Nathan and Ally worked side by side comparing notes as to what they'd need. Several times she mentioned
an herb that he didn't recognize and she'd calmly explain it's medicinal purposes then add it to her list.
Once they started riding she'd collect them. At the time it was to dangerous for her to go riding out alone.
She wouldn't risk it.
Finally they decided to ride out looking for the gang. As they rode, she kept a sharp eye out for both the
herbs she wanted and the gang that wanted her. She often rode alongside Vin as the duo discussed
tracking, trading secrets. While, overhead, Aneohe kept a, pardon the pun, eagle eye out for the gang.
They rode for the majority of the day but, by dusk, were still some distance away from the gang.
Seeing that night was falling, Chris decided to make camp. They chose a cave that was dry and,
according to Ally and Vin, uninhabited by any animals. It was spacious with a wide opening that allowed a
good view of the surrounding countryside and the nearby trail. It also gave them a good defensive position
should the gang decide to double back early. Plus the small tunnel at the back of the cave provided an
excellent escape route should they require a hasty exit.
With a practiced efficiency they broke into small pairs, each taking a particular duty. JD and Buck took
first watch while Nathan and Ally prepared their supplies. Chris and Vin went about getting some meat for
the meal as Josiah and Ezra took care of the horses and gathered up some firewood.
She worked with a quiet efficiency borne of practice as she ground up an herb she'd found that day.
Glancing up, she spotted Josiah and Ezra leading two horses back from a small stream. She watched
them for a moment then shifted her gaze towards Buck and JD who sat in strategic points watching the
road.
Finally she returned her attention to the man next to her. "You work well together." She noted calmly.
"Hmm?" Nathan looked up at her.
She nodded towards the men outside. "You seven. Its something to watch. Seven men of radically
different backgrounds working together as if none of that matters."
"It doesn't." He said simply. "First time I ever met Chris and Vin they risked their own lives to save me
from being hung. Some Texans were in town driving cattle and their boss was injured. I told them I wasn't
a doctor but they asked for my help anyway. He died after gangrene set in. There was nothing I could do.
But because I was black..."
"They decided you'd killed him and because you were black they figured they could make you pay and
no one would care." Ally put forward.
"And almost none did. Mrs. Travis came out with a shot gun and tried to scare them off. But they just
knocked her aside."
"I'd have shot first and let that do the scaring."
Nathan grinned. That he could see. "Anyway they just kept on going. They took me to the graveyard and
hung a rope over the tree. Next thing I see, Chris and Vin come sauntering into the graveyard. Vin had a
rifle tossed over his shoulder and Chris had his hand near his gun. Two of them as calm as could be.
Chris just looked up at them and told them to let me go. They laughed of course. But, being drunk, they
weren't as smart as they should have been."
"Let me guess. They'd been firing off their guns like crazy before they tried to hang you." Ally put in.
"Chris pointed this out. Next thing I know everyone's shooting. I was standing on the back of the wagon
and all the shooting caused the horse to spook."
She winced.
"I nearly choked but Vin shot the rope out." Nathan chuckled. "It was a pretty interesting way to meet."
Ally laughed softly. "I'll bet. So where'd everyone else come in?"
He quickly relayed the story to her.
She listened intently; laughing as Nathan told her about JD's introduction to the group.
Eyes darkening in anger when she heard of Mary's newspaper article. She to knew a thing or two about
'second hand trash'.
Shaking her head at Nathan's description of Buck's behavior at the Seminole camp. Laughing at the
antics he and JD had displayed.
Tearing up at the news of the loss of the chief's son.
"You had quite the adventure by the sound of things." She said with a smile after Nathan finished.
"You could say that." He chuckled."Needless to say we learned real quick what each other's strengths
were."
"And weaknesses." Ally added calmly.
Nathan nodded. "That too."
It was then that Chris and Vin returned. Both carrying rabbit.
"Looks like you two were successful." He said taking the rabbits Larabee was carrying.
"Desert comes alive at night." He said casually sitting down next to Nathan.
Ally nodded. "True. Of course I'm more used to the forest than the desert." She pulled a knife out of her
boot and set about cleaning the rabbits Chris had brought in while Vin tended to his.
"Colorado?"
Without looking up, she nodded.
"Nice ways away from Four Corners." He continued.
