The cave was larger than Daniel had noticed previously. Without light, he�d never explored, just waited out the rain anytime he�d gotten caught in a downpour. A slight bend in the cavern made a natural room, with a doorway of sorts. Rats ran away, startled by the light. He moved cautiously throughout the cave, but there wasn�t any other life. He sighed with relief. Now he could go to the cabin for the last time. Get the few timeworn utensils that had served him since his father had disappeared. He was certain his father was dead. He�d never have left him alone otherwise. He had never gone back to the place where he�d first seen the wolf. If he had, perhaps he would have found his father�s body... but at the time he was too terrified and now he just wouldn�t chance it. He had no certain means to defend against wolves and he didn�t want the stallion to suffer again because of him.

He started back toward the cabin, deep in thought.

He hoped he was making the right decision by moving to the cave. The wolves had never come to the cabin�

Then he remembered the old lady. Short, curly gray hair. He�d met her at one of the lower berry patches. She�d been quite friendly. Her smile had been almost as beautiful as the loaf of bread she had given him for helping her carry her buckets back.

He had marveled at how far she had come alone. When he asked her if it was wise, she had just laughed.

He�d smiled brightly. Her laugh was so light, so carefree. Like the sun dancing on the ripples of the mountain lake.

�Land�s sake, boy. I�m in no danger up there. We mothers have to stick together. She wouldn�t let anything hurt me. I�m too old and ornery anyway.

�What�s your name, boy?� she had asked.

Before he could answer though, a red-haired man on a large, red horse had ridden up, shouting angrily.

The man had scared Daniel so badly he ran back the way they had come.

�Neils! Stop that this instant! Don�t you dare�� was the last he had heard.

That had been what, two years ago? No, three. Almost. He�d gone back last year, hoping to meet her again, but the red haired man had been there with a dog that looked so much like a wolf that Daniel had been afraid to approach her for fear the animal might attack.

He sighed and looked around the cabin. Or what was left of it. So many memories. He picked the pot up off the hearth he hadn�t used in ages for fear of setting the cabin on fire. He had his father�s spare hunting knife, which was beginning to show it�s age, a cooking pan, and a few sturdy dishes, and eating utensils. He also put the coil of rope over his shoulder so he could make his hunting snares.

Why hadn�t he left? Gone somewhere else? �Because Dad said this land was ours� and I never wanted to admit that he wouldn�t come back to me� besides, what could I have done? A child alone? No money. Nothing. I have more here, even if I�m alone.�

With one last, sad look and a sigh, he turned and headed back toward the cave, shivering as an icy blast of wind cut through his thin clothing.

�I�ll have to lay in some serious firewood.�

It wasn�t the first time he�d wished his father had left the axe, but if he had left it, he wouldn�t have brought back any wood. The irony was, of course, that he hadn�t brought back any wood.

Daniel sighed again, and began collecting wood on his way back to his new home.

It took Darren the better part of an hour to locate the cabin, such as it was. He frowned when he found it. The roof had partly fallen in. The chimney had collapsed, and the door hung by one rusty hinge. He studied the ground as he rode up. It looked like someone had been here recently. He dismounted carefully and cautiously entered the decrepit building.

The first thing he noted was a lack of dust on many of the surfaces. The second thing he noticed were the unshod hoof prints on the hard dirt of the floor. If the horse was unshod, it wasn�t one of his missing mares, but he needed to find out just what the prints indicated. Taking one last look around the building that had given him more questions than answers, he went back outside, picked up the reins of his mount, and began following the tracks that lead further northwest.

Daniel sat for a bit beside the small fire, feeling warmth for the first time since he�d awakened. He had managed to bring most of what he�d banked earlier, using the pans he�d brought with him. He�d very nearly scorched his hands. He chuckled to himself and his mouth twisted wryly. If this fire would burn continuously, he�d never leave the cave. His stomach rumbled again. �Except for that...�

He sighed, banked the fire as well as he could, then tried to decide what he wanted for his first, and possibly only, meal that day. �Well, I have that trap to check. And if that�s empty, I guess I should try the lake. The end by the warm spring should still be open.�

That decided, he stood up and pulled his clothes around him as best he could. �One good thing about the cold. I can set several traps and the cold will keep the meat fresh. Just so I stay thawed enough to eat it.�

He kept his eyes open for a properly shaped stick that he could finish to make a new fishing spear. He wasn�t eager to use his hands in this cold. That wouldn�t be good. At least he had a small amount of wood stockpiled. If he needed a bigger fire, he could make one pretty quickly.

