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Between arriving at Horseshoe Overlook and getting the camp setup after leaving those snowy mountains behind them, there had barely been any time to sit back and relax. It had been all systems go right up until the men had rescued and returned back with Sean. A brief respite from their duties had followed in the form of a party and then several weeks later, the atmosphere at camp eased and they finally felt comfortable enough to settle down in their new surroundings with spirits riding high. Things were good. Better than they’d been in a long time. After everything that they’d been through lately, a lazy evening in the warmth of the cosy Heartlands was long long overdue.
The three younger women, Karen, Tilly and Mary-Beth were sat around the campfire situated near to where they slept, each woman with a bottle in hand. This had been long overdue too. It was Mary-Beth’s second drink of the evening, Tilly’s third and Karen’s fifth. They hadn’t had a night to enjoy themselves in what had felt like forever so tonight, they were going to make the most of it. It made a very welcomed change from being stranded in Colter for a week or so.
They had been idly, leisurely chatting away for quite some time late into the evening until Karen had pitched the idea of a fun little drinking game…
“So go on then, what’re y’choosin’?” Karen had used the tip of her own bottle to point in Tilly’s direction, perhaps with a little less grace than she may have intended.
Tilly sighed. “Who were my options again?”
“John, Arthur an’ Javier.”
“And a’gotta choose who I’d bed, wed an’ behead?” Tilly asked with some slight hesitation.
“Yep.”
“Why?”
“A’don’t know, because it’s fun… C’mon ladies, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten how to have fu-”
“I’d marry Arthur...”
Two pairs of eyes shifted until they landed on Mary-Beth as she spoke, only for her to then smile coyly and shrug. “What?” She giggled at their reactions, “well a’can’t marry John, can I? He’s with Abigail.”
“None a’that matters in this game, jus’ go with whoever y’want. Ain’t like it’s gonna happen… Don’t mean nothin’.” Karen explained before taking another swig of whiskey from the bottle.
“Can I still marry Arthur if Mary-Beth’s already married him?” Tilly addressed Karen.
“‘Course, that’s the beauty of it. The rules are: don’t matter who y’pick, we can all pick the same fella but y’gotta pick one for each thing. I think there’s another rule but can’t remember what it is…” Karen added offhandedly before she continued. “So, y’know what? I think I’ll marry Arthur too, jus’ ‘cause a’can.”
The girls laughed in unison.
“So that means we’ve gotta bed John or Javier now?” Tilly said after a moment.
“We can’t bed John!” Mary-Beth exclaimed, still very much fixated on John and Abigail being together.
“I’d bed John.” A new, deeper voice spoke as the man came into view, clutching a practically empty beer bottle.
“What?!” The three ladies had all spun round to the source of the voice, to be greeted by Javier who had approached from behind the wagon that separated the campfire from the rest of the game.
“Wait, what’s the game?” He asked with a sly grin as he approached the women, swaying slightly as he invited himself to take a seat on the closest chair beside Tilly.
“We’re choosin’ who we’d bed, wed an’ behead. But it’s a game for us girls only. Don’t need no men with their fragile egos ruinin’ all the fun.” Karen teased.
“Aww c’mon, try me. Who’re my options?”
“Well, we were doin’ you, John and Arthur but that won’t work so let’s swap you out for Charles.” Tilly suggested.
“No women?”
“Nope. Our game, our rules…” said Mary-Beth proudly.
“So I was an option? And who were you ladies choosing, eh?” Javier leaned closer to Tilly, nudging playfully at her arm only for Tilly to nudge him back.
“None of your damn business.” Tilly replied.
“An’ we were choosin’ based on us havin’ a gun to our heads.” Karen chuckled.
“Charming.” Javier drawled, tone laced with sarcasm.
“What’s goin’ on over here?” John was next to appear from the side of the wagon upon hearing the combination of voices and laughter. John had been drinking too, though not to quite the same extent that Javier had.
“We’re jus’ playin’ a lil’ game, Javier was just about to take his turn.” Tilly smiled and her gaze, along with everyone else’s, shifted towards Javier. John had stepped across to take a seat beside Karen.
“Yeah…” Javier trailed off.
