[INTRO — BORDERLAND OUTLAW VOODOO | 5/4 ~86 BPM | DREADNOUGHT + NYLON GUITAR | lazy snare] [TRUMPET: ♭5→5→6] [Male — weathered baritone, dry, clear] [Verse 1] Silas saw their fires by sunset, Miles of horses, tents and men. Counted banners till he quit Somewhere north of nine or ten. Three black shadows crossed above him. Thunder rolled through empty air. Silas watched them circle once. [Male] “Well. Apparently that's true.” [Male] Six riders stopped him half a mile Before he reached the camp. [Male] “Name?” [Male] “Silas Lester.” [PAUSE] [Male] Nobody lowered a gun. Verse 2 [Male] They took his pistol, searched his saddle, Fed his horse and gave him stew. [Male] “You always feed your prisoners?” [Male] “Della says we do.” [Male] “What if I'm dangerous?” [Male] Guard looked past him At ten thousand mounted men. [Male] “We'll risk it.” [Male] “Fair.” [TRUMPET: 5→6] Verse 3 [Male] They brought him in at twilight. Della studied him awhile. Her eyes stayed on the smallpox scars A heartbeat past polite. [Male] “Smallpox.” [Female] “I didn't ask.” [Male — Silas] “No, ma'am. You were doing it very loudly.” [PAUSE] “Forgive the face. It was prettier before it tried to kill me.” [Female brief genuine laugh] [Male] “There. That's better.” Refrain [Male — Silas, rhythmic delivery] Ten thousand riders. Ten thousand guns. Enough to break an army, Enough to make one run. Enough to take a county. Maybe Crown before you're done. But if you mean to hold the Seven— Ten thousand ain't enough. Verse 4 — Veyne [Female — Della] “You came here to tell me that?” [Male — Silas] “No. I came because you're Della Veyne.” [Male — narrator] Her smile disappeared. [Male — Silas] “I knew your parents. Good people. Your grandfather— Less so.” [Female — Della, warning] “Careful.” [Male — Silas, matter-of-fact] “He was mad. He provoked the rebellion. Your parents paid the price. So did you.” [TRUMPET: low ♭5] “But none of that erased your claim. And now you've got something your grandfather never had.” [Female — Della] “Ten thousand riders?” [Male — Silas] “People who chose you.” Verse 5 — The North [Male — Silas] “You could ride on Crown tomorrow. Might even take the Chair. Then every county rises before you've settled there. You need somebody at your back who doesn't want your crown.” [Female — Della] “Who?” [TELECASTER: SARAH MOTIF 1–♭3–4–5 / 6→5] [Male — Silas] “Sarah Winter.” [Female — Della] “The North is beaten.” [Male — Silas] “Bruised.” [Female — Della] “Rob Winter's dead.” [Male — Silas] “Yes.” [Female — Della] “Army scattered.” [Male — Silas] “Yes.” [Female — Della] “Then what exactly does she bring?” [Male — Silas] “The North.” Bridge — How? [SHIFT 5/4 → purposeful 4/4] [Female — Della] “All right. Suppose I believe you. How?” [Male — Silas] “You come north with me.” [Female — Della, amused] “With ten thousand riders?” [Male — Silas] “No. With six.” [Female — Della] “Six?” [Male — Silas] “Six.” Verse 6 — The Road [Male — Silas] “We travel light. We travel fast. Stay off every traveled road. No banners. No Veyne colors. Nothing anyone can know. Your birds can fly above us. Keep them high against the sun. Three black birds at half a mile— [glances upward] Are just three birds to anyone.” [Female — Della] “And my riders?” [Male — Silas] “They don't come with us.” Verse 7 — East Port [NYLON GUITAR + DREADNOUGHT INTERLOCK] [Male — Silas] “Send them eastward to the water. Find the ships. Load the men. Sail the coast and turn them northward. Put ashore at East Port.” [Female — Della] “That's ten days east of Winter.” [Male — Silas] “On horseback.” [Female — Della] “And while they're sailing?” [Male — Silas] “We're already moving.” [Female — Della] “How many know?” [Male — Silas] “You. Me. The captains who need to.” [Female — Della] “And Sarah?” [Male — Silas] “Nobody tells Sarah Winter until we're standing at her door.” Final Refrain [Male + Female — duet, restrained, alternating lines] [Male] Ten thousand riders. [Female] Ten thousand guns. [Male] Don't show your enemy— [Female] Everything you've got at once. [Male] Let the ships go north by water. [Female] Let the rumors travel wrong. [Male + Female] Seven riders cross the country while ten thousand disappear. [TRUMPET: ♭5→5→6] Outro [DRUMS DROP | NYLON + DREADNOUGHT] [Male — narrator] Della looked toward the Stormcrows. One dropped from the evening sky, Banked once above the camp, Then climbed until it faded to a speck against the light. Then nothing. [Female — Della] “When?” [Male — Silas] “Before sunrise.” [Female — Della] “You always travel this fast?” [Male — Silas] “Only when people want to hang me.” [Female — Della] “Do they?” [Male — Silas] “Several.” [Female — amused] “Six riders?” [Male] “Six.” [Female] “And you.” [Male — Silas, deadpan] “I don't count as a rider. I've seen me ride.” [Female — laugh] [Male — narrator] Della held out her hand. Silas took it. [TRUMPET: 5→6] [Female — Della] “East Port.” [Male — Silas] “Winter Watch.” [STORMCROW CRY — DISTANT] [CUT]
