Canyons of Steel - A modern day western

Chapter One Part Two

Whitecap Dakota First Nation, Saskatchewan

4:15 pm. - August 20, 2002

The horse came to an easy stop, guided by the skilled hands of the rider who sat on top of him. Maxwell Running Cloud was getting in some relaxation before the start of the new semester at the University of Saskatchewan, and he could find that easily here on the ranch that he called home. But in this world filled with technology, even the serenity of a peaceful ranch wasn't enough to block out the rest of the world. Especially when Maxwell failed to leave his cell phone at home.

He dug through his duster as he calmed the horse so it wouldn't spook from the sounds of the cellular. Maxwell flipped it open carefully so he wouldn't drop it in the tall grass and he spoke in his usual calm and quiet manner, not something one would expect from the large Dakota man. Standing at six feet seven inches tall, and weighing in at 270 pounds, he was a sight indeed. Add to that his smooth demeanor and rugged good looks and he definitely had the attention of many on campus. “Hello,” he said into the cell's receiver. “Doctor Filmore, good to hear from you. I thought you would be getting ready for your final term at Oxford.” He laughed aloud at some joke told by Filmore and calmed the horse as it let out a nervous whinny.

“Convention, you say,” he replied to an obvious explanation. “At Ohio State University. Well, I'd love to attend, even though it is short notice. I'll contact the dean of the college and let him know. I built up some holiday time. Besides, an opportunity such as this, with a meeting of some of the most impressive minds on anthropology throughout the world... I'd be a fool to miss this.” He chuckled lightly as he listened to the doctor, then his voice grew slightly somber. “I'm sorry, Doctor, but my wife was ... she passed away two years ago.” He held back his feelings as he remembered the night of the fire, holding his dying wife in his arms as he called out to his daughter. It had been two years, and he still didn't have any evidence to finding her. “No, it's alright, Doctor, you didn't know. But yes, I will be more than happy to attend. Thank you very much for the information. Take care now.”

Maxwell clicked the end button on his cellphone and slipped it back into his duster, leaning back on the horse for a moment. The South Saskatchewan River Valley in late August was beautiful. The leaves were just beginning to turn, and from Maxwell's vantage point he could see forever. God's country. That's what they called it. The Creator's masterpiece. Perhaps he would need this, for a time. He hadn't done anything except work on campus since his wife's death.

Oh, there was his alter ego. But that really wasn't an alter ego when the entire city of Saskatoon knew. The media had dubbed him Hawk's Scream. His feathered wing harness along with the amplification unit he'd managed to piece together was a familiar sight over the city, as he often would assist police in apprehending criminals. It wasn't glamorous, but it was something he could do to give back to his community. And at the same time, maybe he could find Raven.

“Well, Ironside,” he said to the horse. “Guess I'll be gone for a few days. You gonna be alright without me?” The horse shook its head and let out a soft chuffle. “You're a big suck, you know that?” Maxwell said with a chuckle. He sighed as he guided the horse back toward the stables, thinking of this opportunity as he rode calmly through the scrub brush. While the quiet and serenity of the ranch was to his liking, he had needs outside of this small piece of heaven. His horses and his cat Zachary were his only company, really. Aside from his students, he had no one.

And then the idea came to him He wasn't the only one who shared this existence. His sister shared a sort of longing that he had himself begun to realize. He smiled as he thought about her, and his nephew.

“Ya know,” he stated to no one in particular as he guided the horse back toward the stables. “I wonder what Naomi is doing these days.”