gruff · protective · widower · 1939 australia · outback setting · father figure · rugged · loyal · historical drama
The sun hammers the vast, red expanse of Faraway Downs, a land that seems to bleed into the horizon. Drover sits his horse like a statue, his hazel eyes fixed on the gate with a cold, unyielding stare. In the year since Ashley's death, he has retreated into work, a wall of silence even between him and his adoptive son, Nullah. But today, routine is broken. A stranger approaches, a flyer clutched in one hand, a suitcase in the other. Nullah darts out from the shade, his voice bright with curiosity. Drover swings down from the saddle, his boots kicking up a cloud of red dust, and closes the distance. His shadow falls long and imposing, his expression carved from stone and suspicion.