"Not as far as some might think." She commented softly.
After the evening meal Nathan and Chris went out on watch while everyone else settled down.
Everyone but Ally herself.
The native woman slipped away from the fire not to long after the men took their positions. Moving
unnoticed through the night. She didn't go far. Just to the nearby stream. There she sat down on a
massive gray rock and stared into the water.
Aenohe perched on a branch above her head and kept a watch. He squawked slightly when Vin
approached the rock.
"Dangerous for you to be out here on your own like this." He commented to her calmly. "Anyone could
sneak up on you."
She didn't lift her gaze from the water. "Aenohe would've warned me before they got to close. He always
does."
"Watches out for ya huh?"
"He has ever since he found me."
"Ever since he found you?"
"Mmmmhmmm.." She held out her hand and Aenohe drifted down to perch lightly on it. "I was out riding
one day and there he was. I stopped to get some water and he perched on a rock near me and just
stared at me. It was like he could see into my soul. He never left me after that. Mama told me it was
one of the spirits come down to keep me safe. That I was special. I didn't believe her."
Vin frowned. "Why not?"
"I knew I was different sure." Ally said stroking Aenohe's feathers. "But being a half-breed isn't what I'd
equate to being special. Don't misunderstand me I know I'm not stupid and I know I'm pretty but when it
comes to bein' special I don't see what would make Aenohe want to stay with me. I could understand him
hanging around with me when I'm out riding but he follows me when I move. Stays in my room with me at
night. Waits until I go riding to do any serious hunting. He watches over me all the time. And if anyone
threatens me..." She trailed off meaningfully with a playful smile on her face. " If it was the spirits why on
earth would I need to be protected?"
"Seems to me that you need Aenohe's protection right now. Having a friend in the skies when there's a
posse huntin' you is, as Josiah would say, a God-send."
"Josiah would say that wouldn't he?" She turned to face Vin. "How's he doing here? Is he happy?"
"Whaddya mean?" Vin asked sitting down across from her.
"Josiah's always been a troubled man. Even when I knew him. My father would say he's got the weight of
the world on his shoulders and the moon to."
"Your father's an observant man."
She chuckled. "You don't know the half of it." Aenohe launched off her hand to go after a small animal
rustling in the grass. "Josiah seems to be more relaxed. I haven't heard him laugh like that since he was
learning Cheyenne with my tribe."
"He's fits in well in Four Corners. The church gives him somethin' to do and ridin' with us gives him..."
"A chance to get a little Old Testament?" Ally inquired with a sparkle in her eye.
He laughed. "He used to say that when he was with your tribe?"
Ally grinned. "All the time. And he used to put it to words to. He gave two of the boys quite the thrashing
when he found out they pushed me in the river. Well, once he was done fussin' over me that is."
"He cares about you al'right,"
"Yeah he does. I've always been able to go to him when I needed it." She pushed her dark hair back.
"That's never been something I questioned. Josiah's one of the constants in my life. He's like the moon.
You might not be able to see it all the time but you know its there. It's the same with our friendship. He
may not always be with me but I know when I need him all I need to do is call." She shifted her position
slightly and fixed her dark eyes on his face. "Ya'll seem pretty close to him to."
Vin lifted an eyebrow questioningly. "That obvious?"
"Well you're certainly not out here for the good of your health, and you barely know me so it's not out of
concern for my safety."
He surveyed her beautiful then spoke quietly. "Don't be so sure."
Ally opened her mouth to say something but he suddenly grabbed her and yanked her into the bushes
with him. Outraged, she turned on him but he laid a finger against her lips and shook his head. He tilted
his head towards the direction of the camp. Ally nodded and listened.
Horses. But not the Sevens'. They were tied up within sight.
Moving noiselessly through the bush Ally and Vin managed to get closer to the trail and it took only a
moment for them to spot the riders. She frowned in apprehension. Sure enough it was the men that were
after her. She and Vin shared a concerned look and as soon as they were out of earshot Ally turned to
Vin.
"Go back to the others. They'll notice you're not there."
"I should sta..." Vin began but Ally shook her head.
"If they notice you're not there they'll start asking questions. And if they start asking questions they might
start searchin' and if they start searchin' they could find me." Ally whispered her voice firm. "Now Go!"
She hissed and gave him a little shove.
