Outlaws for Life (Red Dead Redemption 2)

Chapter ThirtyFive: People Don't Change

I keep thinking about that. What Dutch said, the way Arthur spoke to him. They are not wrong, both of them: setting John free might have been a mistake, but who says we wouldn't have paid the consequences for letting him rot in jail? Who between them is most right? If it was Charles, wouldn't I have saved him? Even if it was against Dutch's will? Easy answer.

For what Charles says, we did the right thing. Apparently, he has changed his mind too. Now he doesn't think Dutch is right on everything anymore, he too has noticed he is different since he came back, everybody has.

"People don't change. They just become more what they really are" said Arthur one evening as the three of us were seated around the campfire. He couldn't be more right, and now, I think that maybe I've never been mistaken about Dutch and that I've seen him for what he really is since the beginning. I should have never started to trust him after Bronte, shouldn't I? Ohh, I don't know anything anymore.

I lower my eyes and scratch my head taking a little sigh.

"How are you, my dear?" asks Uncle coming to sit by my side around the campfire.

"Alright, I think."

Silence falls and I move my eyes in the distance looking at Arthur walking towards Reverend Swanson and the two of them start talking.

"You have some recent adventure you want to talk me about?" asks Uncle again.

"Uhm... no, I don't think so."

Now, Dutch is approaching them taking Arthur away from the reverend to speak with him in private. Arthur's face shows all his perplexity.

"Well, Charles' influence on you isn't good. You sound just like him" Uncle says catching my attention and making me smile.

"You could use with some silence too some times, you know?" I joke.

"And be as boring as he is? Ain't happening."

I laugh at his words, but my smile soon fades away as I see someone I didn't expect to see walk inside camp: Eagle Flies. What is the chef's son doing here? Why is Charles with him? And why are they stopping to talk with Arthur and Dutch. I stand up to find it all out.

"Dutch, this is Eagle Flies. His father is a great chief. Charles and I we...erm..." begins Arthur.

"Pretended to be mercenaries, did me a great favor" completes Eagle Flies.

Then, he turns his head to look at me as I reach them.

"Hi, nice to see you again" I say.

"And you too."

I exchange a quick look with Charles asking him with the eyes what is going on.

"How are you?" I ask then to the chief's son.

"Not well. Not well at all."

"How's your father?" asks Arthur.

"Father has confused wisdom with weakness. His people, my people, we've suffered too much, being lied too much, now... they've taken our horses."

Again, I look at Charles who this time stares at me and slightly shakes his head. I think I know what he's telling me: this boy is a hothead and he won't listen to his father, who's far more experienced and wiser than he can ever be.

"Who took them?" asks Dutch.

"The infantry division posted at Fort Wallace" answers Charles.

"Why?"

"Colonel Favours is a liar and a murderer, his people won't stop until we're all dead. Without horses, we cannot hunt. Without hunting, we will starve. This is another act of war" replies Eagle Flies.