Homecoming

[INTRO — RIDING OUTLAW FOLK | 4/4 ~96 BPM | DREADNOUGHT | FIVE-STRING BASS | LOW TOMS | tired TELECASTER] [MALE BARITONE — third-person narrator, clear, weathered] [VERSE 1 — THE PASS] Snow lay deep across the high pass Though the season said it shouldn't. Horses stumbled through the drifts And stopped whenever Jack allowed it. Brayden rode upon a sledge They dragged where horses couldn't go. Horace swore those poor damn animals Needed pasture for a month. Elena laughed. Nobody else did. Then below them through the timber— Winter Ranch. Jack almost kissed the ground. [VERSE 2 — NOT QUITE HOME] They rode in expecting supper. Found eight strangers in the yard. Six horsemen facing Winter hands, Everybody armed and hard. Jack recognized the scarred man. Silas Lester. That didn't help. The woman standing next to Silas? Jack had never seen her once. He swung down tired from the saddle, Hand resting near his gun. “Lester. What the hell do you want?” Silas sighed. “At present? Not to be shot.” [VERSE 3 — BLACK BIRDS] [ELECTRIC CRACK | MUSIC STOPS] Wind rolled over Winter Ranch. Then something covered half the sun. Two black shapes dropped from the sky Between the waiting guns. Horse-big crows hit earth together. Blue-white fire traced their wings. Every rifle shifted upward. Jack forgot about Silas Lester. [ST. ELMO'S FIRE CRACKLE] Slowly Jack looked back at Brayden. Brayden couldn't see a thing. But the blind boy smiled. “Told you.” [BEAT] Jack: “I hate when you do that.” Verse 4 — Rook [LIGHTER 4/4 | PLAYFUL DREADNOUGHT] One crow cocked his head at Jack. Jack cocked his head right back. The bird hopped closer. Jack said, “Don't.” Rook took Jack's hat. [HARD STOP] “HEY!” Across the yard went Rook. Behind him went Commander Snow. Around a trough. Between two horses. Underneath a wagon bow. Jack caught hold of his Stetson. Rook refused to give it back. Man and giant crow pulled opposite While half the ranch hands laughed. Finally Della called, “Rook. Enough.” Rook released. Jack hit the dirt. [PAUSE] Silas nodded. “Could've warned you.” Verse 5 — Introductions [WARMER GROOVE] Della called the Stormcrow over. Rook returned as if he'd won. Jack put on his battered Stetson. “Who exactly are you?” “Della Veyne.” That name changed the yard. Jack looked from her to Silas, Then toward Brayden on the sledge. Brayden listened for a moment. “They can come inside.” Jack: “You trust them?” Brayden shrugged. “For now.” Silas smiled. “I'll take it.” Verse 6 — Looking for an Army [STEADIER OUTLAW GROOVE] Inside, maps replaced the rifles. Three roads met around one table. Jack had come to find an army. Della needed one as well. Silas needed Sarah Winter. Jack said, “Sarah isn't here.” Della looked around the ranch. “Then where are all your soldiers?” Horace poured himself a drink. “Apparently somewhere else.” Three people crossed half a world Looking for an army— And found ranch hands, Tired horses, And a blind boy saying, “Wait.” Verse 7 — Another Rider [SHAMISEN enters softly: 1–♭3–4–♭5–5–6] A ranch hand shouted from outside. Someone rode along the lane. One small figure. Dust-black clothing. Bedroll. Sandals. Then Jack stopped breathing. Horace dropped his cup. Brayden smiled before the others Even recognized her face. Jack whispered, “Mara?” She looked up. “Hi, Jack.” [HARD STOP] Then everybody moved at once. Bridge — The Winters [WARM DREADNOUGHT | SHAMISEN + TELECASTER INTERWEAVE] Jack nearly knocked her over. Horace shouted. Hands reached out. Questions came from everywhere. Where? How? When? Mara laughed and tried to answer Three of them and none at all. Then she reached the waiting sledge. Brayden held his arms toward her. She dropped down beside her brother. “You knew?” Brayden smiled. “Mostly.” Verse 8 — Sarah When the noise had finally settled, Mara looked around the yard. “Where's Sarah?” A ranch hand answered, “Frye Ranch. She's been laying siege for months.” Mara blinked. Then slowly smiled. “So that's who that was.” Jack looked at her. “What?” “Nothing.” [PAUSE] “She'll be home soon.” Every eye went toward the blind boy. Brayden nodded. “Yes.” Outro [TELECASTER + SHAMISEN | 5→6 | distant electrical crackle] Jack Snow came looking for an army. Della Veyne had done the same. Silas came to find Sarah Winter. Mara simply came back home. Three great black birds watched the rooftops. Six strange horsemen filled the yard. The army everybody wanted Was somewhere south— at Frye Ranch. Brayden sat among them smiling. Nobody asked him what came next. [PAUSE] This time— they'd find out soon enough. [CUT]