He trudged out to where he�d set the trap. It was a bit of a walk. Up a rocky rise, around a rocky outcropping, and down into a small valley. Daniel shivered when he found his trap. He suddenly felt very vulnerable. Whatever he�d caught had been torn to pieces. All that was left was blood and some stray bits of bloody fur. Wolves would eat everything when prey was scarce. Shivering again, he didn�t bother to reset the trap as he headed back toward the cave. He didn�t know how much longer he could stay now; the wolves were going to be a serious threat this winter. Perhaps even at the cave.

�Jonas, have you seen my brother recently?� Peter slapped his riding gloves on his jeans, trying to knock some of the dust off. Seemed like it was always dry enough for dust.

�Hasn�t come back from his search for that cabin yet, Mr. Hayes.�

�Hmm.� Peter turned to face the direction Darren had ridden off, his eyes searching the forested and rocky terrain. �Where are you, little brother? I�ll give you another hour. Then we come looking for you.�

As Daniel picked his way back up a slope of loose gravel, the stallion appeared above him, nickering and tossing its head. Daniel wondered what was wrong as he reached the summit.

�What is it, fella? Your mares in trouble?�

The stallion neighed and shook its head, prancing nervously.

�There�s trouble though, isn�t there?�

It tossed its head again, and then turned sideways.

�Y-you want me to get on?�

Again it nodded.

�B-but I-I��

The stallion whinnied and gently tugged on his ragged sleeve.

Taking a deep breath and grabbing a fist-full of mane, Daniel threw himself up onto the back of the stallion. He barely had time to grab hold with both hands before the horse wheeled and lunged off.

Daniel had never ridden a horse, and he�d never moved so fast. The cold numbed his hands and he feared he�d fall. In the time it had taken him to get to the trap from the cave, the stallion had taken him back in the direction of the cabin then off in the direction he hadn�t gone since that fateful morning. He did manage to notice that there seemed to be a well-worn trail here. Perhaps the stallion traveled this way often? He didn�t have long to ponder as he heard the deep-throated growls, yips, and barks. Sweat formed on his brow in spite of the cold. Why was the stallion bringing him here? His question was answered as they rounded a bend. A man on a horse was up ahead. Not the red-haired man. This man was blond and he had been badly injured. Daniel didn�t know how many wolves surrounded the man and his horse. There was a rocky outcropping to his left, the entrance to a cave barely discernable. He started yelling as they approached, his hands tightening reflexively as the stallion began to battle the wolves.

The blond on the horse seemed dazed. Blood ran from his leg, arm, and back as he did his best to stay on his horse. Many of the wolves ran, but one leaped and tore at the throat of the horse. The shriek vibrated through Daniel�s body. He drew his knife and rolled off the stallion as the horse went down. The stallion lunged again, driving back the wolf that had delivered the death blow. Daniel scrambled to pull the injured man from the heart of the battle.

The blond had managed to throw himself clear of his horse as it fell, but he lay where he had landed. Daniel grabbed the man�s arms and pulled, dragging him away from the battle. The stallion flashed like lightening in the cloud-filtered sunlight, hooves and teeth did damage wherever they landed.

Daniel realized he wouldn�t be able to get the man away by dragging him. He put his knife away, took a deep breath and steadied the limp form as best he could before pulling the man over his shoulder. He swayed a moment when he stood, unaccustomed to the weight, then began to move back up the rough trail. His heart pounded. He looked back a moment and saw the wolves viciously tearing at the fallen horse. The stallion followed closely, discouraging any wolves that thought his slower movements meant easy prey.

By the time Daniel got the man back to his cave, he was nearing the limits of his endurance. He sagged against the entrance to the cave. A weak moan reminded him the man still needed help. He stumbled into the cave, barely managing to lower the man gently, before falling to his knees beside the stranger. He crawled to the fire and stirred it, bringing a bit more light to the cave. Then he turned to look at the man he had rescued.

He sucked his breath in. The man was� beautiful. He appeared to be unconscious, yet his face mirrored the pain of his body. Daniel checked the injuries he could see. The man�s right arm had been gashed from elbow to wrist, his right leg along the thigh.

�The wolves probably tried to pull him off his horse. This is too much. I can�t do this by myself.� He took off his outer shirt, and then took off the man�s torn coat. He wrapped his shirt as well as he could around the man�s arm, using the sleeves to tie it as tight as he could. The leg wound oozed. As much blood as the man had lost, he was still alive, so Daniel figured nothing critical had been damaged. Using his knife he cut the coat into strips to bind the leg wound. He sat back, took a deep breath, and tried to collect his thoughts. Wiping the back of his hand across his forehead, he closed his eyes. �What should I do?�

The stallion nudged him with its nose, jostling him.

