Chapter Thirteen.

Kathleen and Alejandro had crossed the river earlier that day. They were both exhausted. The meal had done much to make them feel better. It was getting windy.They headed for the rock formation, hoping to find a safe place to spend the night. It took time to get used to moving at the same pace. Kathleen would have preferred to move ahead and scout the route. But that would have meant leaving Henry, the irreplaceable and precious mule, with Alejandro. She just couldn’t do that yet. Trust had to be earned. Alejandro had made great strides toward earning that trust. But they had just met. She was still getting to know him.

He didn’t wear his pistol on his side, but he had one. She had asked him about it. Two high-quality guns, his saddle, and equipment, would have painted him as a wealthy man. Or at least one from a very wealthy family. He explained, all of his stuff had belonged to the people he had traveled with. There had been three hunting teams in the wagon train that were entrusted with the rifle for hunting. The rifle, the telescope, and all the equipment for making bullets and primers had been incredibly expensive. The team entrusted with the rifle was given the pistols and expected to protect the expensive equipment used for hunting.

Manchado was his horse, but the saddle and saddlebags had belonged to the families. There had been five sets of saddles and saddlebags, but the attackers had stolen the others when they killed his family. Except for his clothes, hat, and knives, most of his equipment and gear had been for the hunting parties. The entire lot of it belonged to him now. He had inherited many riches in the worst possible way.

Kathleen felt sorry for the poor man.

***

Alejandro was getting annoyed. Moving at this pace was slower than going it alone. He had thought their pairing up would result in a faster movement. The problem was, now he had another horse and a mule making up his new caravan. Now it was harder to turn around and find an alternative path if he couldn’t continue forward. He needed to scout ahead and find a path that wouldn’t require any backtracking. The greater speed would come later, after they made the travois and could move constantly.

Honestly, he wasn’t sure that it would work. His family had only ever used them to move supplies. He was unsure if you could sleep while being dragged over the ground on one of them. No. If he could fall asleep in the saddle, he could fall asleep lying down on a blanket stretched between two poles, no matter how much they bumped and slid. He wondered how easy it would be to get to sleep if Manchado was gassy.

He knew from experience that horse farts could bring a man to gagging. Meirda. That was a problem for later. Someone needed to scout ahead. He would keep the rifle and the equipment that came with it on him. He’d also bring water and food. The rest of his stuff he would leave with the girl. She could follow his trail and he would leave signs behind him showing what type of ground was ahead. Way off near the horizon, he saw an odd shimmer in the air. Usually, that meant water vapor. A large body of water, like a lake or a marsh.

When they approached the river again, he signaled to stop and said, “Kathleen, we are not moving quickly enough. I am going to leaving my everything but water with you. I am going to scouting an easier path to that pile of rocks. You will follow me and I will leave trail markings to tell you what is ahead. We are needing to get to those rocks before nightfall. And this isn’t not the way to be doing it.”

Her shoulders sagged with relief. “I was gonna say the same thing.”

She questioned his broken English. The wrongness wasn’t even consistent. He had to be fucking with her. She listened to his plan and agreed. They started a small fire and Kathleen would prepare some food for later. In broad daylight, she was confident she could keep an eye out for danger and make some dinner for later. This would give him enough time to suss out a path.

He explained what trail markers he and his family had used to communicate with. Kathleen stopped him and pulled out a piece of willow bark and a stick of charcoal. She had him write the signs down and then wrote the descriptions down. He was literate, but not in English. She was literate, but not so much in Español. Between the two of them, they could almost be a scholarly person. He explained how he would signal her if he got hurt. Three shots in the air with his pistol meant he couldn’t mount his horse.

He transferred his stuff to Henry and Margarita, and even some of it to Kathleen. He headed out, then stopped and came back for his telescope. Kathleen stopped him again when he was about to leave. She went to Henry, the well-provisioned and handsome mule, and dove in one of his packs. She came out with another sheet of willow bark and another stick of charcoal.

He grinned. “Okay, this time I am going for real leave this time.” He bounced up and down on the balls of his feet, then swung up into Manchado’s saddle. But he didn’t stop there. He stood up in the saddle's seat. He took a long look around.

Kathleen inhaled sharply while cursing internally. Falling from that high, you could break your fucking neck, you could.

Manchado didn’t move a muscle. The pair had done this before. Alejandro dropped back into the saddle. “Okay, I can see two arroyos, but they look like an easy crossing. Head toward that directions there. Do you see?” He pointed at a small valley in the far-off hills. To the right of the rocks they were heading for.

