Hi guys! Well, it was kinda mean the way I ended the last chapter lol so I thought I'd update early... This one ends on kinda a cliff-hanger too but things will start to calm down in the next few chapters as we come to the end of this part of the saga... We still have a few more chapters left, and i have a decent ammont done on the next story in this Saga, Jessie's story is far from over.

Thankyou everyone for the reviews! Keep em comin, I love hearing your thoughts! Enjoy!

Chapter 29.0

Jack had been right. By the time that they got to where he'd last seen Jessie a good hour and a half had passed. The weather was rapidly deteriorating as they rode down to the bottom of the slope along the trail. Snowflakes were starting to fall, the first snows of the season. The wind was blowing harder, making the going worse for the horses since they were riding into the wind. They were reduced to a walking pace, the swirling snowflakes making visibility an issue and the storm was only going to get worse.

'We're here.' Jack shouted to Lisa above the roar of the wind. He halted the gelding, dismounting as he started to look for tracks. He found them, the tracks of the girls footprints beside hoof prints. Her prints disappeared, the only prints to follow that of Warrior's. 'We're going to have to go on foot from here Lisa. I've found her trail. She's riding Warrior.'

Lisa nodded as dismounted, grabbing her lead off the saddle to lead the mare with. Her fingers were numb with cold as she struggled to get the lead attached to the halter. 'How far away do you think Jessie is?'

'Hard to say. Warrior was only walking here so hopefully she won't be far ahead. It's hard to tell if either of them are injured but he did go down and Jessie was thrown by the look of the imprints in the mud.' He replied, grabbing the length of rope off his saddle. He tied it to the other side of the horses halter then handed it to her. 'Tie this to your horse so we don't get separated. The storm is getting worse.'

'I hope she's okay.' She fumbled with the rope for a moment then managed to tie it to the horses halter. 'She's not wearing warm clothes.'

'The quicker we find her and get her back and warmed up, the better.' He led on, Lisa and her horse following as he kept to Warrior's tracks as best he could. 'You okay there Lisa?'

'I'm fine.' Lisa called back then a silence descended upon them. She looked around, snow was starting to cover the tracks as time wore on. It was snowing harder, snow pelted against her face by the driving wind. She pulled her muffler up higher over her mouth and nose, her head down as she followed Jack. Please be alright Jessie. She begged, her mind making up all kinds of scenarios the girl might have found herself in. Jack had seemed to think they'd taken a fall at the bottom of the slope, if he was right Jessie could have concussion, re-broken her ribs, any number of things that would have prevented her from getting back to Heartland.

They trudged on, the storm lesening for a bit as snow stopped falling while they crossed an empty paddock. They were riding again now, having been able to pick up the pace since the storm had slackened in ferocity and Warrior's tracks indicated that he was cantering. Jack couldn't tell how old the tracks were, they had to get as much distance covered while the storm had weakened as possible if they hoped to catch up to the girl.

'We'll dismount here.' He announced as they came to the forest, Warrior's tracks disappearing amongst the trees. 'Hopefully Jessie isn't far ahead. My guess is that she's probably hiding somewhere in here.'

'Let's hope so.' She dismounted, following on foot after Jack again. The wind was starting to pick up, howling through the trees as she followed him deeper into the forest. Jessie, please be in here. She kept looking around for any sign of the girl but didn't see anything. Jack stopped, looking around again and she walked her mare over closer to him. 'What's wrong?'

'There's a cougar around here.' He pointed to claw marks on the tree next to him. 'They're fresh too.'

'You don't think-'

'Warrior would try and protect her if he is able to.' Jack measured the claw marks with his hand. 'It's an adult female.' He looked around at the surrounding forest again. 'Normally lions don't come this close to the low country.'

'What do we do now?'

'Keep close and keep looking. Let's hope we don't find the cougar in the bargain.' He grabbed a pistol from his saddlebag that he always carried with him to protect himself and Lisa in case the lion went to attack them. 'It's so thick in here that Jessie could hide anywhere and we'd be able to walk straight past her and not know it.' He remarked as they walked further into the forest. 'Jessie!'

She kept looking around as both her and Jack called the girl, hoping to hear a reply from her. Everything was quiet, except for the roar of the wind that carried their words away. She could be anywhere, the forest was large and thick, it was the perfect place to hide in and Jessie obviously wanted to hide. Suddenly she stopped, shushing Jack as he called for the girl again. 'I think I heard something over there.'

