Into the West

[Rensslaer]

A very lovely scene, Coz. A scene like this could so easily be crass, or maudlin, or have any of a number of other flaws. I think this is about as good a wedding scene as I could imagine. Very smartly done!

I am curious -- looking into the craft again -- how you came upon the specific wording of the pastor's for the wedding. It seemed very natural, like it really happened. Was this really from a wedding, or just ad lib?

Rensslaer

 

[coz1]

Fb-fb:

stnylan - Indeed, that could be the ending. But there is still one niggling thing left over. But coming soon...very soon. Will it be a birth? Or perhaps something less wonderful? A surprise indeed.

But as for completeness, yes. Not only did I want to do that scene to bring things somewhat full circle, but also to try and juxtapose as much as possible with what comes next. You'll see.

Director - They thank you, I am sure. And yes, hearing the full name does kind of bring it all around. But as for Tanney...well, read on.

Renss - Thank you, sir. As for the writing of it, I did some research of different wedding ceremonies and pulled from them the best words that mattered to this story. As well, I've been to enough weddings in my time to know what sounds right. I certainly did not create every word myself. It needed to sound real and I am glad it did.


And we are finally there. Update ready and will be posted immediately. Not sure you will like it though. Read and find out.

And thank you to all that have followed this story, especially those of you who comment and help me write! A huge thank you, in fact!

 

[coz1]

Chapter X (cont.)

* * *

Wyoming Territory, June 1882​

The man walked with fiery determination. He was angry and he was driven with a purpose - a purpose to finally get his revenge on the man that had shot him. The scowl on his face would have been visible to any who saw him, but he made sure they did not as he skirted behind the houses at the edge of town. Big Bend had grown larger, but he knew where he was supposed to go. He’d had men searching and giving him the very information he needed to finally get to this point. He would stop at nothing until this man he wanted to find was finally dead. Bill Tanney had come to kill Sonny Gamble.

His limp had grown better in the year since he had been shot, but his leg had become infected early on and he feared losing it. It eventually healed, slowly but enough for him to use it once more, but it still bothered him. And the ordeal had grayed his hair though it still poured down his back and presently blew behind him from the early evening breeze. He had thinned too, only finding his appetite again around the New Year. But for all intents and purposes, Bill Tanney was back to the man he had always been. And more ready than ever to dole out the punishment this man deserved.

How dare he come up to him in a saloon and start talking about some happenstance twenty years ago? Who did the young sumbitch think he was, anyway? Didn’t he know what Tanney would do to him when it was all said and done? The bastard should of killed him if he wanted to live himself. But that he didn’t, he’d left the door open for Tanney to walk through. And Tanney barreled through this door.

Moving down an ally way between a taller building and the next row of houses, Tanney kept in the darkness that the early evening allowed him. Not many had lit their lamps yet and so the gloaming provided the perfect cover as long as Tanney could keep quiet. And he’d removed his spurs for just such a purpose. No one would hear him as he approached. He’d planned this down to the final moment when he could smile and see the bastard fall and die.

His biggest worry was that he hardly recalled what the man looked like. He still didn’t rightly know who the man was. Only that he had some axe to grind. But didn’t everyone? Tanney knew he’d lived his life in such a way that men came out of the woodwork all the time. He figured this one must have been extra vengeful. He certainly was skilled. Tanney had not counted on that when he went to greet the cocksucker in the street that night. He was damned lucky he’d only been shot in the leg. And he was most pleased that he’d hurt the other guy even worse.

But then he heard the news. The man had lived. Tanney would have to finish it and do it right this time. No bravado. No big show. Simply move in and kill. It was a practice he was skilled at. He would succeed. And he’d do so very, very soon.

Tanney found the house he was looking for and kept back to watch and wait. He knew there was a wife. And other family members, but it wasn’t clear if they lived with this man. Certainly not as he knew one of the men to be Bert Harney, a rancher that kept his house out of town. But he waited to see who came and went. It wasn’t quite time yet anyway. Still too much light in the sky. He wanted darkness to fall and then he would pull that darkness over this man that had tried to kill him.

He leaned against another house and dipped his head for a moment as he waited. Eventually, he heard sounds. He looked up to see a woman with curly hair and ample bosom walk down the front steps and out into the street towards a neighbor’s house as she pulled a wrap around herself. Should he wait for her to return? No need. Creep up and get the job done and get out of there. The light was just right now.

Bill Tanney crept across the street under the cover of darkness and just as small clusters of oil lamps were being lit. He found the back of the house and the kitchen door. Softly walking up the steps, he tested each to make sure he did not give himself away by an untimely creak. As he stood on the slight porch, he peered in through the window and saw a light emanating from a front parlor. That would be his man. He was certain of it.

