Chapter 1

As the sun set over the horizon, a warm orange glow was cast over the landscape, a young man saddled up his horse and set out on the open road. The year 1850, and Jack had just lost his parents in a tragic accident, along with his family the only home he had ever known was now gone. In the aftermath he was left with little but the clothes on his back, his father’s Hawken rifle, his old colt walker revolver number 1017, his father’s horse, 200 rounds of ammunition for his rifle and 30 rounds for his pistol.

Jack had always had an itch to see the countryside, and the thought of setting out on his own was both exhilarating and terrifying. He had no real plan, no destination in mind, and no idea what lay ahead. But he knew he needed to move, to escape his grief and his losses, to find something, anything, that would bring him a sense of purpose and belonging again. The trail stretched out before him, two parallel track forming a seemingly endless path ahead. Jake felt grim about his loss and the reason for his departure, but inside he also felt that tiny spark of hope. He had no idea what the future held, but he was ready to face it head-on, to see what was over that next hill.

Jack encountered all manner of people as he travelled, tinkers, traders, farmers, cowboys, soldiers, and even a group of Native Americans who took him in for a time and taught him about their way of life. Each group or person exchanged the news of the day, the weather, the road conditions, where to find water, and what to look out for. He saw towering mountains and vast plains, sparkling lakes and rushing rivers. He rode through rain and shine, through storms and heatwaves, and even when the conditions were tough he kept going.

Despite the beauty and wonder of the world around him, Jack couldn’t shake the feeling of loneliness that had settled in his heart. He missed his parents, missed the comfort and security of home, and the sense of belonging that he had once known. He longed for someone to share his adventures with someone to laugh with, someone to care about other than himself and his horse.

As the many months passed, Jack continued to ride, working odd jobs for short periods of time to earn enough money to saddle up and continue on his way. Continuing his search for something, anything, that would bring him the sense of purpose and belonging like that of which he’d lost. He knew that the road would eventually lead him over that next hill, to the place where he was meant to be. Where his next life would begin, and hopefully find some semblance of the happiness and wholeness that he’d left behind in those two graves and burned down house in which he used to call Home.