3.
The water was cold. Blue sat in the shallows of the creek that ran not far from the camp and let Miss Grimshaw scrub her skin raw. Weeks and weeks of dirt and blood clouded the once clear water around her.
Her hair had been washed and somewhat untangled from the messy bun it had been put into a few days prior and her long blond locks now hung like a wet curtain around her head. Because her hair was so long if floated around in the dirty water while her roots were scrubbed clean.
"There we go all clean, stand up so we can get you dry." Doing as she was told she stood up, shivering she followed the woman out of the water. At first Blue had been horrified when she realized the older woman was going to bathe her, being naked out in the middle of nowhere wasn't really something Blue liked very much. But in the end she felt so much better when she was clean that she thought it was worth the embarrassment.
Now standing up and dried off she was unfortunately put back in her old dirty clothes and led back to camp to have her wounds looked after and hair brushed, something Blue did not look forward to...
Miss Grimshaw ushered her back to the log where, as promised, the three men still resided and sat her down.
"Feel a bit better now doll??" Dutch sounded amused and Blue couldn't do more that nod and blush as she felt their eyes scanning her. Focusing her stare at her bare feet she waited for the older woman to come back.
***
If Blue had been wearing a dress, Arthur thought, she would have looked like a little princess. Her long blond hair reached down to her thighs and as it dried curled into loose coils that bounced slightly when she moved.
Miss Grimshaw and the other women of the camp had gushed about how pretty it was for several minutes eventually he, himself, had to swoop in and save the poor girl. She was trying terribly hard to keep her eyes either shut or stuck to the ground as the women tugged at her hair, trying to agree on what was best to do with it before she left.
"Why don't you leave the poor girl alone? I'm sure she'll be just fine keeping it like that" Blue gave Arthur a quick appreciative glance and nodded. "See she agrees!"
"No she won't Mr. Morgan if she goes riding like this her hair will be all tangled up from the wind!" Tilly explained.
"Well here's a revolutionary idea" as always Dutch's voice caught everyone's attention "Why don't we let Blue decide what to do with it?" this idea didn't seem to sit well with Blue at all as she started nervously fidgeting with the hem of her shirt.
"I doesn't really matter, I'm sure Blue is just fine with something quick and simple so we can get going, right Blue?" Arthur got an almost inaudible 'yes' form her and sent the women a look he hoped was stern enough to make them understand.
In the end Tilly had made a simple braid and though she would have wanted to spend some more time on it she fully understood that it was time for the girl to get home to her parents.
"You all ready to go then?" Arthur put his hand on her shoulder and after receiving a nod he gently pushed her in the direction of his horse. Dutch was already waiting for them and took it upon himself to lift her into the saddle of Arthur's horse.
"It was a genuine pleasure to meet you Miss Blue, now you go on home and give your mama a good apology for being gone for so long" Dutch said, looking up at her, probably seeing her eyes properly for the first time "and don't you forget about good ol' Dutch" sending her a wink he patted her on the leg and turned to Arthur
"you get her home safe son" Dutch had always had a soft spot for kids and this time was no different.
"You know I will!" and with that he got up behind Blue and left camp.
To his delight Blue seemed to enjoy the ride as every time he sped up a little she would let out a small giggle. Though she would cover her mouth as if to hide it he still took it as something positive since she hadn't even smiled once during her time with them.
Her head moved left to right, looking at anything and everything. They had a good time, Arthur pointing out the wild horses and rabbits as they passed them, relishing in her utter fascination. It was painfully obvious she hadn't seen too much of the world, but the again she was only a kid.
Thinking about it he didn't even know how old she was, 6? 7?
"You haven't been out here all that much have you?" he caught her attention once more, she shook her head and said "not here, I go to the woods though" which, he thought, didn't go all too well...
"On your own?" concern bubbled up in his chest, he'd assumed that it was a one-time-thing that she was wandering around like that all alone.
"I like it" was the only answer he got and took it as a conformation of his suspicions.
"You really shouldn't do that Blue, what if you get lost again? Or you get attacked by an animal? Found by people who aren't as nice as us? It's dangerous! How old are you even?" he didn't mean to sound so angry but the thought of the little girl getting used of even dying out there caused pain to course through his chest.
He felt her tense at his harsh words "I-I'm sorry Mr. Morgan!" she whimpered.
"Ah no Blue I'm sorry I shouldn't talk like that to you, I aint your papa, but you have to understand that it's dangerous" her shoulders slumped a little and she relaxed once again as they rode on in silence for a few minutes. Arthur found himself disappointed at the sight of Valentine since it meant their time together was coming to an end.
"You never told me how old you are" he asked as they passed between the buildings, Blue pointing him in the right direction.
"I'm gonna be 7 in one week" there was a hint of joy in her voice at the mention of her birthday
"Is that so? You're gonna be a big girl then, what date is it?" he wasn't very good at remembering birthdays but it would be nice to at least ask...
"23 of June, it's on a Thursday AND it's on midsummer's eve this year!" she excitedly bounced up and down
"Midsummer? Is that something your family celebrates?" he'd heard it mentioned once or twice but he'd never experienced it himself.
"My mama did" Arthur basically felt his heart sink,
"Did? She aint around no more?" she shook her head
"So it's you and your papa then?" but once again she shook her head, so he was gone too?
"Who do you live with then?"
"Mrs. Green" was all she said, her voice revealing that she didn't want to talk about it anymore.
