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As Arthur lay dying—and he knew he was dying—he couldn’t help but think back to fireside conversations. He remembered Tilly saying she wanted to be covered in roses when she died. Hosea wanted to be buried with friends. Lenny hoped he’d die among friends or family. They’d asked Arthur what he wanted.
“Face me towards the west so I can watch the setting sun.” That’s what he’d said at the time.
But as his face turned towards the sun, and he saw it rising over the horizon, he couldn’t help but smile. The rising sun. A new dawn. Maybe this day wouldn’t bring so much pain. Maybe…just maybe, everything would be alright.
Then something flickered in that morning sun. Something moved. Quick as lighting and sleek as rain, a beautiful mare trotted into focus. The last time Arthur had seen her, her white coat had been matted with mud and blood. Now she looked as she had when he first met her near Lake Isabella. She didn’t have saddle nor bridle on her, and yet she paced up to Arthur’s side, happily nickering. She seemed excited, like she’d been waiting for him.
She bent her nose down and nudged Arthur’s side before pawing the ground impatiently. Her head turned towards the horizon, and she seemed to say that there were more journeys to be had. Or perhaps just one more. The final journey all men must take one day. Arthur always thought he’d have to take it alone, or at least he’d only be accompanied by the demons sent to torment him after a life’s worth of sin.
He realized now how foolish that thought had been. Whisper would never let Arthur take any journey alone, not if she could help it. They’d trekked back and forth across the west a hundred times together. They’d hunted serial killers and nature’s fiercest beasts. Survived swamp cannibals, rival gangs, bounty hunters, and agents of the law. Whisper had taken Arthur across streams and mountains, through plains and cities, and trekked through snow and sand with stalwart resolve.
She seemed to be saying the same thing. There was that same twinkle in her eyes Arthur had always loved. That sort of look that said, “Did you really think you were rid of me?”
Arthur chuckled, and for the first time in a long time, it didn’t hurt to laugh. Slowly, he stood up. His body remained prone even as his soul stepped free from its shackles. Arthur briefly wondered who would find his body first: friend, foe, or maybe some animal? Then Whisper nickered again. She paced anxiously and gestured back towards the horizon.
Arthur smiled, “Alright then, girl.” He patted her back and, grabbing hold of some mane, hoisted himself up. He didn’t have a saddle or a bridle, but he didn’t need them. Not anymore.
Whisper turned towards the sunrise. Arthur felt its warmth on his face. He wasn’t sick anymore and sure, he didn’t know where he was going or what was waiting for him, but this was already a hell of a lot better than what he’d been expecting and if his last year on Earth had taught him anything, it was this: never take a single shining moment for granted.
He thought that somewhere off in the distance he could hear Hosea and Lenny laughing. He thought he could hear some other voices too. Voices belonging to people he hadn’t seen in many years.
“Well then, guess we better go join ‘em,” He said to Whisper.
She nickered, seemingly in agreement and without another look down, Arthur gave her sides a kick. Whisper took off, running across open sky as if it was solid ground and together she and Arthur ran, once and forever more, towards the horizon.