“I have to.”
Mara stared.
“You will die.”
“Maybe.”
“No.”
He looked at her.
“My brother waited.”
“What?”
“He waited for the right witness. Right judge. Right proof. Then Harrow found him first.”
Elias gathered the documents.
“I’m done waiting.”
Mara took the satchel.
“Then we go together.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“This isn’t your fight.”
Every person in the cabin stared at him.
Elias closed his eyes.
“That was possibly the stupidest thing I’ve said.”
Mara handed him the satchel.
“It is our land.”
“Yes.”
“Our water.”
“Yes.”
“Our records.”
“Yes.”
She looked at him.
“Say it correctly.”
Elias nodded.
“It is your fight.”
Mara’s expression softened a fraction.
“And yours.”
They left before dawn.
Not alone.
Mara rode beside Elias.
Samuel came too.
So did Peter and an elderly Mexican rancher named Tomás Álvarez who had arrived during the night after Rose sent word.
Elias knew Álvarez.
His family once controlled a spring Harrow now claimed.
“You too?”
Tomás smiled without humor.
“You thought Harrow stole only from Apache?”
Elias shook his head.
“No.”
“I did.”
Tomás nodded.
“That is why he succeeded.”
The sentence stayed with Elias.
Harrow did not need everyone powerless.
Only separated.
Apache families believed Mexican settlers helped take their water.
Mexican ranchers believed Apache raids caused their losses.
Small white ranchers blamed both whenever cattle disappeared.
Meanwhile Harrow purchased failed property from everyone.
Fear was profitable.
Division even more.
They traveled west, avoiding the main road.
By noon Elias could barely remain mounted.
Mara finally stopped them beneath a stand of cottonwoods.
“You rest.”
“We lose time.”
“You lose blood.”
“Again with the details.”
Mara stepped close to his horse.
“Get down.”
“I like it here.”
“I will pull you down.”
Elias studied her.
“You would.”
“Yes.”
He dismounted.
Poorly.
She caught him again.
This time he did not joke.
For several seconds he leaned against her.
Mara’s hand rested behind his shoulder.
Elias looked at her.
“You should hate me.”
She met his eyes.
“Sometimes.”
The honesty surprised him.
“Only sometimes?”
“You are irritating enough to distract me.”
He smiled.
Then became serious.
“My signature mattered.”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t mean for any of that to happen.”
“I know.”
“Does that matter?”
Mara looked toward the water.
“Yes.”
He waited.
“Not enough.”
Elias nodded.
“That seems fair.”
They sat beside the creek.
He asked:
“What happened after Red Willow?”
Mara took time before answering.
“We moved south.”
“To the reservation?”
“First.”
“And?”