“Easy, girl,” Blaze said. “It’s just us now. You, me, and Pa’s Colt. That’ll have to be enough.”
He pulled back, running his hand down the horse’s neck, checking for burns and wounds. The animal flinched once but stood steady otherwise.
“You’re tough,” Blaze said. “Always were. Guess we both got somethin’ left to prove.”
Nancy nickered, shifting her weight.
“You hungry?” Blaze asked, glancing around at the scorched earth. “Ain’t much left here. But we’ll find water. We’ll find grass. As long as you’ll carry me.”
He rubbed the horse’s muzzle, then stepped back, shaking his head. “I still can’t believe it. Thought I lost everything.”
The mare nosed at his shoulder.
Blaze let out a short, broken laugh. “Alright, alright. I hear you. You’re sayin’ quit mopin’ and get to ridin’, huh?”
Nancy tossed her head, mane catching the sun.
“Yeah,” Blaze said softly. “You’re right.”
Nancy bumped her head against Blaze’s chest again. It was harder this time, almost playful.
“Easy now,” Blaze chuckled, steadying her with both hands. “Ain’t like I’m made of iron. You remember when Pa said you were meaner than a bull? Said you’d never take to the saddle? Guess you proved him wrong. You took to me, didn’t you?”
The mare snorted, pawing at the dirt.
“Yeah, I remember too. First time I climbed on, you near bucked me clear to the sky. Rachel laughed so hard she near splither sides.” He smiled faintly, shaking his head. “Ma scolded her, but Pa...Pa just said, ‘That horse’ll carry you if you earn it.’”
Nancy nudged at Blaze’s hand, as if agreeing.
“Well, reckon I earned it now,” Blaze murmured. He ran his palm down the mare’s soot-marked flank, feeling the tremor of muscle under her hide. “We both came through fire, you and me. Guess that ties us together.”
The horse lowered her head, blowing a slow breath against Blaze’s arm.
Blaze leaned his forehead against Nancy’s. His voice cracked, but he didn’t pull back.
“Don’t leave me, girl,” he said. “Not now. I ain’t got much left, but I got you. You’re all I need to see this through.”
Nancy stood steady under the weight of his words, still as stone, as if she understood every syllable.
Blaze drew in a shaky breath, straightened, and patted the mare’s neck once more. “Alright then. Let’s do it proper.”
He walked toward the ruins of the barn, scanning what little was left. By some miracle, the saddles hadn’t burned completely. He found his father’s, scorched around the edges but still solid, and slung it over Nancy’s back.
The horse shifted but stood for it. Blaze cinched the girth, his hands moving with practiced ease despite the tremor in them.
“Feels wrong,” he muttered. “All the times Pa saddled you up, all the times Ma stood in the doorway watching...now it’s just me.”
The horse stamped a hoof.
Blaze laid a hand on the saddle horn. “But we got work to do.”
He slid his foot into the stirrup and swung up, settling into the worn leather. For the first time since the shooting, since Rachel’s screams had filled his ears, Blaze felt a piece of himself return.
“Alright, girl,” he said, gripping the reins. “Let’s ride.”
They turned from the ruins, hooves crunching over ash and broken boards. Blaze didn’t look back at the grave. He couldn’t, not yet. If he did, he wasn’t sure he’d leave.
The desert stretched before them. Blaze squinted against the glare of the sun, scanning the horizon.
