No POV

"Rephiam what is this?"

"Ya go and then wham! Ya come back with girl? Like what the hell?"

"She looks oddly familiar."

"Hothlepoya, she is the girl we risked our lives for."

"Ah. Thank you brother."

"Do not give her our water! Rephiam! Are you even listening to me? Rephiam!"

"Shut up Amaro."

"Can't ya see she's thirsty? Why do ya have to be such a cold heartless beast?"

"She is drinking our water!"

"Be kind and generous and you will receive it in time."

"Chogan, I have had just about enough of you."

While the bickering continued between his tribe Rephiam sighed and turned his attention onto the girl. "Ignore them and drink." They are a just acting as usual. He added in his head. While she drank, small, cautious sips, he retrieved the map of the mid-western United States and plotted their course towards North Platte as well as the nearest town.

"Rephiam!" His brother Amaro screamed in his ear.

Rephiam turned around and hit him hard causing Amaro to lose balance. "What?" He asked, his voice surprisingly calm.

Amaro rubbed the side of his face while he answered. "What are we going to do with the girl?"

"We are taking her with us—"

"Rephiam you can't be serious." Reid interrupted.

Hotah nodded. "I agree with Reid. It is dangerous for her to be out here alone but I have to admit that with us it is not that much better."

Rephiam felt his eyes close to a half closed, angered, position. "We are taking her with us until we reach the nearest town of Raymer where we will drop her off there and she can find someone to take her home."

Stevie Rae pulled the canteen looking, deer hide or whatever hide covered thing from her lips. She's not going home. She can't go home too soon after leaving. And quite frankly, she really didn't want to go home.

"Raymer." Hothlepoya tapped his chin with a finger. "Why does that sound familiar?"

Reid chuckled and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You and you're short term memory Hoth boy, but I can't argue with ya, it too sounds familiar but I don't recall."

"You never recall anything Reid." Hotah joked as he hopped onto his horse.

"Where are you going Hotah?" Chogan asked.

"We better move and I will feel much better when she is out of our hair."

The rest of the tribe muttered their agreements before too climbing onto their horses. Rephiam turned towards Stevie Rae. "You done?"

She looked puzzled but then remembered the odd thing in her hand. "Oh. Yes. Thanks for the water." She handed him the, she's just gonna call it a canteen, over to him who in turn handed it back to Reid who put it in the saddlebag. Rephiam went straight towards his horse and he climbed on, his horse snorting slightly. He reached down and took her arm before pulling her up behind him, just like the first time. She was recollecting the moment when a loud sound came out of nowhere. "Ah!" She yelped. She then noticed a raven staring straight at her and cawing like crazy.

"He says that you have not thanked him for saving your life." The Indian in front of her said as the cawing continued. She could only stare at the angered bird. "Thank him. His name is Mocker."

Her eyes moved up to look at him, to see if he was being serious but he didn't turn his head. She looked at the others and they were staring at her, waiting. Guess they're serious. She thought before she looked at the now quiet and also waiting bird on Rephiam's shoulder. "Um… Thank you for saving me Mocker."

The raven tilted its head and cawed once before flapping off into the sky. She yelped again when he took off. "He said; 'you are welcome'."

"Uh-huh." She looked around again as his horse started walking forward. "Where are the other birds?" She heard herself ask.

This time Chogan answered as he pulled up alongside Rephiam. "They all flew away for a moment after our fight had ended. They will come back shortly."

"Do all of your animals have names?"

"Yes. My raven is name is Wild Song and my horse is Musa. Amaro is horse is called Sun Runner and his raven is Swift."

Reid pulled up on the opposite side with a big grin. "My raven's Hitora and my horse's Black Powder." His grin grew when he said his horse's name. "Hothlepoya's horse is Summer and his bird's name is Spring."

"While," a voice came from behind. She turned and saw that it was Hotah. "My horse is Raging River and my raven is Geyser. As for Rephiam, you have met Mocker and his beautiful horse is Shadow's Wing."

Stevie Rae looked at the horse. It defiantly is a beautiful horse. It has well defined muscles, a big horse in general, with healthy fur and hair. Of course the other horses were also well taken care of; Shadow's Wing did have that extra kick to him. Suddenly the horses broke into a gallop that almost threw Stevie Rae off. She held on tightly to Rephiam and after a while, she embarrassingly removed her arms from around his lower torso. The horses galloped on and it was an unusually quiet ride, the only sound being the hooves pounding into the ground. She looked to the ground and noticed huge shadows of birds coming down directly from above, making the horses seem like they have wings. She looked up and saw that the ravens were flying directly over their masters and the whole shape of it was a 'v' just like a typical flock of birds. That must mean we're riding in a 'v' shape. And sure enough they were with Shadow's Wing being front and center. She continued looking in wonder at the shadows. The birds must be flying really high up for a huge shadow to come down. The silence continued on for a short moment after that before Hotah yelled out. "Wild mustangs." He pointed off into the distance and there was a good size herd of mustangs. Hotah continued on, his voice sounding pleading. "We should ride into the herd. For fun."

