THEY ROSE long before the sun. The morning was bright and cool, but gave promise of a warm day ahead. Rebecca gave no more than a passing thought to the previous day. They had put good distance between themselves and the circle of men who had seemed to anger Daniel greatly. He said nothing of the day before, only leading her deeper and deeper through the wilderness toward Salem. She had, of course, travelled the same way many years ago when she'd first come to the wilderness of the lands of Kentucky. She had been following Daniel then too, but he had been a stranger; handsome and aloof. It made her laugh when she thought of it now. He had been so determined to give every indication that he neither noticed nor favored her. She recognized now, knowing him well, that everything about him screamed out that he was drawn to her. She just hadn't been able to recognize it at the time. She chuckled to herself remembering the stubborn way he pretended to never know her name.

"What are you laughing at?" He asked, pausing to turn back and look at her.

"I was thinking of the first time I travelled through here." She smiled up at him.

"Oh, now. That was a long piece ago, love." He held out a hand to help her climb up the side of the hill where he waited just above her.

"Not so long." She scolded, reaching out to hold onto his fingers. "You were terrible. Acting like you couldn't remember my name." She shook her head at him, as she passed by him, leading him down the trail that seemed to stretched endlessly upward.

"I don't think that's so." He said. "I'm much too kind for behavior like that. Are you sure that were me?"

"Daniel Boone, don't even pretend like you don't know what I am talking about." She paused to look at him. "I was just crushed every single time."

"You don't seem that ways to me. All I could see was the way that Jim was playing you, and ruining my entire life!"

"Jim? Who is Jim?" She paused, arching her red brows in confusion. "I don't remember anyone named Jim."

"Of course you don't." He shook his head at her. "Who is being terrible now? You know that spot on my heart is still a mite tender, ah grah."

She laughed and turning toward him, stretched on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. "I was very young, and wide-eyed, Daniel. You ought to be fair. I was too easily tricked, and really only turned his way because you kept acting like I didn't even exist."

"Looking back now," He said, thoughtfully. "It were a fairly foolish way to go about things. But you were so beautiful, and I couldn't seem to get my feet under me whenever you were around. You weren't like no other girl I'd ever known. You were so wild!" He grinned down at her.

"I'm not sure that is a flattering assessment."

"Oh, it is! I couldn't bring myself to say your name. It seemed like if I did everyone would hear how much I longed for you - especially you! I'd never in a thousand years be able to hide it. Pretending I didn't see you was the only way I could manage, and when that Jim swooped in, well, it seemed like my chances were all gone. And my heart. My heart were gone too."

She blushed, and stood smiling up at him, one hand holding onto his arm. She felt suddenly and inexplicably shy. Looking up at him with the morning sun shining behind him, it was easy to get lost in days past. He looked the same: handsome, strong, a cheerful smile and kind eyes, but time and closeness had layered other things on top of it all - shared struggles, victories, days and nights together, and apart.

"You're making me self-conscious, darlin'." He said after a long pause. "We best keep moving." But his voice held no insistence.

"You look the same to me." She said softly.

"Oh, I'm ages older, and much fatter thanks to your good cooking." He said dismissively.

"You are the same." She said, reaching out and rubbing the side of his face with her soft fingers. "I didn't know to see it then. It seems like you've loved me for all my life."

He blushed at this ducking his head briefly. "Well," He said clearing his throat. "I reckon I have. Even when you were a wee bairn far across the ocean; I loved you even then. I just didn't know you yet." He stepped closer, wrapping his long arms around her, and they stood kissing in the bright Kentucky sunshine, just a few miles below the top of a bright green mountain.

***DB***

The submitted before the noon hour, but ate an early dinner, as it was a convenient place to stop. She was, as she had been the first time, overcome with the beauty of the world around her. She rose from lunch, wiping crumbs from the front of her breeches, looking out all around her.

"The fort is back that way." She pointed behind them. "I can just see the river."

"That's right."

"And so Salem is that way." She spun and pointed in the opposite direction.

"A little more to the left, 'Becca." He rose to stand beside her.

"Ah." She said. "It lies just at the base of those hills?"

"That's right. You've got a sharp eye." He pointed to their right. "If you travel far enough that way, some say you can reach the ocean." He shrugged. "I ain't never traveled that far."

"And that way?" She pointed to their far left.

"Well, if you travel a bit, you will end up smack dab in the middle of Shawneetown, which I don't recommend." He told her. "They ain't as friendly as I've let on."

