9 CHAPTER VIII: Finding John

The morning sun brought a blinding white light shining through the dusty and cracked windows. Arthur groaned and blindly searched for his hat, which was on the table next to him. He placed his worn hat over his face to try and get some more sleep when voices outside his door caught his attention.

"So what are we gonna do now, Dutch?" Arthur recognized Hosea's tired voice.

"We get strong, we get warm, we wait and when the storm breaks we move. But we're safe here and warm enough not to freeze to death." Dutch said, trying to reassure the older man.

"I guess." Hosea didn't sound so sure and Dutch seemed to pick up on it.

"You sound doubtful, Hosea."

"I'm not doubtful, just worried."

Arthur stood up and moved to lean against the doorframe as he listened to the two men bicker at each other. They were both sitting in old, worn out, wooden chairs in front of the fire; trying to knock the chill out of the frigid morning air.

Dutch noticed Arthur and turned to address him "What do you think, Arthur?"

Arthur sighed not expecting to be called out by the leader "Well I wasn't on that boat so hard to say, but I trust your judgement, Dutch, always have."

"Thank you, son," Dutch said, seemingly pleased with Arthur's response before turning his attention back to Hosea. "We have been shot at before Hosea I don't feel that this is honestly anything new."

"I hope not…"

"We had a bit of bad luck, Hosea I'll admit that. But then the storm covered our tracks, so now we wait a bit then we go back to Blackwater and we get our money, or we get some more money and we keep headin' west."

"But we're heading east!" Hosea argued back like Dutch didn't realize it himself.

"For now, Hosea. For now. But we got this. We're safe!" Dutch paused as he stood up from the chair and laid his hand on Hosea's shoulder "Stay strong, Hosea, and Arthur…" The leader turned once again to face him "Well you know me, son, I am just gettin' started, and once we get some money...well they'd better send some good men after us, 'cause they ain't never gonna find us...but in order to get out of here we need money."

Arthur nodded without hesitation "Of course, Dutch."

Dutch stepped forward and placed his hand on Arthur's shoulder "Thank you, son, for your strength. It means a lot to me...especially right now."

"Sure." Arthur said, "Oh, by the way, that kid from yesterday...there's somethin' strange about her."

Dutch paused on his way out the door "I'm assuming something stranger than what she told us last night?" Dutch was confused, what could possibly be more strange than having someone tell you they were from the future?

"She knows about us Dutch. She knows we're outlaws and I didn't say nothin' to her about that." Arthur said a little frantically "She said she'd tell us this mornin' but I..I jus' don't know."

"So what do you suggest? That we just leave the poor girl up here to freeze? I raised you better than that, son." Dutch's tone was firm and condescending.

"No I ain't sayin' that at all I jus'...I jus' think we should keep an eye on her. At least til' we know for certain what's goin' on. I mean if…" Arthur stepped closer to Dutch so only he could hear him "If she is tellin' the truth, and she really is from the future, then how the hell she even get here?"

"Did you ever think to ask her, Arthur? She might know about us, about who we are, but she is one girl. What could she possibly do to us?" Dutch had a point and Arthur knew it.

"I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right. Now come on, let's go talk to her."

The pair walked outside into the cold morning air "Ms.Grimshaw!" Dutch called to the older woman of the camp.

"Yes, Dutch?" She replied as she hurried over

"The young girl that we brought into our care, where is she?" Dutch asked as he looked around.

"Ms.Heather?���

"Yes."

"She is in that building with the rest of the girls. I think she is still asleep." Ms.Grimshaw pointed to the old schoolhouse that sat across from the cabin that Dutch, Arthur, and Hosea were currently staying in.

"Thank you, Ms.Grimshaw. Arthur, you go in there and get her, I am gonna check on the others."

"Sure," Arthur responded as he headed into the smaller building and directly into a hushed conversation.

"He ain't been seen in days, the weather hasn't let up…" Abigail said in a worried tone.

"He's strong, and he's smart." Tilly Jackson said, trying to bring comfort to the distraught woman.

