RDR2 AU

[dog_eat_dog]

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[dog_eat_dog]

It was supposed to be a routine ride, but she's been trailed by lawmen for a couple days now. She can pay all the bribes and bounties she wants, but avoiding being seen isn't always easy, not when there aren't a lot of outlaw women, riding and carrying themselves like men. A jacket obscures her figure and her shoulder-length hair is hardly feminine, but she can't pass as a boy, either. People notice, people call the law, and the law catches up. Always does.

They do once more just outside of town; she'd strayed too close, not for a lack of knowing better, but out of some greedy desire to see if she could tick off one more thing off her list and not have to travel all the way back later. That was a mistake. She doesn't get within a mile before someone spots her and calls for the lawmen, and then she's running all over again, her horse's flanks heaving under her thighs, one hand on her pistol. She cuts off the road, tearing through the trees only to find herself on another road. If this were New Austin she'd have herself oriented in no time, but this isn't her usual territory. She runs into the law. Again.

That's where she finds herself, unhorsed, exchanging fire from behind an outcropping of rocks. Two shots left, the rest of her ammo in her saddlebags, and every shot has to count.

Fuck, what she wouldn't give for some back-up. She's a dead woman otherwise, either by bullet or by hanging.

[stand_unshaken]

Arthur often finds himself being back-up, although more often than not it's involuntary. One of those faces, maybe- or bad luck, or maybe he pissed someone off with more power than him. Likely the latter, knowing him. The point is that he hears gunfire, and while he could tell himself don't get yourself involved, Morgan, he sees a woman just below him, exchanging fire.

He can see it's lawmen. And he knows most of the time, the law don't show up for peanuts. But the part of him that would help out a woman in need is about as big a his own contempt for those lawmen that do show up for peanuts. What are the odds that this woman, alone, deserves all of this trouble?

Fuck it. He wouldn't be able to sleep tonight if he just rode on by. So he stays near his horse, takes out his long-distance rifle, and shoots the first lawman he can confidently aim at. The bullet hits the man in the shoulder, and he goes down.

[dog_eat_dog]

Tess ducks down at the rifle fire; her first thought is that more lawmen have shown up from the other direction, and her second is that Donovan or someone has caught up with her and is here to dig her ass out of trouble. One is far more likely than the other, but both feel more likely than some stranger intervening.

A stranger with a very good shot.

With the remaining lawman startled by his partner hitting the ground, Tess stands and shoots the other twice. Force of habit.

And then she's up and moving across the road to grab that first man's gun before he can reorient himself.

[stand_unshaken]

He steps out from behind the tree he was taking cover behind, horse on the reins. "You're a damn good shot," he calls out, rifle slung over his shoulder. "Should I be worryin' about more of them showin' up?"

[dog_eat_dog]

"Same to you," Tess replies. She glances at him over her shoulder just long enough to register who he is. A stranger, indeed.

She picks up the lawman's gun, ignores him fussing and squirming over his shoulder wound. Normally she'd execute him without much of a second thought, too spiteful to let someone who dogged her live, but alone in a strange state, she's not above being a little coy, a little less capable than she actually is. The lawman can bleed out. She sizes Arthur up with a smile.

"You tell me," she admits. "Lawmen back home might worry when their patrols don't come back... but I don't know how they do business in these parts."

[stand_unshaken]

And Arthur isn't eager to shoot a man in the head in front of a lady. Strange line to draw, even he's aware of that, but there you go.

"They'll get worried, but the station's a way's away. You got a horse hidden around here?"

[dog_eat_dog]

Fine by her. The asshole can die alone on the roads; it's not like he had any other intention for her, either.

"I did, somewhere up the road," she replies. "He spooked."

She walks a ways up the road and puts her fingers to her lips to whistle for him. Nothing. Figures; she's never had a way with horses.

[stand_unshaken]

He shakes his head, hands sunk into his pockets as he looks down the road with her.

"Give you a ride to a safe town if you tell me the story of how you ended up here," he offers her. He doesn't work on this purposefully, but he gives off the distinct impression that he really doesn't say this to get physically closer to her. He's calm, composed, just shot a guy but isn't even close to trembling.