Testing the doorknob, he was pleased to find it turn easily. With quiet stealth, he opened the door very slowly and released the knob when he had enough room to enter. His boots would make sounds if he walked to heavily so he walked on his toes towards a carpeted hall and then planted himself and listened for sounds. He heard someone hammering something. Not long, but just a few whacks as if hanging a picture or some such. Perhaps he could get him when his back was turned.

Tanney took soft footsteps towards the doorway to the parlor and poked his head around the corner as if peeking out of a foxhole. And there he was. His hair was shorter, but then he understood the man had been recently married. And he was slightly taller than he remembered, but it had been over a year since last he saw this bastard. Who could tell how correct the memory was? This in front of him was as real as could be and the feeling of excitement and pleasure surged through Bill Tanney’s body. He had to force himself to squelch a shout , he was so pleased with how it had worked out. He wanted to jump in and start blasting with a shriek of terror. But the gunshot would be loud enough. No reason to court more potential witnesses.

Tanney watched the man bend down, his back still towards the door. The man lifted something in front of him and as he brought it to his waist, Tanney could see the man was hanging a mirror. Now was the time. As the man brought the mirror further up and worked the wire in back around the nail he’d placed in the wall, Tanney moved solidly in the room and pulled his weapon with quiet ease. Tanney pointed it towards the man just as the mirror moved into place and just for a split second, the man looked through it and directly at his assailant - that was all the time he had…

- BLAM -​

The shot hit the man squarely in the back and it threw him against the mantle under the recently hung mirror. The man groaned with pain and Tanney decided to finish the job. He fired again. This one hit squarely in the head and it snapped forward and then back as it struck against the stone of the hearth. The body slumped to the ground with a few shakes before finally the bastard lay still.

Tanney took the moment to walk towards him and reached down to grab at the bloody mat of hair. He pulled the mangled face close to see if there were any signs of life. There were not. Tossing it back to the ground, Bill Tanney smiled a disgusting smile. He’d done it. No longer would this cocksucker bother him. One more enemy dealt with. And more freedom for himself. But only if he moved quickly. The sound of a gun would bring the neighbors calling.

Tanney backed out of the room and down the hall with speed, no longer bothering to quiet his steps. He walked through the kitchen and out the back door leaving it open behind him. He was out into the night and on his way back to his horse before anyone had even entered the house to see what had happened.

Bill Tanney would drink this night and drink well. He still had no idea who this Sonny Gamble was that he had just killed, but from the way it sounded, Tanney had already killed the rest of this man’s family. Why not do him a favor and help Gamble join them. Tanney smiled. It had been so simple. If only he’d done this a year ago he could have saved himself so much grief. It was always better to take out your enemies before they had a chance to do it to you. And now…there was one less to worry about. Yes, Bill Tanney would drink well tonight. Very well. In fact, he could already taste the whisky on his lips. And it tasted good.

* * *​

 

[Director]

Man, that was ugly. No calling-out, no giving the victim a chance to defend himself, just cold-blooded, pre-meditated murder.

Some people never change.


The question, of course, is whether the victim is Sonny, Will or someone else. I would question whether the man is really dead, but you did say Tanney made sure and I think Tanney would qualify as an expert on dead bodies.

Now we have to wait at least a week to find out. Rats!

 

[Rensslaer]

Somehow, I expect that was Will. Especially since no one else seems to be around. I have sensed that Bert is an older guy, but perhaps I'm wrong.

Does Tanney know he killed Sonny's family, or does he not? At the beginning of the scene it's like he doesn't even know who Sonny is. Then at the end he knows his last name -- which is probably how he knows he killed his family -- and what he'd done. Is it that in the course of the scene he spoke with others about who Sonny was?

Cold. Awfully cold. I sense vengeance coming, like a dam couldn't hold.

Rensslaer

 

[unmerged(24320)]

Rensslaer: Somehow, I expect that was Will...

that does not compute ! ! after all, the wedding was in March, 1882, and this is June, 1882. Will would be long gone back to Kitty ! ! i suspect that Sonny is the deceased.


Rensslaer: Does Tanney know he killed Sonny's family, or does he not?...

i would agree that Tanney figured it out. [ "...happenstance twenty years ago?" ]


Rensslaer: Cold. Awfully cold.

so very true ! !


