**OLD DRAFT**Protectors: Book 1 of Protectors **OLD DRAFT**

Chapter 8

“Where are the others? Has something happened?” Yates came out to meet Jade when she entered the camp it was almost morning but Jade had refused to stop and make camp until she was safely back.

                “I came ahead of them.” Jade took the time while she unsaddled Chance and brushed her down to tell Yates everything that had happened. When the mare was taken care of Jade made her way to her tent. “I’m honestly not sure when they will be here. They’ll probably search through the supplies to see if there is anything worth keeping and it wouldn’t be past Reed to send a rider to town to get a message to Marcus.” Jade stopped outside of her tent and looked at Yates. “I did the right thing…”

                Yates shrugged. “I wasn’t there Jade. I’ll admit the thought of a Dire wolf roaming these mountains does…unnerve me. If it really was a Dire Wolf, but even so, you made your decision. There’s nothing we can do about it now.”

                Jade nodded. “Good night Yates.”

                “Good night.”

                Jade slept poorly, she tossed and turned until the early afternoon. Her dreams were filled with the Dire Wolf’s blue eyes and the haunting smell of her home burning to the ground. When she finally emerged from her tent she found the camp to be empty, so she fetched water from the river and took care of the mules and Chance. When they were content Jade warmed up some cold soup that Yates had made.

                When Yates finally came down from his post earlier that evening he informed Jade that he caught a glimpse of the men returning. “They’ll probably be here in a few hours,” he said. When they finally arrive in the darkness everyone looked tired and wore out. Everyone dismounted and started loosening the girths on their saddles, everyone but Reed. He walked straight over to Jade and grabbed her by the collar of her tunic. Jade stared him down and made no move to remove his hand, though she easily could have. He looked ready to hit Jade, something she would have accepted. She had gone against years of training to obey her instincts. Disobedience towards a higher ranking officer was death in battle.  

                “The next time you disobey me you’ll find yourself starving in the alley where I found you. I saved your ass, and you owe me for that. Next time don’t forget that.” He pushed Jade back and let go. He walked away to his tent, fist clenched. Jade watched him go then went and tended to his horse. The others looked at Jade but didn’t say a word, and she had nothing to say to them. When the horses were fed and taken care of everyone sat around the large fire and ate leftover stew. There was barely a word spoken between them. When Reed emerged a little later carrying a sealed envelope, he walked straight to Jade and handed it to her. “I want you to deliver this message into town immediately. Marcus will want to be informed of the situation.”

                Jade stood up and took the envelope. “Get us a good bottle of wine too, I need a drink,” Garth called after her and the other men chuckled. Jade packed quickly and left the camp silently, leading Chance behind her, the reigns were loose in her hand. The night was dark and cold, but Jade felt almost nothing as they slowly made their way down the mountain, the surroundings matched the thoughts within her mind; cold, dark, and silent. Jade walked Chance down the mountain, and when they finally reached the valley Jade mounted. But when she did Chance danced underneath her nervously and pawed at the ground. Jade placed a hand on the mares’ neck to settle her and looked around the forest.

                What’s out there?  

                Jade thought she caught a glimpse of something moving among the trees, but when she looked, there was nothing. After a few minutes Chance was quiet and Jade decided to move on, whatever it was it was gone. For a moment Jade thought of the dire wolf, but dismissed it. The wolf would probably avoid any human contact for a long time, it was in a wolfs nature to avoid something it knew could harm it. The trip was slow and lonely, when they emerged from the valley and into the open air large snowflakes were falling from the sky.