She stood, wincing at the discomfort in her legs.
To the west, mountains reared. Timber covered most of the slopes. Here and there were high cliffs with specks moving on the sheer heights. Mountain sheep, their meat so succulent—it was one of her favorites.
Raven On The Ground stretched. Her body demanded more rest, but they had slept long enough. She went to Lavender and shook her. Lavender mumbled and moved an arm as if to push her away.
“Wake up. We must keep going.” Raven On The Ground shook her harder.
Lavender stirred and blinked, squinting in the bright glare of the sun. “I was having the most pleasant dream.”
“I am sorry.”
“We were in our village. It was night and we were celebrating. Our warriors had killed many buffalo. We had butchered them and there was meat for everyone. We were dancing and singing.”
“We will dance and sing again.”
Raven On The Ground moved to Flute Girl. She placed her hand on the bigger woman’s shoulder and Flute Girl came awake with a start. She sat up and glanced about in alarm.
“What is wrong?”
“We are fine. We must move on.”
For a while they hiked slowly, their leg muscles stiff. The farther they went, the less it hurt. They were walking briskly when Lavender looked over her shoulder and blurted, “No!”
In the distance three riders came on at a trot. There was a fourth, but he was leading extra horses and lagged behind.
Raven On The Ground shielded her eyes with her hand. “It is them. Dryfus is tracking us. They are on our trail, but haven’t seen us yet.”
“We must hide,” Flute Girl said, and took the lead.
Ahead grew cottonwoods, usually a sign of water. They burst in among the trees and found a small spring.
“I am so thirsty.” Flute Girl threw herself down. She put her face in the water and greedily gulped.
“Not too much,” Raven On The Ground cautioned. “It will make our bellies hurt.” But it was hard to resist. They had been without anything to drink since before the fire. She tore herself away and nudged her companions to get them to do the same.
“I could drink it dry,” Flute Girl said, her chin dripping wet.
“Listen,” Lavender said.
The thud of hoofbeats warned them that they had squandered precious time.
“Keep up with me,” Raven On The Ground said, and ran. Her people were fond of racing, both on foot and on horseback, and she loved to run.
The undergrowth was thick, but that was good, since it would slow the horses. Raven On the Ground vaulted logs and avoided boulders. She was pleased at how her legs were bearing up under the strain. Lavender was close behind her, mouth set in grim determination. Flute Girl had fallen behind, but Raven On The Ground glimpsed her, struggling hard to keep up.
The drum of hooves was louder.
Raven On The Ground was going as fast as she could, but she couldn’t outrun horses. She and the others needed somewhere to hide. A thicket appeared, but the whites could surround it and they would be trapped. She raced on, and suddenly the woods thinned, revealing a slope littered with boulders before them. She barely slowed. Lavender was farther back, wheezing with every stride. There was no sign of Flute Girl.
Raven On The Ground stopped. She refused to leave her friends. Wheeling, she waited for Lavender to reach her. Lavender was flushed and swayed unsteadily.
“I can’t go on.”
“Rest a moment.”
“I need more than that.”
Raven On The Ground looked for Flute Girl, but she didn’t appear.
Out of the woods exploded two riders.
Whirling, Raven On The Ground took flight, but she had only taken a few bounds when a blow to her shoulder slammed her to the earth. She heard Lavender cry out. Dust got into her eyes and nose as she rolled across the ground. Above her loomed Geist on a stallion. He pointed a rifle at her and said something. Although she didn’t understand the words, his meaning was clear.
Sitting up, she saw Lavender on the ground in Petrie’s grasp. She punched at his chest, but it had no effect.
Raven On The Ground bowed her head in sorrow. She had been so sure they would reach their village. Geist’s saddle creaked and iron fingers seized her by the hair. She was thrown down again and kicked. The pain was terrible, but it hurt worse to be thwarted in their escape.
Petrie bound Lavender’s wrists behind her back and then tied Raven On The Ground.
By then Dryfus had joined them, Flute Girl walking in front of his horse, a bloody smear on her forehead.
Last to arrive was Berber, leading the extra horses. One by one, the women were thrown roughly over a mount. Berber held onto the lead rope.
Geist growled at Dryfus, who listened and translated in sign.
Chapter Twenty
Chases Rabbits never thought he would be grateful to Utes, but he was. The war party had gone off to the south and nowhere near the pass into King Valley. So now he and Zach were riding hard for the trading post, the wolf loping tirelessly beside Zach’s horse.
Chases Rabbits couldn’t wait to get there, couldn’t wait to set his eyes on Raven On The Ground. He missed her with all that he was, although he would never tell Zach that.
Early on the morning of the third day, they wound down out of the foothills toward Mud Hollow. Chases Rabbits rose in his saddle to try and see the trading post, but they weren’t close enough yet.
“We almost there.”
“Toad gave you no notion why he needed to see my pa?” Zach asked.
“No. Him only say it urgent. Urgent mean hurry up quick, yes?”
“Pretty much,” Zach confirmed. He stiffened suddenly and said, “What the hell?”
The hollow had come into sight.
Chases Rabbits felt his heart leap into his throat. Where the lodge for the women had been was a wide black spot and charred wood. “What that be?” he wondered without thinking.
“The building burned down,” Zach said. He bent and motioned to the wolf. “Sit.”
To Chases Rabbits’s amazement, the wolf did.
“Stay,” Zach commanded, and used his heels on the dun.
Chases Rabbits followed suit. Fear for Raven On The Ground filled him. He was close behind the dun when Zach drew rein in a flurry of dust next to the spot where the burned lodge had been.
A few Nez Perce were in front of the trading post. A couple of Pawnees were there. Two of the whites, Berber and Gratt, were lounging at the hitch rail, and when they saw Chases Rabbits and Zach ride up, they hurried inside.
Chases Rabbits swung down and stared at the pile in dismay. “Raven On The Ground,” he said softly.
“I don’t see any bones,” Zach said.
“Sorry?” Chases Rabbits couldn’t think of what bones had to do with it.
“Bones don’t always burn up.”
“Oh.” Chases Rabbits didn’t find that particularly encouraging.
“Come on,” Zach said. He wheeled toward the mercantile, then stopped short.
Toad, Geist, and Petrie were walking toward them, Geist smiling, and Petrie with his rifle in the crook of his