Rephiam looked at back at him. "We do not have time for that Hotah."

"Come on Chief." Reid whined from the opposite side. "Don't be boring. Besides, the girl might want to ride with the mustangs."Rephiam looked around at all the pleading faces and sighed. Without another words he turned his horse towards the wild herd. "Yeah! Ye-haw!" The horses turned and followed the leaders and the ravens broke the formation and flew down beside the riders. At first Stevie Rae thought that the horses would attack, since their short temper, but they ran and the Black Ravens ran with them in the herd. The ravens crisscrossed in the horses as they ran while the Black Ravens horses followed the flow of the mustangs' pace and track. They were so closed to the many differently colored horses that Stevie Rae was able to reach out and stroke a wild mustang which in turn neighed in shock at the touch. She was slipping again into the beauty of the whole thing but then a yell from Rephiam knocked her out of it.

"Hotah, Reid, release those horses!" Stevie Rae looked back and saw rope around the necks of two wild mustangs.

"What?" Hotah sounded.

Reid on the other hand was whining. "C'mon Chief. You know I always wanted a mustang, a wild one not one of those broken ones."

"You already have better horses than the mustangs, release them." Rephiam argued. The two sighed in defeat and muttered something in Cherokee. They cut the rope near the knot and the ropes cascaded down towards the ground. Rephiam then turned out of the herd and started following the direction they were on before. It took a moment but the others soon followed and the ravens too went back in their original positions. Stevie Rae could only admire the precision and bond of the Black Ravens and their animals. She had dreamed of bonds like these and here it is before her and it looks more beautiful than it did in her dreams.

Boulder/No POV

Dallas sat on the front steps of the Johnson home, his head lying in his hands. He couldn't believe that she would run away. She wasn't the type of person to do that. He wondered if it was his fault she left. Was he being too forward? Did he scare her off? Nah. Not him. They're bond was too strong. It must have been something else. But he is worried. Worried for her and her father. Mr. Johnson is pacing inside the house now, his hair not slicked back but messy, he's not dressed as he usually is, ready for work. No. He was dressed to go looking for his only daughter, his only family. He went around to everyone in town, especially Stevie Rae's best friend Zoey. She said she didn't know she was planning to run away and Dallas believed her. Stevie Rae, despite how smart she is, isn't the one to plan about things. It's usually just prepare and go for her, or just go in some cases. This worried him even more. She's out there somewhere, probably lost and dying of thirst, hunger, unless she was already dead. Probably raped and killed or killed for any money or valuables on her.

The door behind him opened and Dallas turned around. Mr. Johnson stepped out of the house and the door closed behind him. "Dallas, where do you think she went?"

Dallas stood and faced the mayor. "I don't know sir."

Jimmy ran a hand through his messy, short hair and looked off into the distance. "I should send someone out to look for her."

"I'd volunteer."

"I know you would Dallas." He sighed.

"What's the problem sir?"

"I just have a feeling that if, when, we find her, I won't like it. Not one bit."

Black Ravens & Stevie Rae/No POV

They stopped at a river to rest up, mainly for the animals, but they sat at the banks of the river relaxing and taking in the still bright and warm sun, despite it being close to sundown. Stevie Rae has her back turned towards the others because they were taking a bath and hell if she was going to see that. She looked out and wondered about her father, Dallas, Zoey, and the rest of the town. She wondered on how they feel. Probably abandoned, probably they feel betrayed. Like I'm the traitor for leaving. Rephiam's voice pulled her out of thought. "It is fine to look now." She turned, trusting him, and saw that yep, it was safe to look. And what a sight it was. All of them wet and most of them shirtless standing next to their big horses, birds on their shoulders. They all looked very hot, or maybe it was the heat from the sun. After short seconds of thinking she decided she was crazy from the heat. "We are not far from Raymer. We should be there just before sundown." He got on his horse, his raven executing perfect balance as it stayed planted on his shoulder, and lead his horse to her. Once again he extended his hand out and she took it without a second thought. They were off without another word but it was just a walk as the horses walked through the river. Of course once they were all out they broke into a dead run and the 'v' formation formed again.

Just as Rephiam had said they did reach the outskirts just before sundown. Rephiam stopped his horse and the others lined up with him. Looking at the town before them. Hothlepoya grunted softly. "I am telling you, this looks familiar."

Amaro scoffed and clicked his tongue, causing his horse to move forward. "Let us just drop her there and be off." For like the first time ever the others followed his lead but was short lived when Rephiam started to lead again.

