Saving Grace

Chapter 7: Colt

Damnit! Why the hell did I have to get so worked up and provoke her? She was running Star at full speed and completely off trail in another direction. We were about to reach our stopping point and turn back, so she was going further up than planned. I kicked Cash harder and leaned more forward to get him to go faster.

I had only started working as a guide for the horseback rides about two months prior to fill in for Hank while he was on leave. I had guided a few rides by then, but I had not explored any more of the territory. There had been no need really, nor time. If I rode, it was back at my ranch and not far into the mountains.

She needed to listen to me and stop, so that we didn't get more off course. But it didn't look like she was slowing down anytime soon and that seemed to piss me off more than the fact that I had no idea what was in the area.

We were going further up into the mountains and started to venture more into the wooded areas again. It thankfully slowed both of the horses due to the incline and rougher terrain. When she came to a full stop, she hopped down and stormed off. I quickly got down and followed her.

"Hey! Grace!" She kept walking. What the hell was with her? "Grace! Would you please stop walking off? You have no clue where we're at. Hell, I have no clue. We need to get back to the trail."

She stopped dead in her tracks and spun around.

"Why do you have to be so rude!? Why can't you ever just mind your business!?"

I stormed closer, anger settling deep inside me. "Why in the hell do you have to be so stubborn!? Why can't you just listen!?"

"Why do you have to make me be stubborn in the first place!?" She matched my stride and pointed a finger into my chest. That's when I noticed her tear stained cheeks. Shit.

I sighed, lifting my hat up and running my hand through my hair. "Look, I am sorry okay? I should have minded my business. But we really need to get back to the horses and on the trail again."

She stood there absentmindedly for a minute before nodding her head in agreement. We walked back toward the horses, and my heart dropped.

"Where are they? Colt, where did the horses go?"

Panic was evident in her tone, as she looked at me for the answer. But my attention was elsewhere.

"Grace. I need you to listen to me carefully. Back away. Slowly."

"What? What are you talking about?" She looked in the direction I was staring at and gasped.

About thirty feet in front of us stood a big, bull moose. It was at a standstill, staring directly at us. It looked as if we were disrupting it in whatever it was busy doing. Its' ears were turned backed, and its' hair was raised--all a clear sign of aggression. While moose weren't usually ones to act aggressively, that didn't mean they wouldn't if they felt it was necessary.

"Grace, this is important. I am ninety-nine percent sure that moose is about to charge at us. If I say run, you run. Do you understand?"

She nodded, then spoke up. "Yes."

We slowly started backing up, but it did not appease the beast. He started grunting and stomping his feet. In the blink of an eye, he was charging at us.

"Run!!" I yelled, grabbing her hand and darting away from the charging bull. We ran at full speed, trying to dodge the trees, limbs, and rocks surrounding us, losing my hat in the process. The giant moose was gaining distance; there was no way we were going to outrun it. We were covering a good amount of space, but so was he. I knew if he wanted to catch up, he easily could have. It seemed he was enjoying the chase.