Ever since Vin Tanner could remember he had been in tune with Mother Nature.
The more he had learned about her ways, the more the feeling of belonging
out there had grown in him also. The wide open spaces had become his home,
when he was riding through them his heart felt wide open too, not closed
and wary as it was in town.
He listened to the voice of the wild and it spoke to him softly, telling
him what was close by, what was far away and what to beware of. Now it told
him a storm was coming. It was time to seek shelter.
Up until a year ago that would simply have meant the nearest town to wherever
he found himself, but now that town always had a specific name, Four Corners.
He turned his horse towards town and set a fast pace. He had been heading
there anyway and wasn't that far away but the rain hung heavy in the clouds,
ready to drench him at a moments notice.
He'd been out in the wilds for a fortnight now, trying to clear his head
from all the noise and bustle of a growing town. His restlessness had been
growing steadily through the long months until it began to affect his
concentration and he had told Chris Larabee that he needed to get away for
a while. The man had looked at him for a minute in that unreadable way of
his and just nodded. He hadn't seemed surprised and Vin'd left the same day
without any questions asked to slow him down.
The minute the town had disappeared from view he felt as if he'd stopped
breathing some months ago and just now discovered it. He took so many deep
breaths that you'd swear he'd just learned how to breathe again but the air
smelled so sweet and clear to him, different from the air in Four Corners.
The wind swept through his clothes and his mind and it took with it the gathered
dust from both.
The first night out he'd stayed awake for hours just looking at the clear,
starry sky. The vastness of it surrounded him, unhindered by any silhouetted
rooftops, and he drank in its calm and let it fill him to the brim. The stars
always looked the same to him, no matter where he was and they sure helped
a man get some perspective on his place among things.
But that was then. Now that the stillness was once again settled in the core
of his being, he found himself longing for the simple pleasures, like freshly
baked bread, a hot bath and clean sheets, that only a town could bring. He
urged his horse on and was looking forward to the moment when he would once
again see the shape of Four Corners outlined against the darkening sky.
The rain came down while he still had a mile to go and he was soaked to the
skin and cold and tired by the time he could see the first buildings clearly.
He stopped briefly at the livery stable to take care of his horse and then
he steered his steps resolutely towards the saloon. It seemed a warm and
well-lit haven in the otherwise closed town.
Darkness had fallen now and the weather was such that not even a dog could
be seen roaming the streets.
He could feel the warmth of the saloon seep out to greet him but he stopped
just outside the circle of light that fell from the doorway. He couldn't
say why but for a moment he felt as if he was standing just at the borderline
between the two worlds that made up his existence, the wilderness and the
town.
The Vin Tanner that was at home in the wilderness wasn't the same Vin Tanner
that was at home in the town. There wasn't all that much of a difference
and he couldn't say exactly what the difference was. He only knew that there
was some.
The Vin Tanner that waited just outside the reach of the swinging saloon
doors was a man not many had ever seen. He felt whole this way, with
the peace of the wilderness still flowing through him like the wind sweeping
through the empty streets and with the promise of warmth and companionship
waiting for him inside the saloon. The moment he stepped through the doors
that would all change. The silence within him would slowly start to dissipate
until some weeks or months from now there'd be nothing left and he'd have
to leave town for a spell again.
Out there he was all alone and yet never lonely. Even the desert was never
a barren place, different sorts of life were everywhere if you had but the
eyes to see. The wild had a law to its own that could be unforgiving, but
if you understood and respected that fact then the rules were simple. Being
out there both calmed him and sharpened him in a way that was impossible
in town.
He'd never needed much and never set himself to want much either. Now Vin
found he needed the company of others and that was downright disturbing to
him. He'd learned at an early age to only depend on himself, now he had to
start all over again and learn how to depend on others. It was harder than
he'd thought it would be.
He let his gaze sweep over the inhabitants of the packed saloon. Due to the
weather it was unusually crowded. Guess he wasn't the only one to seek shelter
in town tonight.
There was Ezra dealing cards at the table with some unfortunate strangers
that were soon to be parted with their money. There was J.D and Buck at the
crowded bar, laughing at something Nathan had just told them. Josiah was
sitting alone at a table, nursing his beer and looking benevolent and strong.
One or two strangers seemed about to approach the table and apprehend the
two empty chairs but then they gave Josiah one more look and thought the
better of it. The only ones missing from the seven tonight were Chris and
him.
The soft jingle of spurs warned him that someone had just stepped up behind
him but he didn't react because he'd know those steps anywhere. Vin looked
over to the side. Yep. It was Chris Larabee alright, standing silent beside
him and gazing into the saloon the same way Vin was. Chris took off his black
hat and shook off some lingering raindrops before he turned towards Vin.
A look passed between them, an understanding just like the first time they'd
met and so many times since then. Before Chris had uttered a word Vin could
read a multitude of things in his eyes.
Good to see you back in one piece.
Yeah, it's a bit crowded in there tonight, isn't it?
Well, are you gonna stand out here in the rain all night?
Vin almost expected to hear Chris say the last thing out loud but the man
surprised him and just gave him a brief grin before he softly said, "Welcome
home."
Then he swung open the doors of the saloon and walked in. Vin hesitated for
a brief second and took one last deep breath of fresh air before he did the
same. The warmth of the saloon enfolded him like a comfortable blanket and
he sank down on the remaining empty chair at Josiah's table with an inaudible
sigh of contentment as his weary muscles relaxed. He looked around the room
and received nods and greetings from all the other six and some of the other
local patrons as well. Chris opened up a bottle of whisky and poured them
both a drink and the burning liquid warmed Vin up slowly from the inside,
from just under his heart.
Home?
Yeah, it sure was.
Home.
The End
