Chapter 24 CHAPTER 24
"Why did you save us?" Imara asked.
"Is it not the right thing to do?" I asked with a smile. Imara shook her head.
"We are rouges you should have left us for dead." She said closing her eyes.
"Rest Imara, we will head for home tomorrow." I said. I got down from the wagon and went to the fire. Sam handed me a cup of coffee.
"Why did you tell her that? We barely have enough for the ones at home and you want to bring these rouges home." He said looking at me like I was crazy.
"They needed our help and we will need theirs if they leave after they are healed before we get home then we did some good. They will never be able to leave once we are home. Who will miss them a bunch of carnage we pulled them from. Come on lets take care of the horses and bed down for the night. Maybe we will find that redhead you took the picture of and made that wanted poster.
"I still don't feel right about that." Sam said.
"Don't start getting a guilty conscious on me now. It is a little late for that." I told him.
He grumbled and went to feed the horses. I laughed. I went to find Zara.
"What's up Hal?" She asked seeing me head her way.
"How many do you think will make the trip?" I asked her.
"Four for sure. One is not in the best of shape I will be surprised if he makes it two days." She told me.
"Keep them out as much as possible. We will see what else we can pick up on the way back." I told her.
"Did you get any calls on that poster yet?" She asked. I rubbed her tired shoulders.
"Not yet love. But we will. The right one will want that money." I told her. I patted her bottom and told her to come to sleep soon.
She waved me off as she prepared the cringes to put them all in a deep sleep.
I pulled out my phone and looked at it. One missed call. I looked at the time and decided to call it back tomorrow. They had not left a message.
A year later.
RAVEN'S POV
We had been camped for two days. I was tired but I needed to rest. The guys made us a nice shelter, and we were close to water. There was plenty of food for everyone. Roman came and sat down beside me handing me a cup of coffee.
"How long we going to stay here, Raven?" He asked.
"A few days, I need to rest. We are getting close I can feel it." I told him.
"It will be nice to see your home. But sad to part ways. You have become like a daughter to me." Roman said almost in tears.
"I love you too, Roman. I would have never made it this far had you not found me and brought me. I will always consider you my family." I kissed his cheek and went and sat by the water braiding some of the little hair I had to braid. I braided it for Roman, Kyle and Nigel. That they would find love and true happiness soon and settle in one place for the rest of their lives. When I was done I checked my bags I had everything packed and ready. Tomorrow night while they slept I would part ways with them they could come no further with me. The rest of the way was for Spirit and I alone. I took out the three envelopes I had. One for each of them a letter of thank you and drawings of them from my pencil. I placed them on the very top of my bag so I could easily slip them out before I left.
"Raven, I found something for you." Nigel called. I went out of the shelter to see him. He smiled and handed me a shiny red apple. Then pulled a bag from his back. It was full of apples. I laughed.
"There is an apple orchard two miles from here. Good thing I had this bag on me. I'm sure they will not miss a few." He said. Putting the apples with our other supplies I sat down beside them and watch the fire and ate my apple.
"I will miss you spoiling me Nigel with the wonderful treats you find." I told him.
I will miss you to pumpkin. He said.
"How are you hiking boots holding up?" Roman asked.
"No complaints here," I said.
"You never complain, Raven even in the worst rainstorm in history you are always smiling." Kyle said.
"I'm always smiling because I have had the three best protectors bring me all this way."
I told him. I shared my drawing with them now when I did them most of the time. They all wondered about the man I drew. Three days ago, when my pencil drew him he was laying in a bed he did not look well. I didn't understood who he was or why I drew him or my pencil drew him. I had not shown them the picture I drew of him today, yet he look so sad. He stood at a window holding something in his hand his eyes look distant. What was it he was waiting for that made him so sad. Was it making him ill? Was he going to die? Why was I haunted by his images from my pencil. Now that I was closer the dream of the man in the field came almost every night but still I could not see his face. The next day went by to quickly I sat and listened to them tell stories of when they were younger. How each of them ended up a rouge. Their stories were sad how they became rouge it made my heart hurt more for each of them. I was so going to miss them. Finally, I said goodnight to each of them and went to lay down. I had everything by the door their envelopes ready to put on their bags. I waited it did not take long before each of them was sleeping soundly. I quietly got up placed their envelopes beside them. Took one last look and headed in the direction my heart was telling me to go.