Rensslaer: I sense vengeance coming, like a dam couldn't hold.

coz1: ...And we are finally there. Update ready and will be posted immediately. Not sure you will like it though. ...

again, i disagree. this update does not have "to be continued" at the end of it, and coz1 stated that this was the last update ! !

and, IIRC, this is the last chapter! !


whether you like the ending, or not, this has been a magnificent read ! !

 

[C.V. Mannerheim]

Great ending to a great masterwork Coz

 

[Rensslaer]

again, i disagree. this update does not have "to be continued" at the end of it, and coz1 stated that this was the last update ! !

Hmm... I'm not convinced that's the end. I believe Coz' statement to be ambiguous.

And I would find it an odd ending, if it's an ending, which I think it's not.

Rensslaer

 

[stnylan]

This may be the ending. I think it would be a rather good ending in fact. Better then the possible wedding-ending. To begin with it does bring Tanney back into things, which is important. Secondly, there is a dubiousness about it. A mystery. However aggravating they are, I rather like. From a moral point of view it is somewhat more unsatisfactory - or is it? There are two main permutations here.

1) The dead man is Will. In this case evil betrays itself by its own lust for vengeance, and Tanney gets the wrong man. This presumably means he himself, now secure thinking he is safe, will ensure his own doom. Neatly mirrors the beginning murders as well. In addition, in puts Sonny's and Will's friendship on a pedastal - Will would have saved Sonny in so many ways, even if this time it is by a case of mistaken identity.

2) Sonny is the dead man. In this case, Sonny has now attained a state of grace, of sorts. He is called away from this world before he can be sullied by it again. He goes pristine, like he entered it.

And, although this may well be an ending, there is always room for an epilogue

 

[Rensslaer]

I will admit, you have two good points there (the two scenarios). Either would be an interesting ending.

And I will grant that Coz has been experimenting some with this story recently. It does seem quite different from what I would expect, so I'm unsure...

And, of course, Coz is enjoying watching the debate!

Rensslaer

 

[coz1]

Epilogue

* * *

Casper, Wyoming, September 1882​

Bill Tanney sat at the bar and poured another shot of fiery liquid into his gullet. The noise behind him was drowned out by the warm feeling of security the drink gave him and the knowledge that he was still master of his little world. Even tonight, he had beaten a man badly who had dared insult his card playing ability. He might have simply shot him had he been of the mind. But not tonight. He didn’t care for the entanglements, as he only wanted to enjoy some good whisky and maybe find a whore to bed.

He was rather lucky in that second desire as it was not long after he poured another shot that he was surprised to feel a gentle hand run across his back and a beautiful woman sit beside him.

“Buy a lady a drink?”

In his most uncouth manner, Tanney responded, “If you can find one.”

The woman flashed a smile and giggled at his insult. “Then how about one for me.”

Tanney pulled another shot glass from the bar and filled it before sliding it her way. She nodded ever so slightly, winked and took it down in one go. Her face flushed with the warmth of the beverage and she pulled a delicate hand across her lips with a suggestive slowness.

“That was mighty good. Maybe another…or is there somethin’ else you had in mind, cowboy?” She winked at him again and he took a few moments to look up and down her well-proportioned body.

She was no longer young, but she had a figure to die for – large bosom, full hips and a waist built to show off the two. Her dark hair was beautifully coiffed and her dress was such that knowing her profession was inescapable. This was a woman who could give Bill Tanney a good time tonight.

Tanney stalled just to be disagreeable, “Maybe later, honey. I still got a drink left.”

She sat up straight and placed her hand on Tanney’s knee, running it gently up his thigh to rest on his groin. She gave a slight squeeze and then allowed it to drift ever so coolly back to a resting position on the knee once more. “You sure about that?”

When she reached over to take his drink and swallow it herself, he slammed a hand down over her arm. “That there belongs to me.”

He reached out with his other hand and picked up the shot glass, looking at her entirely as he pulled it to his lips, took it down and turned it over to place back on the bar.

“And with the right money, darlin’ so can I.” She watched him drink before saying it but winked with confidence and allowed him to play his game.

Tanney smiled and looked around the saloon. “You got a place here or somewheres else?”

“It’s just upstairs, friend. Why don’t we go up and get comfortable. We can figure on the price later.”

She stood and placed her hands on Tanney’s back as he too lifted from his stool. She grabbed at his beefy hand and led him to and up the stairs towards a long hallway that ran the length of the building. Coming to a stop before a door near the end of the hall, she turned and pulled herself as far up to Tanney’s height as she could. She pulled Tanney’s stubbled face into her own and gave him a long and heavy kiss. Tanney allowed it with ease and was fast becoming jelly in this woman’s hands.

