Years later

Execution day and watching the men get dragged out, Dutch shook the hands off him before waking up to the wooden platform seeing Micah get dragged over to a seat spoke, “James I have two requests of you!” “What?” I growled drinking from my strong coffee, “One is this letter for you, it may offer you some comfort and with this I say, ‘Don’t give up because you are knocked down, we didn’t and I know your views on us but a message can be taken from it’ my second request is to be hanged after Micah, I don’t want to die next to him!” I nodded as Haytham tried the rope around his neck, “Micah, we won’t read the charges because we will be here all day but this is a relatively new machine...we pull the leaver and the electricity comes out then you die...I don’t approve of it but sometimes you deserve to suffer!” I looked over to the towns folk and seeing the gang members watch pulled the leaver down as the process started, “That was for all those who have died due to your betrayal” I looked over to Sadie who spoke, “Dutch the same thing as Micah but you get the rope!” he nodded watching out as he spoke, “With me dies the gang!” Sadie leaned in before snapping, “It died when Arthur died!” and pulling the leaver we watched his legs dangle and his body naturally struggle whilst Micah’s body was removed from the device and shot in the centre of his makeshift remaining pieces of his head and nodding I walked off to return to my office to read the letter and to be alone, I liked it alone...I was free from them and their “are you okay?” comments, I know they were worried but asking me constantly doesn’t make me feel any better, then the last time they asked me!”

I sat down and cutting open the letter read the words of Dutch, "James, whatever has happened between us I am sorry, I won't lie and say you were right because I know I am right and always will be. What I will say is this, this pain you will go through; will make you stronger and I know the feeling; I felt it with Annabelle she meant the world to me the only difference is both our actions caused her death, her lover's actions but with you it's harder knowing you aren't at fault for what happened but yet you seem to blame yourself from not saving her. You can't save everyone and she chose to shoot herself and we chose to do what we did; do not continue to blame yourself for what happened, I implore you not to; love is a dangerous game but not yours and with that I close with these words, "You will find love with another, you just need to hold on and comb your hair when the time comes' receiving this on my death, Dutch!" I folded the letter and looking at the drawing of Mary clutched it to my chest before wiping a tear from my face spoke, "I will never forget you Mary!" and with that years past with the others starting families. Tilly and Lenny fell in love and had twins, Abigail and John finally got together and Charles and a native woman who was forced from her tribe and Karen unfortunately couldn't kick the drink and passed on a year after the execution and Sadie found lover in her gun; she actually made the best assassin out of the recruits; she was the most focused. bravest and with training learned how to be less reckless and more strategic in her approaches and now favoured when the the time was right stealth. I went down as a folk legend; criminals feared me and the Del Lobo were forced so far West that they were forced into Mexico, the Skinner Brothers fell apart after the leaders were assassinated by Sadie and Lenny but I rounded up fifty or so that were forced to run but surrendered when the predators started to attack them. I was known around town and the folks would say hi but they knew they wouldn’t get a joyous reply to some I was known at the frowning viper others I was the last rites and the Del Lobo called the Spanish version of the Howling Wolf who yearned for his mate. A bit dramatic but it sent a clear message to stay away. The others continued to try and get me to see others, Abigail with her new friend who worked with her cleaning the operating tables at the clinic but that didn’t hit off, Tilly’s friend Jennifer fell through and the names kept on coming: Kate, Mary-Ann, Lisa, Yvette, Laura, the twins Catelyn and Sue; all failed, hell even Sadie offered herself once but I again said no, none of them to me were unique; they were like the others and if I ever fell in love again it would be with someone that was special and unique. Anyway, Sadie wanted me to be her guest at the Saloon’s medieval night which were usually amusing and I regrettably agreed but got around the dressing up by saying I would be on duty; don’t get me wrong these nights were fun but alone wasn’t as fun compared to being with someone but sighing I holstered my revolvers and walked on in.

