Garret's eyes clenched shut more tightly, his mouth twisting in a grimace of agony.
Hastily Ash unfastened the garment and spread it wide. What she saw made her sick. A mass of darkening splotches stained Garret's whole chest, gashes oozing blood. Ash could see the massive beasts in her mind, feel their hooves slamming against Garret's flesh. Mother of God, how had he lived through such brutal punishment?
Or was he dying even now? Bleeding to death from wounds so deep inside him, no one could staunch the flow?
A whimper from Renny made her look up, her fear reflected in the boy's green eyes. "I didn't—didn't mean to," the child sobbed. "Didn't want him to die."
"Renny," she croaked, panic crushing her throat.
"Not... fault..." The faintest of sounds slammed Ashleen into silence. She stared down, hopeful, helpless, into Garret's face. Thick lashes stirred against his cheeks. His mouth twitched as if trying to form words.
"Garret," she pleaded, stroking back his hair, one hand capturing his, desperate. "Garret, what—"
"Renny"—Garret squeezed out the words, each one agony—"not... your fault, boy."
"Mr. MacQuade!" Sobs shook the boy's lanky frame. "I'm sorry! I was mean... so mean. But I didn't want to hurt you."
"Know that." Gray eyes fluttered open. Garret swallowed hard. Sweat beaded his brow at the effort it cost him to speak. "If... hadn't... been such good... driver... all been... killed."
"They ran away!" Renny shrilled, burying his face in his hands. "I couldn't turn them!"
Ashleen felt Garret's muscles tighten, saw his face twist as he drew his fingers from her grasp. Slowly, painfully, he raised his hand. The fingers that could wield a paintbrush with such skill trembled, and Ashleen's heart wrenched at the memory of how those same fingers had stroked across her bare skin. How they had smoothed cool cloths over Meggie's fevered brow. Now they curved around Renny's hand, urging it away from a face red with tears of misery, guilt.
Renny choked out a sob, his own eyes opening as Garret's hand enfolded his and carried it down to rest against a beard-stubbled cheek.
"Don't... cry, boy." He whispered the words, lashes drifting down to rest against pale cheeks. "Don't want you... to be afraid."
The fingers loosened their grip about Renny's wiry hand, but the boy clung to them, crying, as Garret slipped again into unconsciousness.
Ashleen's eyes filled at the sight of Renny's anguish, Garret's understanding, the poignancy mingling with an insidious sense of foreboding.
"Is he dead, Sister Ash?" Liam asked, low, tremulous.
"No!" Ash snapped, then she forced her voice to gentle. "He just—just needs some time. To rest. To heal."
"But what'll we do without him?" Shevonne snuffled. "What if Indians come, or outlaws?"
Dread prickled along Ash's skin, circling around the lone wagon like a vulture drifting above its prey with diabolical patience, waiting, waiting...
She raised her head to peer around her, the wilderness sprawling out like an endless sea, so vast, so unforgiving, it seemed almost a living adversary.
"We'll just have to do the best we can."
Ash caught her lip between her teeth and trailed her fingertips down Garret's face, so drained of color, drained almost of life.
Do the best we can, the prairie seemed to jeer at her.
And pray God that it's enough, she thought.
* * *
Cain Garvey glaredat the fallen gray gelding, fury suffusing his trail-grimed features. The breath wheezed through the exhausted horse's foam-rimed mouth, its nostrils gaping crimson holes as it struggled to draw life into its shuddering body. But it was too late. And Cain would be damned if he'd waste water on an animal who had dared go to ground out in the middle of nowhere.
Eli stood behind him, and Cain could feel the stupid fool's dull eyes peering at him with that whipped-dog look he despised. "I told you we shoulda rested him," Eli said, hunkering down to run his hand over the horse's flank. "Told you he wasn't gonna make it."
"Why the hell should I listen to a half-wit like you? It was the damn horse—it had a weak heart, or—"
"You 'most rode him to death, Cain. Now we got to stop."
