Outlaws for Life (Red Dead Redemption 2)

Chapter Twelve: Mourning

The smell of burning wood wakes me. I lay still, slowly opening my eyes to look at the twisting orange flames that warm my face, while all around me is dark and cold. The sun behind the hills is still lighting the horizon, but just a thin line behind the mountains, barely visible from where I am.

I sit up to rub my eyes, but something sticky on my hands makes me stop immediately. As I realize it is dried blood, I freeze.

It's done. It is truly done. After all those months, after all that pain, after all those deaths.

I distract myself from my hands and look around, trying to understand where am I. I can't see the cabin, nor the woods, but I reckon I'm still in New Hannover. Then, I become aware that on the ground next to me there is another bedroll.

Who is with me? Arthur, or Charles. Probably Arthur. But I don't see his horse anywhere. Now that I think about it, I don't see Isabella either.

"Welcome back."

Charles's voice catches me unprepared. I truly didn't expect him to be here. Generally, it is always Arthur who stays with me, maybe because it isn't wise for a colored man and a white woman to be seen alone together in the night.

As I look at his tall figure walking towards the fire I also notice he's carrying a rabbit.

"You need to eat something" he says readily.

I nod in silence even though I know I won't be able to put much food in me.

He sits down and starts skinning and cleaning the animal. I stare at him for a while. He and Arthur brought me all the way here, and then Arthur ordered him to stay with me, or maybe Charles volunteered. Just the thought of it...

"Where's Arthur?"

"Back to camp. Dutch gave him some work he has to do tomorrow."

I nod again. So, he didn't want to stay here, he is forced to.

"You've got, uhm, something I can clean myself with?" I ask showing him my hands.

"Sure."

He reaches for a bag near the fire from where he takes a rug and a skin of water. I start with my hands and I must say, wash the blood away is something really difficult.

"You still have some of your face" says Charles.

On my face? How did it end up there? Maybe in the struggle with Hunt, when he touched me?

I start rubbing blindly my face, but apparently I'm not doing it right because after a few seconds Charles stands up to come next to me.

"Wait" he says taking the rug from my hands.

Slowly and with a gentle touch I would never expect from those big hands, he passes the wet cloth on my face. After a glance, I move my eyes away, looking everywhere but at his face, so close to mine.

When he's done, he goes down on my neck, moving my hair gently away and causing me a shiver.

"Stop, stop, I'll do it" I say taking the rug from his hands and moving away.

I still don't look at him, but I can perfectly sense his bewilderment when I moved so roughly away.

He brought you here, he's feeding you, he wants to help you and after all this you treat him this way? Doesn't it sound a little too ungrateful?

"Thank you" I add in a whisper.

We eat without a word and then we settle down for the night. Charles turns his back to the fire so I don't understand if he falls asleep or not, but I can't. I feel tired, but I can's close my eyes. It's like a curse.