Dawnlark Plains it'll pass. always does

corner of dawnlark plains closest to redtail rise

"pack up there," colt said to @Sadey. 
briggs had never been warm, but the days since leaving the emberwood behind, and thus the final camp where he'd waited for red — well, he was downright cold now, almost like his heart had been carved from the ice of the glaciers moving through the taiga.
he gave a good sniff. "fair few of em." but where were they? his eyes swept the horizon.

Sadey tried to keep up, she did. But the simple fact was she couldn't really, not anymore and it rankled her to no end. So with his bark it was the last straw. Ole Sadey's body just gave out and she hit the ground.

She shifted and moved, but it just wouldn't work. She would eventually get to where she needed to go, but for now she just lay there unmoving.

She did growl. Don't you sass me Briggs. Get the stick out of yer ass ole Colt before i get it out for you.

It was probably ridiculous to see her there eyeing him from the ground unable to move, but murder danced in her eyes.

when colt turned back, it was to see the strongest woman he knew lying on the ground, weak despite the lash of her tongue.
his jaw ground like the edge of a leather strap. he'd done this to her. easier to switch blame; they'd done it to her.
but he'd put her there, ol briggs himself.
the lanky man stalked back to where sadey was, but instead of hurting her pride further by hauling her up, he only sat down with a grunt.
no sass. only two broken wolves sitting there looking out at a packland that seemed empty, but he wouldn't trust it.

A chained dog.

Marston was never far from The Big Man unless ordered to be. So he watched with hungry eyes as the woman collapsed. He thought of the deer.

How much she looked like the deer in these moments.

The growling towards The Big Man did not endear him to her much in those moments. Even as The Big Man settled alongside her.

Marston moved to patrol a wide circle around the sitting pair. A vulture in motion.

But was he a vulture for them or for the nearby lands?

Sadey eyed the boy and then Briggs himself she motioned to the boy. Somethin wrong with that un, Briggs. Best keep him on a tight leash. There wild in his eyes. Perhaps even too much wild for the likes of them, but it was what it was.

Sadey struggled to rise, but it just wouldn't work. So she spoke instead. Briggs somethin' broken in there. You should let me behind. Take Reno and the boy, and just go. I can hole up somewhere come spring if i ain't dead i can look for yew. I know yew won't kill me even if i ask ya too.

Sadey looked at him with her pretty eyes, small pristine body no longer pristine. Compact, but as always as pretty as she was wild. She'd live she was pretty certain. She was also certain that he would tell her no, firmly.

"somethin' wrong with all of us, sadey," colt rumbled. he spat a stream of brown juice into the snow and watched the buzzard-boy circle. "lotta me in 'im, yew kin see it." his teeth ground together. "yew kin see what a curse it is."
he'd been the cause of indra's — well. she weren't dead. colt knew death, knew it like a stabbing in his heart. he hadn't felt it. 
no; firmly.
colt snorted but it was not in humour. "we're all gonna burn together, sadey. not yet. but together."
his blood-red eyes were still watching marston.

The look did not leave him.

Not as he circled them in a wide protective path, not as he looked elsewhere and then back to her. At that sunken, beaten form.

His posture shifted some. Slinking and winding. It was the stance The Big Man had shown when they had hunted coyote.

Still he did not move closer.

Sadey eyed that boy and growled at him. You look at me like that again, whelp. When i get up i'll whup yer ass.

She snarled, didn't like how he looked at her like she was some type of prey animal it rankled. She wouldn't be turning her back to him, ever.

Sadey gave a soft ruck ruck laugh and shook her head. Yea but you don't look at me like yew gonna eat me.

Burn together eh. Well, then i guess you and tiny Colt there need to help me up.

he saw it right then, course he did.
marston was dangerous.
colt flicked his tongue along the ridges of his teeth. "boy. go on up an' explore that ridge. stay off the boundaries. see if'n yew kin find a cache. but save yer hide."
he didn't need marston's help to get sadey up. in fact, until he and the kid had a little talk, he didn't want him anywhere near miz walker.
"come on, then, sadey." he bent to offer his shoulder. "up yew come."

exit! thanks for letting creepy kid crash <3

The words were not clear, but the gestures were.

The Big One wanted Marston up ahead. Out further. He halted for a moment. Stared at the two of them for a few heartbeats.

Then clipped away at once, not looking to catch the teeth of The Big Man.

Sadey sighed deep and weary, but she used her petite paws to push and then using the momentum, she pressed hard against Colt and allowed him to help her to standing. She gave one soft whine, cause it hurt deep in the center like it did.

Thanks briggs. And I have to burn, guess it's better you than any others.

She was still aching and she knew this wasn't good. And that boy she'd have to watch him, he might try adn take a bit out of her. Crazy god awful child.

<3 good to fade!

colt hated to hear her pain, hated it for her as well as himself. he held her against his hard bulk and looked after marston, then back down the plains.
"all right, sadey. let's get yew back t'camp."
and then, and then — he would go after the boy. 
there was a lesson to learn and colt was a perfect teacher.