Birds of a Feather II

Charles

Charles had smelled the rain on the wind all morning, but it wasn't until they were racing away from Beaver Hollow that it started its free fall.

Charles had abandoned camp while the Pinkertons were still shooting, with Arthur and Charlotte close behind him. They'd chose to rush through the caves as their escape route and no one followed them as a few of the other men kept the agents busy. When they reached the road, Charles and Arthur whistled for their horses in quick succession of each other.

Taima showed up first, galloping up from the pebbled shore near the river. Buck took a few moments longer, and a second whistle from Arthur, but he eventually trotted up in a casual manner, as if gunfire wasn't happening on the other side of the hill. Arthur had found himself a faithful horse, but sometimes Charles wondered if on top of its fearless nature, it also lacked some intelligence.

As soon as Charlotte mounted up behind Arthur, they were off, Charles taking the lead as he cut across the road in favor of plunging into the trees. It was their best bet at a getaway in case the roads were being watched. They couldn't ride at breakneck speeds through the forest trails despite Taima's familiarity with the path, but they were less likely to be followed by agents.

Whether they made the right choice or the Pinkertons chose to focus their pursuit one of the others, it seemed to be working. Charles heard the gunfire fading away, but he didn't take his eyes from the near imperceptible trail in the woods.

"Where we goin'?" Arthur called.

It was a good question. If Charles was on his own, he'd continue north, stealthily slip past any patrols and lay low at the reservation. But he didn't want to bring any more trouble down on Rains Fall's head.

Suddenly, the sky broke open and began to thrash them with rain. The path grew difficult even for his trained eye and Charles had no choice but to lead them back to the road.

"Goddamnit!" Arthur cursed behind him as they emerged from the woods. The rain became torrential now that they were in the open. "Charles, we can't ride in this."

Charles veered right in the next fork in the road, towards O'Creagh's Run and Arthur rode up beside him, Charlotte clinging to his back. Charles pointed and raised his voice to be heard over the downpour. "There's a cabin on the other side of the lake, but I don't know if it's occupied or not."

Arthur lifted his head, droplets spilling over the brim of his hat. His eyes followed the lake's edge to the lonely building near a humble dock on the other side. "One way to find out."

There wasn't anything else close by, and if the Pinkertons were ambitious enough on their hunt tonight, they would be caught. But it was shelter for now.

The cabin wasn't lit, and when they went for the door, it wasn't locked. However, while it wasn't occupied inside, it was furnished with enough personal belongings to prove someone currently resided here.

"Seems safe enough," Arthur determined as Charlotte shivered beside him, quiet.

Charles nodded and had his own check around the place. A fireplace dark and cold, evidence no one had occupied the space recently. There was a single bed in one corner, a curtain tied back, ready to be loosed for privacy and protection from the rising sun. Coats hung on the rack near the door facing the lake, not moth-eaten enough to be abandoned, and all the same size. The table was paired with only a single chair. A simplistic set-up and with no sign of any non-essentials, but enough for one man to live in solitaire. Given its location, Charles wagered this was the home of a lone hunter.

"Well, this is just great," Arthur sulked, pacing around the limited space, the water from his coat dripping sporadically and darkening the wooden floor. "Just goddamn fantastic."