Wyatt tossed her a strip of dried meat from his saddle bag. She caught it clean out of the air. My father has no sons, only me. He taught me everything he'd have taught a boy. tracking, hunting, fighting, shooting straight under pressure. Some of the elders never approved.
But my father is chief. His word settles that argument fast enough. What do the elders think now after seeing you handle a pistol better than most of their own warriors? A ghost of a smile crossed her face, quickly gone. Some still grumble.
My father tells them a strong nation needs every strong hand it can raise, son or daughter. He's not a man easily argued out of a position once he settled on it. Must keep him up nights worrying. Your father, I mean. Something dimmed behind her eyes.
I rode out with four warriors to hunt. They ambushed us in an narrow canyon and killed every guard before we could fight back properly. I fought as long as I could. There were too many of them. They struck me down and I woke up veiled and bound in the back of a wagon.
That's not on you? No, but you're tangled in it now regardless. Her eyes held his across the fire. My father will want vengeance on those men. And when he learns you bought me at auction, he may wonder exactly what kind of man does such a thing.
I only mean to see you home safe. Nothing more than that. I believe you. Her voice went quiet and certain. I can see it plainly enough.
You're a good man, Wyatt. Heat crept up his neck that had nothing to do with the fire, and he found something interesting to study in the stars overhead rather than let her see it plain on his face. She lay down not long after the folded veil serving as a pillow, and within minutes her breathing had gone deep and even, though he suspected she'd wake at the first wrong sound long before he would, he kept watch through most of that night, beating the fire in small handfuls, eyes fixed on the black horizon. When dawn finally cracked pale along the world's edge, Naellili came awake instantly. None of the groggginess most people carry out of sleep.
Any trouble? None. Reckon we scared them good yesterday. For now, she rose, brushing dust from her torn dress. But they'll talk.
Word travels fast in country this small. Then we move faster. Wyatt kicks sand over the coals. My ranch is 4 hours out if we keep a hard pace. They mounted again, and this time Naellili took his offered hand without a moment's hesitation, settling behind him like they made this exact ride a dozen times already.