The Marshal

Chapter 36: How to Move On

"Bah, no worries. I'm only thirty-two, still got a lot of life left to live. 'Sides,  your birthday is coming up in a few months and I'd rather celebrate that." 

Once more we were on the move though, eager to be back home. Jessamine talked my ear off about this Arthur Morgan fella, I figured he couldn't be too bad of a man if he were friends with my girl. Even for one of Dutch's boys. We kept on the trail across Big Valley, aiming to hit Blackwater by the time evening fell. 

"So, this Arthur Morgan, he's a good man?" 

"Yes, well. Mostly. I suppose being an outlaw like him there ain't much to redeem what he's done. Poor fella though is sick. Real sick." She said, pushing hair out of her face. 

"Sick how?" I asked. 

"He was collecting some debt from a guy in Valentine, Downes was the name. Kind of a weakling he was. Well he had tuberculosis and poor Arthur caught it from him. Death sentence if you ask me." 

"Yeah, it is. Shame." I nodded. 

The day dragged on with little happening, it was quite boring not having to watch our backs or be on the run constantly. There weren't any lawmen watching the borders of Great Plains, no Pinkerton Agents strewn all about, all of them by now were too busy with the Van Der Linde gang to care about us. With little to do we stopped along the Montana river to do some fishing. 

"Hey Edward can you help me with this?" Jessamine called out. 

"Did you get caught on a tree again?" I asked.

"...No." 

"You hesitated Jessamine." 

"...Yes." 

"Okay, I'm on my way." I laughed as I set my pole down to go and help her. The sunshine was glistening off her raven hair as she turned to me and pointed at the cane fishing pole hanging in the tree above her head. 

"How in the hell did you manage that?" I asked, tugging on the pole. 

"No idea. Would it help if I climbed the tree?" 

"Doubt it." I answered probably too late. Jessamine was already climbing into the branches overhead to untangle it. She shook the branch as I continued to tug on the pole. We got it loose within a few minutes. 

"Okay girl, come out of that tree now." 

"I um..." She mumbled. "I think I'm stuck now." 

"Oh lord." I shook my head my hand on my forehead. I looked up to see her clinging to the branch. 

"Jessamine it's not that high up, just jump." 

"Well. Okay." She said, then she closed her eyes and jumped from the tree, I pulled Torrun aside and Jessamine landed on her with a loud thump. 

"Fuck! I'm so sorry, are you okay?" I panicked. She slid off the saddle holding her abdomen. 

"Yeah, I'm alright. Wasn't expecting that." 

"I thought I was helping. Damn it." I sighed and knelt down. She came over and sat beside me. 

"Hey, at least I didn't get seriously hurt." Jessamine laughed and put her arm around my waist. I pulled her close to me and agreed. I kissed her forehead and we watched the river go by us quietly. The afternoon sun was fading into an orange and red evening sky by the time we decided to leave. The plains were washed over in a golden hue and the air was heavy and warm. When the sun fell below the horizon we were at Marcie's gate. We hitched up Torrun and Mani laughing gayily together about something we'd seen near Beecher's Hope.