The Vicky Series: Book 3: Living A Dream

Chapter 21 part 2

His foot slipped from the stirrup and his hand moved subtly from the hilt of his sward three inches behind where it rested on the butt of his rifle. If all hell broke loose, he would be ready to raise a little hell of his own before he met his maker. For a second the image of Vicky and the children standing on the porch waving him off flashed in his mind before he forced it away. It was imperative he not lose his focus.

If this meeting, which appeared to be going well, suddenly turned, Quin would need all of his attention on the here and now to stay alive. Because as he'd sat thinking he'd spotted over three dozen more distortions in their surroundings. It was difficult to see far in peripheral but he saw enough to know they were probably surrounded...and if this meeting turned badly, the pony soldiers would not leave this place alive.

Suddenly the meeting was over. Quin's attention was divided between the two men (the scout stepped aside long ago, when it became apparent his translation skills weren't needed) and the dozens of distortions around them. His heart stopped and he could almost feel the weight of the gazes fixed upon him, no doubt from behind bows pulled taught, notched and ready.

Their esteemed visitor turned and walked back to his pony even as Kit did the same. Turning your back on the enemy was a show of trust and of confidence. Neither feared an attack from the other. Quin let his gaze scan the surroundings and he wished he felt half as confident as Kit mounted and backed his horse next to Quin.

"Now we'll see if we can reverse some of the harm Barkley and others like him have caused. I managed to convince him that he should return with his people before the sun is there."

Squinting to where Kit pointed, he made a mental note...about ten o'clock they would know if they were to live or die this day.

"Think they will comply?"

"I think so." Kit scrunched his face and scratched his scruffy chin.

"I hope so." Kit said at last.

Quin only nodded as they turned their mounts. Kit ordered camp and Quin let his thought roam as he saw to his duties. He knew Kit's spirits were low, indeed, none of them were particularly jubilant to be traipsing about through the deep snow. He harbored no doubts that the men would rather be home with their families or at the very least, comfortably holed up in the comfort of the fort.

He and Kit had more than one conversation about home...if wishes were currency they'd be rich men. Kit thought this particular mission was a waste of time but orders had come down from "the general" as Kit referred to Carleton when he was displeased with the man (which was often enough).

Kit was of the opinion that the scorched earth, along with the men already taken captive or killed was enough. There simply weren't enough men left to warrant the scope of this mission. Jonah shivered beneath him, as if to remind him that the men weren't the only ones dissatisfied with the status-quo. Quin looked once more at the man he had come to know simply as Kit.

It was difficult not to admire him. Despite the fact that his military training and his personal experience and views went contrary to the orders, he did not waiver. Ever the good and loyal soldier, he carried out the mission to the best of his ability. He kept his displeasure to himself, except for Carleton and a few well-chosen peers. The men beneath them saw only loyal obedience to orders.

He pulled out his watch and looked around. Everyone was settling down for the wait and as he loosened the cinch and lifted the saddle from Jonah he added his prayer to the many he knew were going up. Please let this be the end of it.

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Some men paced or whittled. Some stared at their fires or talked. Some took an inordinate amount of time over the mundane. All of them kept an anxious eye on the time. The anxiety increased as the minutes passed and ten o'clock approached. Would the Navajo come? Would the solemn promise and personal guarantee of their esteemed commanding officer, the great Kit Carson, be enough to secure an end to this conflict?