"I had suspected." She said with a laugh. "Still they do admire their beloved Sheltowee."

"Well, some of them tolerate him, but I don't know about admire." He told her.

"Uh, huh. How am I supposed to trust what you tell me in the future, Dan. You always say we are surrounded by friends."

"Well, back thataway are the Cherokee, and they seem to like me just fine."

"I imagine their are many other tribes you are leaving out of this map." She said, a hand on her hip.

"Well, too many details makes it difficult to remember." He told her with a chuckle. He bent to put everything back into their packs.

"So I should avoid Shawneetown if I ever get separated from you." She said moving to help.

"Yes, ma'am. And whatever you do, when you cross that river, do not, and I mean never, ever stray too far east. There's some folks there who don't cotton to no one at all. A pretty girl like you would . . . don't EVER go that way, love. And if you see, there is a giant pole - like an old, old tree but with no branches, you spin around and run like the devil is on your heels."

She thought about teasing him, but looking up and meeting his eye, she could tell he was suddenly serious. It made her shiver. "Why? What . . ."

"It ain't fitting for me to say so to someone sweet and fine as you. Just trust my words, ah grah. They aren't kind. They don't follow the same laws that most folks do." He rose up lifting his pack onto his back, and chuckled nervously. "I guess that weren't the right way to give you a tour of the beautiful country."

"I guess not." She agreed. She shifted her pack onto her back. "We should reach Salem, tomorrow?"

"That's right." He told her. He studied her thoughtfully. "But, Becky, you ain't got no dress. What are you going to do when we reach civilization?"

"Oh, well, Daniel, you are going to buy me a brand new dress." She winked at him.

"I feel just like I been tricked." He told her, following her down the steep path.

"That's because you were." She said laughing.

It was just about an hour later, that he missed his step, rolling his ankle. He was, fortunately in the lead so he didn't fall into her, but unfortunately it was at a fairly steep stretch of the path, and so he tumbled quite a ways. He felt no real pain, just shock and anxiousness as Rebecca's screams rang in his ears.

"I'm alright." He said before he'd even rolled to a stop. "I just twisted my ankle." He could see her flying down the path toward him, panic on her features. He was terrified that she too would tumble and fall. "Slow down! I am alright!"

She tossed her pack aside, and nearly stumbled, sliding to kneel beside him. "Daniel! Daniel!" She said her hands fluttering in the air. "Are you alright?"

"I just lost my footing." He chuckled. "You'd think I would know how to walk by now!"

"You're arm is all scratched up." She said brushing his shoulder with her fingers. "Let me see your ankle." She moved and hunched over his ankle, running her fingers over it and clucking under her breath. "It's swollen already." She said looking up at him with wide blue eyes.

"It's fine, Rebecca. You can just wrap it up tight with some of those bandages you insisted on bringing. It don't hurt much."

She sat back on her heels, and he could see she was ready to argue with him, but glancing around said, "You think you can manage down a little ways more. There's a nice flat spot just below, and it would be easier to manage things there."

"Can I lean on you?" He asked with a wink.

"I cannot believe the great and mighty Daniel Boone rolled down a mountain because he wasn't sure of where to put his foot." She said helping him rise.

"Well, I was following a beautiful woman who was . . ."

"I was following you." She pointed out.

"Well, I was thinking about a beautiful red-haired lass, and got distracted." He said, as he limped along leaning on her.

"At least, this time I know exactly what happened, and don't have to sit through one of your tall tales." She helped him lower himself on a nearby stump, and rummaged through her pack pulling out bandages and bottles of ointment.

"Tall tales! Rebecca Anne Boone! It seems like you don't trust my word."

"You got a scar on your hip that absolutely did NOT get there because you 'slid across a slippery rock near the river and landed on a sharp piece of driftwood'."

"Well . . ."

"Unless that piece of driftwood happens to be shaped PRECISELY like the tip of a Shawnee arrow." She paused in her wrapping of his ankle to arch an eyebrow at him.

"You know, my brother Nate always said that a wise man would never, ever marry a smart girl." He grinned at her.

"Too bad you aren't wise."

"Too bad." He agreed.

***DB***

The tumble, and his slow pace, kept them from reaching Salem before evening, and so they camped just a few miles from civilization. It was fine by her. She was tired and sore, and a little worse for the journey. Daniel had wanted to push a little farther, but when they found themselves near a small lake, she pleaded with him.