The groups stopped and walking up to the counter ordered my usual, “One Ale my ‘keep!” he nodded pouring an tankard full of whatever ale was flowing and looking around to see everyone drinking and laughing heard, “Why don’t you relax a while Sire, you can’t work all the time?” “Because my good man, someone has to and if you remember this is a couples evening I only have precious memories, a drawing and a photo!” he nodded before pouring himself one spoke, “To the fair lady Mary-Beth!” I nodded before drinking turned around to see Sadie as per usual in her tunic and other male clothes with her sword by her side only a gun didn’t go along, she kept it as insurance and hugging me spoke, “You came! Now stay there a friend of mine from England has come to perform, just stay right there!” I nodded shooing her away before seeing Charles walk in with his wife laughed when I saw him and now John when he entered with Jack and Abigail struggling with his tight fitting clothes, “Leave it alone John!” “It’s too tight Abigail!” “John...it’s meant to be like that” he groaned when Pearson who always walked in nervously when he saw me with his wife, “Pearson!” I barked he rushed over head bowed causing me to ask, “What you drinking?” “Ale if it’s okay?” “I told you, stop worrying about me, you are free so enjoy it” he stopped before bowing to someone I turned around to see the blonde woman, the friend of Sadie.

“James this is my friend Priscilla; she’s also the entertainment for tonight!” I nodded before shaking the woman’s hand nodded as I asked. “So you are the famous English performer! You’re 21? I have heard a lot about you!” she smiled before nodding spoke, “22, you honour me Howling Wolf; I am probably the last one to offer my sympathies to you for the loss of your Queen, but I’m sorry for what happened” “It’s okay, it’s been years since it has happened, the tears have ran out and the grief has turned to stone that remains on my chest no matter how much I try to shift it” “I know Sadie told me of the legend, the destroyer of the Van Der Linde gang, the eradicator the Skinner Brothers, the hunter of the Del Lobo’s but the man with a heart who protects the town from those who seek to destroy hurt it and it’s people and to top it all off the “Howling Wolf!” I laughed before grabbing a bottle spoke, “All an exaggeration!” “It maybe so Sire but for a lowly Bard despite my fame it’s an honour see you and meet you!” “Please don’t, you make me feel like I am some sort of a king!” “I appreciate you for having me perform and as such I have written a new ballad for you! Will you listen?” I nodded taking a seat and watching her body sway groaned feeling my body heat before shaking the thoughts away thought to myself, “Stop it James!” I muttered watching her take her seat before testing her lute before waiting for the crowd go silent spoke, “This is a new work by me, ‘The Forgotten lovers’” she took an breath before clearing her throat began...

“These scars long have yearned for your tender caress, To bind our fortunes, damn what the stars own. Rend my heart open, then your love profess, A winding, weaving fate to which we both atone,

She flees my dream come the morning, her scent - honey jam, teasingly sweet. To dream of brunette locks entwisted, stormy of brown eyes, glistening as you weep. The wolf you followed into the storm, To find you at his heart, its passion displaced by ire ever growing hardening into stone, Amidst the cold longing to hold you in a heated embrace.

She flee’s his dream come the morning, her scent - honey jam, teasingly sweet. To dream of brunette locks entwisted, stormy of brown eyes, glistening as you weep, I know fate would not have us live as one or love let a blind chance we've been bound. The wish I whispered, when it all began, Did it forge a love we might never have found?

You flee my dream come the morning, her scent - honey jam, teasingly sweet. To dream of brunette locks entwisted, stormy of brown eyes, glistening as you weep.”

