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He had co a long way since arriving in this world, and he knew that the mission to rescue Sean would be a defining mont in his story. With determination in his heart, Caleb closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, ready to face the mission tomorrow would bring as he knew it ins and outs.
The next day at dawn, Caleb was awakened by the sound of soone calling his na. He squinted against the morning light, his vision slowly adjusting to reveal Arthur standing over him. Arthur was already dressed and ready for the day, his expression a mix of amusent and impatience.
"Good morning, Mr. Thorne," Arthur said with a smirk. "Looks like you've woken up from your beauty sleep there. Why don't you freshen up over there at the barrel of clean water behind Pearson's wagon, and then et at the front of the camp?"
Caleb sat up on his bedroll, stretching his arms and yawning. "Good morning, Mr. Morgan. Of course, I'll freshen up right away."
Arthur chuckled and walked off toward the entrance of the camp, where the horses were hitched or grazing nearby. Caleb took a mont to stretch his body, working out the stiffness from sleeping on the ground. He then made his way to Pearson's wagon, where he found the camp cook busy at his table, chopping at with a cleaver.
Pearson looked up and greeted Caleb with a cheerful smile. "Good morning, Mr. Thorne! You're an early riser, huh? I've prepared so coffee and stew over there in the cauldron by the campfire to the right of my wagon for you facing . Help yourself before you head out with Arthur."
Caleb nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Mr. Pearson. I appreciate it. I'll enjoy the coffee and stew."
After thanking Pearson, Caleb walked to the two barrels of clean water behind the wagon. He cupped his hands and splashed water on his face, the coolness waking him up fully. He ran his wet hands through his hair, smoothing it back, and took a mont to compose himself before heading to the campfire beside Pearson's wagon.
At the campfire, Caleb found a cauldron of stew simring over the flas and a pot of coffee beside it, just like in the ga. He grabbed a bowl and ladled himself a serving of stew.
The aroma was hearty, though it lacked so spices. Still, Caleb ate it quickly, savoring the warmth and energy it provided. He then poured himself a cup of coffee, the strong brew helping to clear the last remnants of sleep from his mind.
Once he finished, Caleb cleaned his bowl and cup, placing them back where he found them. He then made his way to the front of the camp, where Arthur was waiting. Arthur was patting his horse, a Kentucky Saddler, the sa horse he had taken from Sadie Adler's stable at the beginning of the ga.
Arthur looked up as Caleb approached, a teasing glint in his eye. "Well, you took your sweet ti, huh, Mr. Thorne? Enjoying your morning yet?"
Caleb could hear the sarcasm in Arthur's voice and decided to play along. "Oh, yes, of course, Mr. Morgan. I took my ti enjoying this peaceful morning. The stew and coffee were quite good, thanks to Mr. Pearson. I must say, it was a lovely start to the day of long hard work ."
Arthur chuckled and shook his head. "Alright, co on, Caleb. Get on your horse. It's ti for us to join Javier, Charles, and Trelawny at a location near Blackwater."
Caleb nodded and mounted Morgan, giving her a gentle pat. "Good morning, girl," he said softly. Morgan responded with a gentle snort, her ears twitching as she acknowledged him.
Arthur mounted his own horse and turned to Caleb. "You ready, Mr. Thorne?"
Caleb t Arthur's gaze with a confident smile. "I'm born ready, Mr. Morgan."
Arthur nodded, a hint of approval in his expression. "Then let's ride."
The two of them set off, leaving the camp behind. Caleb kept an eye on the Map Function, watching as the area updated with their progress. The journey to the eting point near Blackwater was quiet, the early morning air crisp and filled with the sounds of nature.
The rolling hills and open plains of the Heartlands stretched out before them, bathed in the golden light of the rising sun. As they rode, Arthur broke the silence. "You ever been to Blackwater before, Caleb?"
Caleb heard Arthur's question about Blackwater and would have loved to say yes, he had been there many tis, of course, from the countless hours he had spent playing the ga as both Arthur and John, coming in and out from Blackwater.
But he held himself back, knowing that revealing such knowledge would raise too many questions. Instead, he shook his head and replied, "No, I've never been to Blackwater. I ca from the west and made my way straight to Valentine. But I've heard about Blackwater along the way. I even read about a massacre that happened there almost a month ago in a newspaper I bought in Valentine."
Arthur's expression darkened at the ntion of the massacre. He was silent for a mont, his jaw tightening as if the mory weighed heavily on him. Then, he turned to Caleb and asked, "What do you think of it?"
Caleb took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. "Well, I can't say I'm a saint myself. I've had my fair share of... let's say, questionable actions. Killing and bit of stealing, sotis it's necessary in this world. But a massacre involving innocent people? That's not my cup of tea. It only brings the law and the governnt down on your head, especially when it happens in a civilized and populated city like Blackwater."
Arthur sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly as if the weight of the truth was too much to bear. He looked ahead, his voice low and somber. "Yeah, well... there's sothing you should know, Mr. Thorne, before you decide to join our... family. That Blackwater Massacre? It was us. Our gang. And before you ask why, no, we didn't plan for it to happen. Hell, I wasn't even there during the ferry robbery. I was on the other side of town. But sothing went wrong, and... well, here we are now, running from the law, with losses."
Caleb fell silent, his face a mask of contemplation. Internally, however, his mind was racing. He knew the details of the Blackwater Massacre all too well. The Callander brothers, Davey and Mac, and Jenny Kirk, all mbers of the Van der Linde gang, had died because of it.
