' ~𝑅𝑎𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐶𝑎𝑖𝑛'✓ [RDR2 OC]

The Weather Outside is Frightful

A/N: Might give Cain a love interest, I'll see how it plays out!!
-/-= time has passed

Cain was jolted awake by a sack thrown on him.
"Petals over here isn't too damaged to go on a hike, is he?"
Cain groaned an insult only he could hear and pulled the sack from his face, sitting up groggily.
"What are we doing?" He looked through the satchel, a can of who knows what's insides seasoned and boiled, a hunting knife, bandages, and nicotine chewing gum.
"Where's my gun..?" He mumbled, then looked up at Javier.
"Where's my rifle?"
Javier laughed like Cain had just asked what year it was in a sci-fi movie.
"Becuase we can't know for certain if you'll shoot us in the back or not, yet. Meet me and Arthur outside in 2 minutes, I hope that horse has recovered well."
Cain furrowed his eyebrows and glared daggers into Javier's back.

"Seems he really likes you, Pretty boy."
Cain turned to see Micah, examining one of his sickles. He touched the tip and drew his hand back quickly, growling in frustration.
"You look like the kinda guy to suck up, to act all nicey-nicey to get into the boss' loyal attribute list, am I right?"
Cain didn't respond. He just kept his eyes on Micah's hands, which moved wearily around the handle, having no idea how to use one of such weapons.
Micah scorched a laugh.

"Yeah, that's what I thought, with your makeup," He spat, throwing a hand up lazily, gesturing towards the Kohl he wore. "And your stature, hah!" He leant over, his elbows on his knees, giving Cain an intense Kubric stare that really wasn't working.
"Naw, I've seen your kind before. You come looking, you never find anything and you leave. To go through this storm just to get some? Hahah! Boy, you really wanna get into some guys' pants, dontcha,' you litte fa-'

"Ey, thought you said you were fit to come?" Javier peaked a woollen head though the door, and Molly immediately beckoned for the door to be closed, as the women were still drying off from the snow, and they were "too delicate as of now for that damn bite to nip at them"
Javier combated her with a bat of a hand, waving away an annoyed woman.

"Come on niño bonito, get your horse."
Cains eyes were low, and they avoided Micah's, as he laughed condescendingly.

Molly approached Cain as he stuffed an extra blanket in his satchel. She thought about just walking off and pretending she hadn't even intended to walk over to him but decided against it.
"Jesus, L-er...Cain. You don't have to take that from him."
Cain laughed softly and rubbed some of the drying eyeliner from his eye, where it had run from his eyes watering in the cold.
"Is it all that far-fetched, though?" He lowered his voice. He didn't want the others to hear it break.
"Molly, an oil lamp fell onto a carpet. I can't explain it, but i still feel like I killed them-Elioh was burnt alive in that ranch-jesus a stake went and fell straight into poor Beth little heart'ín-I couldn't-" He held his hand up to his face, pretending to be whipping something from his upper-lip. He took a breath, his hand shaking as he placed a pistol into the satchel, one that had been in his boot before.

"I couldn't save them. I know that. Maybe if I had been quicker, or if I'd woken up sooner and seen it. I wouldn't even think I'd let myself live if it was really my fault-She knocked over the lamp because I was too busy, I was too busy because.." His voice was strangled out by a sob, and his eyes were glassy from tears threatening to spill. Molly cupped his face in her hands and turned him to face her.

"Cain, you're a good man. Damning yourself with those sins-with this name - it's not you. You might not be the hero of this story, but you're certainly not the villain." She smiled at him and shook her head. She'd definitely taken that straight from a book. He didn't mind the inauthenticity. "Now go on, go save that stupid boy." Cain managed to choke a laugh and touched her wrist gently as she lowered her hands.

Outside, the wind bit at his ears, and the frost numbed his nose. His horse complained a lot on the way. He'd stop every so often and try to find grass under the snow. When Javier had suggested horse riding lessons, he hadn't objected.

"You ride like an idiot on a bull. Are you sure you worked on a ranch, Mister?"
Javier called back. As he straightened, the horse raised his neck and slowed to stay alongside Aoliah.
Cain's mouth lined as he dragged his eyes from the road to the nearing silhouette of the gunslinger.
"Yeah, well, I guess I was enough to scare the sheep into the gates."
Javier laughed. "Oh, we get a big scary family-man here Arthur, watch out."
Cain heard a rusty laugh up ahead and grumbled.
"They're sheep. Try jumping at one the next time you see them. They'll shit themselves at the sight of anything approaching them."
Javier shrugged, not having anything interesting to respond with or just not finding it interesting enough to respond to.
"You had a daughter?"
Cain stiffened. The horse noticed his change in posture and huffed, slowing down a bit.
"Yes, I did,"
"What age was she?"
"Eleven." A moment of silence.
"How about the misses?"
Cain urged the horse into a working canter and dismissed Javier's question.
"Hey, tonto! Don't-ah."
He was riding alongside Arthur, shaking the snow off his hat.
-/-
"Jesus, you lacky, you 'don't drink'? here, you're Irish, aren't you?" Javier laughed and tossed him the bottle. Cain caught it on instinct and took a swig before better judgment could step in. He lowered the bottle, and Javier regarded him with an unidentifiable expression for a moment.
"What?" Cain said slightly defensively.
Javier laughed and shook his head, taking the alcohol back.
"Nothing." He stomped on through the snow. "Nothing at all."
Cain shrugged to himself and walked alongst the ridge with him.
-/-
Boy? This was a man, a pretty ravaged one, too. He groaned as he was picked up and grumbled as they were retracing what steps they could identify.
"Jesus, watch it, watch it!" The man grouched as Arthur took a shakey step.
"Will you pipe it, boy? I'm tryna focus for Christ sake. . ."
Cain laughed lowly at that, and the man tilted his head up. His face was still bloody, bruised, and swollen.
"Say, Arthur, who's the new guy?"

"Ah, some poor family man with a silly name running from imaginary bandits."
Cains anger flowered, but he kept calm, his voice low, humour lost.
"They're very real, Arthur. They robbed me of everything, killed my daughter, you don't joke about that, ok?"
Arthur nodded. "Okay, okay, keep yere pants on."
John rested an elbow on Arthur's shoulder blade and nodded a slight, like he was an insightful philosopher musing an idea.
"I have a son. . . I think."
Arthur sighed. John continued.
"Y'know, I'd be devastated if I knew anything were to happen to him."
Cain wondered if it was the wolf attack or whether he just naturally sounded like a heavy smoker.
"I am." He stated coldly.
Nonetheless, they carried on until the horses were in sight.

"Let's getchu' up then Marston." Arthur mumbled and hoisted Marston up on the back of his horse. He let out a mix of noises Cain had stopped tracking. He was about to mount his horse when a warning shout came from the direction of Javier.
Barking, growling.
He felt teeth sink into his back.