Friday morning

"Jeremy, stay close this morning. We'll be going into town as soon as this lot is finished and ready."

"K-kay, Jason." Jeremy wasn't thrilled at the prospect – who knew how long it would take them? But he didn't want to go too far anyway. Josh had been mad the last two days, and wouldn't say why. He told Jeremy it wasn't nothing for him to concern himself with. Which of course meant he'd become very concerned about it.

Were Josh and Jason going to fight again? What were they going to fight about? Jeremy knew it did have something to do with Jason because of the way Josh looked at him. Sometimes worried, sometimes sad, sometimes furious, and Josh was making fists when he looked mad at Jason.

Yes, Jeremy decided. He didn't want to go very far away. He might even break one of Jason's rules and get close to where the men were working so he could hear or see whatever Josh was mad about. It wouldn't be the first time he'd broken that rule, because he could tell by the sounds when and where the work was and usually what kind of work they were doing. Of course, Jason probably wouldn't like it, and he sure didn't want Jason to find out. That would be something real for Jason to get mad at him for. And that was a bad idea!

Jason could just get mad with Josh.

"That's the last one,"Jason declared. "Finish 'er up, men, and then we'll have a few extra hours on our weekend. Joshua, come with me." He strode off before Josh could object.

Josh hurried to catch up with him. "Won't they get done faster if I help?" He stopped Jason by grabbing his arm.

"I don't think one more man will make a significant difference. Come on. We've got to wrap up the business end of things before we can take off."

Well, that was true. Jason usually waited until the next day to do it, though. But they weren't going to be here tomorrow. "Can we wait a minute, Jason? We need to talk."

"That we do, brother, but whatever it is that's been eating at you, are you sure you want to bring it up while I'm carrying an axe?"

"You might have a point there, but I don't want Jeremy to hear. If he hasn't already."

Jason's eyes narrowed and he lowered his axe. "The accident the other day."

"Why didn't you tell us? Me?"

"Nothing happened. No need to worry either of you."

"Something happened. Just because no one was killed or seriously injured doesn't mean it didn't."

"Accidents are bound to happen." Jason didn't want to have this conversation, especially since he knew Josh was right. Which meant he'd been wrong, and he couldn't afford to be wrong. Why couldn't Josh see that, for his and Jeremy's security and safety?

"So is death. We know that too well."

Well, damn. There was no arguing with that.

"And it seems to go better for all of us – IF WE'RE PREPARED!"

"Don't shout at me," Jason said mildly, and started walking again.

Josh was frozen on the spot, because he hadn't expected that type of reaction. It was probably the most un-Jason-like reaction he could think of. (That wasn't true. The most un-Jason reaction would have been for Jason to say that Josh had been right all along and apologize for not listening to him. Maybe cry and beg his forgiveness. Now, THAT would be un-Jason.)

He hurried after his older brother.

Jason was already at the table digging his work notes out of his pockets when Josh caught up with him.

"Jeremy's been busy," Jason said. "My new pencils are sharpened to stubs, and take a look at the nibs for the pens."

"At least this time they're usable. He's improving. I'm surprised he isn't here. He has to have heard the change in the work."

"Not if he's near a waterfall or a bird's nest. Or some such."

"Well that's true. Except are the birds nesting already?" Josh started straightening Jason's notes and putting them in order.

"They're making a lot of noise. Must be doing something. Courting maybe. Singing and dancing and showing off their fine feathers."

"You need a notebook, not just sheets of paper you stick in your pockets. At least you remembered to put which day on most of these."

"I'm trying. You expect too much from me. L-" Jason cut off what he was going to say, which was like everyone else.

"Just trying to help." Josh did feel a real sympathy for Jason. He was somehow expected to know things he was just learning, and he was as disappointed in himself as others seemed to be.

Maybe more so.

"You do, more than you know," Jason said, looking at a column of numbers, totaling it, and writing it down. "If these numbers are right, we've had a productive week."

"That's what happens if you tell people they'll get off early if they get done."

