Only 06 - Winter Fire

disturbed by her silent withdrawal from his side. A moment later small sounds came as she curled up a few feet away. Soon her breathing slowed and deepened.
    Wonder how many times she has gotten up all through the night to check on some hurt creature? he thought.
    The thought of her padding barefoot across the cold dirt floor to check on him bothered Case.
    No need for that. I’m fine. Hasn’t she ever heard of letting sleeping dogs lie?
    An owl called from behind the cabin.
    Case came out from under the blankets in a single, silent rush. One hand closed around his shotgun, which was propped against the wall. The weight of the weapon told him that it was fully loaded.
    When he cocked the shotgun, both Sarah and Conner woke up.
    â€œWhat’s go—” Conner asked.
    â€œQuiet,” Case interrupted.
    Though his voice was very low, Conner shut up instantly.
    â€œAn owl called out back,” Case said softly.
    â€œSo?” Conner whispered. “We have lots of owls around here.”
    â€œNever heard one sound like that. Do you have your shotgun?”
    â€œRight in my hands.”
    â€œGood. Guard Sarah.”
    â€œI can guard myself,” she said in a low voice.
    As though to prove her point, she cocked the shotgun she was holding.
    â€œStay here anyway,” Case said.
    â€œBut—” Conner began.
    â€œLess people moving around out there,” he said over the boy’s objection, “less chance we’ll shoot one another by mistake. Stay put.”
    â€œDo as he says,” Sarah said to her brother.
    â€œWho’s on the rim now?” Case asked.
    â€œUte,” Conner said.
    â€œGood. None of the Culpeppers are built like Lola. Even in the dark, I’d know not to shoot her.”
    Conner laughed quietly.
    Case knelt and looked out the back of the cabin through one of the many chinks between the ill-fitting planks. The light outside was as thin as the moon itself. A river of stars cascaded silently overhead, throwing off an eerie radiance.
    No shadows moved. No brush stirred. No pebbles rattled in the stillness. No birds called sleepily, disturbed by the passage of man. Not even a coyote sang to the darkness.
    Quickly Case dressed. The black wool pants and shirt he put on made him dissolve into the darkness. Instead of boots, he wore knee-high moccasins. In addition to his belt gun, he strapped on a knife whose blade was eight inches long. He hung the shotgun by its leather sling across his left shoulder and down his right side, handy but not in the way.
    â€œDon’t shoot unless you know who it is,” Case said. “I’ll call like a hawk before I come in.”
    â€œCase,” Sarah whispered.
    Unerringly he turned toward her, though she was no more than a faint blur in the darkness.
    â€œYes?” he asked softly.
    â€œI…Be careful.”
    â€œDon’t worry. I did a lot of this sort of thing during the war. If I were a careless kind of man, I’d be dead.”
    â€œLet me guard your back,” Conner said.
    Case turned toward the darkness where the boy waited, a shotgun in his hands.
    Sarah hasn’t spoiled her brother too much , Case thought. He’s man-sized in more than his rawboned body .
    â€œYou can help me most by not talking or moving around in here,” he said. “I’m going to be listening outside. If there’s shooting, keep your sister in the cabin if you have to sit on her. Hear me?”
    â€œI don’t like it, but I hear you.”
    Sarah muttered something neither male bothered to acknowledge.
    The door creaked as Case opened it and slipped out into the darkness. He closed the door behind him and stood motionless with his back to the cabin, listening to the night with his ears and other, far more subtle senses.
    The lack of sound was overwhelming, silent eternity flowing overhead like the stars, but in darkness rather than light. There was an icy stillness to the air that told of time and distance and the slowly deepening grip of winter.
    The quiet was absolute.
    Somebody is out there , he thought. No night is this quiet unless men are sneaking around .
    Crouching, he went to the corner of the cabin and peered around it. There were no human shadows prowling about on that side. He ghosted down the side of the cabin, crouched again, and listened.
    Silence.
    Counting seconds in his mind, Case waited.
    More than four minutes went by.
    While he waited, tiny sounds