He shot one more look at her then moved back towards camp while she settled down in the bush.
an herb that he didn't recognize and she'd calmly explain it's medicinal purposes then add it to her list.
Once they started riding she'd collect them. At the time it was to dangerous for her to go riding out alone.
She wouldn't risk it.
Finally they decided to ride out looking for the gang. As they rode, she kept a sharp eye out for both the
herbs she wanted and the gang that wanted her. She often rode alongside Vin as the duo discussed
tracking, trading secrets. While, overhead, Aneohe kept a, pardon the pun, eagle eye out for the gang.
They rode for the majority of the day but, by dusk, were still some distance away from the gang.
Seeing that night was falling, Chris decided to make camp. They chose a cave that was dry and,
according to Ally and Vin, uninhabited by any animals. It was spacious with a wide opening that allowed a
good view of the surrounding countryside and the nearby trail. It also gave them a good defensive position
should the gang decide to double back early. Plus the small tunnel at the back of the cave provided an
excellent escape route should they require a hasty exit.
With a practiced efficiency they broke into small pairs, each taking a particular duty. JD and Buck took
first watch while Nathan and Ally prepared their supplies. Chris and Vin went about getting some meat for
the meal as Josiah and Ezra took care of the horses and gathered up some firewood.
She worked with a quiet efficiency borne of practice as she ground up an herb she'd found that day.
Glancing up, she spotted Josiah and Ezra leading two horses back from a small stream. She watched
them for a moment then shifted her gaze towards Buck and JD who sat in strategic points watching the
road.
Finally she returned her attention to the man next to her. "You work well together." She noted calmly.
"Hmm?" Nathan looked up at her.
She nodded towards the men outside. "You seven. Its something to watch. Seven men of radically
different backgrounds working together as if none of that matters."
"It doesn't." He said simply. "First time I ever met Chris and Vin they risked their own lives to save me
from being hung. Some Texans were in town driving cattle and their boss was injured. I told them I wasn't
a doctor but they asked for my help anyway. He died after gangrene set in. There was nothing I could do.
But because I was black..."
"They decided you'd killed him and because you were black they figured they could make you pay and
no one would care." Ally put forward.
"And almost none did. Mrs. Travis came out with a shot gun and tried to scare them off. But they just
knocked her aside."
"I'd have shot first and let that do the scaring."
Nathan grinned. That he could see. "Anyway they just kept on going. They took me to the graveyard and
hung a rope over the tree. Next thing I see, Chris and Vin come sauntering into the graveyard. Vin had a
rifle tossed over his shoulder and Chris had his hand near his gun. Two of them as calm as could be.
Chris just looked up at them and told them to let me go. They laughed of course. But, being drunk, they
weren't as smart as they should have been."
"Let me guess. They'd been firing off their guns like crazy before they tried to hang you." Ally put in.
"Chris pointed this out. Next thing I know everyone's shooting. I was standing on the back of the wagon
and all the shooting caused the horse to spook."
She winced.
"I nearly choked but Vin shot the rope out." Nathan chuckled. "It was a pretty interesting way to meet."
Ally laughed softly. "I'll bet. So where'd everyone else come in?"
He quickly relayed the story to her.
She listened intently; laughing as Nathan told her about JD's introduction to the group.
Eyes darkening in anger when she heard of Mary's newspaper article. She to knew a thing or two about
'second hand trash'.
Shaking her head at Nathan's description of Buck's behavior at the Seminole camp. Laughing at the
antics he and JD had displayed.
Tearing up at the news of the loss of the chief's son.
"You had quite the adventure by the sound of things." She said with a smile after Nathan finished.
"You could say that." He chuckled."Needless to say we learned real quick what each other's strengths
were."
"And weaknesses." Ally added calmly.
Nathan nodded. "That too."
It was then that Chris and Vin returned. Both carrying rabbit.
"Looks like you two were successful." He said taking the rabbits Larabee was carrying.
"Desert comes alive at night." He said casually sitting down next to Nathan.
Ally nodded. "True. Of course I'm more used to the forest than the desert." She pulled a knife out of her
boot and set about cleaning the rabbits Chris had brought in while Vin tended to his.
"Colorado?"
Without looking up, she nodded.
"Nice ways away from Four Corners." He continued.
"Not as far as some might think." She commented softly.