She nodded. He nodded. Manchado nodded and snorted. Henry just looked over and nodded as he kept on munching on some grass. Margarita just farted. Alejandro and Kathleen started laughing, and then he turned Manchado and they started off at a trot.

Kathleen went back to preparing food for later.

***

Kathleen had caught up to him at dusk. They had made good time, but they came up short. Their travel would quicken if they survived the night.

They advanced towards the rock formation warily. It looked like an ideal overnight camping spot. The sun had gone down. The Aurora Borealis was weak tonight. A bright night was dangerous. Nightmares walked through the land when the sky burned. They were called Ghouls, Night Walkers, Zombies, Terrors. So many names to describe them. It didn’t matter what language or name used to describe them, anyone you met knew what you were talking about. They had been human once, before they had turned. No one knew how it happened. If someone was close to death, they could turn. The recently killed could also turn. If they bit you or their bodily fluids come in contact with your eyes or open wounds, you could turn into one of them. That’s why you destroyed the head when someone died. Everyone called it “Mercy.”

Alejandro stopped. This was close enough. They were about a hundred yards from the possible safety of the rock formation. Several times in the past half hour, he had mounted his horse or stood in the saddle to gain some height while checking out the area. He had seen nothing moving in the eerie green light of the Skyfire.

He motioned Kathleen to come close. All the animals were acting a little skittish. He pulled Kathleen close and handed her Manchado’s nose bag full of feed. He whispered,“Put the nose bags on the animals, with this bit of feed. I’m going to scout those rocks on feet. Be ready to leave as fast as you can if I shouting or shooting. Head into the wind, but away from the river if you smell death. Keep moving northerly. Running away to the south will only make our chase lasting longer. I will catch up with you as fast as I can. If it is safe, I will lighting this torch.” He showed her a small stick wrapped with some sort of fabric and smelling of pine tar. “¿Comprende?”

She nodded her understanding and started going through Henry’s packs. Alejandro watched her for a moment. He was trusting her with his sister’s life. She might steal his horse and leave him unable to take revenge for his family or save Connie. He shook his head angrily. They both had too much to lose from such treachery. He had to trust her. He would trust her. But he was not an idiot. So he slung the ammunition case over his left shoulder, the long rifle over his right, and threaded his pistol holster onto his belt. He pulled his tomahawk out from the loop securing it to his saddle. Although not as nicely crafted as the girl's, it was still a well-made tool, with a flat, triangular river rock affixed to a solid hardwood handle. Just the right weight and length for beating a Walker’s skull in.

He handed Manchado’s reins over and turned back toward the rocks. He was dithering again, and he knew it. Even worse, he knew she knew. He bounced up and down on the balls of his feet a few times. Without saying a word, she just patted him on the back. He nodded. Then set off.

Alejandro made it about ten feet, then came back. He picked up one of his water-skins and slung it over his shoulder. The two nodded at each other again. Once again, he set off. He moved swiftly for about fifteen yards, then he stopped to listen for a few moments. Taking in his surroundings. Ears straining, eyes looking for movement in the dim green light. His nose testing the air. Then moving another fifteen yards. Repeating the process. The wind was from shifting from the north to the west and back. He could smell the river, a mile or so to his left.

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***

Kathleen had climbed into her saddle, scanning around her and the animals. Trying to monitor Alejandro’s progress. A pack of coyotes started singing. Uh-oh. It could be hard to tell, but they sounded like they were on the west side of the river. The animals fidgeted. She spotted movement! Owl. Okay, just an owl. There came a weird cry as an owl caught a jackrabbit. Fuck, this was nerve-wracking. It felt like she had been sitting in one place for hours. Suddenly, she noticed a small flickering light at the rocks! Alejandro had lit the torch!

After dismounting, she addressed the animals in a quiet tone, "Okay everyone, it's time to move." She had Henry’s reins in hand, the horse’s reins tied to his pack saddle. Off to the west, the Song-Dogs started up their chorus again. The small herd of equines and the young woman sped up a little. Kathleen made clucking sounds with her tongue and said, “It’s okay, everyone. They’re on the other side of the river. And I’m not just saying that to make you feel better.” She’d said that to make them all feel better.

Henry, the cautious and prudent mule, moved up closer behind and crowded her a little.

The rocks were close. The torchlight went out. She froze, unsure what was happening. Was it still safe, and Alejandro had doused the torch, or had something made him drop it? She heard nothing but the sounds of the night.

She heard a low whistle followed by, “Over here.”

Shit! That had scared her half to death.

Alejandro came out of the rocks and waved his hat at her. “This way.”

