✬「☁️」✬
Amara immediately pulled on the rifle and took it out of the O' Driscolls grasp. The man began to fill with anger as Amara had the gun ready and aimed towards his head.
"C'mon, Colm just wants to see you!" The O' Driscoll laughed. "And kill ya."
Amara was struck with fear as she heard the last part and pulled the trigger. Blood spilled out of the mans neck and he fell to the ground, slowly dying.
Amara turned away from him and noticed that the shooting had stopped and the O' Driscolls were running away.
"Arthur, go check the cabin!" Dutch yelled, making his way to Amara. "You alright, Miss Findlay?"
"Sure." Amara answered, her chest feeling heavy and her eyes wide.
There was a gunshot near the cabin and she saw Arthur on the ground and Kieran having his gun pointed to the room. Amara stepped closer to see a dead O' Driscoll on the floor.
Arthur got up and placed a hand on Kierans shoulder. "Guess we'll have to keep you around after all." He laughed, brushing past him.
"So you're not gonna kill me?" Kieran asked, running up to Arthur.
"Not yet." Arthur turned back, glaring at Kieran then letting out a chuckle when he turned back around and made his way to his horse.
Amara looked back at the O' Driscoll she had shot, fear showing in her features. Colm wanted her dead, but why? She's only encountered him once what would she have done to offend him?
"You alright?" John asked, walking up to her and placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Sure." Amara spoke with a shaky voice, she's never been this scared before. She's heard frightening stories of Colm and what he does.
"What's wrong, Amara?" John asked, looking to the side and seeing everyone mounted up.
"Nothing."
John turned to everyone and shouted, "You guys go on, we're gonna search the cabin a little more!"
"Alright, meet you back at camp." Dutch shouted before riding out with everyone.
John turned back to Amara once they were out of sight and placed his hand on her cheek.
"What's wrong?" He asked, looking down to her. Amaras eyes were filled with fear and she was frozen.
"I.. Nothing.." Amara turned away from him and wrapped her arms around herself.
"You can talk to me, I know somethings up." John spoke with a calm voice, coming up from behind Amara and wrapping his arms around her waist.
Amara turned her head to look at him, a smile on her face. "I'm fine."
"If you say so." John shrugged, wrapping his arms tighter around her.
"Me and Maisie should be heading home soon." Amara spoke softly, looking up at the setting sun.
"Why you gotta leave so soon." John whined, turning Amara around and pulling her into a hug.
"Benjamin won't cover for us if we stay overnight." Amara said, rolling her eyes and leaning on Johns chest.
"Benjamin won't cover for us." John mocked, rolling his eyes.
Amara chuckled, pushing away from him and walking to Trapper.
"Where you goin'?" John asked, running up to her.
"I'm going to get Maisie so we can get home!" Amara laughed, mounting her horse.
"You gotta leave so soon?" John asked, feeding Trapper a sugar cube.
"Yes, John." Amara chuckled.
John sighed and mounted his horse. "Let's go, then."
They rode back to camp, making some small talk on the way there. Once they arrived Amara hopped off her horse and rushed to Maisie. She was sitting with Sean around the fire.
"We have to get home, Maisie." Amara said.
Maisie nodded, turning to Sean and planting a kiss on his cheek. The two women said goodbye to everyone and made their way to their horses.
"You gonna say goodbye to John?" Maisie whispered, giving her sister a teasing look.
"Let's go, Maisie." Amara rolled her eyes and they both mounted their horses and rode back to the manor.
❏ °☾ 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘳 ☽° ❏
They hitched their horses and walked up the stairs, Benjamin opening the door for them.
"Welcome back!" Benjamin said, smiling down at the two.
"Hello, Benjamin." Amara said, smiling back at him.
Maisie grabbed Amaras arm and ran up the stairs to her study. Amara sat on a couch and grabbed a book from her bookshelf. Maisie sat at the desk.
"So how'd you and John happen?" Maisie giggled, resting her head in her hands.
"Well to sum it up, he said he'd wait for me, I went to an old man who told me to go to him. Next thing you know he kisses me and now we have something going on." Amara said, opening her book and skipping to her marked page.
"How exciting." Maisie said with a sarcastic tone, rolling her eyes. "How come you don't want anyone knowing?"
"Because it won't last, mother and father would never like him. They want me to marry a rich man, like Desmond." Amara sighed, reading through her book.
"It could last." Maisie shrugged, leaning back in the chair.
"It won't. I just hope he breaks it off before I have to."
"He won't."
Amara let out a yawn and put the book away. "Let's go eat."