"I'd like to blame that for the accident, but I hadn't said anything yet." Jason leaned forward. "It was an accident, Josh. The tree that was hit, it was rotten inside. You couldn't tell by looking."

"Okay." Josh knew that it did happen, but really, they should have been prepared with an idea of what to do when it did. Fortunately, their two main men were experienced and had got control fairly soon. Josh glanced up at Jason in time to see his expression change at something behind Josh.

Josh glanced over his shoulder.

Jeremy was coming into the area slowly. His hair and clothes were full of bark and branches, his cheek was bruised, and he had scrapes across his forehead and nose. He was cradling his right elbow with his left hand, and his left arm was supporting the right forearm.

Josh started to stand, but Jason put his hand out and stopped him.

They waited.

Jeremy stopped short of being within reach, then looked up at Jason, his blue eyes large but steady, and said, "I fell."

"I see. Are you hurt?" Jason's voice was gentle. He didn't want to frighten the boy into speechlessness.

(Talk about dumb questions! thought Josh.)

"Uh-huh."

"How high up were you?" Jason reached out to pull the boy closer, and began checking him over, avoiding, for now, the arms.

Jeremy looked at him helplessly. He didn't know how to answer that question.

Jason ran his hands through the boy's hair. He found a couple knots, and they must have been tender, since Jeremy jerked when he touched them. "How far did you fall?" He pulled ew needles from the hair, looked at them, before bending and smelling them. He handed them across the table for Josh to examine.

Jeremy still didn't know how to answer. It wasn't like he'd measured anything.

Jason and Joshua waited.

"Five," Jeremy finally said. How high and how far were both questions that needed a number answer. He stated the number with a confidence that made Josh choke and cough, and Jason's lips twitched.

"Five what?" Jason asked, turning the boy to check his back and ribs, and work his way under where he was holding his arms close. "Five feet? Five yards? Five miles?"

"Five –" Jeremy started to move his arms as if climbing, but winced and stopped. "Hurts."

"I see that." He ran his hands, lightly, down the boy's upper arm.

Jeremy tried hard not to flinch.

Not good, Jason thought, with a look at Josh who got up and went to the supplies.

Jason pulled Jeremy's hand away from his elbow, and the boy whimpered then. Jason sid something soothing, and finished with the forearm. He then began moving the arm, bending it at the elbow and watching Jeremy's reaction at the different flexes.

Joshua brought out a couple of squares of fabric and began folding one into a sling while Jason checked the other arm.

"See what you think of the upper arm," Jason said quietly to Josh."It doesn't exactly feel broken, but it doesn't feel right to me." He began folding the other cloth.

Josh agreed with that assessment. "Better ask someone else. We don't want to do anything stupid."

"You've got that right. Now, Jeremy, I'm going to wrap this around you to hold your arm next to your body until we can get into town. You and I will ride together. It's going to hurt, but I'll take it as easy as possible. If you want to close your eyes and rest-" he meant pass out but Jeremy wouldn't appreciate that outlook "If you get sleepy or anything you just lean on me. I'll keep you safe."

Jeremy nodded, but his eyes were anxious.

"I'm not mad," Jason said, as Josh brought horses around. "Accidents happen to us all. I was just lucky enough to get over my bone-breaking age before you were born and before Josh could remember."

"I remember one time," Josh volunteered. "Something with your foot. I don't remember that, but Da told Mom you deserved it and you'd done it on purpose."

"He was right about that. I was sick and tired of hauling water from the stream, and I kicked a tree too damn hard. Thought I was going to lose all my toes. I never did that again." Jason put Jeremy up on the horse and mounted behind him.
"I'll be along as soon as I get everything here put away," Josh said. "Go ahead without me. I'll catch up."

"As slow as we'll be going, you'd better."

Josh stood by Jason. "If you get the chance to go faster, do it."

Jason looked down at their brother. "I had that thought myself, but if he – um – dozes off I don't want to go so fast I wake him."

Josh laughed and patted Jason's boot. "See ya soon." He watched them ride off.