Jessie faintly heard someone calling her through her exhausted stupor. Slowly she began to come around, opening her eyes with some difficulty. She looked around, snow had fallen in the forest. When did it snow? The sound of the wind carried again to her a man's voice and she tried to make sense of it. Jack. It had to be Jack calling her. Part of her wanted to stay hidden, maybe Clint was with them. Maybe it was a trick to get her to reveal her hiding place. She listened closely, Lisa's voice calling her followed Jack's. Something inside her stirred as she tried to get her stiff and numb body to cooperate but she found she couldn't move she was so numb with cold. A feeling of utter helplessness filled her. She couldn't move. Regardless of her drive to stay hidden, her mind reasoning won out. There was no sense in staying here, in freezing to death. They had come for her, they had come out in a storm for her. She tried to get to her feet again, Warrior and Cougar looking at her as she struggled for a moment then collapsed back on the ground. She needed them, needed them to find her. Please, please find me.

'I'm here!' She found her voice, yelling as loud as she could but her words were carried away by the wind. She kept yelling, yelling as loud as she could but Jack and Lisa's calls were fading away. They were going in the wrong direction. 'Please, please come back.' She whispered, tears dripping down her face as she ceased to hear their calls. 'Please.'

Warrior nudged her, his ears flicking. Something was wrong. His instincts told him that she was cold, colder then she should have been. He could hear Jack and Lisa calling for her but the girl had stopped yelling back at them. Couldn't she hear them too? She tried to get up again but her legs gave out underneath her and she fell back against him. He nudged her again, hearing her sobs as Cougar without success tried to comfort her. His body tingled. He had to do something. He whinnied as loud and as long as he could, snorting as he listened with pricked ears in the direction of their voices. Jessie sobbed again, Cougar rubbing her chin over her and trying to snuggle up to her as close as she could to get her warm. He neighed again, the sound echoing around the trees. He could hear them calling his name now, and their voices were getting closer. Again he neighed and again they replied. They were coming.

'It's no use mate, they can't hear us.' She whispered in a broken rasp. She shivered, her teeth chattering as she felt just how cold it was. It was freezing and there was nothing she could do. Already she was stiff with cold. Robert's words rang in her mind about what to do if she found herself caught in a snowstorm but what was the point? She was already frozen from exposure, she could hardly feel her feet or her hands anymore. More tears rolled down her cheeks, freezing on her skin. She sobbed and Cougar nudged her again, purring loudly as she wrapped her body around her. Cougar was trying her best to try and keep her warm but there wasn't much the cat could do to save her now. Her only hope of getting out of this mess had disappeared like the sun behind the storm clouds. 'Thanks for trying girl.'

Warrior neighed again, neighingly as loud and as rapidly as he could. They were coming, he could hear them getting closer. He nudged the girl again, couldn't she hear them too? Jessie made no indication that she could hear their calls, she was crying again as the wind roared through the trees, snow starting to fall again. He paused, flicking his ears as snow fell onto them. He could still hear them, their calls were getting louder but he couldn't see them for the snow that was swirling about him. He neighed again, replying to Jack's call as loudly as he could. Gently he brushed the girl's cheek with his warm muzzle. Her skin was ice cold to touch, her frozen tears chilling his nose. He turned back towards the forest, calling out into the swirling snowstorm. His neighs echoed on the wind, an urgent plea for help. He couldn't help her anymore then he already was, the girl bunched up close to him trying to keep warm and out of the wind but they could. His instincts told him so. She needed them to find her and quickly.

'Jessie! Warrior!'

Jessie looked up, hearing a faint yell carried to her on the wind. Was it just a trick of the storm or was someone calling to her? The stallion neighed again, his body tense with excitement as he called over and over. She looked at him, trying to reason in her mind if this was real or if she were imagining it. It was cold, so so cold. She just wanted to sleep, just wanted to drift off to sleep again… You're stronger then you know. Ty's voice rang out in her mind just as she was about to succumb to sleep. The worst thing you can do in a snowstorm is fall asleep. Robert was there in her mind, his words reminding her of what he had taught her. If you fall asleep, you have less chance of surviving.

