brought in.

He mumbled another thank you and started to leave. "You don't want to know about the arrival?" the shaman said looking up at him, a slightly mischievous partial smile on his lips. John stopped and turned back, "What are you going on about?" he turned to sit back down beside the medicine man. "There is an old saying in our village, Kad crvena munja zaplače, duša se ponovno rađa. Dvoje rastrgnutih više ne žale." "Sounds like gibberish to me. What's it mean?" John leaned closer resting a propped hand on one knee. "It means When the red lightning weeps, the soul is reborn. The two torn asunder no longer to mourn." "Wellll," john said scratching his head and letting a little chuckle escape. "That still don't make a whole lotta sense to me." The shaman softened a little. "Your soul has returned to the earth. It is up to you to find it John Marston." The old man leaned forward speaking in a whisper, "It is waiting for you to rejoin it now." he leaned back smiling slightly. John, still confused, stood up in a slight huff and waved off the words of the old one. "Ok shaman, I'll be sure to look for it. Thank ya again." He turned and walked out of the tent leaving the words of wisdom behind with the breaking of the dawn.

Sarah had crawled back in the cot bunching the covers once again around her. She rolled over to face the back of the tent and pulled the blanket up to her chin. A single sob escaped her so filled with grief, relief, and fear that her eyes squeezed shut for a moment then opened to stare at the wall lost with what to do. She heard the tent flap open and felt the presence of the big man come up and stand behind her.  She shut her eyes trying to control the full body tremble that seemed to vibrate her from head to toe. Sarah lay still as she felt the cot weigh down atthe end and heard as the man pulled and flopped both boots to the floor. There was slight shifting as she assumed he was undressing to lay down beside her. 

The cot gave only slightly as he quietly flipped the edge of the blanket up and crawled in behind her once more. Gently he pulled her into him, spooning her body with his and placing light kisses down her ear and one at the base of her neck. His touch was light and heavy at the same time, almost clumsy like he was handling a china doll with a monkey wrench, but full of complete devotion it seemed. This time he felt her tense, her body betraying her as she tried to continue fake sleeping. His mouth was just above her ear now, Arthur's hot breath softly brushing the side of her face. "You awake darlin?" He leaned a little closer, his warm body seeming to calm the shiver that had taken her earlier. She continued the facade for a moment longer but his nuzzle into the crook of her neck brought on an involuntary sigh. He smiled but said nothing as he closed his eyes against her skin drinking her in. Arthur started to speak again, slow and intoxicated by her closeness, his baritone voice humming against the bare skin of her shoulder and neck. "I know yur scared," he kissed the skin in front of his lips, "and I know you don't understand and you're confused," he lifted up on his elbow slightly kissing another small area behind her ear, his hand brushing the hair back behind the same ear then slowly moving down her arm to cup her elbow. "But I promise I'm going to keep you safe and I'll explain everything when you wake up." His hand slid from her elbow to her hip and she felt it start to edge towards her inner thigh. Her heart thundered and a quick intake of air escaped her as she grew rigid once more. Arthur stopped moving, the fear he felt from her body emanating back to him as she tightened in his arms. It was too soon, too much. He took in his own deep breath and exhaled, stilling for just a moment longer. He brought his hand back up to rest on her hip, rubbing it slightly to relax her. She instantly let out the breath she'd been holding but kept the unknowing still posture in front of him. "It's ok honey," he kissed her cheek with a finalized pressure, " You get some sleep now and we will talk in the morning ok?" Arthur tucked the hair lovingly behind her ear and waited till she gave him a soundless little nod then he wrapped his other arm under and around her pulling her into a full bear hug. He only held her then, his breaths starting to ease with his own weary slumber. She took in one more deep breath and let it out, willing herself to calm in his arms.