FAITH
FAITH (after an idea by Nesciri)
"What are we gonna do? We can't go back without
her," Cody said clearly exasperated.
"Look, I'll stay and watch her. She knows Buck
is sick now and she might come back to Sweetwater to try and finish him off."
"No way are you staying here by yourself, Lou.
It's too dangerous. That woman is seriously crazy. If she caught you, you wouldn't
stand a chance. Besides, Kid would have our heads," Jimmy said shaking
his head vehemently.
"Well, someone has to stay," Lou stubbornly
replied.
"I'll stay with you. Cody, you ride back and
tell the others what's happening," Jimmy compromised.
"Are you sure? I mean there's safety in numbers."
Cody didn't like leaving them behind but someone needed to go back and let everyone
know what was happening.
"Yeah, go back and we'll meet you there as
soon as we can," Jimmy said while kicking the ground. He wished there was
another way but he couldn't let Lou stay by herself and he couldn't let her
ride back alone either.
"Take care of yourselves," Cody said with
unusual concern evident in his voice.
"You too. Don't worry though. We'll be watching
her."
"Cody? Tell Kid not to worry."
"Can't promise you a miracle Lou," Cody
chuckled despite the seriousness of the situation. He kicked his horse and he
was gone with his leather fringe flying behind him.
Thanks to Matilda and her timely intervention,
Yellow Crane was once again free. Back in her shack, she grinned and held her
arms across her chest to keep from laughing out loud. Running Buck's friends
were fools. In one stupid move, they told her Running Buck was dying. She closed
her eyes so she could better imagine his death. She saw his pale faced friends
carrying him to his funeral pyre. She could hear the crackle of the wood as
it popped and sparked. She could clearly see his hair burning and his brown
skin turning black in the flames. She inhaled deeply and she could smell the
delicious fragrance of charred flesh.
Suddenly, in her dreams she could hear a drum pounding off in the distance. Now, she saw a dark shadow. The outline of a figure took shape as it approached the fire. Flames lit a face that was completely obscured by war paint. The figure kept coming closer. Each step he took kicked up dust and swirled around his buckskin clothing. She knew instinctively who it was. "He's coming."
Yellow Crane knew what she had to do now. She was going back to Sweetwater.
When Yellow Crane met her enemy again, she would have the pleasure of watching
him suffer when he realized his brother was gone. She could look him in the
face and see his pain while he would only see her triumph. Yes, she would do
that and her plan would be compete in its perfection.
