𝔴𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔡 𝔰𝔲𝔫 ⟡ ʀɖʀ2

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 𝟸𝟹

The sun is coming over the hill and we hear Dutch shouting outside they we're headed to our hopefully final camp called Beaver Hollow. Up near Annesburg which was good for Nathan and his girl, but it was so far away from West Elizabeth than Selina or I was used to. Nate, Selina, and I head into Saint Denis to go collect some mail before we agree to meet everyone else up within the camp. I see Selina has a letter and I was just curious on who she was talking to.

"Whatcha got there, Sel?"
"Well--- Ever since I didn't come back home from Valentine. My mother has been sending me some letters. Some beggin' for me to come back, others tellin' me to go right off the side of a cliff. Well, now she's calm, tellin' me all 'bout my little sister and my step father. A lot changed 'cause I lied to her, told her I met a good man, named Asher. We're havin' a baby together and it seemed to have snapped her out. I just said we were traveling though, but--- She recently came to find our wanted posters and--- She lost it for a bit. Tellin' me I'm a no good piece of shit who doesn't deserve any happiness. Sayin' you did this to me, all of this is your fault---"
"She sounds lovely."
"I ain't done yet. I told her 'bout how much you love me and this child. How you'd do anythin' for us. That calmed her down a bit and when you get to meet her someday, she won't look at you any other way than the love of my life."

I just shake my head a bit before she lets me read the letter her mother recently sent to her.

My Dearest Selina,
I hope this letter finds you in good spirits. Quite the journey you've been on it seems. I'm happy to hear of the arrival of a baby boy that you're having. Think you deserve nothing but the best. I know it seems you are doing the right thing, but if only you could come home and be with your family that love you, it would mean the world to me. You're my oldest daughter and the best there ever was. I just want you safe. That baby safe, and this man you talk about, Asher. He sounds like a fine man in his own way. Not sure why you did fall in with a crowd like him, but... The way you speak on him does lead me to believe he loves you and that child with every ounce he does have within him. I can only pray one day you both do find yourselves back withinWest Elizabeth and we can meet one another in the proper form and maybe you'll consider marrying him if you are having a child together. Please remember that myself and your step-dad love you as well, Selina. You are very important to us and we know you'll do what is right in the end. Stay out of trouble and don't let me hear that you've been caught by the law and they're going to hang you for anything you've done. I don't know if my heart can handle it.
We'll be seeing you, Selina.

With all my love,
Ma

My eyes fall upon her a she looks up at me. A slight chuckle passing my lips before I hand the letter back to her. "She sounds like a nice woman. I hope we do get to meet her one of these days when everything is cleared up and done for. Bet she's as nice as you too."
"She'll love you, Ash. I know she will. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me, you and this little cutie I'm havin'."
"Sel, think I'm far from the best thing to happen to you, honestly. I ain't a good man, not in the army, not something special. Just a gunslinger, an outlaw, a bad, bad man. But I love you, our son, even fuckin' Natey over there."
I look over at the male whose brushing his horse and calling him a 'good boy' before he gives me a smile and a nod.
"If anything, Selina Hinton. You're the best thing to ever happen to me. I'll marry you one day, when the time becomes right and you and I have everythin' figured out together. Selina Sanders doesn't sound too bad on ya."

She shakes her head with a laugh before kissing me rather tenderly. "I love you, Asher Sanders and I can't wait to be your wife one day."
"Love you too---"
"Alright love birds. That's enough, need to get up to Beaver Hollow before Dutch starts questioning where the hell we are."

With that we set off up near Annesburg and to Beaver Hollow.
"You tell your woman that we was comin' up here?" I ask Nathan as we're riding.
"No, not yet, figured I'd let her know when things went south with Dutch. Pick her up and we go back to West Elizabeth or somethin'. Don't want her comin' into this mess."
"Understandable. Where ya been tellin' her we've been?"
"Last I did tell her was Lakay, she's too afraid of those crazy people down in the marsh area. Knew she wouldn't ride out there herself like she would anywhere else."
"She'd actually come riding out to any of our places?"
"She came to Horseshoe when we was stayin' there, no one knew, don't know how she snuck past our night guards but she did."
"Damn, got a wild one on your hands."
"Suppose so."

We share a laugh before we're riding up the trail to Beaver Hollow. Nothing to be impressed with, literally right outside a large cave. Myself and Selina's tents were together and Nathan was on the other side of us. This had to be the most downgraded sight we've had. No nice views, nothing of the sort. Perhaps everything outside of Shady Belle wasn't worth it anymore, been a little too spoiled with the nice house, everything of the sort.
We're hitching the horses when we spot Molly O'Shea coming up, here we had thought that damn woman had drunk herself to death. We damn well knew that she had a thing for Dutch, as if it wasn't obvious. Uncle had found her drunk in Saint Denis and she's guns blazing. Telling Dutch about how she told the Pinkertons about the bank robbery because she wanted Dutch dead.
"You realize... Molly. You nearly had Asher over there killed because of that!"
"Asher--- Let me tell you somethin', Mr. Sanders, Mr. Miller, You two wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Dutch! It wasn't the skinner brothers who killed your families. He had those goddamn O'Driscolls ride on through there. Got you two--- Caught in the goddamn middle you was! They was trying to figure out how to get the money and the O'Driscolls wanted to as well. When Dutch chased them outta there---"
"Don't you believe a goddamn drunken word she's saying, Asher!"
"They came for revenge on anyone nearby and it was you two and your ma's, pa's, families. That's it! You guys wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for Dutch!"

I'm gluping as she's talking, for I didn't know who to trust and believe in this moment.
"But ya know, you ain't no better than the men here, Asher! You ain't nothin'!"

I'm reaching for my pistol as Nathan is trying to stop me. "Easy, Ash, easy."
"You should've swung like you was supposed to! When Dutch didn't bother to fuckin' come get ya!"
I'm clenching my jaw now, trying to find a reason to keep this woman alive. She keeps on going and admits to loving Dutch before Miss Grimshaw puts a couple shotgun shells right through her middle. Commanding that her body be burned. Dutch and Arthur look at me and Dutch turns before Arthur is giving me this begging look. He can tell I'm upset and when Nathan let's me go. I don't hesitate to turn the other way, strike a match, light a cigarette and head for my horse. "Asher! Wait!" A coughing Arthur is coming to stop me.
"Arthur, don't speak to me right now."
"You can't run from this, Ash. You can't! Just--- Come sit, have some coffee."
"I ain't runnin' from nothin'. I need time to process this information."
"Just let him go!" Micah shouts. "Maybe he'll come back drunk and betrayin' Dutch too." He chuckles before I shake my head.
"I need time. I can't look of none of yous right now."

I mutter before I'm off on my horse. All I can hear as I'm riding off is Arthur muttering "Asher." And that was that. I really didn't know what to do right now, I just needed my space from the gang. If Molly was in the right before her death, I needed some time to just calm down. I couldn't change anything, but knowing the future could've been different, that was what hurt the most.