“This is it,” she cooed as she turned the knob on the door and pushed it open. Pulling him into the dark room, she quickly went to light a small candle. It did little to alleviate the blackness, but it allowed just enough light for the two to see each other in slight profile.

“Why don’t I help you out of those dirty clothes?” the whore giggled a bit as she reached down and unbuckled his gun belt, gently pulling it from around his waist and hanging it on the hook of the closed door. She returned to him as he stood beside the bed and moved her hands back to the buttons of his pants. Undoing them with skill, she lowered her body down to the floor and rested on her knees as she pulled the pants down around Bill Tanney’s ankles. He was responding as any hot-blooded man might and she saw it and smiled. She ran a hand over his member to show she appreciated the compliment and then pushed him back on the bed as she backed away and began undressing herself.

“Now you get to watch,” she winked again as she unbuttoned the front of her dress and began to move it down over her shoulders. Tanney started to sit up and move towards her but she held out a hand, “Take it all in first, big boy. Then you can take me.”

Tanney smiled a huge smile and lay back on the bed once more and allowed his eyes to take in her entire body. He was set to burst soon but he was enjoying every moment of this. At least until he heard another voice from somewhere in the darkness of the room…

“And I looked, and behold a pale horse…”

Tanney quickly turned his head to see into the dark corner and watched a shape appear before him. And it continued to speak…

“And his name that sat on him was death…”

Quickly Tanney tried to sit back up but was greeted by the sight of his whore now brandishing a knife pointed directly at him. He turned back to the shape and heard the final words…

“And Hell followed with him.” - click -

Tanney saw the pistol pointed directly in his face and followed up the arm to stare into a dead man’s eyes.

“How in the hell? But…yer dead!”

“I ain’t dead, Bill Tanney. Rest assured a that.”

“But…I shot ya! I killed ya!” Tanney was looking around to find anything to use as a weapon.

“Ya shot somebody, Tanney. And jest like before, it was my family.”

“What? Who…”

“Someone I loved. And ya done it for the last time.” The shape pressed the barrel of the gun deeply into Tanney’s brow and made every effort not to pull the trigger just yet. He wanted to repeat himself…

Tanney began to yell, “Jest like a coward to kill an unarmed man! We’ll take this out into the street, ya cocksucker and I’ll shoot ya one more time!”

The shape paid him no mind as he looked over to the whore. She nodded with a near blank look on her face and so he began speaking again, “And I looked, and behold a pale horse. And his name that sat on him was death, and Hell followed with him!”

- BLAM -​

Bill Tanney’s body shot back in the bed from the force of the blast and his head was blown near open from the close range. Blood splattered the room and both of the other inhabitants but neither moved to clean it. The whore looked to the shape and he returned the gaze with eyes showing no remorse. They both stood there for a few moments and then he finally spoke, “It’s done Kitty. Let’s go.”

She smiled an empty smile and left a tear alone to drift silently down her cheek, “OK Sonny.”

They both moved towards the window and opened it, she crawling out first followed by him. Sonny Gamble took one last look towards the dead body of Bill Tanney and said not a word as he lifted his other foot off the ground and both – the whore and the shape – drifted off into the night. It was finished.

* * *

Big Bend, Wyoming, March 1883​

A bird flying over the growing town of Big Bend, Wyoming might have seen many things. Commerce overflowing, a gaggle of various types from cowboy to grocer, fine lady and whore alike. Mostly, it might see families…many of them and all building lives together on the harsh frontier. But the frontier was closing and thus a certain amount of plain living was fast overtaking this once dangerous town.

A look to the rows of houses that lined the outskirts of the main center would have shown men and women and children, playing in the yard, visiting with neighbors and simply reveling in the clean, fresh air of the nearby mountains and the green of the rolling hills that surrounded them.

That bird might also look closer, into one house in particular and see a mother nursing her newborn child. The bird would perhaps notice her curled hair and pale skin, and see the child cradled gently in her arms eagerly feeding. It would see the woman smile as she cared for her child and look on him with pride and joy. And if the bird waited long enough, it might very well see the door to the room open and a man enter. The man would place his hand on the woman’s shoulder and squeeze gently, showing the love the two obviously shared. And it would see the man gaze down at the child with wonderment and perhaps even a little amount of sadness.

And if perchance the bird could her the sound of human voice, it might have even heard the man speak and say, “There’s my little William. Mommy’s taking good care of you, isn’t she? Know this, little sonny…Da loves you.”

THE END​

 

[Storey]

First congratulations on finishing this fine story! Second, I’m going to have to chew on this ending for a while before getting too carried away with my opinions. Okay enough chewing.