They rode straight though Valentine and when they came out on the other side she directed him down a small road, over a bridge and up to a two story building. A sign had been hammered into the ground next to the gate
'Mrs. Green's Home for Unfortunate children'
She was an orphan...
***
Blue let Arthur lift her off the horse and lead her through the gates, she didn't want Mrs. Green to see him, or she didn't want him to see Mrs. Green... But he followed her up the path that lead to the house.
The other kids were playing around the property and looked at the man with curious eyes and at her with mocking smiles. They knew the type of trouble she was in, not only had she been missing but she hadn't been able to do her chores AND she had bothered people outside the orphanage, which was strictly forbidden, at least when you were a freak...
With one last desperate attempt to get him to leave before it was too late she turned to him, blocking the door and mumbled a quick 'goodbye Mr. Morgan' before turning to leave.
"Woah kid slow down!" she felt his big hands on her shoulder as he gently turned her around and crouched down in front of her. Putting a finger under her chin he aligned their eyes
"Don't I get a proper farewell? I thought we were getting along?" No one had ever looked at her so intensely before, except for maybe her mama, there was so much emotion in his eyes and they confused her greatly.
"I'm sorry Mr. Morgan... thank you for being nice..."
"You can call me Arthur and you're welcome" Blue let out a sigh of relief as he stood up, thinking he would turn and leave, but instead he reached for the door
"I think I ought to talk to this Mrs. Green, explain the situation" she wanted to say no, tell him not to, but he was already inside looking for the woman.
"Anyone here?" Arthur's strong voice rang through the house and it didn't take long for grey haired woman to come out of her office.
"And what can I do for you Mr.?" her voice was sharp and her eyes even more so.
"Me and my family came across this girl here last night, she was all cut up and bruised from running around in the woods so we took her in and cleaned her up a bit" Arthur explained, he pushed Blue in front of him, putting both of his hands on her shoulders. He seemed to be waiting for a reaction form the woman but Blue knew well enough that she couldn't care less.
"Do you expect some sort of reward?!" Mrs. Green snapped, she looked between the two of them, anger in her eyes. It took a moment for Arthur to answer and Blue found herself wondering if maybe that was why they had helped her, to get money...
"Of course I don't! What kind of question is that?! I bring her back to you and the first thing you do is to accuse me?! She's your responsibility!" he was angry now, not on Blue she could feel that but on Mrs. Green. It was weird to think that this man though it was the older woman who had done something wrong and not Blue.
"I have 22 kids to take care of, if one goes missing I can't do nothing about it! Now if you don't leave my property within 20 second I WILL get my shotgun and I WILL force you out of here!" She was yelling now, wrath blazing in her eyes as she looked at Arthur.
"And YOU" she said pointing to Blue "YOU go up to my office now, damn girl always getting in trouble!" out of fear Blue hurriedly ran past Mrs. Green up the stairs. Stopping halfway se turned around "Goodbye Arthur" she said and gave a little wave, he returned it with a sad smile "Goodbye Princess"
***
Arthur was fuming when he left the house and got on his horse. He had half a mind to just take Blue back to camp to get her away from that woman, but he knew that would mean a life of outlaw living for the girl. At least here she had a chance to get adopted and live a real and proper life with a real and proper family. Still it bothered him to leave her...
He rode hard to get back to camp where people were waiting for a report.
"You don't look too happy son" Dutch pointed you "hard to say goodbye?" Arthur sighed and gave a nod,
"She's an orphan Dutch, lead me straight to some place 'Mrs. Green's home' or whatever it was called"
"Mrs. Green's home for unfortunate children?" surprisingly it was Charles who spoke.
"You know it?" Arthur couldn't help put stare at the dark man.
"Found some of them kids throwing rocks at dying horse a few weeks back, went and told their Mrs., threatened to shoot me she did..." He grumbled. No one spoke for a while,
"Oh Arthur you should have brought her back here, it can't be easy to live in a place like that!" Tilly exclaimed, sitting down with a look of defeat.
"Trust me I thought about it... But then what kind of life could we offer her compared to what someone else could? A proper family?" everyone regretfully agreed
"Arthur's right, her best chance to a good life is at the orphanage" Dutch words didn't give Arthur any comfort at all and he spent the next couple of days on the verge of giving in and getting her back.
***
Blue was on the verge of giving in and giving up... she laid rolled up like a ball in her corner of the dormitory trying to not give any reaction to the small stones the other kids threw at her.
Her hands were turning purple from where Mrs. Green had slammed them in the door, her cheek was probably the same and her split lip stung when she licked it.
It had been a few days since Arthur had dropped her off and she missed him! She hadn't even know him for a day and still he was nicer than everyone here. Mrs. Green had been furious when she came into her office, she grabbed Blue's hair and threw her across the room. Since then she had to go there every day when the others were eating supper, the older woman world slap her around and even burn her with cigars' but the hands was the worst.
Only 20 minutes ago Blue had been in her office when Mrs. Green told her to put her hands on the doorframe and then she slammed it shut, Blue heard the crack of bone in her now ruined fingers and even saw how her right middle finger popped out of its socket. She tried to get it back but it simply hurt too much.
A stone hit her hard on her spine bringing her out of her thoughts. Throwing stones was something the kids had taken to after Mrs. Green told them about how the only way to get rid of monsters were to stone them, especially monsters with different colored eyes...