"Strong at least," Abigail said in a spiteful tone, one she used only when talking about John Marston.

Arthur made his way over to the small fire burning in the fireplace as he looked around for Heather. He saw her sleeping in the far corner of the room, alone.

"Hello, Arthur," Abigail said, trying to get his attention.

"Abigail," Arthur responded shivering.

"Arthur...how you doing?"

"Just fine Abigail...and you?" He could tell she wanted something from him.

"I need you to…"

Arthur sighed and lightly rolled his eyes. He knew this was coming, whenever John got into any sort of trouble he was always the one to save him or clean up his messes.

"I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry to ask but…"

"It's little John...he's got himself caught into a scrape again." Arthur lightly brushed her off.

"He ain't been seen in two...two days," Abigail said frantically, trying her best not to become angry with Arthur.

"Your John'll be fine. I mean, he may be as dumb as rocks and dull as rusted iron ...but that ain't changin' because...he got caught in some snowstorm!"

"At least go take a look."

Arthur turned around hearing Hosea's voice come from the door, it annoyed him a bit, but he wouldn't voice it.

"Javier."

"Yes?" An annoyed answer came from a Hispanic gentleman with a strong Mexican accent, sitting across from Arthur and Abigail.

"Javier, will you ride out with Arthur...to take a look for John? You're the two best-fit men we've got right now."

"Now?" Javier asked in almost disbelief, he had only just woken up himself.

"She's…" Hosea turned to Abigail for a moment "We're all worried about him."

Arthur looked over at Hosea in annoyance giving him an old fashioned 'you've got to be kidding me' look.

"I know." Javier sighed out "If the situation were reversed...he'd look for me." He handed Arthur a sawed-off shotgun and headed out the door.

Arthur grumbled and took in the room with a sigh "Alright, fine, but when the kid wakes up, tell her to go find Dutch. She's got some explainin' to do." He then turned around and followed Javier out into the snow.

*****Two Days Prior*****

This was the biggest mistake that John Marston would probably ever make. He was lost and caught in the storm with hardly any food, on the back of some random horse he stole on the way out of Blackwater. Dutch had sent him and Micha to scout ahead of everyone else, things were fine but they got separated when the storm blew through. So now here he was, on the side of some mountain somewhere, huddled by a pathetic campfire that was hardly anything more than a few burning coals, freezing to death.

He searched in his satchel for some food, but could only find provisions for the poor stolen horse. He took a bite out of one of the oatcakes and nearly choked on how dry it was. "How can you stand to eat this stuff? It's horrible." He grumbled to the horse who was totally ignoring him. "Look at me, talkin' to a horse, maybe I really am as stupid as everyone says?" It was then that he realized the situation he was in, he was going to starve out here if he didn't find something to eat.

Arthur had tried to teach him how to hunt when he was younger but gave up pretty quickly when he obliterated a rabbit with a shotgun slug. He was around twelve at the time; hadn't ever really been hunting. Most of the food he ate was what he dug out of the trash in the towns, or stole from the General Store when no one was looking. But now it seemed he would learn, or he would die. That, and there was another problem, there was no fresh water around him, which meant no fish, which would be the easiest thing for him to catch out here.

He ate half of another Oatcake, giving the rest to his stolen horse when he heard howls in the distance, which meant only one thing, wolves. He kicked some snow over his measly fire and mounted his horse spurring her in the opposite direction of the howls. These were going to be the longest two days of John Marston's life.

**********

He was able to find a river, after about a day of travel. It was frigid cold, but clean and as clear as a crystal. He was able to catch a few fish with a makeshift spear made from a branch. "At least I can fish, unlike Arthur," John said to himself as he cooked the flaky meat over the fire. It was bigger this time so it actually kept him warm, and hopefully, it would keep any predators away from him. A sound and movement in the distance caught his eye. He couldn't exactly make out what it was, since it was dark and the only light was the burning fire, but it looked like the outline of a horse.