Since you had several possible endings to choose from that would have expressed the same conclusion I’m interested as to why you went this route? Obviously Tanney had to do more damage, since you couldn't just say he died of his wounds. Villains of his stature don't die in bed. Oops he did, didn't he! But what I’m interested in is why have him successfully kill someone (Will is my guess)? I’m interested in how this adds to the story. Is it the final acknowledgement that even with Sonny finding salvation it doesn’t mean that the world has changed, only Sonny? The dangers are still out there and Sonny in the end had to face Tanney because that part of his past wouldn’t die without the physical killing of Tanney? Some of the best ending to a story are those on the ambiguous side. As I chew on this I might have more to say but I think it’s save to say that this was one hell of a story Cuz.

Joe

 

[unmerged(11366)]

Thanks for posting, Storey. I found this a few hours ago, but I really didn't want to have to be the first to reply.

coz1, for the past (*checks*) two years and ten months Into the West has been the soul of Victorian AARland. You have just completed an unbelievable achievement and a true classic. I feel thankful that you shared this story with us.

Right now I'm downloading all the PDF files onto my hard drive. I'm nowhere near finishing the story, but will be getting closer over the vacation, once they've all printed out.

 

[coz1]

Fb-fb:

Much like Hajji, I was hesitant to speak on things until it reached a point I was comfortable to do so. I have a (perhaps rather lengthy) post that I wish to make later, but I wanted to speak on at least some of the wonderful feedback I have received in the last week.

Director - Well, I guess the wait is over and you have a good idea who it was Tanney actually killed. Yes, it was cold as that is how I would assume Tanney would carry out such a thing. No - they don't chage that much. But perhaps some more than others?

Renss - Much like Director, I think you can safely assume accurately now. But as for your next comment, you are correct to question as I don't think I made that particular point clear enough. I hoped to show that Tanney had researched his predicament but without perhaps all the facts. He knew enough...but not enough at the same time, if you know what I mean.

GhostWriter - Very accurate in your observation...to a point. I never explicitely stated it was the end. Only that we had reached "that point". Which included the epilogue. It is something I have planned for a looong time! There was always supposed to be a true "last update" after the end of chapter 10. Renss was right to suggest it was left "ambiguous" - that was the point. But as both you and Director stated - yes, very cold.

C.V. - Thank you so much for the kind words! I love to hear fresh voices in this and any other AAR! I am so pleased to know you were able to catch the ending as it came about and that is a truly fine compliment!

stnylan - Goodness Lewis...what a beautiful way to put either circumstance! Obviously it is the former rather than the later, but both have some bearing in this. I'll get to that in time but I am so pleased that something I wrote made you look so deeply into it. Thank you!!!

Renss (again) - Yes, I certainly have been exprimenting and thank you for putting up with me as I did so. Furthermore, thank you for recognizing that. I certainly did love the debate and it was something I was waiting for and planned for many a day as I considered how I might end this.

Storey - Wow! What an incredible compliment! You have no idea how much your words mean to me. I thank you for saying such very nice things and I hope you might continue to think on that ending. I included a lot and not all of it is readily apparent at first (or second) reading. This, of course, includes much of the last few updates which really should be read together and I think you probably benefitted from doing that very thing.

As for why I chose to end it this way, allow me to leave that for another post for now. I feel that many might have this question and I might be able to answer better in bulk rather than one at a time. It was certainly how I always intended to end it (as Porter can attest to) but I was never sure if it would work as I wished it to. It's kind of complicated and I am pleased to see that you both appreciate and recognize the complexity I hoped to acheive with it.

Hajji - Yet again - Wow! That also is an incredible compliment. I have been toiling around Vickie for quite some time as I attempted to work through this AAR, as well as simply be a good member and give as many as possible the push they might need or desire. But I recognize that my work is not an easy one to read for what most people look for on this forum. That some appreciate it and thank me for what I have worked on for these (almost) three years is a great compliment to me and gives me much good feeling in my heart!

Considering you state you have not quite finished, I hope you enjoy the final denoument. And I hope it lives up to what you have already read. Regardless of anything else, thank you so terribly much for readng this work - length and all. It truly means a lot!


And end or not, I wish to thank yet again all those that read along with me and commented to help me keep pushing forward. I will say it again (and honestly it cannot be said enough) - it is only due to you people that I have reached this point. I cannot possibly thank you enough!

 

[Rensslaer]

The Soul of AARLand to be sure -- both, this story, and you!

A magnificent orchestration, this ending! Very finely done, as I expected.

And the ending was what I expected too... The very ending, anyway. But that's not to say it was dull or simple. The leadup to the ending -- everything except the final state of things -- was where your art and skill found its expression.

