The first light of dawn was cutting across the sky. He was already miles from the fort. He hadn't been able to wait until first light. He knew his way in the dark and after looking in on his children one last time, he'd headed out around 4 am. He walked looking for signs of them. They weren't difficult to find. Dragging a group of women through the wilderness against their will left a clear path. All the while he walked he remembered an argument they had the very first year they were married. He was leaving for a hunt in the late afternoon and she had pleaded with him to wait until the morning. "Don't go, just yet." She had said softly her blue eyes shimmering with unshed tears. But, stubborn, he had insisted and left her standing in the late afternoon sun alone. He wished he could travel backwards in time and instead gather her in his arms and stay with her until the dawn. Sighing, he trudged forward unsure of what he'd find. Becky had been taken once before by the Seneca but that had been deliberate - she was a hostage to force his hand. This was different.
As the morning light spread, he was not surprised to hear a sound to his left. He turned to see Mingo, his Cheroke blood-brother walking to meet him. He waited leaning on Tick-licker.
"You could have come to get me." Mingo said.
"There wasn't time." He turned and began walking again. Mingo followed.
"The children are alright?" He asked.
"Katie Grace has given up speaking again." Daniel answered looking back towards Mingo.
"Well, the only cure for that is to bring Rebecca home to her." Mingo said with a smile.
He rested his hand on Daniel's shoulder briefly. Daniel nodded and they moved forward together.
It was the next afternoon that they found the Murdoch girls, or rather the Murdoch girls found them. Crying and running forward, they held on to Daniel's hands. He silenced them. "Hush now, girls. Sit down." He said. They sat on a log. "Where is Becky? How did you get away? Where's my wife?"
"They still have her. She tricked them. She made them think Grace and I were sick, so they left us." Elizabeth said. "She was the bravest. She stayed so strong! She isn't scared of anything. She walked right up and told them we were too sick. Even when they hit her, she didn't back down."
"They hit her?" His voice was strained and angry.
"Be quiet about that." Grace said. "Mr. Boone doesn't want to hear about her being hit."
"You girls think you can make it back? I don't want to lose time. You're almost there. One more day at most."
"You don't worry about us, . "You'd better hurry. Those men were horrible. There's one who doesn't like her much."
They made sure the girls had water and food. Daniel's face darkened when Grace said, "Oh thank you. I'm so hungry. They didn't feed us."
Watching the girls walk away towards the safety of the fort he turned to Mingo and said, "It's been seven days. They haven't fed her in seven days!"
Suddenly Elizabeth came running back to them. "Oh Mr. Boone! I almost forgot. She said to tell you we passed to the other side of Shawnee country."
"Did she say anything else?" He asked.
"She said to tell you she's waiting. " The girls turned and walked away.