Lana, Tina, and I rode hard for about an hour. Lana
called a halt at a stream, and we discussed the problem. At least that was why
she said we had stopped. While she talked about what she thought was wrong, she
was absently petting the horses. I sat right there and watched as one by one
she let the horses drink their fill of water. "Doesn't she know," I
asked myself, "not to let the horses water too much? They'll bloat
themselves, lather, and tire easily."
When we left the place by the stream where we had talked,
I turned and looked back at the bank we'd stood on for so long. The marks were
unmistakable in the bank, "A signpost, without the post." I thought
to myself, "I wonder, is she doing this on purpose, leaving signs an idiot
could follow to our new home?" That was it! That's why everything flowed
so well, right up until I'd changed the plan and moved us from the hidden
meadow. Right up until I'd made the change of location, things had gone
according to plan. Lana's plan, that is!
I lagged behind, while I reasoned it out. Starting from
the very first, in the dungeon, I re-ran the whole play, only this time with
Lana as the real mole. It all fit exactly. The way she controlled the thoughts
of the others, the way she laid out the plans. The way she set the time table,
then never let us vary from it! The way she'd led us to the meadow, as if she
knew where it was, and then the way she couldn't be swayed from our return
schedule, having to leave today.
It was then I thought about our schedule, the one we'd
been so carefully keeping right up until the un-scheduled stop to water the
horses. If she kept her pace, we'd have no choice but to stay at the MEADOW
TONIGHT! "God, I hope I'm wrong." and I spurred my horse in pursuit
of Lana, thanking god I'd sat my, mount while she watered the rest of the
horses.
I caught Tina very soon, she was coming back to find me.
"Tina, where is Lana?" I shouted.
"She's riding ahead. Why?"
"There's no time to explain right now, but I've got
to stop her, we're riding into a trap."
"How do you know?" Tina demanded.
"Tina, you've got to trust me, take the horses and
go back to camp. Just don't go in until you're certain nothing is wrong there.
And don't take more than one horse in, just in case those men are in on this
thing too!"
I hoped Tina would follow instructions as I spurred my
horse after Lana. I rode hard all the way, and caught her just a mile before
she reached the river. Lana was so surprised to see me when I pulled up next to
her, that she allowed me to get hold of her leg leash, before she could react.
I was almost sorry as I pulled her from her horse, but things had gotten to
close, and I knew we were nearly in earshot of the meadow!
Lana hit with a hard "Thump," but just in case
I kept her leash tight, as I secured it with a clip. Lana was just coming
around as I pulled her arm leash tight, pinioning her arms to her sides.
Furious didn't describe the vixen, as I carried her off the trail and secured
the screaming redhead high in the limbs of a tree, just out of sight of the
horses. My last act before leaving her there, was to stuff her mouth full of a
stocking she was carrying, and then tied it in her mouth as tightly as I could
with the sash from her robe.
My next move was to hobble our horses, deep in a nearby
thicket; then I started the tedious task of wiping out the trail we'd left on
the way to the face, and hope I was in time. I'd worked my way to where we
crossed the stream, and still hadn't seen, or heard, any sign of an ambush. I
quietly stole down this side of the river until I could see the meadow, where I
sat down to wait. I was thinking it would be near dusk before I learned
anything, but I was surprised when I began to hear voices almost immediately!
They were coming from the thick brush on the far bank, at the corner of the
meadow, where the forest, meadow, and river all met.
"The sign says they've been gone for about three
days."
"Which way did they go?"
"We haven't found their trail yet, it isn't well
marked, as promised."
I was leading," I though to myself, "Lana was,
no the men were bringing up the rear!"
The voices continued, "Are you sure we're here on
the right day?"
"Yes Ma'am, the day is right."
"Didn't she say, that if they left, she'd find a way
to bring them to us?"
"Yes Ma'am, she did."
"I'd hate to think she turned, and all we get are
the supplies, and their route. She knows to much to let her live, so if she has
turned, we've got to find her!"
"We will, Ma'am. The redhead has always come
through. I've no doubt, she will find a way to guide us to them, she always has
before."
"I hope you're right, you'd better be, or I wouldn't
want to be in you're shoes!"
"No Ma'am. I mean yes Ma'am. I mean, I am right.
I've never been wrong before." The threat had obviously shaken the
speaker.
"We'll wait until morning, that's all! If she hasn't
shown by then, we search until we find her. Understood?"
The last reply must have been visual, because there was
no audible answer.
*** *** *** *** ***
I waited until I was sure the group had pulled back into
the forest for the night, then moved slowly, and quietly, back up my trail,
making sure I left no sign to follow. It was nearly dark when I got to where
Lana was hanging, and I almost missed her in the half-light of the dense
forest. I took her down and carried the hell cat to the horses, then tied her
on backwards. I walked the horses back to our camp, dragging a heavy bow behind
us, and praying for rain before they found our trail.
"If we get out of this alive, I owe those two, an
extra large thank you, for covering our trail the way they did. If they
did." was my solitary thought about the two men I was really beginning to
hope were still in camp.
I tied Lana, who was still on her horse, to a stout tree,
then walked up close to camp. The men were still there, sitting by the fire, as
were the five women. "So, Tina went on in after all." I thought to
myself, as I crept in as close as I could, then lay still, and listened.
Tina was talking, "I don't really know what came
over Geof, he came up behind me, and told me to come back here with the horses,
but not to come in until I was sure about the situation here. It still doesn't
make sense to me, but like I told you before, that's all he said, and it's all
I know."
It was the blonde Sean who spoke next, "Well, I know
he was right, we were following the rest of you on the way up here, and believe
me, the redhead kept Gil and I busy wiping out all her signs she left. She must
have seen us doing it though, and that's the reason she insisted on leaving
here when she did, then and heading back to the clearing. If she thought the
trail was still well marked, she would have been content just waiting
here!"
I finally stood and walked into camp, scaring the group
half to death when I did.
"You were right," I stated flatly, "I
caught Lana about a mile from the clearing, and just in time too!"
That was all I got out, before the five women started
asking questions all at once. I held up my hand for silence.
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Chapter 70 | Chapter 72
Index | Title Page
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