Kathleen and her herd of nervous equines hurried to the rocks, as the coyotes once again started singing the song of their people. A waning quarter moon was coming up. It promised to be a pleasant night, if the wind would die down. Alejandro led them among the rocks. Into an area that had a small corral next to a cave formed by rocks leaning over on each other.

“There are people that is living around here somewhere. This is a defensible place. There are some firewoods. The place with the ashes is looking like it will block the light if the fire is keeping small.”

They led the animals into the small paddock.

Alejandro looked at her. “I think we should unsaddle the animals.”

“You want to spend the night here?”

“If we don’t get some sleep, we are going to be really dead really soon. We can stay one of us awake on watch for a few hours, then trade off. You can stand on that tall rock over there and eyeball everywhere around us. I don’t liking the idea of not chasing the bandits, but we have to rest.”

She agreed, “I know. Did you see the sky at sunset?”

“Si.”

“I think it’s going to rain tomorrow.”

“Only if our luck changes.”

She looked at him quizzically. “What do you mean?”

“I am thinking it is going to raining all tomorrow night.”

“You should try to be more positive.”

“I am positive it is going to raining all tomorrow night.”

Kathleen scowled.

Alejandro shrugged. “I am a positive person. I have also been told I am handsome and funny.”

Kathleen grinned, “Oh really? Who told you that?”

“Mi madre.”

Kathleen had been ready to jest that the girl who said that must have been drunk or high.

Her face went blank. “Uh…”

He snickered. “You have a pretty face. When you have dumb look on, it is not pretty is funny.”

She punched him in the shoulder.

“Oww!” He started laughing harder.

She smiled,“¡Idiota!”

Damn, she could punch. He rubbed his shoulder and jerked his head toward their camp, “Come, let’s unload our four feeted friends.”

She laughed. The way he spoke, he had to be fucking with her. They unburdened the animals and placed their gear right outside the corral entrance. Grass grew in the paddock, so the animals had some small bit of food. Kathleen and Alejandro started a small fire in the small fire pit and set up their sleeping arrangements. They finished their meal and drew straws. Alejandro won and chose to sleep first. Before that happened, he said he needed to show her something about their little hideout. They climbed up the rock that would serve as a lookout perch.

***

High, thin clouds formed. The wind was steady, coming out of the north. Kathleen could see the winds raising dust clouds on the west side of the river. The light from the stars softened slightly, but the Aurora spread through the clouds. Way off to the east, near the base of the low hills, was a dark smudge that had smoke rising out of it. The two of them couldn’t see any lights, but the smoke was unmistakable. It was comforting knowing people lived nearby. They were too far away to have any information about what had happened on the west side of the river, but it was still comforting. They couldn’t see any other forts to the north of them.

Pointing up, Alejandro told Kathleen, “Wake me when the moon is there. If you can’t staying awake, come stand up here. Don’t sit down and you will stay awake. If you can’t staying awake standing on top of this rock, come and wake me. And we will work out another schedule.”

“Entendido. Buenos noches, señor.”

“Buenas noches.”

***

Kathleen stood atop the high rock, doing her best to stay awake and think through the problem Alejandro had raised. He had explained that he wasn’t worried about getting wet; he was worried about trying to move at night when the sky was overcast and there was no light. If the clouds were thick enough, they could block the Skyfire from lighting up the land. But that wouldn’t stop the Night Walkers from coming out. It would just make it impossible to see them.

And if you couldn’t see them, you couldn’t run from them or fight them. A dark night would require them to find a safe place to hide until daylight. On the plus side, that sort of weather would cause their quarry to stop and circle the wagons so they wouldn’t be getting farther away from them.

So, they needed to move as quickly as possible and find a safe place before dark. If the cloud cover lightened up or dissipated, they could start off again.

The large body of water to the north had to be lake Caballo. Her father had some rough maps of the area up river. When they were much younger, Manuel and Juan Maclusky had explored and mapped a large area up north. Frequently abandoning the safety of the walls and taking off for a week or more at a time, having escapades and making their mother age prematurely.

Papa admitted his maps were not the best. Some of the earlier ones had fanciful things written on them. Like “Here be Dragons”, “Land of the Lost”, and “Juan’s Folly!” But they were enough to give her a rough idea of what lay ahead. Lake Caballo was more of a wide spot in the river with an attached marsh than an actual lake.

Kathleen remembered another shallow lake past this one. Further upriver. With a large town on the northwestern shore. She couldn’t remember the name of the lake or the city, though. She wondered if her exhaustion caused her to forget the name, or if it just didn’t matter.

