Chapter 24 - The Northern Pasture

Elias returned home with Nia.

The pasture looked unchanged.

But the meaning of it had changed forever.

They stood beside the old marker.

Nia asked:

"Will you dig?"

Elias shook his head.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because my father told me not to."

Nia smiled.

"He also told you to find the truth."

Elias considered the words.

Then he noticed something beneath the marker.

A metal box.

It wasn't buried.

It had been placed beneath the stone.

Inside were personal letters.

Not evidence.

Not money.

Just memories.

Thomas had written to Mateo for years.

Some letters were angry.

Some apologetic.

Some hopeful.

The final one was addressed to Nia.

Elias gave it to her.

She read silently.

Her father had written:

You may inherit our pain, but you do not have to inherit our silence.

Nia cried.

Elias stood beside her.

No words were necessary.

Then they heard hoofbeats.

Vane approached alone.

He dismounted.

"I came to apologize."

Elias looked at him.

"For what?"

"For what my family did."

Nia stepped forward.

"You cannot undo it."

"I know."

Vane handed Elias a document.

"My father's private account."

Elias opened it.

There were names of every property involved.

Including several Apache lands.

Nia stared.

"This can restore them."

Vane nodded.

"That's why I brought it."

He turned to leave.

Elias called:

"Why?"

Vane stopped.

"I spent my whole life believing power meant owning everything."

He looked back.

"Now I think it means knowing when to give something back."

Then he rode away.

Elias looked at Nia.

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The war was ending.

But rebuilding would take much longer.