When she finished to take a bow the group clapped and cheered when she turned to face me and wiping the tears from my cheek quickly excused myself pushing past the groups to the outside where I could breath and wipe more of the tears away and take more deep breaths looked down coughed, "Mary why did you do this to me, I can't bare not seeing you" the door opened as I took a seat on the steps to stare at my photograph of both me and Mary together, "James...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have!" "It was beautiful and I don't often say that but it truly was. You are very talented!" "Thank the moons, I thought I had upset you!" I shook my head before tapping the side next to me encourage her to sit handed her the image of her, "Is this?" "Yeah that's her!" she took it sitting next to me remarking on her beauty and her affection before asking cautiously, "How did you meet?" "She used to be part of a gang of outlaws led by a certain Dutch Van Der Linde; one day she was doing her business and tried to pickpocket me, well at the time you wouldn't expect a Deputy from Blackwater to be at Valentine but I was there and I caught her. I had a decision to make and in her panic started to beg I didn't run her in and I kissed her before showing her how to rob probably and together we robbed the general store, we took $300 plus enough ammo, alcohol, cigars and the jewelry before walking out from the back; I shouldn't have but she told me that they have to all pay their own way and she was behind a few days worth. My head said stay away but the rest of me disagreed; I tracked her back to the camp and as you'd expect met with severe hostility but Mary defended me saying I had helped her do the job and I didn't turn her in. I obviously cared for her and commented on how it easy it was to track them all down because none of them covered their tracks and the hostility later started to die down, I payed my way and asked that I could on the odd occasion kip in their camp and later next to Mary. Hosea saw value in me and we have long discussions about Blackwater which is when I offered to take the women and Pearson with me and find them somewhere to live they refused but I earned a lot of respect...that was until Micah started to pass advances to Mary" "Micah?" "A lowlife-dirtbag who cared only about money, shooting and sex; women were trash to him. The gang had this thing where you could have 'a girl' which means she's mine so back off: Karen had Sean, John had Abigail, Dutch had Molly and it unofficially me and Mary. Problem is I was not always there so he got more bashful until one day I beat the living hell out of him he was a brawler I was trained differently and when he attacked I made sure he suffered for his attitude" "You are an Assassin?" "Who told you?" "Sadie mentioned it once or twice!" "No one is meant to know, damn it Sadie!" "Did Mary know?" I nodded before confessing, "Yes but that's because I wanted her to join it or to at least eventually marry me which means she would have to know. I told her and she was sickened by the nature of it but amazed at what I could do and what I my principles were" "So what happened?" "I was kicked out for finding out there was an rat in the group, I was 'Creating unnecessary trouble' and I asked Mary one final time to come with me, but she remained loyal to the groups ideas so I left only returning to help once. Thing is they didn't realise how much I was actually covering for them and when I stopped it became more intense and a lot more people started to die, I just hoped Mary's name was never mentioned. As you'd assume it didn't end well and eventually they ran out of ideas Arthur and Hosea had died leaving Dutch's new idea to make a mobile gang which involved only gunslingers and Pearson the chef leaving the others to fend for their selves. I saved Mary from being executed and the others in similar predicaments. Mary was in rough shape especially after the Sheriff of Valentine cutting his baby out of her but it different after I found her again we were in love and I was going protect her no matter what!" "What happened?" "Dutch happened. His gang was now running all over again and with no where to run they tried to get flee the country... how? they had to go through Blackwater and our trap was too good killing three and capturing one; I will never know why they didn't keep running but when I was out investigating an murder she was abducted, I assume the aim was to get a pardon from us but they raped her repeatedly but I got those Bastards Javier was fed to Coyotes, Micah got the electric chair and Dutch the rope" "So you won..." "Mary took her life after the abuse suffered. She couldn't take it anymore and shot herself in front of us all!" she took my arm before gasping in shock spoke, "My ballad is so wrong!" "I like it... I like the idea that the wolf keeps running in the storm to find it fighting the odds and never winning it's better than the grim reality!" "What if the wolf looked back and saw another waiting to comfort him when he needed it?" "Then I would be thankful and annoyed at myself that someone had to!" she nodded before taking my hand spoke, "The people loved you the carriage driver, Sadie, the bartender, Abigail, the children; they all worship you remember what you have done and not what you have lost! Look...I have to go, my next ballad is up and I need to sort my accommodation out!" I nodded before saying, "Just sleep at mine...I have four empty rooms in a house with only one resident in it, you won't have to pay either!" "Thank you again you honour me!" "I'll see you later Priscilla" "It's Amy!" I shrugged before standing up spoke, "I know I just prefer Priscilla!"