Brazen sat on the horse after Snake had got down trying to calm her nerves. Why had he stopped? Didn't he remember they were being followed? She imagined this was how Plissken must feel all the time. She didn't care for it. Finally, she got up the nerves to look back the way they had come. The road was empty and that did wonders for her anxiety. Sighing with a mild amount of relief Brazen turned her attention to where they were going. The road wound down a hill in front of them but she still didn't know where she was going. Her eyes hadn't moved when she felt the saddle lurch and Plissken return to his seat behind her. They were moving again but this time it was nonchalant. Why weren't they still hurrying?
Susan closed her eyes feeling the man behind her. He had his arms protectively around her, hands gripping tight to the reins; she could trust him to know how to stay on the run. He'd been living like this for over twenty years. He knew what to do. Susan leaned her head back against his chest watching the road slowly pass by. The rocking of the horse became soothing and the tension relieved enough that she could sit up again and enjoy the scenery like she had before they ran into Malloy and his "dogs". Brazen was amused by Snake's nicknaming them "dogs" but he'd said someone else he knew had used it. She wondered who.
Plissken's arms constricting around her brought Brazen out of her idyll thoughts to take in the road. That's when she saw them, the wooden spear-like poles on the side of the road with scalps dangling from them.
"Indians! Are you crazy?" Brazen couldn't hold it in. She had no desire to go from police trying to kill her to gangs trying to scalp her.
"Just relax." Snake's voice was even and confident.
"How can I?" The panic was coming back.
"Why do you think I took the horses?"
Brazen paused in her panic. Why did he take Malloy's horses other then to slow them? He had another reason it seemed but Brazen had no idea what it was. The horse came to a stop and Brazen's eyes settled on the road in front of her. There were Indians, a whole band of them.
"Stay on the horse." Plissken whispered as he slid from behind her. It was an order and Brazen found herself nodding but her eyes were locked on the bows.
"I want to speak to the chief." Plissken's voice had a tone she had never heard from him, a military like snap to it that said he was taking charge. The Indians started whispering among themselves and they kept whispering. It was pretty obvious they were arguing. Eventually, the one with a big red feather and black war paint motioned for them to follow. Snake took the reins and lead the horse silently down the road behind the band. Susan couldn't help but wonder why she had to stay on the horse while he walked.
After a short distance they turned off the road and down a path to the left. It went on into thicker woods hat felt oppressive. Susan found herself looking down at the horse's legs and hooves. She couldn't imagine what was going to happen. Right from the frying pan into the fire. Noise was all it took for her to jump, voices, a few dozen of them. The Indians lead them from the woods to a clearing. There were teepees everywhere and more then a hundred people if she had to guess. All of them stopped to stare at them while one of their escorts ran off ahead to the largest of the tents. Brazen was sure they were going to die.