Maisie nodded and walked to the kitchen with Amara. They already had dinner ready for them. They hurried and finished dinner than rushed to bed.
❏ °☾ 𝘏𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘦 𝘖𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 ☽° ❏
The sun beamed down on the camp members as they all were starting to wake up and begin their chores.
"So Kieran, you saved Arthur's life?" Marybeth asked, sitting with Kieran and Tilly at a wooden table.
"I guess so." Kieran answered, taking a sip of his coffee.
"Yeah, I'll make sure to remember that when I think about killin' you!" Arthur laughed, sitting next to Tilly.
"Wha.. What?" Kieran spoke with a small, nervous voice as Arthur glared at him.
"I'm just messin' with you." Arthur chuckled.
"I don't think you are, Arthur." Tilly laughed, taking a sip of her coffee.
"Arthur!" John yelled from the entrance of camp.
"I'll be back." Arthur sighed, getting up from the table and making his way to John.
"Hosea wants us to meet him at Emerald Ranch." John said, rolling his eyes and standing up.
"What's he want?" Arthur asked as they walked to their horses.
"Dammit, I don't know Arthur!" John threw hands up in annoyance and mounted his horse.
"What's your problem, Marston?" Arthur asked as he mounted his horse.
"Nothin'."
They rode to Emerald Ranch to find Hosea outside the stable talking to some old guy. Arthur and John walked up to him and stood at his side.
"Who are these two?" The man asked, feeling slightly threatened by the two.
"My friends, Arthur and John. This is Seamus, he's our new partner." Hosea said, standing up and placing a hand on their shoulders.
"I ain't no partner, Hosea." Seamus said, looking around.
"Alright he'll be our new partner, if he likes us." Hosea guessed, looking over at Seamus.
"Likin' ain't the problem, trusting is." Seamus spoke with a quiet voice, frantically looking around. "Like I said, keep your voices down."
"Alright calm down." John groaned, rolling his shoulders.
"I ain't gonna calm down, I don't want my boss to hear." Seamus whispered as someone walked past them.
"I tell you what Seamus, let us prove ourselves." Hosea reasoned, glancing at Arthur and John than back to Seamus.
"Prove ourselves, to this clown? What you talkin' about, Hosea." Arthur chuckled. John held in his laugh and made his way to a bench.
"Go sit over there, Arthur." Hosea pointed to where John was sitting, Arthur sighed and sat with him.
"What were you doing with Amara?" John asked with a cold tone.
"When?" Arthur turned to John, furrowing his brows.
"When you two rode out of camp together." John said, staring down at the ground.
"She wanted to come with me to get a debt, pretty glad she did to be honest." Arthur chuckled, running his fingers through his hair.
"Why's that?" John grumbled, looking over at Hosea who was still talking with Seamus.
"Why you gettin' so defensive?" Arthur asked, looking over at him.
"I ain't, just wanna know."
"Sure." Arthur sighed and stood up as Hosea walked towards them.
"Let's go, boys." Hosea sighed.
They followed Hosea to the horses, John glaring at Arthur. They all mounted up and headed to a house near Carmody Dell. Hosea told them that they were robbing Seamus' cousin - by marriage. Just a stagecoach and whatever's in the house.
They arrived at the house and hid behind a tree to discuss the plan.
"Arthur, John, you search the house. I'll get the coach." Hosea insisted.
"We goin' now or waiting 'til night." Arthur asked, leaning his back against the rock.
"We'll wait." Hosea insisted, leaning against the rock and tipping his hat over his eyes. "For now, rest."
John glared over at Arthur, getting a cold look in return.
"What is your problem, Marston?" Arthur groaned.
"I just think that Seamus should lay off his cousins stagecoach. It's not his." John rolled his eyes, looking over at Hosea who seemed sound asleep.
"Well I think Seamus just likes the stagecoach." Arthur retorted.
"It was the cousins stagecoach first, I doubt the stagecoach even likes Seamus." John said back, turning to Arthur with a threatening look.
"Well Seamus' cousin shouldn't tell the stagecoach who it goes with. Stagecoaches have rights too."
"Well Seamus needs to keep his balls off-"
"Will you two shut up!" Hosea shouted, shooting his head towards them. "I don't know what you are arguing about and I don't care, let me sleep."
"Sorry Hosea" Arthur said.
John moved to a tree and slept there while Arthur stayed near the rock and dozed off.
Nightfall came and Hosea abruptly woke up the two men.
"Maybe John should just come with me." Hosea suggested.
John nodded and walked with Hosea to where the stagecoach was. They stole it and waited for Arthur to get back.
There was a gunshot in the house and Arthur ran out the door, whistling for his horse. He hopped up on the stagecoach.
