From behind him, she reached up and took hold of his shirt. Lifting it away, the full force of what she saw took her breath away. His shoulders, back, and chest were a collage of strange markings and tattoos. Except for the large, snarling jaguar across his shoulder, they seemed symbolic, almost ritualistic. Around and in between them, were what appeared to be words; words written in an ancient language. She had not seen him without a shirt before, not in full light. Whenever they had made love, it had always been under the cover of darkness. But here he was, and whatever secret he'd been hiding, was now in plain sight. "I'm sorry you had to see this," he said, "I owe you an explanation." These sacred markings, placed upon him as a child, identify him as a warrior and obligate him to protect and serve his people. In their relentless pursuit to annihilate the Yaqui, the Mexican Army drives him from his homeland in Mexico, forcing him to take up a life in Texas. As the years pass and he becomes a man, he exhibits his skills as a fighter and serves, first as a Texas Ranger and then as a lawman. In his travels, he learns the true value of friendship and finds the love of a woman. His allegiance to his people, however, causes him to put his life on hold and when they call on him for help, he answers. Consequently, plans are deferred and promises are broken. His life is suddenly scattered to the wind, reminiscent of the ever-shifting sands of his Sonoran Desert homeland.