Yad was sleeping. Frustrated Dan, went back out into the main room of the tavern. Cincinatus eyed him wearily. He set a bowl in front of him.
"Eat." He said. Watching Daniel begin to form words of protest. "You'll need your strength if you intend to go out after anyone. Now, eat."
Sitting down and lifting a spoon he said, "Tell me again."
"I was inside the tavern so I didn't see it start. We heard screaming. Tom and Edward ran out. I came out and rang the alarm. We were up on the wall in minutes, but they had the Murdoch girls by then. No one dared shoot for fear of hitting them or what they might do. They were fast. It became clear that they weren't going to attack the fort - seeing us all at the ready. No one saw Rebecca or the children 'til she ran out in the open. They had been far down river, I guess. We thought they'd flushed her out of hiding. Yad took out after her, but got hit 'fore he even stepped out the gate really. He still kept going after her, but they hit 'em again. We sent someone to the cabin later, but it was empty. We yelled and yelled, but we couldn't find the children anywhere. By then it was near dark, and decided to pull everyone inside the fort."
"You didn't recognize them?" Daniel asked.
"No, weren't from any tribe I've seen." They heard a noise from the other room. Daniel disappeared but returned almost immediately with Rose in his arms. She fussed as he rubbed her back. Cincinatus handed him a cup of milk. Daniel sat down in a chair and helped her drink from it. The two men watched over her silently.
"You saw her though." Daniel finally spoke.
"It was far away." Cincinatus replied.
"She was walking though? They weren't carrying her?"
The old man thought hard and sighed. "It was far away. I don't know. I think she was walking."
Rose had finished her milk and Daniel set the cup down. She didn't drift back to sleep though, but rather began to twist in his arms looking all around her.
"Mama?" She asked. "Mama?" She started to cry and said again, "Mama?"
"Shhh. Hush now." Daniel said his voice full of tears. "Mama will be back."
"Look at you!" Yad said staggering into the room. "I warned you, Daniel, but you wouldn't listen. Women make you soft. They're nothing but trouble."
"Get back in bed, Yad!" Cincinatus said. "You'll undo all the good I've done."
Ignoring him, he limped and sat across from Daniel. His face was grey and his lips blue.
"If it weren't for the fact that you took three arrows trying to save her, I'd knock you flat for saying that." Daniel said suppressing his anger.
"The dang fool ran out in the open like a crazy woman!" Yad complained. "What was she thinking?"
"She was thinking about her youngin's and keeping them safe, which she did. You did the same thing running out after her!" Their eyes met and finally Yad shook his head saying only, "It looks pretty bad right now."
"It does that." Daniel said sighing. "Did you recognize them?"
"I dunno. I didn't get a good look. They might've been Choctaw, but they might not. They don't usually come so far north. 'Course I didn't get much chance to look."
Rose had finally fallen asleep against her father's chest. Daniel stroked her red hair absently, and kissed her cheek.
"You going at dawn?" Yad asked. Daniel nodded. "I wish I could go with you. Lord, knows you'll try and do something foolish without me there to stop you."
"You'd only slow me down. Besides, someone needs to look after things here. They might come back. And I'd feel better knowing you are here with the children."
"Babysitting? Well, its come to this."
"If we don't come back, take them to my brother, Ned in Pennsylvania. Lord only knows where Becky's father is. Make sure Jemima gets to that school in Philadelphia, just like we planned. I don't want her giving that up. It's not her job to raise them." Daniel ran a hand through his thick brown hair.
He stood and moved to go lay Rose in her bed. Turning to Yad he said, "You better get some rest. Cincinatus is right. You look like you been chewed up by a bear." Yad slowly rose and standing next to Daniel he said, "Listen, when you find them, be careful. They are fierce. They won't pause and have a chat. Shoot first. And don't worry, Rebecca can hold her own in any fight."
"Yad," Daniel hesitated, "Thank you for going out after her." He held out his hand and the two friends shook.
"Dang good it did any of us. I just couldn't stand the thought of how pathetic you'd be without her. I warned you, didn't I? You said you just had to marry her; couldn't be without her. Now look at ya? Women make you weak!" He shook his head and limped back to his bed.