The way that you have told this story is very careful, very exact. For this reason, I felt that it had to end this way -- every bit of this story has had a finesse and symmetry. It all fits. This was the crescendo which must finish the symphony, but which takes nothing from the many movements which came before.

But the richness of detail and emotion and the twists and turns taken en route are what gave me and others such joy to read it! And you certainly threw us a whole bunch of curves along the way! It speaks even more loudly to your skill to still be able to pull it together into an ending which is fitting.

There... a shadow of the tribute you deserve!

With regard to the choices you made in the final scenes... Somehow, I think it is fitting that Will died (and was then remembered by his namesake). Both he and Sonny had reason to kill Tanney, and they couldn't both do it. Will died as a sacrifice to save Sonny, and to enable his final act of justice.

And very nice to bring Kitty back at the end. All those loose ends which any story leaves hanging have been tied up sufficiently that the remaining picture is intricate, but not messy. Most excellent!

I'm sure I will have more thoughts later, but those are my first impressions.

Thank you, Al, for bringing us this fine story and entertaining us -- and forcing us to think! -- over these past nearly 3 years.

Rensslaer

 

[coz1]

Renss - Once again, you pay me a great compliment and I am humbled by your words. Indeed, there was an attempt to "orchestrate" this ending in the manner in which it happened. I felt it to be important. I'll touch on that further in a moment. I very much appreciate that you saw and enjoyed the level of detail and richness I tried to place in this story, even if I was not always as successful as I meant to be. And mostly, I am truly pleased to know that it caused you to think. I do not believe in arts for arts sake entirely. True, art is there primarily to entertain. But great art is the kind that perhaps might also leave you with something to think about after the fact. To educate and entertain...that is the art I appreciate and what I endeavor to acheive with my own work, however meager. Thank you for following so deeply and completely. You and stnylan are the only two members to have over 100 posts in this AAR and it shows a dedication to reach that mark. I will always be greatful to have had such steadfast readers and commenters! Thank you so very much!

Oh, and I never congratulated you for hitting the 3,000 post barrier! It takes much time and effort to get there and you have provided many with the needed encouragement as well as some wonderful storytelling in your own right that pushed you towards that point. Congrats, my friend!

* * *​

And now for some further acknowledgements:

First, I need to single out a few forum members for a couple of different reasons. First and foremost, I would like to extend a truly heartfelt thank you to the following - Amric, CatKnight, Director, GhostWriter, Judge, jwolf, Ksim3000, Machiavellian, Rensslaer, Semi-Lobster, stnylan, Story, Stuyvesant, TreizeV and Wämö. These are the readers who gave me at least 20 comments if not more and really helped push me along as I wrote this. You guys are true friends and dedicated readers and I cannot thank you enough for your support as I wrote this work!

As well, there were quite a few others who have regularly commented but did not reach that number. I apologize for not stating your name but I could not type the entire list. Let us just say that each and every person who made a post in this work is considered a great help and appreciated more than each of you will ever know. Comments are the life's blood of this place and I could never have reached the ending without your assistance. Thank you!

I also wish to extend a true thank you and deep gratitude to a few others - Ariel, Lord Durham, MrT and Secret Master. These are the individuals who I "learned" under so to speak. There are many others and I do not list all of them for fear of leaving someone out. But when I came to this place back in mid 2002, these folks were writing some of the most incredible work that I had ever seen from amatuer writers. It spurred me on to attempt such myself. My first AAR for Dai Viet was unfortunately abandoned (as we are want to do at times.) My second effort went much better. Writing For the Glory of Persia when I returned help me know that I was capable of something larger.

Combined with that good feeling was the memory of some of the more challenging writing some members had attempted, most espcially MrT's The Rivers Run Red. It was this work that moved far afield of the conventional AAR and buried the game action so completely that it transcended an AAR and became a novella. That is what I wished to do here. I, of course, ended up with a novel instead. But I desired to write something more serious and in depth. I will come back to that in a moment, but I simply want to state that the four I mentioned above are those that inspired me to try something like this myself. Without them, I doubt very much that I could or would have ever done such a thing. So thank you to each one!

To return to what it was I wished to achieve, it was as I stated - an in-depth full work much like a novel with the game buried deeply under the characters and plot. I can now admit - I only played the five or so years just around the civil war. The rest is entirely produced from what would make the best story. Yes, I pulled much from the war into those sections, and the break away of Texas was a game fact. But everything else was included simply because it fit my plot and provided a world for my characters. I did not know how well I would be able to do in that aspect, but I feel pretty confident that I pulled it off and made an AAR that was at least partially based on a game but fully transcended the AAR as we know it. This is pure narrative, good or bad, and I struggled with that at times. Mostly, I struggled because this type of work is not everyone's cup of tea. And the longer it got, the less likely it was that people would bother to read through what had come before. I am so grateful that some have.