"Let's camp here tonight! Look!" She pointed at the lake. "I could squeeze in a bath before I walked down the streets of Salem."

"A bath!" He laughed. "Now, I've been out on many a journey with many a travelling partner, and not one of 'em - NOT ONE, ever argued for a spot to bathe!"

"I am not at all surprised!" She laughed. "I'm the one who greets you when you first get home!"

"That water is ice cold, Becky. You'll likely freeze."

"No, you'll heat up a nice warm fire for me." She smiled up at him. "Please, Daniel!"

"Well, this ankle is aching some." He sighed.

The water was ice cold, and when she dipped her first toe into it, she briefly thought of changing her mind, but seeing Daniel's smug grin, she lifted her chin in defiance and plunged in. She stayed in for five minutes - just to prove she could. After those few freezing moments when she could take no more, she burst out of the water, sprinting toward her husband who immediately wrapped her in a blanket and led her to the fire.

"Sit close, but watch the end of that blanket. Lord! I can feel the cold from your skin, through that blanket. Rebecca! Keep the end of that blanket back, I don't want you catching on fire. Why in heaven's name did you go under the water? Your lips are blue!"

"It . . wer . . .wer . . .wern't so . . . so . . .so cold." She said shivering.

"You are the most stubborn person the good Lord has ever made. You did it just to prove to me wrong." He rubbed her arms and searching for something grabbed his own jacket to dry her hair. "If you catch cold and die, I will never forgive you, Rebecca Anne."

"That's . . . ver . . . ver . . . very sw . . . sw. . . sweet." She somehow managed to grin at him through chattering teeth.

"I didn't aim for sweetness. I'm angry, love." He told her, still drying her long red hair.

"Can . . .can you hand me my shirt pl . . . please?" She said still shivering.

"Oh, are you admitting you are cold?" He said holding her shirt high above him.

"Daniel, I am freezing!" She said pulling the blanket tighter around her. "Let me put my clothes on!"

"Well, now, love. The Cherokee say that there is much better way to warm someone up who's fallen into ice water."

"Dan . . . my clothes, please."

"No, they say it is better to keep someone close - not too bundle up."

She shook her head at him. "Honestly, Daniel . . ."

"No. I'm not telling tales. The best way to get someone warm is with the heat of your body." He moved closer to her sliding himself inside the blanket. "You are cold as a snowbank!" He said shivering and pulling her tighter into his embrace. "I'll warm you up, ma chroi!"

***DB***

Walking the streets of Salem, wearing a pair of breeches, shirt and tri-corner hat, was not quite how she pictured a day in the city. She held her head high, and marched confidently into a dress shop.

"Can I help you?" The lady working inside the store said without looking up.

"I am in need of a dress." Rebecca said, and tried not to wince as the lady looked up, her eyes growing huge with shock.

"Well, yes, it appears you are." She considered Rebecca thoughtfully. "Hmm . . . I might have just the thing. A lady near about your height had a beautiful dress custom made for her, and then never retrieved it! How do you feel about the color green?"

"She looks beautiful in any color." Daniel said. He hovered near the door, waiting awkwardly. "She even looks pretty in breeches."

"Yes, well, I think we can do much better than a pair of men's pants." She considered Daniel scornfully. "I suppose this is your doing." He indicated Rebecca's clothes. "If you are willing to entrust me with her, I promise when you come back in an hour, you will be amazed by the changes."

"She amazes me everyday." He winked at Rebecca. "I'll go see about those supplies and be back for you shortly." He turned toward the woman. "I'm Daniel Boone, and this is my wife Rebecca. You fix her up with whatever she asks."

"Yes, sir. Thank you. My name is Charlotte Waddington and I promise to make sure she is satisfied."

"Very well." Daniel said. "I'll be right back for you, Rebecca. Treat yourself to something lovely, darling."

She smiled at him, blushing. "Thank you. I'll see you in just a little bit."

***DB***

Much as she had enjoyed the freedom that wearing pants had afforded her. It felt wonderful to be back in a dress. Charlotte had offered to take her breeches. "I can burn them if you'd like." Rebecca had only laughed.

"I'll need them for the journey home." She told Charlotte.

"I understand the practicality of it." Charlotte told her. "But it seems wrong somehow. I'll wrap them up."

She was sitting and having a cup of tea with Charlotte when Daniel strode back in. His eyes grew wide.

