Dragoncrest Cliffs Blank open eyes

Unfortunately for Pepper, one of those pieces of shit was standing in front of him - and Beau's man brain was suddenly finding a sense of clarity.

This was not her father, he was sure; and he was certain that Leto knew a trip to the lowlands would have been difficult for this one. So, she either wanted him to come back empty-pawed or for him to return far slower than he would with a more able-bodied wolf to escort. What he was struggling to understand was the why of it all.

He stood there in silence for a moment, looking like a frozen deer before it bolts into a roadway to escape a predator. You ain't her pa, she's tryin' to distract me! It looked as though a light suddenly flicked on in his head - but, he had realised too little too late.

But why him? Why not the other man? Surely he was no better than Beau - he was a nice guy (said by no nice man ever), or surely kinder than the other men in the basin were.

Pepper no longer mattered - he could not return with Beau, and so his work here was done. He needed to return to Verapaz as quickly as he could. What was Leto doing now? Had she found someone else? Was she getting hitched? His brow furrowed as the possibility crossed his mind.

Thanks anyways. I'll tell her yer' not doing too good when I see her.