You carry this as much as we do, she said. Elias didn't deny it. They spent the late morning tending to the homestead. One of the horses, the youngest mare, limped near the corral. The wound on her forehead from the storm debris had worsened overnight.
Nielli crouched beside her, worry tightening her features. Elias knelt beside the mare and inspected the leg carefully." It's not deep," he said." But it'll fester if we leave it." He cleaned the wound with water warmed on the stove, wrapped it with clean cloth, and showed Nielli how to keep it dry. Her relief was immediate, her gratitude earnest.
I didn't know how to handle it alone, she said quietly. You won't have to, Elias answered. This answered another question that had lingered from earlier chapters. What place did Elias have in this small family forming between them? It became clear in small scenes like this, not as a guest or a passing traveler, but as someone who belonged in the daily struggles of the homestead.
Aiona watched them from a short distance, seeing the ease with which Nielli followed Elias's guidance. She didn't interfere. Instead, she accepted how naturally he fit into their lives. Later, they repaired the water barrels together. Aiona held the frames steady while Elias replaced the damaged rings.
Nielli fetched tools, working in quiet coordination with him. Throughout the day, Elias explained why these repairs mattered if riders came, how water, horses, and secure storage could be the difference between surviving a raid or losing everything. It wasn't fear-mongering. It was preparation spoken with the authority of someone who had lived through too many close calls. In the afternoon, the faint smell of smoke drifted through the breeze.
Not from the cabin. This scent came from farther out, somewhere near the distant ridge. Elias lifted his head sharply, his hand instinctively lowering toward his belt. Aiona and Nielli froze, following his gaze." Someone's making camp," Elias said quietly.
"Too far to see from here, but close enough to be watching." Nielli's voice trembled." How long before they come?" Elias studied the haze in the distance." They're testing patience. Could be tomorrow. Could be the next day." He looked at both sisters.
We'll be ready. Dinner that night was simple. The mood in the cabin was quiet but steady. Nielli tried to hide her fear, but the tension in her shoulders exposed it. Elias sat closer to her, not touching, but close enough that she felt grounded by his presence.
Aiona noticed and placed a reassuring hand on her sister's knee. Another unanswered curiosity, the balance between fear and trust, found its resolution as the sisters shifted around Elias without hesitation. They no longer questioned why he stayed close. His presence didn't just protect them, it steadied them. When they prepared their bed rolls, the arrangement felt different than the nights before.
There was no awkwardness, no uncertainty. The sisters lay on either side of Elias because it had become the safest way to sleep, not just physically, but mentally. Elias positioned himself between them with controlled care, ensuring they felt secure without being crowded. As the fire dimmed, Nielli whispered, "Do you think they'll attack at night?" "No," Elias answered." Riders wait for daylight.
They want to see the fear they're causing." Aiona exhaled slowly, accepting the truth without flinching. Then we meet it in daylight. Exactly, Elias said. The wind outside shifted, carrying long stretches of quiet. The homestead held its breath, bracing for what was coming.
Elias closed his eyes only when he felt both sisters settle against the warmth of the bed rolls, not relying on him, but sharing the strain of what lay ahead. The land outside was no longer silent because it was empty. It was silent because someone beyond the ridge was watching the homestead, waiting for the right moment to return. And inside the cabin, three people prepared themselves with a unity that hadn't existed before. Steady, unspoken, and stronger than anything the riders expected to find.
The riders came just after dusk, settled into the hills. The first sign was the sudden stiffness in Elias's posture as he stepped out to bring in the last bucket of water. The horses near the corral lifted their heads at the same moment, ears pointed toward the ridge. A distant, uneven echo of hoof beats followed, slow at first, then steady enough to reveal intention rather than chance. Aiona and Nielli stepped out of the cabin behind him, their faces tightening as they heard the same sound.
Elias didn't need to say anything. His hand drifting toward the grip of his gun said enough. The questions that had lingered, "How soon would the riders come and in what numbers?" Found their answer in the dark silhouettes, moving down the ridge. Inside, Elias said quietly. The sisters didn't argue.
They moved back into the cabin while Elias closed the door behind them and barred it. He stayed near the window, peering through a narrow space between the shutters. Three riders approached first. More shadows followed behind them at a slower pace. Five total, maybe six.
Not a full gang, but enough to test the homestead if they believed it. Undefended. Nielli stood near the wall, her breath short, but controlled, repeating what Elias taught her. Steady air, steady hands. Aiona stayed close to the rifles, ready to pass one to him if needed.
Neither panicked. They had already accepted that this moment would come. The riders circled the corral before stopping in front of the cabin. Their horses snorted and stamped the ground. One man dismounted, tall with a scar across his cheek, and walked toward the door with a slow, deliberate confidence.
Elias stepped forward, unbar the door, and pushed it open just enough to face the intruders without giving them a clear view inside. The scarred man smirked." Quiet place you got here. Doesn't need visitors, Elias replied. When not visiting, the man said, just passing through.
Thought we'd have a look around. Folks out here don't usually mind. This place minds. The man glanced past Elias's shoulder toward the faint movement inside. Aiona shifting her stance.
Nielli clutching the edge of the table. His expression sharpened. We heard this homestead belonged to two Apache women. He tilted his head. didn't expect to see a man here. Elias didn't blink.
They're not alone. And who exactly are you? Someone who won't let you step past this door. The rider's smirk faded. The men behind him shifted in their saddles.