Chapter 7 [Four Days Later]
Hustle governed the traveling party's pace down that mountain trail. Turned out that Blue's instincts had proven correct. Those on watch saw yellow eyes off in the trees. Howls harassed their ears and drove chills down their spines. Instead of full night's stops, they only stopped for a couple of hours here and there to get a meal or refill canteens.
Still, despite going over a hundred miles from their original spot, the wolves stalked their heels. They remained less than a mile away. Opportunity would be theirs at some point.
The campfire proved their best friend. Light, heat and protection all came from it.
[Fork in the Trail]
She pulled up on her horse's reins. Exhaustion threatened to topple her from the saddle. Despite the previous three days' naps, her mind demanded a full night's sleep. Her blurred eyes detected the new path to their right. She glanced back up the trail.
"What's going on?" Blue rubbed his eyes. He'd gone around and around in his head about the deer vs some fish. In the end, he'd decided that Aroma would've drawn animals to the camp no matter what meat they cooked.
"We wait for the others." She saw Mano, Sam, Pedro and Buck trotting toward them on their horses.
"I sure hope that other trail's coming up soon. Them animals ain't far off." Buck frowned. The hair was standing up on his neck. His rifle rested across his saddle ready for use.
"Maybe another day or so, they'll try something," Sam guessed.
"We will be on the coast by then, Señores." She pointed to the diverging trail. "That is the trail down to El Camino Real."
"Camino…? Wha?" Buck scrunched his face up.
"It means the Spanish royal road, Señor Buck. We should get down there. I think we do not have much longer." Pedro's eyes widened. He quivered and looked back over his shoulder.
"And this is the trail there?" Manolito considered the trail.
"It is. With our pace, we have come farther at a much faster pace than I thought. We must rest the horses and ourselves. It is fifteen miles down the trail to El Camino Real. Vamanos." She started down the trail.
"I thought she said it'd be 300 miles," Blue assumed.
"Si. It is 300 miles from San Jose to Los Angeles. If Mercedes is correct, we are already south of Monterrey. There were never many large settlements between them along the coast. I do not believe there will be trouble along the road. We will have to go around the settlements and avoid the soldados. Vamanos." Manolito spurred his horse on down the trail. "Hey! ¡Mercedes, espera!
"I see you follow. I am preferable to the wolves?" Sarcasm jabbed at them from her tone.
"Mercedes! You wound me! I would never prefer a wolf to such a charming woman as yourself!" Manolito protested with mock-hurt.
"Here he goes," Blue muttered to Sam.
"Don't you know it? Even if he's married and she's committed, he can't help himself," Sam agreed.
"Don't tell me Don Mano's at it again." Blue rolled his eyes. "We got to hurry it up. Hey, Mano! Move it! We got us company down a ways. Maybe you'd like to wait for 'em to catch up?"
"Compadres, por favor. There is a certain way to answer a lady's question." Manolito rolled his eyes.
"They are correct. We should be riding as we speak. I realize that I am a virtual twin to Mercedes. You are Alejandro's twin. We have to remember that we are not them. Still we can be friends." She smiled. "You grow, Manolo. You are not trying anything." She led them down the winding mountain trail. "There is a place a few miles away. We will be far enough down the mountainside to camp. We will also be out of sight from the coastal road."
"You are sure the wolves will not follow us?" Manolito patted his rifle's stock.
"Little is known for certain. Still there is a small area in the rocks. The horses can graze. There is water. We may eat and rest. It will be easy to watch for there is only one opening in or out. It is a box canyon," she clarified.
"Box canyon? And what happens if them Spanish soldiers find us?" Sam frowned. He knew they needed to conserve their bullets.
"We will only be there for one day. We need rest." She rounded the bend in the rocks.
"Es verdad," Manolito conceded. He motioned for the others to follow.
"Guess that means we go on?" Blue raised his hands and shook his head.
"Yeah. We gotta push these horses a bit further. YAH!" Sam rode past Blue and down the trail.
"Don't worry. Least we'll have protection from them critters down there. I definitely need some shuteye." Buck rubbed his nephew's arm. "Farther from them woods we get, the better I'll feel. Let's move."
"I can deal with that." Blue led the others around the bend and toward the campsite.
Rest would definitely be welcome….