Blood Red Road

the scenery. He glares at me an I glare right back. We bin snappin an snipin at each other ever since the Wrecker city.
    Them mountains look awful big, says Emmi.
    They’re called the Devil’s Teeth, says Jack. Look. About halfways up. D’you see it? That’s the One-Eyed Man. That’s where we’re headed. That’s the plan.
    He points out a buildin that clings to the side of the mountain. I probly wouldn’t of noticed it otherwise. It’s made of the same dark stone as the mountain. It’s long an low, set well back into the rocks. A narrow white track zigzags to it from the gorge below. Smoke trickles out from a crooked chimley.
    What’s the One-Eyed Man? says Emmi.
    A tavern, says Jack.
    Epona frowns. She says, An we’re goin there because …
     … you’d like a drink? says Ash.
    Jack shakes his head. The landlord’s a friend of mine, he says. Ike Twelvetrees. He’s a good pair of hands. Dependable. Jest the man fer this kinda thing.
    I stare at him. Oh no, I says, no way. You ain’t askin him to come with us.
    Yer right, he says. I ain’t gonna ask him, I’m gonna tell him.
    An you an this … this …
    Ike, says Jack.
    This Ike, I says, the two of you’s such good friends that he’s gonna drop everythin an come with us jest because you tell him to.
    That’s right, he says. You got a problem with that? He gives me a fierce look, like it might put me off.
    Yeah, I says, I do as a matter of fact. An I also got a problem with you tellin us this is th’only way to Freedom Fields. I think yer takin us this way because you wanna see yer friend Ike.
    This ain’t no social call, Saba, he says.
    Oh, so you ain’t denyin it!
    Look, d’you wanna find yer brother or not?
    Of course I do!
    Then shut up an mind yer footin on this slope, he says. I’ll go first.
    Jack an Ash an Epona go first. They disappear over the edge of the escarpment as their horses start to pick their way carefully down the slope.
    All right, Em, I says. You go now. Nice an slow. Give Joy her head.
    The earth’s dry, pebbly an loose. Hermes moves along sure-footed, but fer some reason Joy’s playin up skittish. Em’s havin trouble controllin her.
    Whoa! I pull Hermes up, jump down an pick my way over to her. You better git off, I says. We’ll let Joy go down on her own.
    I’ve jest lifted Emmi offa Joy’s back when Ash calls out.
    Wind’s changin direction!
    Epona points at the sky. Thunderheads! she shouts.
    A great towerin bank of brown clouds come rollin at us from the northeast. They’re movin hellish fast. Lightnin forks down. I count. One Missus Ippi, two Miss—thunder rumbles. It’ll be on top of us any moment.
    Those are rain clouds! Jack shouts. Hurry up!
    I go to take Emmi by the hand but she’s gone. She’s already headed down the slope on foot, holdin Joy’s rope in her hand. Joy whinnies nervously, shyin an pullin back. Her feet’s slippin in the loose earth.
    I start after ’em.
    Emmi! I call. Let Joy go!
    Jest as I say it, Emmi tugs too hard. The pony throws her head back an rips the rope outta her hands.
    Joy pulls herself the few feet up the slope an gallops off, back the way we jest come from.
    At that moment, the clouds crack open.

    Rain pours down on top of us in sheets. In seconds, we’re drenched through to the skin.
    You idiot, Emmi, I says. I said to let Joy find her own way down. Why cain’t you jest do what I tell you fer once?
    Saba! Jack’s voice. Muffled by the rain. Git offa that slope now!
    Don’t tell me what to do! I yell back.
    I throw Em onto Hermes’ back an lead him down. The ground’s turnin to mud unner our feet.
    You took yer sweet time, says Jack when we git to the bottom.
    Don’t start with me, Jack, I says. The pony’s gone. Bolted fer home.
    That’s jest great, he says. The river’s started to run. If the rain keeps up like this, we could git a flash flood. We gotta git across before we’re trapped in the gorge.
    We start towards the river’s edge but as I lead Hermes, I feel him limp badly. His left back foot.
    Jack! I shout. There’s somethin wrong with Hermes!!
    Okay! I’ll take Emmi across! he calls.
    I run around an lift Hermes’ hoof. He’s picked up a nasty thorn—must of bin when we passed by them hotprickle bushes—an it’s worked its way in. I lever it out with my knife.
    There you go, I says. That should do it.
    Him an me’s headed fer the river when somethin makes me pause. I frown. I feel … I know there’s somethin not quite