They hadn’t gotten much rest, so Blade left Dakota to sleep while he made their breakfast. They had some fresh bread and eggs that they had bought in Stanley the previous day, so he cut the bread, cooked the eggs, and then added some beans to their plates as well. Once that was done, he put their last water in a pot to boil and woke Dakota.
“Something smells incredible,” she mumbled as she sat up and wiped her eyes.
“I made breakfast,” Blade said, unable to stop himself from smiling. She always looked so confused when she woke up in the morning. They had spent the night hiding at the ranch many times, and she always woke up with that same expression.
Dakota moved closer to the fire and took the plate he handed to her. “I’m so glad we got eggs.”
“Me too,” Blade agreed. “And surprisingly enough, not one of them broke.”
Dakota’s eyes lit up. “I told you they wouldn’t if we wrapped them.”
“You did,” Blade agreed. “And as usual, you were right.”
Dakota smiled at that, looking pleased with herself. It was true, though. Dakota was extremely clever.
When they were done eating, Blade and Dakota called the horses and then got on their way. Dakota wasn’t happy when she saw that Blade had untied the horses, but she didn’t complain much since they hadn’t strayed far and came immediately when called.
Their next target was Noah Henderson, who lived in Lincoln, Montana. It would take them a couple of days to get there, but since they bought supplies in Stanley, they wouldn’t have to stop at any towns along the way. They needed water, though, so that was Blade’s main priority.
It was about midday when they came across a river. They had spent the morning trekking through a forest, and they were both relieved when they heard the sound of flowing water.
“Finally!” Dakota half-yelled, her face lighting up. “I thought I was going to die of thirst.”
Blade laughed and shook his head. “You are so dramatic.”
“Dehydration is no laughing matter,” she scolded playfully.
“True, but I think we’re still a couple of days away from dying.”
Dakota frowned, the skin wrinkling between her eyes as she focused on him. “You have no way to prove that.”
“I do have personal experience in the matter, though,” he reminded her. “I once spent an entire day hiding out in a forest without anything to drink.”
“I actually remember that.” Dakota laughed, her frown turning into a happy smile.
“Not one of my best moments,” Blade admitted. “But we did catch the bandits.”
The sight of the water brought their conversation to a stop. Without another word, Dakota jumped off Riot’s back and ran to the riverbank. She was being extra dramatic on purpose, and Blade watched her with fascination. She sank to her knees in front of the water and started to drink, using her hands to scoop up the water.
Deciding that it wasn’t a bad idea, Blade did the same. The water was cold and tasted refreshing.
Sitting back, Dakota splashed some of the water on her face. “We shouldn’t let this river go to waste.”
“I was thinking the same thing. I could really use a bath, but first we should wash our clothes.”
They spent the next couple of hours at the river. They could have been traveling, but they needed their clothes to dry, and for a little while, Blade allowed himself to relax. It was fun just letting loose and spending quality time with Dakota. He was lucky to have a friend like her.
By the time they were done, it was late afternoon, so they decided to camp next to the river. It was a good spot after all,and it wasn’t like they had any sort of timeline they had to follow.
The next morning brought with it dark clouds and a cold breeze.
As the day passed, the wind grew heavier, blowing the clouds and the possibility of rain away with it. Blade never minded the rain or thunderstorms, but he was grateful.
The last thing he wanted was to get stuck in a bad storm, although he was sure it was going to happen at some point.
It took them six days to get to Lincoln. It was a town much like any other, and like before, they changed into some clean clothes and made themselves look as presentable as possible before making their way through the streets.
It was around lunchtime when they arrived, so they decided to get some food at the local inn. They sat at a small table in the back corner of the establishment, watching people through the window as they passed by.