“So are you gonna play or not?” Mary-Beth blurted out, her curiosity getting the better of her.
“Sure, it’s an easy choice anyway.” Javier replied confidently after a beat. “Bed John, like I said. Wed Charles, behead Arthur…”
John almost fell off his chair. Somehow. “…What?”
“You’re killin’ Arthur?!” Mary-Beth sounded shocked, disbelieving of Javier’s choice.
“Who’s killin’ me?” Arthur had rounded the wagon with an almost full bottle of beer. He’d clearly had more to drink than John but less to drink than Javier.
“It’s a game we’re playin’. Y’know… Bed, wed, behead.” Tilly explained.
“Never heard of it.”
“Well of course you haven’t, Arthur.” Javier teased.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Means you’re borin’…” John chuckled.
“Oh, is that right? Well go on then, hit me.” Arthur had already taken the empty seat beside Mary-Beth by the time he’d finished speaking.
“John, Charles, Javier.” Karen gave Arthur his options.
Arthur blinked once. “Ain’t there no women in this game?”
“Nuh-uh. Ladies rules…” John murmured.
“So a’gotta choose who to behead, wed an’- Jesus.” Arthur huffed a faint laugh, gliding a hand across his face.
“Mhm…” Javier confirmed with a hum.
During the conversation that had unfolded, the men having taken over their game, the ladies came to a silent but mutual decision to leave them to it. It was late and all three of the women were ready to retire to their beds. Given the location of the campfire, they would still be able to listen in to the conversation from their beds anyway. So the ladies had snuck away, snickering quietly to themselves, having gone unnoticed by Arthur, John and Javier who were too distracted with their new game to even notice.
When Arthur didn’t respond after a few long seconds, Javier decided to press him. “You’re thinking about this way too much…” he rolled his eyes.
“Well, what did you choose then?” Arthur bit back.
“I chose: bed John, wed Charles and- behead you… No hard feelings, brother.”
“Huh. Charles, I can sorta understand but John?”
“I’m sittin’ right here.” John mumbled.
“Wish you weren’t.” Arthur muttered dryly.
“Y’know, maybe you two should bed one another. Might help resolve some of that tension between you both.” Javier flashed the two men a grin.
“Shut up, Javier.” John huffed, though the exhale turned to a short breath of poorly disguised laughter. Likely from the alcohol consumption.
Steering the conversation away from that particular subject matter, Arthur redirected their discussions. “So you’re weddin’ Charles then?”
“Are you kidding? Who wouldn’t want to be wrapped up in those big strong arms every night…” Javier said wistfully.
“Fair point.” Arthur mumbled under his breath.
“What are we talkin’ about?” Charles approached the three men that surrounded the still gently flickering campfire, moving to stand beside one of the empty chairs.
“Jus’ Javier swoonin’ over your big strong arms, apparently…” Arthur chuckled.
Charles quirked an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”
“It’s-… Ugh, jus’ sit down.” John tried, deciding that as a group, they ought to explain the game to Charles. Which the men did between them while Charles simply listened, taking one of the spare seats.
After the men had finished explaining the game, and after a small pause, Charles eventually spoke. “Whose idea was this?” He was more interested to know how exactly this all came about, rather than actually playing the game.
“Come on, jus’ choose already…” Arthur said as he took another swig of his drink.
“Fine.” Charles sighed in defeat. There was no real harm in it, he supposed. “I guess, if I had to… Bed John, wed Arthur, behead Javier.”
“Why is everyone beddin’ me?” John expressed his confusion.
“Maybe ‘cause you ain’t marriage material. But if it makes ya feel any better, Marston, I’d behead ya.” Arthur said playfully.
”Gee, thanks…”
“Aha! So that means you’ve gotta bed me.” Javier grinned.
“What? I- Ugh, Christ. Well, whatever...” Arthur turned his attention back to Charles. “Charles, I’m marryin’ you too.”
“…Um, thank you?”
“So you’re killing me? Just like that? Even after what I said about your big strong arms? Mierda. Where’s your heart, amigo?”
“What happened to not takin’ it personally, huh, compadre? Y’know, ‘no hard feelin’s…” Arthur raised his eyebrows, blatant amusement evident on his face.