Davey had succumbed to his injuries shortly after the gang arrived at Colter, and Jenny had died on the way there. Mac, separated from the gang during the chaos in Blackwater, had been found by Agent Milton of the Pinkertons. Suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, Mac had been interrogated and then "rcy killed" by Milton.
The massacre had happened because Dutch, swayed by Micah's influence, had decided to rob the ferry without Arthur and Hosea's guidance. The situation had spiraled out of control, culminating in the death of an innocent pregnant woman, shot in the head, an act Micah had encouraged. It was a stark reminder of how Dutch's judgnt had faltered without Arthur and Hosea to temper his decisions.
While Caleb was lost in thought, Arthur, who had ridden a couple of steps ahead, turned to look at him. Seeing the young man's pensive expression, Arthur sighed and faced forward again.
He had grown to like Caleb, despite his youth and inexperience. There was sothing about the kid's determination and honesty that reminded Arthur of himself at a younger age.
But the life of an outlaw was no easy path, especially now with the Pinkertons and bounty hunters hot on their trail. Arthur hoped Caleb would think twice before accepting Dutch's offer to join the gang.
Caleb, sensing Arthur's lancholy, finally spoke up. "I believe everyone in the camp is a kind person, well, kind for an outlaw, at least. What happened in Blackwater was a terrible thing, but I think it happened because of so unfortunate circumstances and poor judgent. Life's full of circumstances and poor judgnt, isn't it?"
Arthur was surprised by Caleb's response. The young man's outlook on life reminded him of Dutch in so ways, optimistic, almost philosophical, even in the face of hardship. Arthur chuckled softly, a hint of amusent in his voice. "Yeah, true. What's life without circumstances and poor judgnt, huh?"
The two continued their ride in companionable silence for a while, the rhythmic clatter of hooves against the dirt road filling the air. Caleb kept an eye on the map function in his mind, watching as their progress updated.
They passed through Flatneck Station, crossed Bard's Crossing at the Dakota River, and rode past Riggs Station. Now, they were approaching the Upper Montana River, a river crossing that marked the boundary between the northern and southern parts of West Elizabeth.
Arthur reined in his horse slightly, allowing Caleb to catch up. "We're getting close to the eting point," Arthur said, his voice low. "But we need to be careful. The southern part of West Elizabeth and New Austin are crawling with Pinkertons and bounty hunters. They're patrolling the area, looking for us, especially Dutch. He's their primary target."
Caleb nodded, his expression serious. "Understood. We'll keep a low profile."
As they approached the river crossing, Arthur dismounted and gestured for Caleb to do the sa. "We'll cross on silently and act natural," Arthur explained. "It's quieter that way. Less chance of drawing attention."
Caleb followed Arthur's lead, patting Morgan and gives her a treat of oatcakes. The two n then rode cautiously, their horses step soft against the river ground. The river was wide but shallow, its waters glistening under the morning sun.
Arthur scanned the area, his hand sotis resting on the hilt of his revolver. Caleb mirrored his actions, his senses heightened as he kept an eye out for any signs of danger.
They crossed the river without incident, and the sound water behind them coudk be heard. Now on the other side, Arthur led Caleb to a small grove of trees to hide and let their horses take so rest.
As they let their horses rest, Arthur and Caleb took the opportunity to check their weapons. Arthur was ticulously wiping down his Cattleman revolver, ensuring it was in pristine condition. His eyes flicked over to Caleb, who was inspecting his Schofield revolver. Arthur raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised.
"That's a fine piece you got there, Caleb," Arthur remarked, his tone a mix of admiration and curiosity. "Schofield revolvers don't co cheap. How'd you manage to get your hands on one?"
Caleb smiled, a hint of pride in his expression as he ran a cloth over the polished tal of the revolver. "Thank you, Arthur. It's a good gun, and it's served well so far as I stayed in Valentine. As for how I got it... well, it's quite the story."
Arthur leaned back against a tree, clearly intrigued. "I've got ti. Let's hear it."
Caleb chuckled softly, his mind briefly flashing back to the events that had led him to acquire the Schofield, of course embellished it a bit to impress Arthur. "It was back in Valentine. I'd managed to found out about a group of gang mbers who were extorting protection money from the local shops. They were using the back room of the doctor's office as their hideout. One night, I decided to pay them a visit."
Arthur's eyes narrowed slightly, his interest piqued. "Go on."
"I waited until late at night," Caleb continued, his voice low but steady. "One of the gang mbers ca out to take a piss, drunk as a skunk. I took him out quietly, then slipped through the back door, it was a steel door, but it wasn't locked. Inside, I found the rest of his friends, all of them drunk and careless. I dealt with them one by one with a knife, took their money, and found this beauty tucked away in a drawer. After that, I slipped out the sa way I ca in. No one ever knew it was ."
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Na:Caleb Thorne
Age: 23
Body Attributes:
- Strength: 6/10
- Agility: 6/10
- Perception: 8/10
- Stamina: 6/10
- Charm: 5/10
- Luck: 5/10
Skills:
- Handgun (Lvl 1)
- Rifle (Lvl 1)
- Firearms Knowledge (Lvl 2)
- Past Life mory (Lvl MAX)
- Knife (Lvl 1)
- Blunt Weapon (Lvl 1)
- Sneaking (Lvl 1)
- Horse Mastery (Lvl 1)
- Poker (Lvl 1)
- Hand to Hand Combat (Lvl 1)
- Eagle Eye (Lvl 1)
- Dead Eye (Lvl 1)
Money: 140 dollars and 88 cents
Bank: 40 dollars, 2 gold bars, and a large bag of jewelry
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