As well, what I hoped to achieve with this work was to prove to myself that I was capable of writing something of this stature. I have always written poetry and have played around with short stories, but I was never able to come back to a longer work, as I would lose sight of what it was I was writing. Finding a place like this that provides constant and instant feedback was a Godsend. It helped me to pull my seat back up to the keyboard when perhaps I was not feeling it. It helped me keep thinking about the plot, characters and action - day after day, week after week and on into years. I wanted to show myself what I was capable of and now that I have I am so much the richer for it. I know I can write a long narrative. I know I can create characters, rich and developed characters that live and breathe. And I know I can get back to that place in the story whenever I need to. In short - I have learned how to write by writing this AAR. I hope to do something with that now, but I also know that I never would have been able to had it not been for this project.

Of course, now that I am through, I am going to have to let go of some people and it makes me rather sad. Yes, I've killed many of them over time and I apologize to Lem and Pete (who of course did not die but left our tale to hopefully find some peace), young Frank, Red, Kinchen and Mary, of course Dinny, as well as the McElderry's, Will especially (more on that in a moment), the great Stonewall Jackson, Gus and of course, Thomas. You served me well. And of course, those more irritating types - Elizabeth Butler, Barnes and Hollis, Montoya, Capt. Monroe and General Hill (who I am proud to say I breathed more life into than I ever intended) and of course, Bill Tanney. And mostly, I wish to thank Sonny, Corinna, Kitty, Bert and the rest of the folks in good old Big Bend (a made up town in Wyoming.) All of these creations became very true to me as I moved about with them and I am going to miss them greatly. They helped me tremendously since they were real people to me and acted in ways that I may not have initially intended but helped the story's framework and plot and gave it much rich action. Of course, I did not list everyone and if I left a character out I am sure they will let me know some night while I am asleep and least expecting it.

And now a word on the ending and why I chose to do it this way - as I created Sonny and pushed and pulled him through his trials and tribulations, I realized that I had created a not terribly nice man. True, he had a decent heart somewhere in there, but I watched him do some truly awful things. I began to wonder if Sonny really deserved the salvation I was trying to provide for him. In the end, I split the difference to a point. Yes, he gets to live out the rest of his years with a woman he loves and a child and family. he gets to be happy. But it came with a steep price. He surely would have preferred to leave Tanney alone at the very end, but I could not allow that to happen. I had to make him take notice and do that which he had decided against. I gave him a moral quandry and he faced it as he should. He had to kill Tanney one way or the other. Even though he had found inner salvation, he still had to do the unclean thing to get there and I suppose he will face whatever judgment is coming when he gets to the beyond. I had initially intended Tanney to kill Thomas at the end, but having dispatched him earlier, I obviously could not use that. At one point, I considered that Tanney might even kill Corinna, but in the end I could not do such a thing to her. So naturally it left me with Will. He comes and provides Sonny with that last needed forgiveness, helps him get married and find that life he has always been looking for and in being killed provides Sonny with the needed resolve to finally kill Tanney as needed. It hurt killing Will, but it was necessary the way I see it. Nor am I a fan of neat and tidy ending, per se. I allowed some slight nicety at the end as I think the story called for it. But I wanted to end this with something real, nasty and true to the west and the time. Jesse James was of course my benchmark for the scene, but I wanted Sonny to live, though I did consider killing him off at the end as well. But as readers, I imagine most wanted Tanney dead - that's the payoff for dragging him all through the story as the heavy, and I imagine most wanted Sonny to do it. Thus the way I ended it. I hope it works and by all counts, it appears that it has.

Finally, I have a few more acknowledgements. First and foremost I need to extend a huge thank you to Director. He and I have been discussing this story ever since we went to DC for the AARCON in 2004. We talked about his Dragons and my western. Whenever I have been in a bind or stuck, he has been there to assist. Whenever I needed some specialized information that I was not finding elsewhere, he was there with his advice. Whenever I was in a quandry about what to do in a certain spot, he lent an ear, thought about the differing sides and provided not only what he would have liked to read but what he thought might work best as a general reader. I truly owe him more than I could ever offer back. He deserves at least a "story" credit for this AAR. Porter - thank you so very much for assisting me. I could not have done this without you!

