Men like Moe Jedd had always learned to trust their gut, when it came down to people, and especially when it came down to following trouble, and what moved below them was trouble of the worst kind. The wind was lashing out at them then, and it felt as though the mountain were alive, blowing its icy cold breath in their faces, driving the snow from the tree limbs creating heavy flurries that would hinder their vision. Still, though, Moe would push them up and along the Grayspeak trail for the better part of two days, being ever so careful to keep a safe distance from their quarry below, as to not alert them to their presence. They would fight them on ground of their own choosing.
The wind began to pick up in the late afternoon, and the snow flurries intensified coming at them from the east and began to hamper visibility even more than before, forcing the team to take refuge in the thick treeline and underbrush, they chopped down limbs and built a shelter for themselves and their animals just in time to feel the winds increase even more lashing angrily at them, they were forced to shelter in place until the weather the following morning would break, when Moe would venture to the cliffs edge to check on the location of the Seven. They were nowhere to be seen. Moe had the team mount up, the wind had died down enough to push onward, there still wasn't much snow accumulated along the trail so they managed to cover three full miles or so before he brought them to a full stop, his gut was telling him once again that something was wrong.
He turned in his saddle studying their surroundings, he saw the flash of gray just as an animal leapt out of the treetops taking Matilda out of her saddle, Moe saw it at just the right time and swiveled in his saddle shooting it through the neck, it reeled and turned toward Moe before he put a second shot right through the head causing it to keel over. in turned immediately to ice and crumbled, Mordecai and Scarlet saw to Matilda while Preacher and Moe went to investigate the animal which Moe guessed was a large sized Lynx, he bent down and picked up a large marble like object, it was black as coal. Moe looked up at Preacher.
"These were its eyes, They did this." He slowly rose to his feet, looking over the trail below them. "They know we're following them, we're going to have to keep an eye out."
Matilda's pride was more hurt than she was physically, no cuts, no blood, so no one seemed surprised when she stubbornly refused help when she pulled herself back up into her saddle and slowly pressed onward. The snow continued to blow down from the tree tops creating a foggy haze but still, they followed the path winding its way down toward the lower trail and daylight slowly turned into failing light, just when Moe swung down from his saddle to inspect the trail once again, for whatever reason the snow never covered the tracks, and although he couldn't outwardly tell how old they were he knew in his gut, the Seven were not that far ahead of them. Preacher appeared over his right shoulder.
"I think it might not be as difficult a task as we first assumed, take the head and body will fall, or in this case turn to ice dust. However, they, like their counterparts in the Desolation Sands, they will not make it easy for us Moe." He said.
Moe Jedd turned to face him.
"No, his lessors will surround and try to protect him, We take them out first, and then we take him." He returned his attention to the trail. "Whatever they're looking for Preacher, we can't let them find it." His eyes once again returned to the trail ahead.
"There was a cave set back in the side of the cliff, above the last turn we took on the trail, we're gonna have to shelter the horses in there and sleep with our backs to the rocks. If they know we're even remotely close, they may take a run at us in the middle of the night. They'll have a go at the horses first." Moe said.
He turned to fully face Preacher, who was now joined by Mordecai, Scarlett and Matilda.
"Two man watch, for as long as it takes, someone watches the horses, I'll take the cliffs, Scarlett you and Matty fill your bellies and get some sleep, we'll stand watch."
Mordecai scratched his whiskers thoughtfully, his own sharp gaze roaming over the entire party. A slight smile appeared, lighting up his round face.
"I reckon my sleep'll keep Moe Jedd, I'll watch the horses." He said.
The cave in the cliffs was deeper than they thought, and after they led the animals in single file, they found that there was enough room for them to shelter for the night. There were already chopped bits of tree limbs to make a proper fire, which Mordecai would stoke while he kept watch over the horses as the rest of the team rested, they feasted themselves on jerked beef to keep the hunger away and settled in for the nights rest Moe sat at the edge of the cave and stood watch. Nightfall spread quickly and mostly proved uneventful, until the first hints of dawn came creeping throughout the cave.
It came the new morning when three gunshots jolted them from their sleep. Preacher was first to make it to the cave mouth with his weapon drawn followed by Mordecai and both squinted against the early light to see Moe Jedd standing over a fallen figure in the snow both men appeared at his side and were surprised to see the pale icy light blue figure that Moe Jedd had pinned beneath his boot. The right arm was completely shot off as well as its left hand and there was a hole in its side, all without blood. it twitched and squirmed beneath Moe's boot, and it snarled like a wounded animal, its cold dead eyes staring up at them. Moe raised the pistol and pointed it at its head, when he squeezed off a round, just like the sand harvesters, it exploded violently, its body immediately turning to an icy crystal like powder. Moe looked at Moredcai and then Preacher.
"Now there's only Six." He said solemnly.
~Scratch.. A.B.T. Copyright © 2024~
I really love this group - and the individuals that make it up.
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