When The Seasons Change {RDR2 FanFic}

Chapter 1: Genesis

He was, at first, my undoing. Then, my saviour. And now? Well I don't know what he is now, but he has saved me more times then I can count. And for that, I will be forever grateful.

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Chapter 1: Genesis

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Strawberry. What a quaint and simple place. Once a lumberjack town in the Big Valley region, surrounded by thick evergreen forests and fresh water rivers. It may have been a wild place, but it made up for that in its beauty and peacefulness. Miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city of Saint Denis, yet not too far from the lively town of Blackwater.

You knew nothing else, apart from the stories you heard from strangers that visited the village, stopping at the saloon for a pint of beer or a bite to eat. Most of the time, the visitors were there for a bit of respite, or even a vacation away from the city. After all, the mayor was trying to establish the village as a resort, which brought people over to experience what living in the wilderness was really like. Hotels and the like were built in the process. You didn't complain, as you had a job that allowed you to bring home money for you and your parents. Each day you'd hand out the plates of food and tankards of ale to the tables, before cleaning away empty crockery. It was an easy job in essence, despite the long hours and fatigued feet. Easy too by the fact that it brought about no major drama (apart from the odd bar fight), no hardships, nothing.

On a lazy Tuesday afternoon, the sun was high up in the vast infinite blue of the cloudless sky. The comings and goings of guests was nothing short of ordinary. You walked back and forth from one table to the next as you served food and cleared away empty tables. With free hands, you went over to a table, collecting the crockery.

"Thank you," You called as a couple began to leave from their table, and as they walked through the door, a couple of men walked in past them. You had to admit, at first they didn't look all that dissimilar to the locals of Strawberry. Rough and ready, clothes that screamed living off the land. Yet the way they sauntered in, looking awfully uncomfortable as they took a seat at an empty table, lit up a cigarette and eyed up everyone in the saloon, struck you. Now it wasn't unusual to have some characters that look shifty, there's plenty of them around, that's for sure. But it still spiked your interest. You took a moment to take them in. One young, looked to be in his 30s, with long brown hair slicked back and held down by a worn black hat. The other was much older, roughly in his 50s with his grey hair and aged eyes. Once you had discarded the collected dishes, you went over to their table.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen," You welcomed them with your signature smile, "What can I get you?"

"Do you have any whiskey?" Asked the older man, his eyes lifting to meet yours.

"We sure do, shall i bring just a glass or the whole bottle?"

"The whole bottle would do just fine," The man smiled, clearly he was a smooth talker, "And two venison stews,"

"Coming right up," You smiled as you spun on the spot and headed to the bar, you grasped a bottle of whiskey and two crystal glasses, and then placed it down on the men's table, "Enjoy gentlemen,"

"Thank you," said the older man.

"Cheers," Mumbled the other, his voice deep and somewhat alluring. It caught you off guard as your head snapped over to him. With a smile, you turned around and made your way to the kitchen.

Once their food had been served up, you grabbed the two bowls and made your way to their table, "Here we go, two venison stews. Is there anything else I can get you?"

"That'll be all, thank you my dear," The older man smiled sweetly, and with that, you took that as your cue to leave them at peace. A few more customers came in, took their seats and were served, and throughout that hour, you felt eyes burning into your skin. Every now and again, your own eyes would fleet over to the table of the two men, catching the hidden glimpses of the younger man shadowed under his brimmed hat, but once he was caught, he'd scratch the back of his neck awkwardly and shuffle in his seat.

You were about to step over and ask him what his problem was, but stopped when the saloon doors swung open, and in walks a group of men, six to be exact.

"Ah Arthur, Hosea! There you are, ye bastards," Called one, his Irish accent thick as he threw his arms out wide, "We wondered where you two had gotten to,"

"Getting as far away from you, you degenerate," The younger one grumbled, pointing a large finger towards him.

"Degenerate?" The Irishman began to laugh, but just like a light switch, his tone changed, "You think you're so funny, don't you Arthur. Want to say that again, eh?"

"Calm down," 'Arthur' said, rolling his eyes at the sudden hot temper of his Irish friend. From behind him, a Mexican man put his hand on the Irishman's arm.

"Why don't you get us all a round?"

"Oh that's right, poor old Sean has to spend the last bit of his hard earned money on you lot. Don't you worry, Javier, I'll remember for next time," Sean grumbled, before turning around and heading over to the bar. As he stood at the bar, being served by the barman, you waited for all the drinks to be made, and as soon as they were, you grabbed the tray and put them down on their table.

"Ah who's this then?" Says one of the two men that looked alike, clearly twins, "You look like a fun time,"

You were used to such comments, but it didn't stop you from internally cringing. Instead you just smiled sweetly, "[Y/N]"

"Well I'm Davey, and this is my brother, Mac," He pointed with his thumb to his brother sat behind him. Mac then gave you a wink.

"Nice to meet you both," You replied politely, before turning around and attempting to step away, however, Davey grabbed your wrist before you could do so.

"Where you going, come and sit with us," Davey said, but the panic was clear in your eyes as the younger man of the group piped in.

"Man, get off her. She's clearly not interested,"

"Shut your trap, Lenny," Davey snapped.

"I mean, she did turn away," Another one replied.

"And you can shut yours too, Marston! No woman can refuse me," Davey insisted.

"Oh yeah, cos you're a real catch," Arthur's sarcasm thick in his voice, "Just let the damn kid go,"

Finally, Davey released his grasp with a grumble, sinking back into his chair and his arms folding across his chest like a sulking child. With the new found freedom, you took that moment to make your escape back to the kitchen. You have spoken to some characters in your life, but these were a first. Looking back into the bar area, you noticed once more the eyes of Arthur staring back at you, and you couldn't quite understand why. Lips thin, you walked over to the barman, "Hey Thomas, who are they?"

"I'm not sure, think they may be new to town," Thomas replied, "Did that one hurt you?"

"No, no he didn't hurt me," You shook your head, "Though if these are here for a while, I think we're going to have a long night,"

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A couple of hours went by, and finally the bell for last orders was rung. You gave out a sigh of relief knowing that soon you could go home. The eight men that sat around each other were busy bantering with one another and smoking their cigarettes, a cloud of smoke causing a haze in the saloon. As the bar began to quieten down, with the regulars making their way home, the eight men took the hint and finally began to finish their drinks. One by one, they got up from their seats and began to leave.

"Thank you, my dear," Hosea, the older man of the group said to you, and in tow behind him was the younger man, Arthur. He looked down at you with his shaded eyes, and he gave you a subtle nod.

"Miss," Was all he said before all of them left the saloon.