“Ah, puta madre…”
“Is this really what you all consider fun?” Charles shook his head, though a small smile remained. One of fondness.
“I’d like in on the fun… What’re we playin’, gentlemen?”
The four men turned their gaze over to the side of the wagon, to find Micah leaning against the corner of it.
“How long have you been standin’ there?” John asked with his brows furrowed.
“Ain’t what a’asked, Johnny boy…”
“It’s called wed, bed, behead…” Javier told him.
“Ohhh… I know this one.” Micah leaned up and away from the wagon, swaggering forward with a bottle in hand, much like the rest of the men who remained sat. “I’m choosin’ Arthur.”
Arthur frowned. “Whut?”
“To wed, bed an’ behead… Preferably in that order.”
“That- that ain’t how you play it, you don’t just choose one person for each thing! That don’t make no sense.” John was incredulous.
“I’d like to see you try an’ behead me, Micah…” Arthur said gruffly with his eyes locked on the man in question.
“That’s the part you’re focusing on?” Charles quipped, though his visible concern went unnoticed by the group as the situation swiftly began to escalate.
“Why don’t ya come over here an’ say that to my face, huh? Tough guy?” Micah taunted.
“You think I won’t?” Arthur was on his feet in an instant, intent on closing the gap between the two of them, and closing Micah’s mouth in the process. With his fist, of course.
But before Arthur could reach that point, with Micah’s back firmly pressed against the side of the wagon, a firm hand had placed itself over Arthur’s chest. A firm hand that didn’t belong to Micah…
“Just what is going on here?”
Aw. Crap.
Dutch had picked the opportune moment, as always, to intervene. And with Hosea by his side too… Both in their night clothes which really only made the whole situation much worse. It was much too late and the men had been far too rowdy, more so than they’d even realised. Even Charles, who had probably been the most sober of the group.
Arthur peered down at Dutch’s hand, acting as a barrier between himself and Micah before their eyes met once more. “Micah wants to behead me!”
“Charles won’t wed me!” Javier pointed at Charles.
“Everyone is beddin’ me!” John joined in, still in a state of exasperation.
For a brief moment, for the first time that evening, heavy and awkward silence fell upon the group. If a tumbleweed were to pass by right about now, then that would quite accurately represent the atmosphere.
“Would one of you mind explaining yourselves?” Hosea asked, eyes darting from each member of the group to the next, waiting expectantly.
Arthur had backed away slightly, enough for Dutch to place his hands on his hips, instead of using them to block Arthur from Micah. He gave a heavy sigh. “We were playin’ this game that the women started an’ it got a little outta hand, but it ain’t my fault that-”
“The women? What women?” Charles glanced around. There were no women when he arrived…
“The women are asleep in their beds.” Hosea replied in a very matter-of-fact way.
“…Oh.”
“Right.”
“Shit…”
“I suggest you all get to bed, now.” Dutch uttered in such a way that wasn’t really a suggestion at all.
“And sober up while you’re at it.” Hosea added.
“Go on, all of you...” Dutch waved a hand dismissively while using the other to pinch the bridge of his nose. They waited for the men to leave the area to return to their beds before he and Hosea followed suit.
Shortly thereafter when silence finally fell upon the camp, even as ridiculously late as it was, the three ladies who had begun the game were still awake in their beds.
“Have they all gone?”
“I think so…”
“I feel sorta bad, gettin’ them into trouble like that...” Mary-Beth admitted.
“They got themselves into trouble. They do that well enough without us.” Karen answered, keeping her voice low and hushed now that the area had fallen quiet.
“Was kinda funny…” Tilly gave a small chuckle.
“Yeah…”
“Hey girls, I think a’remembered the last rule… Not to include the people in the game who’re the ones playin’ the game.” Karen confessed with an undeniable hint of humour in her voice.
“When did y’remember that?” Tilly wondered aloud.
“Round ‘bout the time we left, or jus’ after…” Karen snorted.
“Karen!” Mary-Beth laughed quietly.
“Well that’s what they get for spoilin’ our fun. Maybe next time they’ll think twice about joinin’ us women an’ learn how to play their own game instead…”
“There’s always tomorrow night…”
“It’s a date.”
“G’night, ladies...”