Clouding: Day 6

Word Count: 36,103

Summary of Events:

Asher, after some trouble, found tracks leading away from the rocks showing where the person who'd been there before him had gone. Theresa and her mother discussed how her mother could possibly be at peace with everything that had happened. Asher followed the tracks and found a creek, where he watered himself and his horse before watching the approach of a group of some thirty men, led by Deputy Bartholomew Peck of Tucson . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Peck reined his horse in despite the horse's head-tossing protests — which stopped upon the horse's notice of Nizhoni; they reached noses close together for a few moments before Nizhoni pinned her ears back and squealed, prompting him and Peck to both check their horses.

"This is a surprise," Peck said.

"Not really," he replied.

Peck raised his light eyebrows up to nearly disappear into his hat. "Does nothing surprise the Hunter?"

"Not really," he replied.

"You're not surprised that you were going to get caught eventually?" Peck asked.

"Caught?" he asked.

"Now you're going to play dumb are you?" Peck asked.

"No," he replied. "I'm going to be genuinely confused and lack understanding as to what you're talking about."

"I don't think you really are," Peck said. "You know where Jeremy Rose is."

He surveyed the group. He identified two men — one looking more about his age, the other looking much younger — as looking like Jeremy Rose, but neither was him; Jeremy was older.

"Not seeing him here, I would presume some sort of ill has befallen the man," he replied.

"Jeremy Rose is dead," Peck replied. "In fact, he and a family of eleven, down to the little one-year-old girl are dead."

"By whose hand?" he asked, astonished.

Peck smirked. "Really?"

"Answer my question," he replied, annoyed. He didn't like what Peck was playing at.

"Yours," Peck replied.

"Not on your life," he replied.

"Yes," Peck replied. "You, Asher . . . the Hunter, because apparently you are devoid of a surname, are under arrest for the murder of Jeremy Rose and the entire Hanington family."

He swore. "That's complete and utter lies. I have done nothing. I would not harm children, and I would not shoot a lawman."

"Even if you were caught rustling cattle?" Peck asked.

"Do I look like I have the means to rustle cattle?" he asked.

"You're without your saddle," Peck replied. "Hiding evidence."

"I guess I am surprised," he said.

"Oh, and what surprises you?" Peck asked.

"The fact that I would be accused of murder by the deputy of the esteemed Jeremy Rose, of all people," he replied. "Jeremy was all about evidence, about facts, about proving things in a court of law. He didn't just nab the first person he found, he wanted to nab the right one. If he were here I could give him some valuable information about who he might actually be looking for."

"We'll see about that," Peck said. "You're coming with us."

"No," he replied. "I am innocent, regardless of whether you like me or that fact or not."

Peck snaked his hand out, an open cuff held in it, ready to close around Asher's wrist.

"Ha!" he shouted, driving his spurs into Nizhoni's sides, seizing fistfuls of mane in both hands.

Immediately she took off at top speed, heading northward along the creek before he pulled her north-northwest and toward the mountains.

Pronunciation:

Nizhoni: nihzhohknee