Pale Horse by Robert L. Ross (read 50 shades of grey TXT) 📕

lose conscience. The bounty hunter walked over to Biscuit, and retrieving the bottle of Jacks that he knew his partner kept in his saddlebags, he opened it and poured the alcohol down the front of the outlaw and announced to him as he regained consciousness, “No friend, you will remain conscious and re-live the pain and misery that you put my sisters through. Stepping away from him, he offered the whiskey to Colt, who took a big gulp and handed it back to his partner who did the same.
The blood, pouring quickly now, began puddling on the splintered timbers beneath him, as the bandit began losing consciousness again. The bounty hunter repeated the whiskey bath to revive the fading outlaw once more. Colt, having never witnessed anything this brutal and sadistic before, turned his head to keep from being sick, and began to rethink his impetuous decision to stay. Pale Horse, noticing that his partner couldn't stomach much more, chose to end the torture that had just begun for the sake of his friend.
Pale Horse stepped up the stairs in front of Walters and said calmly, “You chose foolishly to follow the darkened path of the brother that came before you, and now you shall follow him into the fires of hell.” He reached up, and grabbing a handful of Walters hair, he quickly slashed and removed his scalp, then shoved the morbid trophy proudly in his belt. Looking over at Colt, he asked, “Do you still have the wanted poster for this vermin?” Colt, realizing what his partner was suggesting, removed the last poster from his jacket, and walking up to the blood soaked villain, he jerked the handkerchief from his mouth, and replaced it with the poster that bore his name, then placidly turned away. Pale Horse poured the remainder of the whiskey on the outlaw, and said in a low and menacing tone as he stared his foe deep in the eye, “See you in Hell”. He pulled out a match, then striking it on his buckskins, set the outlaw aflame. Turning to Colt, he said, “Let's Ride” The blood soaked screams echoed hauntingly throughout the canyon as the two satisfied bounty hunters mounted up and casually rode away. The trail back to Denver was marked with a calming silence as each of the men realized their task was complete, and home was where they were finally bound.
The following day, with their family at their side, they mounted their horses at first light and set out on the journey that would finally lead them home. Two days would pass with few words among them as they came upon the sign that read 'Rifle Stock'. Temperance spoke up, asking those that accompanied her to stop. Everyone pulled reins and did as she requested. “What happened to Winter Crow and I after we were taken is something that she and I are going to have to live with, and though I know it's going to be hard to get past it, I have faith that in time, we will. I ask that each of you please never mention another word of it beyond this very spot. There's no reason anyone has to know what my sister and I had to endure.” As each of the riders pulled their horse next to hers, they reached out and hugged her and Winter Crow both, vowing among themselves and to each other to never speak of it again.
One Eyed Jack began barking excitedly and bolted for the front gate, alerting Ben that someone was coming up the drive. The look on Ben's face when he saw the riders approaching the ranch was nothing less than sheer relief and unimaginable joy. Temperance spurred Winter Shadow on, and jumped off of her as she ran to embrace her father. The two of them cried and held each other close as the remaining members dismounted and tied off their horses. Jack began running in circles around Pale Horse, who reached down and pet him, glad to see that he had stuck around. Ben and Temperance together walked over to Winter Crow, and hugged and kissed her, as he welcomed her and told her how much he loved and missed her too. After they had shared their hearts deeply, Ben pulled Colt Mathews and Pale Horse Rankin within arms reach, and with genuine tears of gratitude, he praised their efforts and thanked his two friends for returning the girls that meant so much to him. As the pleasantries continued, Temperance walked over to Kelly, who stood feet away from the reunion, feeling a bit lost and out of place, and took him by the hand, leading him towards her father. “Daddy, I want you to meet Kelly Stafford, my new brother.” Ben, sensing the compassion in her voice for the young man, didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around the lad and welcome him to his new home. Kelly, heartbroken from the trail of tears that lay behind him, and overwhelmed by Temperance's words and the kindness shown by her father, began to sob as Ben hugged him tightly and said to him again, “Welcome Home, Son”.
The weary travelers, exhausted and saddle worn, retired to their prospective rooms, soothed themselves with hot baths, had a gracious and bountiful dinner, then congregated in the den, before a roaring fire that lit up the room and mellowed the hearts of those that sat quietly in its flickering shadows. The family renewed talked of their journey until the hour drew nigh, and the memories of sadness now behind them faded slowly with the embers that followed.
After a night of rest, Pale Horse and Winter Crow embraced their friends dearly, and with everything and more that they could possibly need or want, including Ben's more than generous reward for the job that he and Colt had done, they soon waved goodbye and rode down the long winding road that lead away from the Double R Ranch. As Winter Crow and her brother rode away, One Eyed Jack ran beside them, happy that his new master had returned. Nearing the entrance of the ranch, they could still hear those they left behind shouting “I love you.”
Two more days on the trail, with nary a word spoken of the sordid events that she had gone through, Winter Crow and her brother left the past few weeks in the dying dust of a trail soon to be forgotten, and laughed again as they had always done before. Upon reaching High-back ridge that looked down on their village, Winter Crow smiled at her brother and spurred Pale Feathers to a swift gallop, challenging her brother to catch her as they made their way for home. Riding together, everyone reached up and touched them as they passed by, welcoming them as they rode through the village on their way to the far Eastern side where the river flowed sweetly, and She of Summer Rain and Two Feathers, upon being told by one of the braves of their arrival, had stepped out of their tepees to greet their children and welcome them home. She of Summer Rain and her father could tell by their daughters demeanor that something had somehow changed her, but neither of them said a word, knowing she would tell them when, and if she chose to do so. It mattered not, the baby girl of the family was home once again where she belonged, and the long lost son was there too, and that was what mattered to them most.
Later in the evening, as the celebratory fires burned bright throughout the village, Winter Crow, knowing her brother would soon return to his home high in the mountains, climbed aboard Pale Feathers, and leading Spirit by his reins, searched throughout the village to find him. When she found him, she offered the reins with a sisters smile, and asked, “Follow me?”
The Comanche moon, crimson pale and shadowed with grace, shone softly upon them, as the evening stars quietly illuminated the heavens above. The summer breeze whispered gently across the Valley of Scarlet Tears, swirling once more the Indian Paintbrush in it's solemn dance of innocence lost. Winter Crow looked longingly and sad into the distance, and with her dark, cinnamon eyes and beautiful smile, asked softly of her big brother,“Tell me once more, the story of the Comanche princess.”? The End.

To my friends that have encouraged me to write this book, and have continued to read it, I thank you sincerely from my heart. Robert L.

Ross

Imprint

Text: Robert L. Ross
Images: Robert L. Ross
Editing: none
Translation: n0one
Publication Date: 07-13-2012

All Rights Reserved