Spurs n' Spice | Red Dead Redemption 2

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(Btw English is not my first language but I'm pretty good at it. But if something doesn't make sense I'm sorry.)

Spurs n' Spice
By; DataBlocked

Backstory
Paying a Social Call

"Hey..."

The voice echoed through Claras head. It rang back and forth between her skull leaving a full pain in its wake.

"Hey!"

A deep dull pain rippled across Claras face as a firm, dry hand slapped against her cheek. Clara's eyes shot open, her hand instinctively reached down to her hip where her gun would have normally been, but all she felt was an empty holster.

"No no no... You don't think we're that stupid." The crude man looked down at Clara as he firmly grabbed her by her wrists. She looked up at him and saw the nasty face of a man who clearly hadn't bathed in weeks. He was dressed in black with a dark green vest and a green ribboned hat, this 'uniform' of sorts immediately led Clara to the conclusion that he was an O'Driscoll.

"C'mon." The man said as he pulled Clara up onto her feet. She wanted to fight back but her body felt weak and almost limp. As he pulled her to her feet she saw the cabin she was in, noticing it was empty.

The O'Driscoll moved behind her, putting an arm around her neck and a gun to the side of her head. Only a second past and a strange man burst inside, but he seemed confused and disappointed at the sight before him.
Before the new strange man could say anything, Claras vision went dark, her skin felt fuzzy, and finally she collapsed back into The O'Driscoll.

____

Horseshoe Overlook

Claras' eyes fluttered open, and in an overwhelming wave she could suddenly feel every inch of her body. She could feel her pounding headache of course, but she could also feel a deep burning sensation in her shoulder, the cold metal around her wrist, the dry itchy bandage taped to her shoulder, and the hard ground through the cot below her.

Clara stared up at the bright blue sky above her, she could see the edges of trees that were towering far above her. She watched as two crows flew in the distance high above her.

She felt... Peaceful... It was painful, but peaceful. It took a few seconds of her laying there for her to finally ask herself, "Where the fuck. Am I?"

She heard dry grass crunching below someone's hurried footsteps.

"Um... Arthur! Dutch! She's up!" A strangely sweet voice echoed out through the crisp, hot air.

All of a sudden three men and two women were towering above Clara as she laid there. A stiff silence stood between them all as they stared at each other.

"You just gonna lay there?" A vaguely familiar looking man said.

Clara pulled against the large metal cuff around her wrist. She had been cuffed to the wheel of a wagon in case she decided to run away after she woke up. "You just gonna stand there?"

The man who spoke looked at the people standing around them, some of them chuckled between each other. The man who spoke took a key that was tucked behind the wagon wheel and uncuffed Clara.

Clara took a classy looking man's hand as he helped her to her feet.

Claras expression was that of confusion laced with fear. "Wh-"

"I'm Dutch." The classy looking man said. He had a charming demeanor about him. "This big idiot is Arthur." Dutch said. Arthur was the man who had spoken first and he didn't seem offended by Dutch's comment. As though he heard it often. "This is Micah... Miss. Tilly and Miss. Grimshaw." Dutch continued, gesturing to those as he named them.

There was a long pause, it was clear Dutch wanted Clara to tell them her name but instead she just tried to take a step back, instead she backed up against the wagon.

"I see we've... Intimidated you... You don't have to worry, you're safe with us." Dutch said as he put his hand up, as though it was a poor attempt to relax Clara.

A million thoughts swirled through Claras head but the main one was, 'What. The. Fuck. Is. Going. On.'

"Not much of a talker... Well." Dutch almost seemed disappointed as he took a step back, taking a breath to compose himself. "Grimshaw and Tilly will take care of you... And you come find me when you want to talk." Although he said it with a kind smile it struck Clara as a threat.

"Take care of?" Clara croaked, she wanted to run away but the multiple guns they all seemed to possess told her that was a worse idea than staying.

"Oh don't worry." Tilly said with a sweet smile, she had been the voice Clara heard after she woke up.
Tilly didn't seem to understand that Clara was scared.

Grimshaw took a firm hold of Claras arm as she pulled her over to a crate, not seeming to give the terrified Clara much of a choice. She made Clara sit down on the crate and when Clara moved a tiny bit to sit more comfortably, Grimshaw gave her a angered look telling Clara it was better if she didn't move.

When Clara sat there, attempting to be perfectly still, Grimshaw smiled.

Grimshaw began to wipe off Claras face with a damp cloth, Tilly was going through her clothes trying to find something for Clara to wear.

Arthur had followed the girls and after watching for a moment he spoke.

"You're... Sorta strange. No offense." Arthur said to Clara, Grimshaw gave Arthur a look and Arthur took a step back. "I said no offense."

"You don't seem to be giving me many options." Clara hesitated, looking between Grimshaw and Arthur.

"Oh you have options... Most. Not very nice."

"Arthur!" Tilly exclaimed

"But! But... I think it's best if you just answer our questions." Arthur seemed somehow slightly angry at Clara.

"What were you doing there? With those O'Driscolls?" Arthur began, crossing his arms over his chest.

"That's easy I-...." Clara paused but no words came... No memories came either. Claras face slowly soured as she grew more confused. "I... I don't know-?" Clara sounded confused even by her own words. "I don't know. Why-? Why don't I?"

Arthur's demeanor softened as he studied Clara. It suddenly became clear to everyone why she was acting so odd.

Grimshaw moved and began combing her fingers through Claras messy red hair. "What're you-?" Clara asked

"Checking if you hit your head." Grimshaw answered. She quickly found a big nasty scar on the back of Claras head. It had been messily stitched up.
Grimshaw put a hand on Claras shoulder as she gave Arthur a worried look.

"You Irish?" Arthur asked Clara, he'd noticed she had a slight accent.

"I?... Yeah." Clara had a little bit of relief as she felt the recollection of her past.

"What was the last thing you remember?"

"Uh... I." She was trying hard to remember, going through everything she did remember which was most of her life. "I... I was in Valentine. The hotel... I don't know."

Arthur sighed as he looked down at Clara. "Alright. You should stay here a while... Er uh... Until you remember at least."