By Paths Coincident

Chapter 26

Black Diamond, AB, Canada

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For an instant Eliot and Spark remained frozen, a sculpture within a landscape. The only sound, the only motion in all that vast, still whiteness came from the rising clouds of their breath. The concealing trees gave no clue to Eliot, but he felt the vibrations start deep within Spark before she voiced a startling neigh.

From somewhere out of sight, an answering neigh rang faintly.

Spark unthawed and broke into a trot, heading off the track in the direction of the call. Her stiffness had dissolved back into easy motion, and Eliot grew less tense. Whatever lay ahead, Spark clearly expected no danger. However, he did not entirely stand down from his alert because what might not seem a threat to her might yet pose danger. The strange horse might be alone, but horses were often accompanied by riders, and any human presence added an element of unpredictability to the situation. It was his job to anticipate trouble Spark could not imagine.

Because he was entering an unknown situation, he initiated contact with Hardison. "Something's come up. Spark's all riled about another horse over in some trees. I'm gonna check it out."

He got no response. Apparently, he was out of range of any local cell service. Come to think of it, it had been some time since he'd last heard Hardison chatting either to him or Parker. For a moment, he considered pulling out his radio, but then he was having to duck to avoid being brushed off Spark's back by low-hanging branches.

The row of poplars and spruce followed the edge of a narrow gully that in warmer seasons would contain a stream. At first, as Spark threaded through the dense growth, Eliot couldn't see the horse that had responded to Spark. Continuing to allow her free rein, he rode out the shifting jolts as she skidded down into the cut. Once at the bottom, Spark sped up again, her mood remaining interested and unalarmed.

As the two of them rounded a bend where the stream dropped even lower, Eliot pulled Spark to a halt in surprise. The last thing he expected to find, sheltered in the curve of the bank, was a young woman, kneeling in the middle of what looked at first like a medical emergency, surrounded by trampled snow mixed with blood and other body fluids and tissue.

Then, he realized that her arms were full of a slimy, newborn calf, nearly as big as she was, partially wrapped in some sort of fabric.

Eliot re-holstered his superfluous bear spray.

The horse who had attracted Spark's attention, a sorrel mare, stood ground-tied nearby. She whickered happily at seeing another horse, and Spark answered in kind. The girl looked up at them, her round, pale brown face younger than he had at first thought. He could see the tracks of tears on her cold-reddened cheeks. Whatever had been the emotion behind the tears did not prevent her from giving him an elated smile.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Oh, thank God! Can you help me?"

"Happy to," Eliot agreed, urging Spark down beside her. "What can I do?"

"Oh!" The girl's voice was exasperated now. "That wretched Medea broke out of her pen and ran away to have her baby. And she always abandons them. She's such a terrible mother. If she didn't throw a champion every time, she'd be packaged in the freezer right now!" Her short, dark curls bounced from around her knit cap in emphasis. "And this little gal needs her mommy's milk."

As if in agreement, the calf let out a faint, rusty bleat.

Spark jumped a little at the sound.

"I'm afraid I don't have any milk on me at the moment," Eliot said.

"You have a horse," the girl said. "Can you fetch that stupid cow back here?" She gestured toward where tracks led away out of the gully on the other side.