He quickly got to his feet, maybe someone in the gang had found him? "Hello! Is anyone there?!" Silence answered him in return "You're goin' crazy Marston…" The shadow came closer and his stolen horse spooked and reared. "Easy girl!" John shouted to try and calm his steed down. He looked back up to where he saw the shadow of the horse only for it to be gone. "Yep...you've officially lost your damn mind." A howl rose in the distance, not too far from where he was now. A chill ran down his spine at the sound, the wolves had followed his scent and they were getting closer.

He quickly mounted his horse, not bothering to put out the fire. His horse spooked as he mounted the saddle and bolted across the river and up the side of the mountain. "Woah girl, easy!" More howls pierced the air, they were close this time, way too close. "Come on, faster!" John yelled as he spurred the mare in the side.

Snarls sounded at their backs, along with the sound of snapping jaws. John's horse squealed, bucked, and toppled over onto her side, throwing him into the snow. Pain tore through John as the wind was knocked from his lungs. As he struggled to get up he was knocked onto his back. Pain raked down the side of his face as a snarl ripped through the air and into his ear. John yelled and fought the wolf off with a struggle, when he looked over his horse was on the ground, its intestines spilled out into the snow. He clumsily got to his feet and stumbled away from the gruesome scene and up the side of the mountain.

He heard snorting behind him, thundering hooves in the snow. But that wasn't possible, his horse was dead. John spun around to see what was running up behind him. A large black stallion slammed into him, its eyes a pure moonstone white, its hooves a deep silver, and its teeth sharp as daggers. He fell back down into the snow as the beast stood over him, facing the direction he ran from. He was too afraid to move, afraid of being trampled under this horse's hooves. He heard the howls in the distance. The wolves, he was gonna die, he just knew it, he could feel it in his gut.

The horse above him was calm, rigid, but calm, like a guardian. He saw the wolves now, running up the hill towards him at full speed. The stallion reared onto his hind hooves. He then charged the wolves at full speed, snapping at them almost like a dog. John didn't wait around to see what happened to the horse, he got up and continued sprinting up the side of the mountain, disappearing into the storm.

*****Present Day*****

"This way. Last I know, John was headed up the river." Javier said as he led Arthur north up the mountain.

"For all we know...he kept riding north and never looked back," Arthur said as he drove his stolen horse into the snowstorm. He was annoyed, annoyed that he was having to once again go and clean up one of John Marston's messes.

"He wouldn't leave. Not like that."

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time."

The pair rode further up the mountain in silence, the wind, though it had calmed down considerably from the day before, was biting and tearing at their bodies and lungs.

"Hey!" Javier called over the howling wind, "I see some smoke. Come on, let's take a look!"

"Sure, let's just hope it ain't more of O'Driscoll's boys!" Arthur responded as he spurred his mount to go just a little faster through the snow.

"Well…" Javier climbed down off his horse as they got to the smoldering campfire. "...Seems somebody left…." he stuck his hand down close to the ashes and felt they were still warm. "...recently….and they went...that way!" A pair of hoof marks left the fireside and across the river, followed by what seemed to be several considerable-sized paw prints.

"Sure, well, come on then!" With a slight sinking feeling in his gut as he followed Javier across the river. "So, do you think it's John?"

"You tell me. Those are horse tracks for sure, but it could be anyone. Let's see where they lead us."

Arthur had a burning question. He wanted to know what happened back in that town back in Blackwater. "So….you were there, Javier, what really happened on that boat?"

Javier was silent for a moment before he answered. "We had the money, it seemed fine, then suddenly they were everywhere…."

"Bounty hunters?"

"No. Pinkertons. It was crazy. Raining bullets."

Arthur had heard tell of the Pinkertons. The Pinkerton Detective Agency. If bounty hunters and sheriffs couldn't stop the gangs of outlaws, the Pinkertons were called in to take them down. It wasn't peaceful either. Everyone would be killed.

"Dutch killed a girl in a….bad way. But it was a bad situation."

"That ain't like him, though," Arthur exclaimed. Sure they were outlaws, criminals, but Dutch Van Der Linde never killed anyone in cold blood, never.

