[INTRO — 4/4 ~102 | TELECASTER 1–♭3–4–5–6 | DREADNOUGHT | BASS | DRY SNARE] [MALE BARITONE — third-person throughout] [VERSE 1 — DEPARTURE] Box chained tight upon the sledge. Holly worked into the grain. Four ropers mounted. Two Crows rode with Jack. Della circled high on Rook, Banking cleaner every turn. Then Silas rode up. Jack stared. “No.” “My plan. I'm coming.” “You're not a fighter.” “I've too much invested to sit home and wait.” Sarah's voice behind them: “Then I'm coming too.” She sat mounted, Two pack horses on her lead. Jack looked at Sarah. Thought better of arguing. Mara rode beside her. “If Sarah's going, so am I.” Jack shrugged. “Horace! Ranch is yours.” [VERSE 2 — NORTH] Ten miles north the foothills opened Toward the frozen pass. Early August down below. Morning frost upon the grass. Days became weeks of climbing. Snow grew deep. Horses thinned. The sledge grew heavier. Della learned to ride the sky. Rook learned every shift she made. Sparks and Mischief flew beside them, Three shadows through the haze. [VERSE 3 — FOUND THEM | NYLON GUITAR 1–♭3–4–5–6] Della dropped from cloud one morning. “Movement north. Maybe thirty.” “Riders?” “Dead. One Pale Rider behind them.” Jack studied the valley. “They're not attacking.” Silas: “They're being collected.” Jack nodded. “Going north to join the rest.” Sarah checked her rifle. “Let's shorten the collection.” [VERSE 4 — INTERCEPT | SHAMISEN ENTERS] They found them crossing open ground, Shambling through the frost. The Pale Rider turned. Stopped. Drew its blade. Jack raised one hand. “Wait.” The Rider charged. “Wait…” Sarah raised her rifle. Mara slipped from her horse. “NOW!” Gunfire cracked. The Rider charged straight through. Three black shadows banked above. Della shouted: “Take the dead!” [VERSE 5 — STORMCROWS | ELECTRICAL BUILD] Rook swept low. Blue-white fire crawled his wings. [CRACK] Three corpses burned. Sparks tried next. [CRACK] Two more fell. Mischief found another. “Again!” They learned the distance. Learned the angle. Learned to choose where lightning fell. Soon dead burned across the field. Silas: “Useful birds.” Sarah: “Understatement.” [VERSE 6 — BLACK GLASS | RESONATOR 1–♭2–♭3–4–♭5–5–6] The Pale Rider charged Jack. Closer. Closer. [SHOTGUN BLAST] Black glass struck the Rider. It screamed. Horse and Rider hit the earth. Jack: “That works.” Silas: “Celebrate later!” Four ropes flew. Four directions. “Hold!” “LEFT!” “KEEP HIM UP!” They forced one dead man Toward the waiting box. [SLAM] “CHAIN IT!” [VERSE 7 — SECOND RIDER] Della saw the distant field. One white horse. Coming fast. “SECOND RIDER!” She wheeled Rook toward it. Sparks and Mischief followed. “Della, NO!” Three Stormcrows dove. Blue fire gathering— weaker now. The Rider threw its blade. [COMPLETE STOP] Mischief folded. Fell. Didn't rise. [LONG SILENCE] Della screamed. [VERSE 8 — RAGE | ♭5 HOLDS] Della drove Rook at the Rider. “DELLA!” She kept going. Sparks couldn't build a charge. Rook barely sparked. “COME BACK!” Mischief lay below. The Rider waited. “YOU CAN'T SAVE HER BY DYING!” Della froze. Rook circled. The Pale Rider watched. Didn't charge. Didn't flee. Watched. It understood. Slowly Della turned back. The Rider wheeled north And disappeared. [VERSE 9 — ONE CROW LESS | BARE GUITARS] They buried Mischief before dark. Della said nothing. Rook stood beside the earth. Sparks stayed close. The thing inside the box Scratched softly through the night. They had their proof. Black glass could kill. Stormcrows could burn the dead. Pale Riders could retreat. Could choose. Could think. They'd won what they came for. It didn't feel like winning. [VERSE 10 — NIGHT | 6/8 ~72] Jack sat watching frost Grow across the grass. Footsteps. Della. No crown. No army. No Stormcrow. Just Della. Jack stood. She didn't speak. She stepped against him. He put his arms around her. Whatever she'd been holding Finally broke. No promises. No kisses. Nothing either had to name. She cried until exhaustion Carried her away. Jack held her while she slept. [OUTRO — SPARSE, COLD] Far north, A Pale Rider carried knowledge home. Inside the holly-painted box, A dead man pulled against his chains. Rook kept watch beside the camp. Sparks beside him now. Jack sat awake till morning With Della in his arms. One prisoner gained. One enemy escaped. One crow less. [CUT]
