Know My Name - a RDR2 Story

Old Enemies

Let me tell you a story about a woman who fell into two crowds: the good and the bad.
Of course, there are pros and cons to each category, but I suppose it only depends on the way you look at it...

TW!: mentions of violence, swearing

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The camp was livid as always. There was the occasional conversation, Micah challenging everyone to playing Five-Fingered Filet, Mr. Pearson cooking, and all the women doing some kind of chore around the camp. Arthur was out somewhere on a job, same with Charles, Javier, Bill, even Kieran. Hosea was reading a book like always while Dutch looked over the camp with a sense of urgency in his eyes.

All the women, apart from Karen and Molly, were either sewing, cooking, cleaning, washing, or taking care of each other. Karen had a reason for not working, she was a drunken whore. She rarely woke up before noon and even if she did, it was because someone had wakened her. Now, Molly on the other hand had no reason to laze about. And even when someone asked her about it, she merely scoffed and told everyone to get back to work, a bit hypocritical.

Molly was Dutch's plaything; although, she believed they were somewhat of a couple. Dutch had never loved anyone other than Anabelle, everyone knew that. So, when he brought home a red-haired Danish girl with a thick accent, it was a surprise for the entire Van der Linde gang.

"Now, I can name a few more things 'round this camp that you could be doin' other than sleepin', miss Karen!" Susan Grimshaw. A ruthless woman with stone cold outer shell with a warm cushion on the inside. She and Mr. Pearson are in charge of making each camp 'a home' until Dutch found sanctuaries outside law. She was like a mother to everyone at camp; to Arthur, John, Hosea- even Dutch. She was mama hen.

"I'm up- I'm up!" Karen was always grouchy in the mornings. Her excuse? Too much to drink the previous night.

Now, it had been about a week or two since the O'Driscoll escaped and was found by Arthur, John, and Hosea. Hosea originally wanted to tell Dutch himself about the deal with the O'Driscoll, but Arthur and John had beat him to it. Dutch, thinking that Hosea was fraternizing with the enemy, hadn't spoken a word to Hosea since.
The atmosphere between those two was tense and it made the whole camp feel awkward.

Hosea had tried to talk to him, but Dutch pushed him away saying he had 'other things to attend to'. Those other things being his favorite book: The American Inferno.

Today was Tuesday, a day before Hosea was to meet Kam around the Dakota River for an exchange of goods. The two right-hands met two weeks ago for their arrangement and had a surprisingly delightful conversation. Of course, Hosea had asked someone to go with him in case of emergency, he had chosen John, of all people. John didn't say a word during their transaction unless it was to defend himself from the O'Driscoll nitpicking at the way he dressed, talked, and smelled.
If Arthur and John had anything in common as unrelated brothers, it would be that they both hated that black-haired woman.

Hosea and Kam talked only a little, most conversation starters being brought up by Hosea himself, but even then, they were cut short. Hosea would ask how she's been getting on, she'd respond with 'fine'; he'd ask if she had gotten a new pair of riding boots, she'd say 'yeah'; he'd ask if she finally got her home in Lagras, she'd only chuckle. Conversation was minimal at the very least.

It was still weird seeing old man Hosea make polite conversation with the murderous outlaw. It was like he treated her as a friend; Kam clearly only saw him as a business opportunity and John as a joke to be laughed at. Although, there was something more calming about the O'Driscoll when John saw her last. She looked a lot more tired than their previous engagements and a little skinnier, but it wasn't like she couldn't afford food; she looked like she had cash to spare. Which she did.