Dancing with the Devil

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Ance drew in small breaths to combat the stench as he glanced at Audrey. He had given her his bandana and it was tied around her mouth and nose but he could see the discomfort and tears in her brown eyes. 

The scent of decaying flesh, both horse and man, was strong around them and Ance knew the sights of the rotting bodies was going to plague Audrey's nightmares for a long time to come. He remembered his first time seeing a rotting corpse when he'd been ten years old--now and then it still haunted his dreams as well. 

Old Man Thompson's cabin came into view and Irish called out. "I'll be stayin' back here," he stated. "I've seen about enough for now and I can't fit this here wagon through all these holes and traps. Take the wee lass with ya if she wants to go." 

Ance turned his gaze to Audrey who sat stiff backed in the wagon seat. "Do you want to come? You don't have to. I can take care of this myself," he assured her. 

Audrey shook her head. "I'm coming," she insisted, her voice muffled beneath the red bandana. 

Despite his trepidations, Ance nodded. If there was one thing he'd learned about Audrey, it was that once the woman had her mind made up about something it was pointless to try to change it. He rode up alongside the wagon and gently helped Audrey onto the saddle behind him. It had been nearly a week since he'd been stitched up and his wounds were healing but still tender and he was careful to keep from tearing the wounds and undoing all the knitting up they'd done so far. 

Together the two rode in silence toward the cabin. Ance was careful to sidestep any remaining traps and he did his best to keep Audrey away from the grisliest of the bodies. His mare was clearly less than happy about the smell as she tossed her head but Ance forced her onward. 

He dismounted slowly when they reached the porch and pulled Audrey down. "Are you sure you want to go in? I can take care of this myself..." 

Audrey's brown eyes, while red-rimmed and sad, were also full of determination as she looked up at him. "I want to come in, Ance. Stop trying to protect me." 

Ance grumbled under his breath and waved his arm toward the door. "After you then. I won't be caught protecting you again." 

Audrey glared at him, clearly not happy with the snark in his tone. Ance wasn't pleased with it either. With a sigh Ance grabbed her arm gently. "I'm sorry," he ground out, unaccustomed to apologies. "I think we both need to finish this up, finish the rest of our business and then take a good and proper rest." 

Audrey leaned into his touch and laid her fingertips against his beard. "I think you're right." 

Happy to have the snappiness behind them, they walked hand in hand into the cabin. Ance felt Audrey stiffen as the scent assaulted their scenses. It was as if they'd run into a brick wall of decaying flesh and Audrey pulled out of his grasp, turned on her heel and dashed outside before losing the contents of her stomach on the porch. 

Ance sighed and followed her out. He took the bandana from her hand, went to the hand pump well and cleaned it off before taking it back to her and laying it across the back of her neck as she sat in a rickety rocking chair with her head between her knees. 

"I'm sorry, Ance.. I thought I could but..." 

"Don't you worry about it none, Audrey. I'll take care things." 

"I don't want to cause you any extra trouble..." Audrey insisted, never looking up from her boots. 

Ance patted her shoulder. "If there's one thing I know about females, it's that they're nothing but extra trouble."