"You look so . . ." He found himself at a loss for words.

"She is very beautiful." Charlotte told him. "I can't believe a man like you would let his wife dress so ordinary."

"Well, I don't let Rebecca do anything." Daniel pointed out. "She's got a mind of her own."

"Thank you so much for everything." Rebecca said rising, as Charlotte handed a package to Daniel.

"Finish your tea, darlin'." Daniel said. "I'll just settle up with Charlotte."

They stepped out into the bright light of a cool spring day a few minutes later. She put a hand on Daniel's arm.

"You sorry to be back in a dress, Becky?" He asked her with a sideways grin.

"No. It feels lovely to be a proper lady again." She confessed. "Although, if we have to climb a tree or cross a stream, I am now at a distinct disadvantage."

"I'm hoping that won't be necessary for a day at least." Daniel pointed out.

"Let's hope. Were you able to arrange for supplies?"

"Yes, ma'am. It should be ready the day after tomorrow." He told her.

"Oh, wonderful! A day in Salem!" She leaned into his shoulder.

"I got you a room at a very fine establishment just a ways up the street, and you can sleep on a lovely feather bed, and this evening I will take you to a fancy restaurant and you won't have to wash one dish!" He told her patting her hand.

"Daniel!" She beamed. "Is this how it is when you come to Salem with Mingo? Does he get a fine meal and feather bed?"

"No." A voice said from behind her. "He makes me sleep just outside of town on the cold, hard ground!" They both spun around surprised to discover that Mingo was standing right behind them.

"Mingo!" She cried out in surprise, and then wrapped an arm around him. "What are you doing is Salem?"

"You got some fancy duds, I see." Daniel said shaking Mingo's hand and nodding at his pants, shirt and jacket.

"Well, I heard that even some very fine ladies are wearing pants theses days, and so I thought I'd give it a try." Mingo said laughing.

"Daniel . . ." Rebecca moaned.

"Look on the bright side, Rebecca." Daniel told her. "Mingo here has agreed to travel back with the wagon of supplies. We can either stay behind and enjoy ourselves, or you can hurry back home to your babies all the faster."

"What?" She turned to Mingo. "Did he set you up to this?"

"We might have discussed it some time ago." Mingo told her. "I was planning a trip this way anyway. Some of my friends from school were coming this way, and I almost never get to see anyone from those days. It worked out well. I'll manage the supplies, and the Boones can travel home free and happy."

"Oh, no." Rebecca said. "That isn't fair! We'll travel together."

"Nothing needs to be decided here on the side of the street, does it?" Daniel asked her. "Why don't we go on over to the hotel for now, and take this discussion up again later. Are you joining us for dinner?" He asked Mingo.

"Sadly, no." Mingo told him. "I'm meeting up with my schoolmates. But tomorrow at noon, I will meet you at the mercantile, and we can have a delightful discussion about how is traveling where and with whom. Would that be acceptable to you, Mrs. Boone?"

"It will have to do." Rebecca smiled at Mingo. "Oh, but it is good to see you!" She told him.

"The feeling is mutual." Mingo said bending low to kiss her hand. He turned toward Daniel who shook his head at him.

"Mingo, you are overdoing it a bit."

"I'm playing the part of an English gentleman." Mingo said with a bow. "Farewell, Mr. Boone. Until tomorrow."

"Until tomorrow." Daniel turned to Rebecca. "He overdoes it sometimes."

"He seemed rather galant, if you ask me." She smiled up at him.

"I suppose he would." He reached for her hand. "Alright, darlin', let's get squared away before supper."

"This is turning into a rather surprising trip." Rebecca told him as they made their way along the street.

"I hope it is a pleasant surprise." He told her. "I just thought following along behind a wagon isn't near as much fun as exploring the woods together. There's a really beautiful lake that I'd love for you to see." He paused to look at her. "But it ain't for swimming, darling. It has ice floating in it!"

"I learned my lesson." She told him.

"Now, it is a truly surprising trip!" He laughed.

***DB***

The lure of a trip unshackled to the responsibility of a wagon loaded with supplies proved far too tempting, and in the end of course she agreed to the plan that Daniel and Mingo had arranged. She could remember the moment standing between the two tall men and saying, "Alright! Alright! I surrender! You made your plan and I'll abide by it!" It haunted her later. It seemed such a frivolous and selfish decision - the cost of it far greater than anything she could possibly imagine.