The next morning, the four men met at dawn at the livery. It was still raining, but not quite as hard as the preceding days. The horses and supplies were checked and re-checked. Once everyone was satisfied they had what they needed for a long journey, Larabee cleared his throat and said, "let's ride, boys."
The first day passed uneventfully. They rode north towards the Colorado Territory. It was east of the Rockies, on the plains north of Denver, that the Storm gang was last sighted. Chris had a feeling that the gang planned on finding a place in the rugged landscape to hole up for the summer.
Vin was just happy to be out of town, regardless of the weather. He had taken ill on the last trip, and Nathan got testy if he so much as saw Vin walking from his wagon to the saloon in the rain. He finally stopped coughing a week or so ago and felt fine, but Nathan continued to be concerned that he could relapse if he didn't take care of himself.
Josiah too was enjoying the open range. With his large, muscular physique, cooler temperatures and rain didn't bother him. His companion riding to his left did not share his view, however.
"Will this incessant rain never stop?" grumbled Ezra. "We're going to need an ark to get to Denver if this continues." Despite being wet and chilled to the bone, Ezra too was relieved to be feeling well enough to ride out. He and Larabee suffered brutally at the hands of Storm's men, and the bruises and sore muscles had finally dissipated over the last week.
Chris rode ahead of the group early in the day, enjoying the quiet and wide open spaces. It annoyed him that Ezra complained so much. Hell, he wasn't enjoying being soaked and cold either, but it was part of their job. Later in the day, he slowed to ride next to Vin, and they talked about the best plan to find Storm, the best way to capture such a large group of men, and best place to camp for the night. He didn't remember talking THAT much, but by the time they decided to camp his voice was rough and hoarse.