Yellowstone: Wind in the Smoke

Dante was like a nomad, living in one place one day and spending the night somewhere completely different the next.

As he had taken the responsibility of bringing his nephew Tate back home, his brother showed him the small cabin where he had prepared all the fishing and hunting gear Dante had left behind before departing.

Additionally, the cabin seemed to host another elusive individual who disappeared during the day without a trace. Yet, this mysterious presence had become a regular visitor, causing minimal trouble.

"Well…" Dante hung his bolt-action MANNLICHER SM12 SX rifle on the wall, a weapon embodying Austrian tradition and excellence in rifle craftsmanship, paired with the most sophisticated materials.

He stepped back and stood next to Kayce, gazing at the rifle on the wall.

The black steel barrel gleamed faintly in the dim room light, and the texture of the green stock remained distinct.

"It's truly a great weapon, the best a hunter could have. If you ever run into a bear bigger than the tenant staying in my cabin, you can use this toy to defend yourself." Dante suggested that Kayce take the rifle home with him, but apart from a pistol and a rifle, Kayce preferred not to have more weapons, especially out in the open.

Kayce knew the rifle was far too expensive and, after some hesitation, asked, "Come on, it's nice outside. How about we play a game?"

Dante narrowed his eyes and asked, "Target practice?"

"Exactly." Kayce hadn't had this type of competition with any of his brothers in years, which brought back fond memories.

Dante understood this well. Target practice with a pistol or rifle was a popular competition among cowboys.

What they were about to play was called Static Target Shooting, a common training activity for cowboys, involving shooting bottles, cans, or other objects placed on the ground or on posts.

There were similar games like Western Shows, but these were more commonly seen at Wild West shows and fairs, where participants shot at specific targets, such as bottles or clay pigeons, resembling the plate shooting contests at fairs.

Wanting to keep things simple, they opted for a static pistol shooting competition.

Dante furrowed his brow, a bit surprised. "Are you serious? Right now?"

"Of course. I need something to do in my free time, especially here on the ranch. You've boasted about your aim countless times, so show me how good you really are now. Besides, we haven't played this game together in a long time."

As Kayce spoke, he had already opened the cabin's wooden door, and sunlight instantly poured in, lighting up their faces.

Dante hesitated for a moment, then flashed a challenging smile and said, "Alright, little brother. Although you've been in the military and served in a conflict zone, you should know you're in for a challenge."

The two left the hunting cabin and walked directly to a nearby open space.

Not far away was an old wooden frame that was perfect for their game.

Kayce finished the beer bottle he held and placed it on the wooden stand.

As he returned, he looked at his son, Tate, and shouted, "Tell your mother we're just practicing; she shouldn't worry."

Being in a somewhat isolated area, firing without warning could cause unnecessary scares.

When Monica saw Kayce and Dante walking away, she guessed what they were about to do and didn't worry, continuing her conversation with her sister-in-law.

Meanwhile, noticing Kayce's interest, Dante turned and walked to the cabin's locker, pulling out a box of empty beer bottles and placing them on the old wooden stand.

Kayce showed a nostalgic and provocative smile, drew his pistol, and aimed steadily.

"Alright, the game begins," Kayce said, squeezing the trigger gently.

Bang!

A shot shattered the forest's tranquility.

A beer bottle on the far right was hit instantly, shattering into pieces as glass fragments flew.

Dante stepped aside, nodding slightly with a smile of approval on his face. "It seems your hand is still steady even after coming back from the war."

"Your turn. Let's see if you can hit a bottle too."

Dante took the pistol Kayce handed him, stood in the same position, took a deep breath, aimed at the remaining bottles, and pulled the trigger.

Bang!

The bullet cut through the air, but the beer bottle didn't move at all; instead, a puff of dust rose beside it.

"You missed, that's your first negative point," Kayce chuckled, patting Dante on the shoulder. Then he murmured, "Don't worry, the game's just starting."

The Dutton brothers had created a simple game for target practice: shoot as many times as needed without missing. Each miss earned a letter, and the first to spell "HORSE" would lose.

This made the winner's superior aim unmistakable.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

After a few rounds…

"Alright, I've got three letters, you've got four. Your turn."

Dante, calmer now, took the pistol, examined it, and took a deep breath.

Bang!

Although Dante was a good shot, Kayce, recently back from service, had much sharper accuracy.

"Good shot. Too bad you gave me such an advantage." Kayce took the pistol, aimed for a few seconds, and gently squeezed the trigger.

The bullet struck the edge of the bottle precisely, causing it to shatter instantly.

"Not bad, little brother." In Dante's defense, he wasn't as skilled with pistols, but long-range weapons were his specialty.

"Alright, my turn."

"Take it easy, sniper," Kayce teased, stepping into Dante's position and aiming at one of the remaining bottles.

"I'm not worried at all. You've never beaten me in your life."

"Yeah, yeah, you're the soldier, and I'm just a simple trader."

"Don't say that so loudly."

"But it's true."

Bang!

"One doesn't usually blurt out their secrets so easily."

"Oh, really?" Dante smirked, placing a new beer bottle and shrugging his shoulders. "Remember when Beth, Jamie, and I disappeared because I snuck into the truck? Jamie always tells the truth, and that saved us from a bad decision by our silly sister."

Kayce remembered the story vividly, recalling how he once interrogated Dante for supposedly revealing that he spied on their father during his nighttime outings.

"We're out of bottles."

"And bullets." Dante glanced at Kayce's pistol, feeling too tired to keep competing.

Besides, it was getting dark.

"Will you stay?" Kayce asked, looking at Dante expectantly.

Dante looked at his brother and asked, "Is that an order or a suggestion?"

"Come on, my wife's cooking a good salad and roast venison tonight."

"You know I don't like venison…" Dante muttered, thinking about the fish still waiting for him in the truck's cooler.

Kayce forced a smile and murmured, "Come on, don't let my wife hear that. She's excited for you to join us for dinner."

"Alright, but I won't eat much…"