Her fingers were numb, and the wet snowflakes clung to her eyelashes, making it nearly impossible to see. Mostly, though, she was worried. She glanced around and could see that she must be not more than five miles to the west of the fort. When the bear had come towards her, she had run as fast as she could, deeply frustrated that it took her away from the fort. She knew time was essential, but being ripped to shreds by a bear wouldn't save anyone. Now, she sat nestled in the crook of a tree as the bear paced before her. She hoped soon he would lose interest and run off, or that a scent of some distant deer would drift this way, tempting him. She waited frozen, worried beyond measure, frightened, and prayerful.
***DB***
She heard the alarm from the fort and wondered at it. Who had rung it? Why? Had someone stumbled upon the terrible sight of their cabin attacked, burning or destroyed? Were the children safe? Was Daniel? Her heart pounded and she choked down tears, not because she was afraid to shed them, but because she knew if she did, they would freeze on her face, making the cold more unbearable.
The alarm bell did more than fill her with a relentless fear, it startled the bear and he lumbered off. Relieved, she hopped down from the tree and looked around. She heard nothing, except the clanging of the alarm in the distance. Catching the hem of her nightgown in her hand, she ran towards the fort as fast as she could. Her legs were numb at first and it was difficult to get going, but once she started she warmed considerably and began to pick up the pace. She was nearly forty years old, and too old for all this nonsense, really, but life on the frontier was no respecter of age. Her mind flicked briefly to a conversation she'd had last time she'd visited Mima.
"Ma, why don't you and Pa, come here. Aren't you sick of living out in the middle of the wilderness? Imagine living each day without having to hunt for game or watch for renegades. You might like it." Mima had asked her.
"I just might." She'd grinned. "I don't know, Mima. City living isn't for us. It certainly isn't for your Pa. I don't mind the work, as long as we're together. I can tolerate anything if he's with me." Mima had shook her head.
"It seems to me . . ." She started to say, but looking at her mother, she had given up and sighing said, "Well, while you are here, you aren't going to lift a finger. No cooking, no washing, no sewing."
"I might die of boredom." She had told her daughter with a wink. "But I'm willing to give it a try."
Now, running, she thought maybe 'Mima was right. It was while she was lost in these thoughts that they came at her, and so she was unprepared. She fumbled for Daniel's pistol, but moved too slow. The blow didn't come from the ones she faced, but rather from behind. As dark figures loomed over her, Rebecca Boone fell to the ground her red hair in sharp contrast to the glistening winter snow.