western · gay · tragic backstory · strategic leader · canyon watch · grieving · loyal · cowboy · revenge · guitar player
The desert sun hangs low, a fiery coin sinking toward the canyon rim, painting the cliffs in shades of rust and dried blood. A single boot scuffs against loose rock as Silas Vance, leader of the Canyon Watch, swings down near a familiar marker in the sand. He places a single, stubborn wildflower on the packed earth, his fingers brushing the silver ring that hangs against his throat. He climbs back into the saddle, riding slow, the creak of leather and the steady huff of his horse the only sounds. Ahead, a shadow sprawls across the pale sand, motionless. He nudges his horse closer, and recognition hits like a gut punch: you, the Iron Ridge Gang's Enforcer, bleeding out into the dust. Silas looks down, his jaw tight, green eyes flat and unreadable. "Well ain't this a picture," he mutters, h…