And last, I wanted to make sure and mention some of the inspiration for this. They are all films and start with Open Range. It was this movie that gave me the idea in the first place. Mix in with that some Unforgiven, High Plains Drifter, Outlaw Josey Wales, Lonesome Dove, The Cheyenne Social Club, Tombstone, Silverado, Jeremiah Johnson and Dead Man. You can see flourishes of each sprinkled throughout this work. Whenever I needed some help visualizing a scene, I thought on some classic western and in watching it found the look and design I needed to move forward. All of these films, and some others have helped me tremendously in finding the tone and flavor required to tell a classic western with a twist of morality. I hope I have achieved that and I certainly hope each and every one of you enjoyed not only the ride but also perhaps some of the social and moral commentary I added along the way.

And now, as this post has grown huge, I will sign off and simply say one more time - thank you for taking the time and making the effort to read this AAR. I truly appreciate it!

 

[stnylan]

I feel a little as if I have already said what I wanted to say about the epilogue. The only note left is Kitty. There was one particular detail I did not notice immediately at first, only when I read it through for the second time just now. "She smiled an empty smile and left a tear alone to drift silently down her cheek".

There has been much sadness, death, and bitterness in this tale. That particular image, knowing how full of life Kitty has been, even when things were downright poor, just hit me the second time. While this could be said to be a happy ending, this prevents me calling it that.

Most of all this is a tale of one man's journey, from a form of innocence through the depths and darknesses of the human soul, finally a sort of salvation and hope for a better future. But only hope - as Will's death, Sonny's "dead man's eyes", and Kitty's grief show all to well, hope is never certain.

Congratulations on such a marvellous piece of wordcraft.

 

[Director]

As coz1 has said, we've been discussing this for years, in person or over the phone. It has occasionally been hard for me not to jump up and down with my hand in the air shouting, "Oooh! I know! I know!" as the story unwound its twists and turns.

Most of my 'contribution' to this AAR has consisted of saying, "Yes, Al, that is exactly what you should do. No, it's fine. Really. Yes I mean it! Just go write the ^%&# thing!" As you all can see, his readers' faith in his abilities has been amply vindicated.

That ending really works for me. I particularly liked, 'she had a figure to die for'. And I liked the fact that Kitty got some revenge for Wil, as well. Now if coz1 can just resist the urge for a sequel, Sonny may have a chance at a good life.

I certainly wish him well!

Bravo! sir. Bravo!

 

[Mr.G 24]

I don't what to write coz except for what you already know. This was a true pleasure to read, I stopped after I caught up because I like to read books in their entirety but boy when I saw this pop up in the new subscriptions I had to take a look and when I saw it finished, I wrapped up what I was doing put on some tea and took a shower. Then I sat down for the next 20 minutes reading what was left of this magnificent tale.

Your characters were the heart and sole of this story my favourites were without a doubt Dinny and Will, especially Will and what a shame he didn't make it. But looking back, as I skim the entirety of the story, there is not a chapter, bar none, that don't have great unique characters that in one way or another I like. But congrats, you managed to knock out most of the ones I liked.

Thanks for an incredible work!

 

[coz1]

Fb-fb:

stnylan - Thank you very much, sir. And much like I said to Renss, the fact that you jumped past 100 comments alone on this AAR makes me very thankful! I was proud that I was able to keep your attention. As to the story, yes - I did feel the need to leave some sadness. After all, even though my characters found some joy at the end, they went through much to get there. If I feel bad, it is leaving Kitty in such a state. But...well, that was simply how it ended. Not everything can end up neatly tied in a bow. And I am especially glad you pointed out that line - I enjoyed it myself.

By the way, I never did congratulate you in passing 10,000 comments. That is a monumental achievement and as I have said many times, each and every one of those comments have given back to this community and help make it the great place it is. Thanks for all you do, stnylan!

Director - Yes, well...I mean it when I say you did me a great service! And I am trying my best not to begin a sequel simply because I miss the characters so much already. It has been a rather strange feeling. Thanks for following along and your kind words. And Kitty too is pleased to have gotten some revenge on Tanney.

Mr.G 24 - Thank you very much, sir. I am glad the ending worked. And thank you very much for your compliment on my characters. I know I did kill many of them off by the end, but hey...it helped move the story along and perhaps immortalized them better than living out to a ripe old age - think of the comparison between James Dean and Elvis. I appreciate you reading through this. Thanks again.


And to all - I have linked the final chapter in pdf form in my sig now for those who prefer to read it that way. Eventually I am going to have to restructure the sig, but I'll leave it like it is for now until a goodly amount of time has passed.

Thanks again to everyone!