[INTRO — WARM NORTHERN COUNTRY | 4/4 ~94 BPM | DREADNOUGHT | TELECASTER: 1–♭3–4–5–6 | FIVE-STRING BASS] [MALE BARITONE — third-person narrator throughout] Verse 1 — Three Days Later Three days later Winter riders Came appearing down the road. Dust and horses, guns and wagons, Months of fighting coming home. Sarah rode ahead of all them, Then stopped dead beside the gate. Jack was standing there with Brayden. Mara stood beside them. [PAUSE] Sarah forgot about the army. Forgot the ranch. Forgot the war. She was off her horse and running Before her boots had found the floor. Verse 2 — Four Winters [WARM FULL BAND] Jack she'd thought she'd never see— The Crows don't often give men back. Brayden she'd believed was dead. Mara vanished without track. Hands and arms and half-spoke questions, Laughing, crying all at once. For one brief moment four young Winters Had nothing left to overcome. Sarah finally stepped away, Wiped her face and laughed aloud. “Kearley! Get back to the supply wagons. Bring that Frye whiskey around.” [HARD STOP] Brayden said: “Wait.” Verse 3 — Kearley [WOOD FLUTE: 1–2–4–5–♭7, NO 3RD] Kearley stopped. Brayden turned his blind eyes Toward the place the ranch hand stood. “You were there.” Kearley frowned. “Where?” “With Robert Barrow.” Nobody moved. “You changed the ammunition in his rifle.” Kearley laughed. “Boy, you don't know what you're saying.” Brayden continued: “Father asked you who had done it.” [PAUSE] “You told Celeste.” Verse 4 — Mara Moves [SHAMISEN ENTERS: 1–♭3–4–♭5–5–6] Kearley swore. Called Brayden crazy. Said he'd never done a thing. Mara watched him. Nothing showing. Then she moved. [7/8 BURST] Kearley had twice Mara's weight. It didn't help him when she came. His mass went where she sent it. Dust rose up. He hit the ground. Before his hand could find his pistol, Wayblade rested at his throat. Mara leaned close. “Tell the truth.” He tried to throw her. Couldn't. She pressed the blade. “Or I'll kill you.” Verse 5 — Confession [FREE TIME | LOW BASS + SHAMISEN] Kearley stopped resisting. Breathing hard beneath her knee. “All right. All right. I switched them.” Silence. “Celeste paid me. Robert's cartridges. No powder. When Eli started asking questions— I told her what he knew.” Jack went still. Sarah stared. Brayden only listened. Mara asked, “Anything else?” “No.” [PAUSE] “Please.” Verse 6 — I Lied [COMPLETE SILENCE] Mara's hand moved once. [ONE SHARP SHAMISEN STRIKE] Up beneath the jaw. Kearley went still. Someone behind her whispered: “You promised him.” Mara wiped the wayblade clean. Shrugged. “I lied.” Verse 7 — Sarah Knows [TELECASTER RETURNS VERY SPARSE] Nobody spoke. Mara slid the blade away. Jack stared at his little sister Like he'd never seen her face. Sarah stared at Kearley's body. Then at Mara. Then the blade. One clean thrust beneath the jaw. She'd seen that wound before. [PAUSE] Frye Ranch. A bedroom. Lantern. No one saw who came or went. Sarah's mouth fell open. Mara caught her looking. Neither said a word. Outro [SHAMISEN + SARAH TELECASTER INTERWEAVE] Four Winters finally together. One dead traitor in the yard. An army waiting at the gate. Three black crows watching from afar. Silas Lester. Della Veyne. Two hundred thousand guns still needed. But for one strange moment Sarah Could only stare at Mara. Mara raised one eyebrow. Sarah slowly closed her mouth. [PAUSE] From somewhere near the supply wagons, Someone cautiously asked: “Still want the whiskey?” [BEAT] [CUT]
