Food may give life, but it is hope and love that give meaning to our lives. --Rufus Flycatcher, from Of Mice and Magic.
March 21, 2014
Mesa Verde
Vin, back at Mesa Verde, had had a busy evening working on war tactics and projects with his troops. He'd also had time to notice the beauty of the sunset, however, and briefly gave thanks for the equinox, asking that his friends and family be protected. He was beginning to wish he hadn't been so harsh with Rowan. He didn't know what had come over him, to order her around as if she were his property. He was just trying to keep her safe, though, and she was so...hardheaded, damn her. She had to always put herself right in the thick of things, instead of protecting herself, and with their little one on the way, it was even more important for her to be careful.
When the long evening was over, and dark had come, he headed back towards his tent. He wondered if Rowan had come back yet. He knew she'd been angry earlier when she'd stalked off. She wasn't at the tent. He wondered where she could possibly be. He knew she could take care of herself, so he wasn't terribly worried. He was a wee bit worried, he admitted, because he loved his wife, and it was dark already. She'd been so pissed that in this case he figured she was holed up somewhere sulking for a while. Surely she'd come back soon, though? He didn't think she'd go away for the whole night...not unless she was angrier than he'd thought. Yet as he took off his boots and stripped down to his long underwear, he started to wonder where exactly she could have gone off to. It didn't seem like her to still be so miffed that she wouldn't come back after dark, and it definitely wasn't like her not to have cooled down by now. She never stayed mad at him for long. He layed down in his sleeping bag and began to go over in his mind all the possible places in the park she could have gone to be alone, and how far away each one was. There were quite a few places, but she couldn't have gone very far this evening. Or could she? He was starting to get an inkling that things weren't quite right with this situation. He wasn't sure exactly what it was, but he was beginning to grow uneasy, and the feeling increased each moment that went by and Rowan still hadn't appeared.
Vin wasn't quite sure what to do, though he was becoming increasingly worried about her. For one thing, she'd only been gone a matter of mere hours. There was the possibility, no matter how remote, that she was simply still pissed at his show of authority earlier in the evening. Even if something had happened to her, he didn't know where to begin to look. He didn't know where she'd gone, it was dark out, and...who knew? Maybe he should try meditating, and see if that would help his intuition kick in.
As Vin was pondering, there was a rap on the tent. He looked up. "Come in," he said.
The door opened, and a child of about ten years old entered. "Sir," he said, saluting. "I saw and heard something I think you should know about."
Vin sat up, intrigued. "Yes?" he inquired. "Tell me."
The boy nodded. "I'd left my tent to go pee before going to sleep. It was just a little bit after dark. I thought I heard something moving nearby. I couldn't see real well. I'd forgotten a flashlight. I looked in the direction of the noise. The moon was just starting to come up over the mountains, and my eyes adjusted. There were some thick bushes, and I saw some figures moving through the brush. They were dressed in dark clothes, but they were moving on two legs, so I'm sure they were human. Then I noticed there were also a few horses in the group. One of them seemed to be carrying a bulky bundle of some sort. They were trying to move quietly...and slowly. It looked like they didn't want anyone to notice them. I don't think they were part of our group."
YOU ARE READING
Not on my Watch
ПриключенияAn Air Force Captain and a Navy SEALs hero team up to uncover the corruption in the U.S. government, rebel against it, and bring the perpetrators to justice.