After the evening meal Nathan and Chris went out on watch while everyone else settled down.
Everyone but Ally herself.
The native woman slipped away from the fire not to long after the men took their positions. Moving
unnoticed through the night. She didn't go far. Just to the nearby stream. There she sat down on a
massive gray rock and stared into the water.
Aenohe perched on a branch above her head and kept a watch. He squawked slightly when Vin
approached the rock.
"Dangerous for you to be out here on your own like this." He commented to her calmly. "Anyone could
sneak up on you."
She didn't lift her gaze from the water. "Aenohe would've warned me before they got to close. He always
does."
"Watches out for ya huh?"
"He has ever since he found me."
"Ever since he found you?"
"Mmmmhmmm.." She held out her hand and Aenohe drifted down to perch lightly on it. "I was out riding
one day and there he was. I stopped to get some water and he perched on a rock near me and just
stared at me. It was like he could see into my soul. He never left me after that. Mama told me it was
one of the spirits come down to keep me safe. That I was special. I didn't believe her."
Vin frowned. "Why not?"
"I knew I was different sure." Ally said stroking Aenohe's feathers. "But being a half-breed isn't what I'd
equate to being special. Don't misunderstand me I know I'm not stupid and I know I'm pretty but when it
comes to bein' special I don't see what would make Aenohe want to stay with me. I could understand him
hanging around with me when I'm out riding but he follows me when I move. Stays in my room with me at
night. Waits until I go riding to do any serious hunting. He watches over me all the time. And if anyone
threatens me..." She trailed off meaningfully with a playful smile on her face. " If it was the spirits why on
earth would I need to be protected?"
"Seems to me that you need Aenohe's protection right now. Having a friend in the skies when there's a
posse huntin' you is, as Josiah would say, a God-send."
"Josiah would say that wouldn't he?" She turned to face Vin. "How's he doing here? Is he happy?"
"Whaddya mean?" Vin asked sitting down across from her.
"Josiah's always been a troubled man. Even when I knew him. My father would say he's got the weight of
the world on his shoulders and the moon to."
"Your father's an observant man."
She chuckled. "You don't know the half of it." Aenohe launched off her hand to go after a small animal
rustling in the grass. "Josiah seems to be more relaxed. I haven't heard him laugh like that since he was
learning Cheyenne with my tribe."
"He's fits in well in Four Corners. The church gives him somethin' to do and ridin' with us gives him..."
"A chance to get a little Old Testament?" Ally inquired with a sparkle in her eye.
He laughed. "He used to say that when he was with your tribe?"
Ally grinned. "All the time. And he used to put it to words to. He gave two of the boys quite the thrashing
when he found out they pushed me in the river. Well, once he was done fussin' over me that is."
"He cares about you al'right,"
"Yeah he does. I've always been able to go to him when I needed it." She pushed her dark hair back.
"That's never been something I questioned. Josiah's one of the constants in my life. He's like the moon.
You might not be able to see it all the time but you know its there. It's the same with our friendship. He
may not always be with me but I know when I need him all I need to do is call." She shifted her position
slightly and fixed her dark eyes on his face. "Ya'll seem pretty close to him to."
Vin lifted an eyebrow questioningly. "That obvious?"
"Well you're certainly not out here for the good of your health, and you barely know me so it's not out of
concern for my safety."
He surveyed her beautiful then spoke quietly. "Don't be so sure."
Ally opened her mouth to say something but he suddenly grabbed her and yanked her into the bushes
with him. Outraged, she turned on him but he laid a finger against her lips and shook his head. He tilted
his head towards the direction of the camp. Ally nodded and listened.
Horses. But not the Sevens'. They were tied up within sight.
Moving noiselessly through the bush Ally and Vin managed to get closer to the trail and it took only a
moment for them to spot the riders. She frowned in apprehension. Sure enough it was the men that were
after her. She and Vin shared a concerned look and as soon as they were out of earshot Ally turned to
Vin.
"Go back to the others. They'll notice you're not there."
"I should sta..." Vin began but Ally shook her head.
"If they notice you're not there they'll start asking questions. And if they start asking questions they might
start searchin' and if they start searchin' they could find me." Ally whispered her voice firm. "Now Go!"
She hissed and gave him a little shove.
He shot one more look at her then moved back towards camp while she settled down in the bush.