They came across a large ravine, and the horses whinnied and tossed their heads.

"Easy boy, it's okay, you're alright." Arthur patted the horse's neck, trying to soothe him.

"The tracks lead around it, to the other side, see?" Javier said as he pointed in front of him. "I don't know why he'd come all the way out here, though, especially in this weather."

"I saw some paw prints alongside the horse tracks a ways back," Arthur said as he guided his horse alongside the ravine.

"Do you think they are wolves?" Javier asked, concerned.

"Possibly, I don't know of any coyotes living this far north," Arthur replied.

"We need to hurry then. He could be hurt. He's already been shot!" Javier called as he spurred his horse to go faster once it was safe to do so.

"He got shot during that whole mess?!"

"Yeah! So did Mac! We still haven't heard about what happened to Sean!"

"Damn…I knew John was hurt, just didn't know he got shot." Arthur's mind whirled at the new piece of information. Just because he and John had a falling out, didn't mean Arthur wanted the man dead.

"To be honest with you, Arthur, I'm surprised we escaped at all."

"What you mean?"

"By the time you and the boys showed up from the other side of town; we were only just holding on…"

"Damn...that was some bad business alright. I'm glad we made it out alive...for the most part anyways."

The weather only got worse the farther up the mountain they went.

"Damn snow is comin' in hard again!" Arthur yelled

"I know, we need to move fast!"

They reached a pass that seemed to cut the top of the mountain almost in half, the snow was much thicker here, untouched, which made it hard on their horses.

"Come on boy!" Arthur said, trying to encourage his horse. "The horses are getting tired, Javier!"

"I know, there's a lot of fresh snow here!"

The tracks they were following only moments ago were completely covered by the freshly fallen snow.

"I don't know about this, Javier. W-We can't follow nothin'!"

"Let's push on a little bit, we might be able to pick up the tracks again."

The path curved up and around, cresting at a somewhat flat area that seemed to connect to the side of another mountain. Just down that path was something that neither of them wanted to see.

"Arthur...do you see that?" Javier sounded concerned as he spurred his horse into a canter "John was riding that horse when we left Blackwater."

"Oh...thats…" Arthur didn't even want to finish his sentence. The horse was gutted, its entrails covered in snow and ice.

"He couldn't have gotten too much further on foot, let's see if he can hear us." Javier pulled out his revolver and shot up into the air, the crack of the shot echoing off the sides of the surrounding mountains

**********

John was freezing, he had barely escaped those wolves with his life intact and he now found himself huddled on a cliff edge, alone. Or at least he thought he was alone. The sudden sound of crunching snow behind him told him otherwise. He carefully turned around to face whatever was behind him, his body screaming in protest with the effort it took. There, in the cleft of the overhanging rock stood the massive stallion from earlier. It pierced him with its coal black eyes and John felt a chill go down his back. What was this beast?

His thought was cut short when he heard the distinct sound of a gunshot ring out through the howling wind. He did the first thing his mind told him to; he yelled. "HEY! OVER HERE!" He continued to yell until he heard two voices he immediately recognized.

"Marston, you hear me? Marston!" Arthur.

"John! Where are you? Can you hear us!" Javier.

"I'm over here! On this ledge!" John called back to them. "Over here!" John yelled as he saw Javier come into view, only to watch him stop dead in his tracks.

**********

"Alright. Pipe down, Marston." Arthur grumbled as he ran straight into Javier with a grunt. "What'chu stop for?" He asked; catching the smaller man before he could fall over.

"Arthur….what is that?" Javier said as he pointed over behind John, in the cleft of the rock face, and straight at the large black stallion.

"Holy shit...how'd you get up here?" Arthur mumbled as he stepped around Javier.

"Wait, you recognize this horse?" John called over his shoulder at Arthur.

"Yeah. I know him. He belongs to the kid." Arthur grumbled as he stroked the horse's muzzle.

"Kid?" John questioned "What kid?"

"Don't worry 'bout it, Marston. All you need to worry about is gettin' the hell offa this mountain." Arthur snapped in rebuttal.