'JEEEESSSSSIIIIIIEEEEEE!'

It wasn't a trick of the wind. She heard again a woman's voice calling to her, Warrior snorting then neighing loudly towards where it had come from. Lisa. It was Lisa. Mustering what little strength she had left she called back as loudly as she could. 'I'm here! I'm here!' Please, please let them find me. Please let this be real. She begged, listening closely for her to call again. Another yell reached her ears, a man's voice. Jack! 'I'm here!'

Lisa heard the girls reply faintly, clutching Jacks arm. 'I can hear her!' She looked back towards the direction she had heard the girl, nothing but swirling snowflakes dancing infront of her. 'Keep calling Jessie! We're coming!'

'I'm here! I'm here!' She managed to yell again then slumped down against Warrior in exhaustion. 'Keep calling to them boy.' Her voice was barely a rasp, her energy spent as she no longer shivered from the cold. She was exhausted, calling to them had sapped her of every little bit of strength she had left. 'Please.'

'Jessie! Jessie!' Jack called, listening. Her reply had ceased, there was nothing he could hear. He looked around to Lisa beside him, the woman staying as close to him as possible. 'Can you hear her?'

Lisa shook her head, looking all around urgently but all she could see was a blur of white. 'No, I can't. Jessie!' She yelled again, listening. No reply came. 'Where is she?'

'Keep calling to her, hopefully she will start answering again.' He replied, turning back to the direction they were headed. Suddenly Warrior's neigh called them and they hurried towards it. 'Warrior!' His neighs had led them this far, hopefully he would keep calling to them. Something had happened to the girl, she wasn't calling anymore but the stallions cries could still be heard above the storm. 'Warrior! Here boy!'

'I'm here!' Jessie tried again, the words barely out of her mouth before the wind snatched them away. Warrior neighed again, his neighs drowning out her feeble attempt to call them. The stallion snorted, flicking his ears as he flared his nostrils. 'I'm here!'

The stallion's calls were louder now, almost like they were right beside him as they pushed through the storm. Lisa looked around as the stallion neighed again, they were close, they had to be close. 'Jessie!'

'I'm here.'

She heard her faint reply, quickening her pace slightly as Jack hurried upon hearing her reply. There, through the snow she could make out a dark form. The form neighed again. It was Warrior. Another form was beside him, lying half on him and half on the snow. Jessie! She surged forward, throwing the lead rope at Jack as she ran to her. 'Jessie!'

'Lisa.' She looked up at her as the woman appeared in front of her out of the snow, Cougar giving a warning snarl as she leapt up. She tried to grab the cat but the mountain lion was too quick and she was too slow. 'No! Cougar! No!.'

Lisa's eyes widened as she saw the mountain lion stalking towards her, its teeth bared as Jessie's faint voice said something she couldn't make out. It snarled, standing between her and the girl and she backed away. What was going on?

'Cougar, leave her!' Jessie tried to yell but all she could do was rasp. 'Leave her!' Cougar snarled again, glaring at the woman then turned and walked back to her. 'Down.' She commanded as the lion returned, Cougar snarling in protest but doing as she was told. She looked back up Lisa, barely able to see the woman in the storm. 'Lisa, she won't hurt you.'

'Jessie, are you okay?' She asked, slowly coming forward again as Jack followed closely behind, having caught up to her. She eyed the mountain lion warily, wondering what on earth was the meaning of this but she had more important things to worry about. Like Jessie.

'I'm alright, just cold.'

'Thank God.' Lisa knelt down beside her, pulling the girl into her arms as she sobbed quietly into her hair, the stress and worry for her finally overpowering her. She held onto her, breathing her in. Thank God you're alright. She thought, holding her firmly in her embrace. Finally she let her go, looking at her closely. She couldn't see exactly what the girl looked like but she could guess that from being out in this weather as long as she had the girl was sucumbering to exposure. Jack knelt down beside her, lifting a lanturn up to offer some light. In the light she could see Jessie's face was deathly grey, her lips a shade of bluish purple. She took a glove off, placing her hand on the girls exposed forehead. Her skin felt as cold as ice.

