He was fairly certain.
He did nudge his gelding forward a step to shield Heidi from their view. He couldn't fully block her, but at least he would make his intention plain to these snakes.
He raised his chin. "We have no business with you." Then he started to rein his gelding away from them, motioning for Heidi to stay close.
"Maybe we got business with you." The older man's voice cut through the air before their horses managed a single step.The stranger kicked his mount hard enough, the animal leaped forward to catch them. Then the man jerked hard on his reins to stop the animal right in front of his and Heidi's horses.
Two Stones’s gelding tossed its nose up in frustration, but Two Stones held his reins steady.
The fellow leveled a look on him as the younger man rode forward to position himself as back-up for his friend. "What you done to Tyson ain't right, an' I don't think we can let you leave without doin' our duty for our friend. Ain’t that right, Fitz?" He tipped his chin toward his friend just enough to show those last words were aimed at him. But then his gaze slid to Heidi, and the gleam that lit his eyes made Two Stones coil to attack.
But he forced himself pause.Should I, Lord? Is this Your way of protection?
He sensed nothing in his spirit save a hesitation to touch these men. That might be from God, so he should try again to leave peaceably.
"I did not hurt the man, certainly not as he deserved. But I would not let him take this woman against her wishes." Should he mention their marriage? That was why Callum had wanted the ceremony, after all. To protect her in the eyes of white men. "She is my wife. I will not let you harm her."
The man's face flamed red, twisting into a foul glare. "Why, you dirty heathen.” He lifted his rifle to aim.
Two Stones reacted on instinct, jerking his knife free. But he restrained himself before striking, holding back his fury by a thread. If the man moved his finger to the trigger or turned the weapon toward Heidi, he would strike.
The crack of a gunshot behind him made Two Stones jerk around. Not enough to lose sight of the two vipers, but to take in the new threat also.
His mind struggled to make sense of what he saw. The dusky haze of powder surrounded a pistol in Heidi’s hand. He couldjust barely see her wide eyes that conflicted with the firm set of her jaw.
One of the men shifted, and Two Stones honed his focus on their threat again as he raised his knife to fling it. The men would surely retaliate against Heidi’s shot.
The rifle dropped from the older man’s grip, his eyes widening as his hands rose to his chest, just below his throat. His mouth dropped open, maybe from painandshock, for he seemed to be struggling to believe he'd been shot.
"Walker?" His friend's voice pitched high as he nudged his horse closer. "What's wrong? Are you hit? Is it bad?"
Both these men had lost their wits by half. If they didn't move quickly, Walker would bleed out in seconds. Maybe there was nothing they could do to save him, but there might be.
Two Stones slipped from his horse and moved to the injured man's side.
"Don't touch him!" Fitz’s tone came out wild as he raised his own rifle.
Two Stones paused, letting the younger man see his hands were empty. "I'm not going to hurt him. We have to lay him down and stop the bleeding. He will not live long if we don't help."
"You've done enough. Get out of here, both of you. I'll tend him." At least his voice had lowered to a reasonable pitch now, though his eyes still looked wild.
Two Stones glanced at the injured man, who was leaning forward now, curling around his belly. He still clutched his chest, and his breathing had taken on a wheezing sound. If his airway had been hit, there was nothing they could do to help him.
He sent a quick glance toward Heidi to see how she was reacting. She'd shot a man, who would likely die from the wound. Her quick action might have saved them both fromsomething worse, but he knew well how killing a man impacted a person.
She sat motionless in the saddle, her face stoic. At least she hadn't collapsed into tears like some women would.
He turned to the younger man again, keeping his hands out, away from his sides. "He needs help. We will leave if you wish. Or we will stay and do what we can for him."
Fitz’s expression twisted into a snarl. "I told ya to git, didn't I? Get outta here before I kill ya both."
Two Stones moved back to his horse, keeping his eyes on the daft stranger. Once he'd swung into his saddle, he glanced at Heidi to make sure she was ready to ride.
She met his look with a hard set to her jaw, but he could just make out a tremble in her shoulders. She was holding together well, but she would need to release as soon as he could get her away.
He sent one more look at both men. Neither had changed position, but the injured one's shoulders rose heavily with each loud, wheezing breath.Lord, draw him to You before his end comes.
He motioned for Heidi to move her horse forward as he nudged his own. "Ride in front of me." He spoke just loudly enough for her to hear.