"Go!" Arthur yelled, nudging Johns shoulder.
John grabbed the reins and rode off, their horses following behind them.
"What the hell did you do?" John asked as he had the horses go faster down the road.
"I tried to get something under the bed and Seamus' cousin woke up so I shot him and a bunch of people came running upstairs." Arthur explained, looking back.
"You dumbass!" Hosea yelled, rolling his eyes.
"It ain't my fault, I got a gun at least." Arthur said, pulling out a gun and innocently smiling at Hosea.
Hosea sighed, dragging his hand down his face. "Let's just get back."
❏°☾ 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘳 ☽°❏
"They'll be back some time tonight, Maisie. We can't risk going out!" Amara argued.
Maisie was trying to go see Sean, but it was getting late and their parents would be getting back some time in the night.
"Why can't I see him? Don't you want to see John?" Maisie questioned, crossing her arms and sitting back on the dining chair.
"Yes, but we have to be careful."
"We are being careful!" Maisie said, rolling her eyes.
"You and Sean almost got caught the other day, I had to take care of it and we almost didn't get away with it!" Amara stood up from the chair. "We're not going and that's final." She said before walking out of the dining room and up to her room.
Amara made her way to her window seat, where her book was laying. She sat on the seat, leaning against the wall and opening the book. She smiled, feeling content in the peaceful room. No guns, no parents, no Desmond, no problems. Just her and her book.
"Amara!"
And John.
Amara looked up from her book and out the window, John was below. He waved at her. She opened the window and peered down at him.
"Why can't you just come to the door?" Amara asked, rolling her eyes.
"Where's the fun in that?" John chuckled. "I'll be up in a second."
Amara rolled her eyes and turned back to her book, leaving the window open as it let in a cool breeze. The moon was full tonight, it lit up the sky.
"Help me up?" John said tiredly as he held on to the window sill.
"What the hell are you doing!" Amara said, grabbing his arm and pulling him up. He had climbed onto the roof of the house and jumped up to the window.
"Making an entrance?" John laughed, brushing dirt off his clothes.
"You're crazy." Amara sighed.
"Crazy for you." John winked at her and plopped down on the bed. "Damn this is comfortable."
Amara shook her head and let out a laugh. She laid down on the bed next to John. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. Amara laid her head on his chest.
"I could stay like this forever." John chuckled, tracing circles on Amaras back.
The two of them laid there, talking to each other about anything and everything.
"Why'd you lie to me about where you and Arthur went?" John asked, looking down at Amara with a blank expression.
Amara felt the color leave her face. "I didn't know how you'd react."
"Well I would've reacted better if you didn't lie to me." John said, sitting up from where he was laying.
"I'm sorry." Amara got up from the bed and sat at her window seat, looking out at the moon. She hugged her legs and rested her head on her knee. Amara felt disappointed in herself, she shouldn't of lied to John but she did.
John came up to her and wrapped his arms around her. "It's ok." He said, placing a kiss on Amaras forehead.
There was a knock on the door. "Amara, come out here!" Mrs. Findlay yelled.
Amara shot up from the seat and quickly went to lock her door. "Just a minute!"
"Is that your mom?" John asked, looking over at Amara.
She whipped around and pushed him towards the window.
"You have to go, now." Amara demanded, opening the window.
"I can't jump out, it'll make a noise and-"
"Than hide!" Amara whispered, rolling her eyes and pushing him towards the bed.
"Woah, let's slow down." John chuckled.
"Shut up and hide under the bed." Amara said, walking towards the door.
"As you wish." John said before getting under the bed.
"Amara!" Mrs. Findlay yelled.
Amara opened the door, a bright smile on her face. "Hello, mother!" Amara said.
"Were you talking to someone?" Mrs. Findlay asked, stepping into the room and looking around.
"I was just reading my book aloud." Amara glanced toward the bed, Johns foot was sticking out on the side. She walked towards the bed and while her mother was distracted and she kicked Johns foot.
"Well I'm happy to see you, get to bed the Emerson's will be coming over tomorrow." Mrs. Findlay demanded and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.
Amara locked the door and bent down to look under the bed.
"You can come out now, John." Amara chuckled, standing up.
John got out from under the bed. "You didn't have to kick me that hard." He groaned, sitting down and rubbing his foot."
John glanced at Amara who was sitting at her desk, combing her hair. He admired the woman as she placed the brush down and glanced over to him.
"You should go now." Amara said, standing up from the chair and sitting next to him.
"Yeah.."
Amara helped John out of the house and to his horse. They said their goodbyes and Amara went back inside. She got ready for bed and dozed off.