Hothlepoya looked around the really, really, familiar landscape. He pondered about it a bit more before it hit him. "I remember now. Raymer was the town where Takoda… died." They stopped and looked at a hanging gallery with the skeletal remains of one of their own with the remains of the horse on the ground and the bird remains nailed into the wood of the gallery. Above the gallery read the sign 'All Incoming Ravens—Beware!'

"Holy Spirit of Fire!"

Amaro yelled out. "Hothlepoya, why did you not remember this before?"

Hothlepoya couldn't answer for then out from the town came a horde of men on horses and they quickly surrounded the Black Ravens. The sheriff stopped before Rephiam and glared at him. "So, come back for seconds Ravens?" The sheriff cocked his gun.

"They've got a girl!" A man yelled.

"What's she doin'?"

"Girl! Get! Go!"

"Don't ya know you'll get raped?"

"Shut it!" The sheriff yelled. "Now you Ravens don't be thinking no ideas now. Just hand over the girl and turn yourselves in."

"Like the hell we won't!" Reid exclaimed. He pulled his horse beside Rephiam and glared at the sheriff. "You got mighty rich from Takoda's death, a Black Raven, dead. It made headlines, so now you're beggin' for more and I'm about to give it to ya!"

"Calm down Reid!" Chogan yelled suddenly from the back. He came up and pulled his horse by the reigns, taking him away from the sheriff.

"You were lucky he's here!" Reid yelled fire in his eyes.

Rephiam felt the tension rise and he got off his horse. He ignored the calls from the others to get back on his horse. "Look, we came here to drop her off. We are busy looking for someone and we did not want her caught up in it."

"Bull—"The sheriff started but Rephiam interrupted.

"It is the truth. But seeing how you killed one of our own a few years back and the hostility, we better move off to another town."

"Like hell you will!" Yelled a man. He pointed the gun towards him. Mocker flew down and knocked into the man's head causing him to fall off.

Hotah kicked in there. "Hey horses, yaw!"

The horses the white men were on neighed and reared and soon started to buck off their riders. "What in tarnation?" The sheriff yelled as he fell of his horse.

"We better get out of here." Chogan said as he continued holding back Reid. "He is about to go off in a moment."

Rephiam quickly got back on his horse, being careful not to kick the girl on the horse, and kicked Shadow. The horse neighed and ran off. The others followed, Chogan and Reid being last. Gunshots were being fired off and the horses ran quickly towards the sun. The raven cawed from above, their cries filled with terror and worry. Stevie Rae held on tightly to Rephiam. This is downright scary! She thought as the horses ran farther and farther away from danger. "Note to self: Raymer; do not go there." Hothlepoya muttered over and over and over to himself. They ran straight for almost an hour, taking refuge behind a randomly placed plateau.

"Should we go up?" Asked Chogan as the horses caught their breath at the base of the land formation.

"No. If we were followed we would be trapped up there." Rephiam got off his horse and immediately looked for shelter. To his luck there was a cave, just big enough for all of them though they would have to be arm to arm. We will take turns on guard duty. He looked towards the girl who slowly got off his horse. She stands awkwardly from sitting on a horse for a long time. What to do with her? He sighed and went back towards his tribe. "There is a cave…" There were sighs of happiness as well as murmurs. "…But she will take it."

"What?" The tribe said in unison. The girl looked at him. Her eyes reveling that she too is shocked.

"You heard me. She will take the cave while we sleep outside. We will also take turns on watch-out duty and not one of us is supposed to go anywhere near the inside of that cave." He ignored the looks from his men and started assigning jobs. "Amaro, take our weapons and see if they need anything done to them, just in case. Hotah cheek the animals, Hothlepoya hunt for food, Reid a fire would be useful and Chogan, help us calm down. I will take first watch." They all broke into their jobs, not one of them complaining anymore. Just the way Rephiam likes it. He kneeled and started to clean away the ground for a fire.

"Thank you." A feeble voice spoke out. Rephiam looked up at the girl. He only nodded before he went back to his job. She loomed over him twiddling with her fingers. "Stevie Rae."

He looked up again. "Excuse me?"

"My name is Stevie Rae."

"Hm." He grunted. He went back to his work. He heard her sigh before going into the cave. Once that happened Chogan cleared his throat. Rephiam looked up at him.

"Shall I begin?"

"Please."

Chogan nodded and placed a flute up to his lips. The next second the air was filled with a calming, Cherokee flute song, accompanied by the almost silent sounds of the crickets chirping and the soft sounds that came out from the animals. Within moments a fire grew and the crackling added onto the song. The food came quickly and as darkness blanketed over them the others fell to sleep while Rephiam stayed awake, only the sounds of nature left to calm his soul.