[dog_eat_dog]

Quite the deal, and it certainly beats walking or wrangling one of the lawmen's horses. Tess ruminates on it for a second, contemplates him. She'd contemplate taking him up on it even if he was dangerous, as she's always been that kind of gal, but there are details to consider.

"My daddy's a lawman and a drinker," she says, finally, a little quieter. "I ran off, but he wants me back home even if it's in a pine box. I've been staying with a bunch of friends at a camp south of here, but they keep catchin' up."

[stand_unshaken]

He immediately softens to her - Jesus, where can you run if your daddy's got the law on his hand? He makes a split-second decision that he might come to regret, and tells her:

"You need a couple days' reprieve. I can take you to where me and my friends camp out, and you can hide there until trouble's died down. Their attention spans is usually short enough."

[dog_eat_dog]

Interesting. Tess looks up at him. Camp, rather than town or some ranch. That and the way he handles himself is worth investigating, and her guys won’t mind if she’s a couple days late.

“Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to bring more trouble your way,” she replies.

[stand_unshaken]

He shakes his head. "We're pretty good at evadin' the law, ma'am. Here," he says, and holds out his hand.

"Arthur Morgan. Be my pleasure to help out a lady."

[dog_eat_dog]

Tess takes it without a second thought.

“Alright then. I’m Tess Walker.” She smiles. “Thank you, Arthur. I really appreciate it.”

[stand_unshaken]

"No need," he says, giving her a stoic little smile before nodding at his horse.

"Let's go. It's quite a ride back to camp. I tend to roam a little."

[dog_eat_dog]

"I don't mind a long ride," she remarks as she holsters her gun and heads off to the horse. She mounts first, scooting back in the saddle to sit up on the bedroll. "Hope your company is as good as your shot."

[stand_unshaken]

He mounts after her, leans forward to give his horse a little snack, and then spurs her on to head out.

"I wouldn't be getting my hopes up if I were you," he jokes.

[dog_eat_dog]

"No?" she replies, one hand on the cantle of his seat, the other on the bedroll for balance. She teases him: "Gonna be a long trip, then. How about your friends?"

[stand_unshaken]

"I got a few friends who's better conversationalists than me, but most of 'em just stand around lookin' butt-ugly," he jokes in turn. He is, of course, confident on his horse, and leads them down a few smaller roads to safety.

[dog_eat_dog]

She grins, nose crinkling behind his back.

"I'll just look at you while I talk to them, then."

[stand_unshaken]

"I'll take that as a compliment," he says, grinning a little- and then really spurs his horse on, picking up speed rapidly. Like that, it takes little under an hour for them to reach camp.

[dog_eat_dog]

Having never been a phenomenal rider, even on her own horse, Tess slips an arm around his middle as they pick up speed. Whoever's at his camp, she's curious to find out what their deal is.

[stand_unshaken]

Their deal, when they get there, is curiosity. The moment Arthur rides into camp with someone on the back of his horse, people straighten up, look around, dust off their hands and drift towards their weapons. Arthur ignores it all and goes to help Tess off his horse.

"They're alright, but they'll keep botherin' you if you don't tell 'em to shut the hell up," he warns her, right as Dutch calls out:

"Arthur! What a rare beauty you've brought with you!"

[dog_eat_dog]

Tess doesn't even bat an eye at the hands hovering on holsters; her people might've given anyone riding into her camp the same kind of looks, and it's never bothered her any. She flashes Arthur a grin as he warns her.

"Won't be a problem," she replies before turning her attention to Dutch. Someone important, or at least more well-dressed than the usual fare. She completely glosses over the compliment; it's always ammo for later. "Hey there."

[stand_unshaken]

Dutch holds out a hand, and if she takes it he'll kiss her knuckles like he's not living rough, here. "A pleasure to meet you," he says. "Call me Dutch. And what might I call you?"

In the distance, Molly is looking very, very angry.

[dog_eat_dog]

Tess takes his hand and lets him; she sees Molly looking but doesn't pay her any mind. That's not her problem, and a little in-fighting will only give her a better feel for the place.

"Pleased to meet you, Dutch," she replies. "I'm Tess."

She glances at Arthur.

"Your man here's good. Helped me out of a tough situation."