"Looks like we can go back down that way." Javier said as he pointed to what appeared to be another path down.

"Alright then. C'mon." Arthur gently grabbed Reaver's makeshift bridle and tugged him forward; clicking his tongue to get the beast to follow him. "Here." Arthur grumbled as he reached Javier "Hold him still, and for the love o' God don't spook him."

Javier reluctantly held onto the bridle, keeping the stallion still as Arthur bent down and grabbed John, pulling him up and away from the cliff edge.

"Don't die jus' yet cowboy." Arthur grunted as he put John on Reaver's back.

Reaver startled and snorted, lightly rearing onto his hind legs. "Woah! Easy!" John yelled and gripped onto the rope that was used in place of reins with as much strength as he could muster up. "Where'd you say you found this horse?"

"In a barn back where the rest of us are holed up." Arthur murmured as he soothed the stallion, grabbing the bridle and tugging him forward along the path down the mountain.

"Has he even been broken?" Javier asked as he walked alongside them.

"No, I don't think so. He don't like bein' spurred'. Bastard tried to throw me when I used 'em." Arthur replied.

"He don't like wolves neither. Ran straight at them!" John exclaimed.

Arthur laughed "Y-haha! You mean to tell me a horse had to save your sorry hide from wolves?"

"I know it sounds crazy but it's true!" John argued

"Sure! I believe you, Marston. I believe you jus' about as much as I believed that ferry job in Blackwater was gonna work." Arthur growled out, "I told Dutch not to send you out on the scoutin' job once we got up in the mountains, told him you weren't the right man for it."

"Yeah...guess you were right on that one." John grunted in pain.

"'Course I was right! Jus' look at you! You was almost wolf food! Best be glad that Abigail was worried 'bout you, cause I wasn't."

"If you hate me so much just say it Arthur." John murmured

"Alright, Marston." Arthur quipped as he spun around to face John "I-"

"We've got a problem…" Javier said and pointed up to a cliff. Three wolves were staring them down, some already looked pretty mangled up, ears torn and bleeding, or favoring one leg more than the others.

"Aw shit....you two get on outta here. I'll deal with the rest of John's friends." Arthur handed the reins over to Javier as he pulled his sawed-off from his holster, pulling the hammers back. "Come and get me, you bastards." Arthur growled as the wolves charged down the hill.

Arthur aimed at the first wolf and pulled the trigger. A spattering of blood sprinkled the pure white snow as the wolf went down. The others hesitated for a moment, hackles raised, lips pulled back in a menacing snarl.

"Well?! C'mon then! I ain't got all day!" Arthur snarled through his teeth at the beasts.

Two more wolves lunged at him, one straight on, the other lunging at his arm. BANG! The shotgun went off again as a second wolf hit the snow in a pool of fresh steaming blood. A cry ripped from Arthur as the other wolf latched onto his arm "Get the hell offa me!" He yelled as he hit the wolf in the head with the muzzle of the gun. The wolf let go and fell into the snow with a yelp. Arthur quickly reloaded the gun and shot the beast, only stopping to catch his breath after he made sure it stayed down like the others.

"Arthur, are you alright?!" Javier called

"I'm fine! Just got bit, I'll live!" Arthur called back as he made his way over to Javier and John. "Lets get outta here and get John back to the others."

"Sounds good to me." Javier exclaimed as he whistled for his and Arthur's stolen horse before mounting up and looking over his shoulder. "You okay back there John?"

"I-I don't feel so good…" John answered

"It's just a dog bite, you'll be fine." Arthur grumbled as he mounted his stolen horse.

"Knew a fella who got bit by a dog, he died two days later." John said.

"Yeah well, that ain't gonna happen to you. We wouldn't get lucky enough." Arthur mumbled the last bit to himself as he tied Reaver's makeshift reins to the back of his horse's saddle. "C'mon lets get a move on, we're losin' daylight and I'd prefer not to be stuck out here all night."

"You and me both." Agreed John.

"Shut up Marston." Arthur ground out as he spurred his stolen horse forward and back towards Colter.