Ethan Meets the Girl
Ethan studied her, worry creasing his face. Recognition flickered in his eyes. “No, I don’t,” he admitted, his voice rough with disuse. “But I’ve seen what men can do. No one deserves this.” His gaze drifted to the window, scanning the horizon as if expecting shadows from her past to emerge.
The girl, barely more than a whisper of life, clung to the warmth of the stew. Each spoonful pushed back against the darkness inside her. Her eyes roamed the sparse room, resting on faded photographs lining the mantel—memories of a life long forgotten.
Silence Filled With Pain
Ethan felt the weight of her suffering fill the space between them. He wanted to ask questions, to understand, but he held back. Some wounds were too raw to bear in words.
Finally, he spoke. “Why did you come here?” His tone carried gentle curiosity. His hands wrapped around his coffee mug, seeking comfort in its warmth.
She hesitated, tracing patterns on the table with trembling fingers. “I heard stories about you,” she whispered. “They said you were a man who found justice when no one else would.”
The Legend of the Black Vulture
Ethan’s gut twisted. The legend of the Black Vulture—once a man of battles and blood—now hid in solitude. “That was a long time ago,” he said, regret heavy in his voice.
“But you still have that fire,” she insisted, steadying her gaze on him. “I can see it in your eyes.”
He looked down at his coffee, lost in its dark swirls. The fire she spoke of lay buried beneath layers of guilt and forgotten memories. Yet her trust awakened it.
A Promise of Justice
“People who think they can do whatever they want… they need a reckoning,” she added softly. Her words tolled like a distant bell, rousing a resolve he thought long dead.
Ethan nodded. “Then we’ll find your justice,” he promised. His conviction surprised them both. This vow wasn’t just to her—it was a promise to the man he once was, and the man he could be again.
She gave a faint smile, a flicker of hope amid ruin. Her fate had brought her to his doorstep, and he could no longer ignore it.
A Path Forward
As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the plains in gold and crimson, Ethan realized their journey was just beginning. Danger and uncertainty lay ahead, but he was ready to walk the path once more.
In silence, the rancher and the girl forged a pact—a shared promise to confront the shadows of the past and pursue justice and redemption. Together, they would face whatever came, bound by purpose and the unyielding will to survive.
