Pipe Bomb Dream (RDR2/Arthur Morgan fanfiction)

24

He doubted she'd be proud of him now if she knew what he'd become. She'd always cautioned him against an outlaw's ways, preferring to sing him hymns instead of lullabies and read to him from the Bible each night before bed. She'd always believed he could be more than what his father was. The fact that Arthur was now a common criminal, even more ruthless and experienced at killing than his father, was how Arthur knew he was going to hell. Arthur's mother used to tell him all the time about how wicked his father was, and warned him not to follow in his footsteps.

As Arthur listened to the blue jay pecking and scratching on the windowsill, he could almost hear the sound of his mother softly singing the words of one of her favorite hymns to him. Unable to help himself, Arthur softly sang under his breath.

"Some glad morning when this life is o'er, I'll fly away," he hummed deeply under his breath. "To a home on God's celestial shore, I'll fly away."

As he sang, he could feel Mary stirring. But she did not grunt in anger. Rather, she smiled sleepily and turned to look at him. In spite of this, the blue jay in the window remained. Perhaps it liked the hymn.

"I'll fly away, oh glory, I'll fly away. When I die, hallelujah by and by, I'll fly away."

Mary's hand reached up to stroke Arthur's beard thoughtfully. Clearly she was enjoying the music.

"When the shadows of this life has flown, I'll fly away," Arthur sang. "Like a bird from prison bars has flown, I'll fly away."

"Would you shut up?!" John called from the stall next to Arthur's. "I'm tryin' to sleep here!"

The blue jay flew away and the spell was broken. Arthur was almost sad. It had been nice to have the bird around. It comforted him, silly as it was.

"That was beautiful," Mary whispered to Arthur. "I didn't know a man of your profession knew any hymns at all, let alone my favorite one."

"It was also my momma's favorite," Arthur replied, gently kissing Mary's forehead. "She sang it to me all the time when I was a little boy, just a couple years younger than Jamie."

They lay in silence for a moment. Mary buried her head in Arthur's chest, and he held her there, stroking her long, silky hair. As the grey in the sky began to turn more and more pink, he sighed. "Want to go hunting with me?"

Mary grinned funnily. "Hunting? Me? I don't have the first idea about how to do that."

"It's easy," Arthur replied. "I'll teach you. Every person, man and woman, ought to know how. It's a skill that might save your life someday."

She grinned and sat up. "Alright. But whose horse will I take? I don't have one for myself."

Knowing the answer to this question, Arthur grinned. "I got a present for you. I was gonna wait until after breakfast to show you, but I suppose I can show you now."

"Christ, Arthur! Shut up or I'll cut out your tongue myself!" John groaned from behind the blanket wall to their left.

Giggling silently, Mary kissed Arthur gently and sat up.

In no time at all, they were both dressed. Mary wore a light dress, and Arthur wore his work pants with a pair of worn roper boots and the lightest shirt he owned. They left the barn to the sight of the first brilliant, bright shades of pink sun beginning to peek over the horizon. Arthur led Mary to the pen of spare horses the camp usually kept. They were mostly cart horses for pulling the wagons, but there were a few spare saddle horses as well.

"See those horses there?" Arthur questioned her. "The white ones?"

"Yes," Mary replied. "They're Arabians!"