Things had not gone to plan. It had been such a simple thing, find a hot bath and a soft bed. Shot to rags laying in the mud had not been mentioned. It also hadn’t included finding a purpose, friends, and love. I’d thought all of those things were dead, left buried in my past. That was all about to be proven wrong.

Sickness killed his Mother and Father. The Apache tried to kill me, when that failed they tried to break my spirit. I saved himself from that horror and found another home. A man who treated me like a son, doing all he could for me. When my adopted family was killed by outlaws vengeance and anger consumed me. That was how I’d ended up laying in the muck bleeding.

While recovering from my wounds an offer tempted me. A chance to rejoin the world. It will be a hard road filled with threats and dangers but I don’t have a choice, not if I want to feel alive. Love, friendship, and a sense of belonging will be there as my reward if I can stick to the path. The alternative is wandering alone surrounded by blood and death.