'How are you feeling?' Jack's voice broke the silence as he saw that Lisa was struggling to keep it together. Jessie looked terrible, there was no doubt about that but if they wanted to save her they needed to work together, push emotion aside and get the job done first. He lent down closer to her ear so Jessie couldn't hear him. 'Lisa, pull yourself together. She needs our help.' He looked back at Jessie, placing his hand on her shoulder. 'Are you shivering?'

'No.' She replied, knowing exactly what they were thinking. She knew what not shivering meant and it wasn't good. Already she knew she was starting to feel the effects of hypothermia. The confusion, her feet and legs being numb with cold. 'Its Hypothermia setting in. I'm freezing. I just want to sleep so badly.'

He nodded. 'We need to get you warmed up and back to Heartland.' He handed Lisa the lantern and the end of a rope as he got up so he wouldn't get lost in the storm going back to the horses. 'Stay with her Lisa, keep her talking. I'm going to grab her some blankets.'

'Don't you go to sleep on me you hear?' Lisa cuddled up to the girl, trying to shield her from the wind and the snow. Her emotions were all over the place but she choked back tears. Why had Jessie run away? Look at the mess she was in now. Her grief was pushed aside by anger. The girl would be dead if they hadn't found her. 'Jessie, don't you dare run away on us again.' Her tone was slightly harsher then she had first thought and the girl shrank away from her, her brown eyes showing her surprise and confusion. She closed her eyes for a moment, reminding herself that it wasn't her fault. Jessie had just done what she thought best for herself at the time. She looked at her again, holding the girl's face between her hands. Her tone softened, looking into those eyes. 'You mean too much to me honey.'

'Here, lets get her into this.' Jack placed blankets and the canvas sheet down next to her, handing Lisa the jacket and gloves for the girl. He tried to brush the snow off the girls thin coat as Lisa put the jacket on her but the snow kept landing on it. He gave up, turning his attention to the girls hands. Carefully he put the gloves on her, hoping that she wouldn't have frostbite but the longer she stayed out here the more likely it became. 'How are your feet Jessie?'

'I can't feel them. They feel numb.' She leaned her head against Lisa's shoulder, Warrior nudging her gently. 'I tried to get up but I can't move. They feel so stiff.' She whimpered softly as she felt them lifting her, Warrior and Cougar both giving them a warning in their own way when they heard her cry.

'Its okay Jessie, we've got you. We've got you.' She assured her, the girls whimpers tearing her heart in shreds. Jessie whimpered again as they moved her again and she gently rubbed the girls back. 'You're okay.' The mountain lions warning growl didn't go unnoticed but she ignored it. Between her and Jack they picked her up as gently as they could, Lisa holding her as Jack, wrapped her up in the blankets and the canvas sheet to try and keep the snow off her. 'We're going to get you back to Heartland sweetie.'

She nodded, resting her head against Lisa's shoulder as Jack wrapped another blanket around her. She felt so so sleepy, her eyelids fluttered as she fought the urge to sleep. She felt herself being moved again and forced herself to look around. Lisa was carrying her towards something, Jack walking beside her. She looked around, Warrior and Cougar disappearing in the swirling snow. Suddenly, she started to freak out. 'Warri! Cougar!'

'Ssssh, they're right behind you.' Lisa assured her, stopping beside the mare. Out of the snow Warrior and the mountain lion appeared again, the cat walking over to her. She tensed as the cat rubbed up against her, sniffing at Jessie. 'Jessie-'

'She's my pet. It's okay.' Cougar nudged her, rubbing against her through the blankets. Warrior snorted, nudging her face with his nose to let her know he was there. 'She won't hurt you. Please, we can't leave them behind.'

'We won't Jessie but your our main concern right now.' Jack grabbed a length of rope, slipping it around the stallions neck and tying it to the saddle of his gelding so the horse didn't get lost in the storm. He eyed the cat cautiously wondering what the story was. Jessie seemed to know her though, seemed to trust her. There wasn't time to worry about worrying. Jessie needed to get back to Heartland as quickly as possible and they needed to keep her quiet and calm. That meant her knowing her animals were okay. Carefully he tied a rope around the cat's neck, surprisingly the cat didn't react to it at all. 'I've tied a rope to both of them so they won't get separated from us.'

'Thank you.' Her reply was barely a whisper again. She looked around, the snow was starting to go dark. A shudder ran through her. The storm was getting worse and it was getting dark. 'We have to move. We're running out of time.'