Things seemed to be running smoothly for once. Several more teams of horses were brought from other areas of the western states as news spread as to how well they were working and stables were set up to house them during the few days break they would get between sweeps of each area. They were nicknamed the 'Teamsters' to give them a title that explained what they were.
Mail began to flow between the towns fairly easily with these deliveries of goods. Each team had a route between three or four towns and everyone seemed to rejoice to see them since traffic of any kind had come almost to a halt. The roads were either iced over, snowed over or too trecherous to take a vehicle out on without going incredibly slow and wasting more gas than it was worth.
There were other benefits to the sleds making the rounds as well. They were able to take people from one town to another or pick up people on the roads and give them rides into the closest towns. As the temperatures began to drop even lower after another major snow storm dumped several more feet onto the four foot already existing, it made travel difficult for anyone not prepared to be out in the weather.
The paths were shoveled now to be wide enough for the horses and sleds with a little room on each side plus places for stopping and sheltering or turning around if need be. It helped to block some of the wind and hide those traveling down the paths for the most part. The bells were taken off the harnesses as rumors began to slowly spread about spies being entrenched within the woods, keeping track of everything that passed their way. No one had any proof but all of the teamsters knew there were eyes in the forests watching them and waiting though no sign of life other than themselves could be seen.
Marcus was ecstatic about the good fortune of the teamsters showing up. All scraps of bread, fruits and vegetables were kept out for the horses and there was always a warm bed and accommodations for those that drove the teams between towns. Thunder Mountain was the base that Mal claimed though she always spent more time outside than inside.
Mal always seemed to find that her accommodations were in Marcus' room though nothing ever passed between the two. Anyone that asked him about it and why she was given different accommodations than those made for any other teamster that stopped, it was usually followed by the explanation that she did twice as much work than the others did before she would stop long enough to sleep. He wanted to make sure she was left alone to get the best sleep she could before going back out again.
A few, such as Kurdy and Mister Smith, saw something different in Marcus' eyes when Mal was around. Mal kept things very well hidden under an indifferent or joking exterior but Kurdy caught a glimpse of her watching Marcus when she thought no one was looking at her. Her eyes followed him, a look of interest in them. But then the look would be gone and she'd be back to her old easy going self again. This continued for some time through the winter until one night, while Kurdy and Marcus were going over some plans for Spring work, Kurdy brought up the subject of Mal.
"So Marcus." Kurdy said in a casual manner, "When you gonna ask Mal out on a date?" he said, keeping a straight face. But with Marcus' reaction, it was all Kurdy could do to keep from laughing aloud.
Marcus blinked, "Wha…? I mean, what are you talking about Kurdy?" Marcus' face started to turn a bit red.
Kurdy grinned, "I see the way you look at her Marcus and if I'm reading her right, when she thinks no one is watching, she looks at you in a very similar manner."
Marcus' face was truly beginning to redden, "She…now wait a minute. I don't look at her with anything but admiration for what she and her teamsters have been doing to help us." He stated.
Kurdy suddenly burst into laughter, "Look at your face Marcus. You cannot tell me that line of bull and get away with it. Your face is telling me something different. You like her I think…like her a lot. Everyone seems to see what's going on between you two except the two of you."
Marcus looked at Kurdy for a minute, "It's really no ones business but my own with how I feel about others. I respect her greatly. No matter what I feel, I don't want to ruin the good thing we've got going here by getting mixed up emotionally…that is if I had feelings for her other than … I do." He seemed to fumble around for the last bit, his face now bright red.
Kurdy just chuckled and gave Marcus a look of complete disbelief before continuing their discussion about plans for the upcoming spring thaw and going over the last few letters from the elected officials of ten towns that were coming into the Alliance thanks to the work of the teamsters.
*****
The ride had been brutal this round. The wind was whipping past the pine trees, blowing loose snow around into drifts that she and her boys had to plow through. The past two trips had been unaccompanied by anyone they'd met on the road. Most by now had found shelter and refused to budge until the cold snap broke. She had very little on the sled this time from the last two towns, having made all her deliveries and was on the way back to Thunder Mountain.
The horses had been nervous for over an hour as the dark slowly began to descend. It was only a day away from Christmas and she had a sachalle full of mail and a few important documents, mainly agreements of other towns joining the Alliance. She made the boys pick up the pace just a little since they were only about twenty miles out of the mountain.
Her nose caught a brief hint of wood smoke before she saw the fire erupt in front of her. The horses reared and spooked, shoving the sled into one of the side banks. She gave a brief command and the boys took off at a full gallop, running right through the fire, the rungs of the sled putting the last bit out as it flew by. She heard a shot ring out, the crack of the riffle. Her adrenaline was up and she knew she needed to get through. She grabbed up the sachelle and flung it over her neck and shoulder before pulling out her hunting knife. Riffles didn't work so well in this extreme cold so she kept things simple and carried bow and arrow for hunting or defense. But at the moment there was no place to take up a defensive position.
Mal saw the fire ahead and the boys came to a sudden stop again, bucking against the harnesses. Several more shots fired and she quickly leaped off the sled and began quickly cutting away harnesses. First one, then two were free, fleeing down the corridor of snow. The last two took a few more seconds and then they were free. She quickly grabbed a hold of the cut harness on the last one to take off and clung to his side, trying to get past the shooting gallery.
She passed the fire, feeling the heat against her face as they raced past. Within seconds she felt it safe enough to climb onto the horses back. Now free of the team and weight of the sled, the horses fled down the road, their large hooves pounding the snow around them, clods of snow flying out from under hooves and tails and manes whipping freely behind them. She could feel her horse under her huffing in the cold air and she kept herself low to his back.
The she remembered the crack of a riffle and the white searing pain in her head before several other areas of her body exploded in pain. She heard the horse under her shriek in pain but he kept moving forward at a blinding speed. Her last instinctive action was to clutch tightly to the harness and lay against the horses back, holding on for dear life as her world narrowed to simply taking one breath after another.