Dawnlark Plains you want some more blood on you

soon as they'd come back to camp, colt had ignored marston for the time being and gone right to sadey, assuring himself she still breathed. a wood pigeon, caught on luck, was hers entire.
leaving her in the care of lonesome dove, he exchanged a look with @Reno and eased deeper out from camp, into the long shadows of full night.
"sadey ain't gettin' any better. can't hardly stand now."
they both knew what it meant. emotion stood raw in colt's voice.

The golden figure walked alongside Colt, thinking over his words. 

Sadey was in bad shape. She’d had it worse than Briggs and it hadn’t gotten any easier for her. Reno didn’t like it any better than the red-eyed man. He also didn’t know what they might do. 

We ain’t got a medic. No way to know what’s wrong with her… how to fix it. 

Reno frowned and breathed a great sigh through his nose. 

I could go to Amalia. Ask her if she’s got medic folks in the area. I dunno how much longer she’s got, Briggs.

"we gotta get her somewhere. kvarsheim, maybe."
colt was consumed with thoughts of sadey and contemplations of revenge. but he'd been selfish once. he wouldn't make that mistake again.
"lonesome's doin' her best, but — sadey needs somethin' deep. an' not to wander anymore."
she'd have to be taken somewhere for the winter. reno was right. but maybe going back the way they had come was a death sentence too.
"i'll take marston'n go over the mountains." colt spat. "i reckon someone who kin help could be found there just as well."

[

Sadey had eaten what she was given she didn't even have a lick of sass for ole Colt. Too tired.

She had gotten to her feet and toddled after the two men. It was better with food and rest. 

can't take me to kvarsheim. They're in cahoots wit. Dem big bastards that did this. They'll murder me in my sleep.

She shifted tiny body shuddering slightly. I just need rest. Ain't no medicine gonna heal me. My bone and skin and fur and all that needs to go back normal.

It seemed like Briggs had a good plan. He could take the mute over the mountain and look for a healer in their neck of the woods. They’d have better luck finding someone who didn’t want to tan their hides, that was certain. Reno just didn’t think that Colt had it in him to sweet talk someone into the dark folds of the wilds. Who’d follow that cuss anywhere?

Sadey intruded on their conversation. The dusty figure turned sharply toward her, narrowing his eyes.

Yer a damn fool, Sadey. Git yerself somewhere to rest.

Reno nudged her sharply with his snout. His ears were pointed. The expression on his face suggested that he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

You and this idgit both push yerselves too damn hard. He’s lucky he ain’t in the same state as yer in.

course she was there in an instant, jawing away.
but this time colt had no humour for her. reno spoke for them both, the rogue backing the cowboy with a harsh stare of his own.
"lie down afore yew keel over, sadey walker," he ordered in a rough voice. "i ain't losin' no more folks. yew die cuz of yer own stupidity, i'll find a witch-woman quick as a whip an' bring you back."

She glared at them both. She was their topic of conversation and she had every right to be included in it.

A fool is as a fool does. I'll rest when I'm dead. she grumbled.

She wasn't used to Colt Briggs being so demanding. Oh him and her, they had spats, long drawn out fights. With both their ire they'd burn the sheets, but there was something feral in the way they fought. Nothing good about it, but this here this was different. It wasn't the usual.

She narrowed her eyes at him. You mess my ass up with hoodoo Colt Briggs. I'll tear your ass up.

Where I'm gonna lay. Your boy be slinking around makes me nervous. Kvarsheim and some other pack river clan or something joind up with those big black bastards stole your redd and marred up my pretty face and hide.

Yer gonna be dead in a minute if ya don’t shut yer yap an’ move to lay down.

Reno didn’t have a lick of patience for that independent bullshit. She’d have no leg to stand on if she kept marching around until she’d killed over. Briggs had gotten stronger. Sadey had only gotten weaker in their short travels. How much more would she take, realistically? They couldn’t expect her to trek across frozen wastelands in hopes of finding something better.

Yer barkin’ about shit that don’t matter, Sadey. What’s it hurtin’ ya? That boy ain’t doin’ nothin’ but keepin’ an eye on ya. Makin’ sure ya don’t kill yerself actin’ like ya ain’t got nothin’ to fear.

Reno snorted at her. The fur along his neck bristled.

How’r we supposed to get Red back when yer takin’ yer sweet time gettin’ better?

The cowboy expected an answer. He stared pointedly at the injured woman.

reno rounded on sadey. colt approved. he stood glowering at the man's shoulder while he wrung miz walker out, and meanly so. she wouldn't listen to a rat's lick of wisdom in a good while. he sensed her defiance now was desperation.
"yew ever think we can't lose you too, sadey?" the rogue growled when reno had finished. "yer the only one here who knows us, both of us." she might as well be the damn glue holding the gang together half the time. "listen to what's best for yew. an' i already talked t'marston."
talked indeed.

Sadey bristled and growled at the two of them, but she didn't move to tell them off or argue. As hard as it was to admit, they were right in this moment in time. She wasn't hale and hearty. What would her jax think of her just laying up like this with out a way to move. She lifted her chin.

Fine.

She limped away from the two bastards, irritation in every line of her face. Though she also felt a soft glow for the two of them. CLosest thing to family she had was those two yayhoots and though they were twice as mean as they were nice. They were hers.