Normally, she would have been responsible for the evening meal. Cooking for the folks living in the bunkhouses. After her parents retired for the evening, she would sneak across the river to spend a few hours alone with Michael. He had built a small fortified cabin across the river from the Maclusky fort. She called it the guard shack. Idiot that he was, he called it the Love Shack. She smiled. The landscape blurred as tears filled her eyes. Fuck. She wiped her eyes, then turned and scanned a full circle of the area. Can’t think of things like that right now.

The way her mind was wandering just reinforced the need for them to get some sleep.

Maybe tomorrow she would scout ahead. She wasn’t sure if she could bring herself to leave Henry behind with Alejandro. However, if she was scouting, she wouldn’t have to cook. One thing was for sure: Alejandro was a much better cook than she was. Maybe it was worth trusting him with her belongings just to have him make breakfast. She would have to think about that. She looked up at the moon. Irritated, she shook her head.

She had at least two more hours before she was supposed to wake him up.

Maybe it was time to think of what they were going to do when they finally caught up with those bastards they were chasing. She had some vague ideas involving Alejandro using that rifle of his to shoot people from far away. After that, she had nothing else. They needed to come up with a plan, or they would end up getting their asses killed. Or, even worse, they could kill the people they were trying to rescue. If they started getting shot from a long distance, it took little to imagine them pulling their captives out and holding guns to their heads. Even killing some of them. That wouldn’t do. That wouldn’t do at all. Maybe they could shoot the horses pulling the wagons. They needed to discuss this.

The moon had moved. Almost time to sleep. She drank some water. She tried to think of a plan. So tired. If they could get ahead or even beside the wagons, they might shoot some horses. But what was to stop them from sending out a party to find who shot at them? Two pistols wouldn't halt a mob of enraged gunmen who had been shot at. There had to be a way. Maybe they could buy them back.

Something was bothering her, something in the back of her mind. Something important, something to do with the farther lake. So tired. Or was it something to do with Lake Caballo?

She shook her head. That threatened her balance and almost toppled her from her perch. Fuck this. She needed to wake Alejandro. Earlier than she was supposed to, but she couldn’t go on like this.

She clambered down the rock, then tripped and fell as soon as she was on flat ground. She made a loud grunt when she landed flat on her face. That was enough to make Manchado neigh in alarm.

And that was enough to make Alejandro sit up in his blankets, wide awake with his pistol in hand.

Alejandro looked around. He couldn’t see what spooked the horses. Sitting in his blankets under the small overhang and next to the banked fire, he didn’t see Kathleen lying there in a heap. He sat there a moment and listened to the night.

Meirda. He turned and put the rocks at his back. He held his pistol in both hands, pointed it into the night, and cocked it. The sound was deafening in the stillness.

“¿Quien está ahí?”

Kathleen’s voice came out of the semi-darkness. She was lying face down in the dirt. “It’s just me. I’m over here. I fell down.”

“¡Meirda! You fell from the rocks?!”

“No. I tripped when I got on the ground.”

He got out of his blankets, put his boots on, and hurried over to her. “Are you okay?”

“I’m just tired.”

He rolled her over. Doing so smashed her hat flat. Oops, no one liked that. He popped it back out to something that resembled its original form. He hesitated. Checking her body for injuries could be considered handsy and maybe sexual. Especially since he didn’t know the girl very well.

“Kathleen, sit up. Are you hurt?”

She muttered, “I’m okay. I’ll just stay here and take a nap.”

He pulled her upright into a sitting position. “Come on, let’s get you to your blankets.”

“I’m fine.”

“Vamanos!”

She started grumbling under her breath, but she stood up. He caught her as she started leaning at a funny angle. He placed her arm over his shoulders and half carried her over to her blankets.

“Dust yourself off.”

She started patting herself. He removed her hat from around her neck and helped her lie down. He pulled her boots off and covered her with her blanket.

She muttered, “I’m sorry. I woke you early. I didn’t mean to.”

He patted her shoulder. “No worries. Go to sleep.”

She went from mumbling something unintelligible to snoring in a single heartbeat.

Alejandro looked around at their little camp, then looked up at the moon. He figured he had gotten about four hours of sleep. He craved more, but he was clearly in better shape than the girl. Four hours would put the moon about…there. He would wake her then and go back to sleep for an hour or two before dawn broke. Maybe she would have breakfast ready when he woke. He shook his head. She wasn’t a terrible cook, she just wasn’t a very good one. He climbed up to the top of the rock and stood up.

Time to think about how they were going to rescue their loved ones.