He managed a small smile and rubbed his cheek against the soft muzzle. �He�s likely to bleed to death if I can�t get him to someone who can help him.� Daniel explained. Fortunately the cold kept the blood flow sluggish. The fire didn�t provide enough warmth to make heat a danger. Still. Daniel could barely care for himself. He couldn�t help this man more than he had. And he didn�t want that to have been in vain.

Gently he ran the back of his cold fingers along the man�s cheek, another smile curling the corners of his lips. His cheeks were soft, but there was a rough stubble just beginning on his jaw.

The stallion nudged him again and his tired mind realized that perhaps it was trying to tell him something. �It�s not safe here, is it? With the cold, they are going to come lower, aren�t they?� The stallion nodded, seeming to understand him, as always. �Instead of a home, this will be a prison� or my grave��

The stallion pawed the hard floor of the cave, turned toward the door, then back again, moving to stand beside the unconscious man.

�I can barely ride you myself. How can he?� Daniel frowned. He knew he couldn�t move the man further on his own. He closed his eyes again, then stood up and took a deep breath. It surprised him when the stallion lowered itself to the floor of the cave. That would certainly make it easier to get the unconscious man on his back. Daniel moved in a slight daze. He had exerted himself more today than he had in a long time, and he could feel it in every muscle and joint. He managed to get the limp body across the stallion�s broad back, falling over it himself. It took a moment for him to swing himself around, grasp hold of the mane with one hand, and the man with his other.

The stallion stood carefully, but even still, Daniel nearly lost his seat. He shifted again and soon the sound of the animal�s hooves echoed off the walls as it left the cave.

Duggan had kept each team in camp as the men returned. Peter was getting them ready to go out on search when Duggan grabbed his shoulder and pointed. Peter looked in the direction indicated. A golden horse, striking even in its winter coat, stood looking down at them. It was near the top of the trail his brother had ridden up earlier. It reared, pawing the air.

�Tallest Palomino I�ve ever seen. What a horse!� Peter thought he saw something slide from its back. Then it turned and disappeared into the forest.

He and the men mounted and rode toward where the horse had been. A young man was struggling to stand. He looked quite thin. �Malnourished? Certainly scraggly in those scraps.� It was then that Peter noticed an unconscious form at the young man�s feet. The strange boy�that was how Peter thought of him�held out a hand. �In supplication?�

�Please� he n-needs h-help.� Daniel�s teeth chattered and he shivered in the cold. He could hardly speak coherently. He was afraid of the men approaching him. They didn�t seem friendly. He took a step back, careful of the body beside him, and drew his knife. Why had the stallion brought them here?

The riders pulled to a stop, forming a line across the well-worn lower path. One man dismounted and slowly walked up to him. Daniel turned toward him, his knife held ready for defense if needed. A sharp report sounded, Daniel was spun by the impact and cried out. He dropped his knife and fell to the ground clutching his shoulder as blood blossomed.

�Duggan!� Peter ordered.

�Sorry, Mr. Hayes.� Duggan replied as he and two other men dismounted. �Frank got nervous.�

�There was no need to shoot him, he�s just scared!� He frowned at the men and then dropped to one knee as he turned over the prone body. �Shit!� He cursed. �Darren, Darren�� He slapped his brother�s face gently, trying to rouse him. Then he took note of the bloody bindings. �Someone get Darren down to Jonas. Quickly! I need another man to ride to town and get Doc Stevens. Move!� He yelled nervously.

He listened to Duggan�s voice behind him as he went over to the injured boy.

Daniel tried to scurry away, but the heels of his worn boots found no purchase on the hard ground and he was too weak to do more.

�Look, I�m sorry my man shot you. Let me look at that.�

Daniel stared, wide-eyed.

�Please?�

Daniel nodded. Still saying nothing.

The man�s hands were gentle as he peeled back the thin cloth of Daniel�s shirt and probed the wound.

�It looks clean. Bullet went through. I don�t think it damaged anything critical. I think you�ll be okay. Come on.�

The man easily pulled Daniel to his feet. �I�ll get Doc Stevens to look at you, too. What happened to my brother?�

Daniel stared at the man. His head was beginning to spin. Between hunger, exertion, and now the shock of the wound, he wasn�t sure he understood the man.

The man stared at him a moment, then pulled his good arm around his shoulder.

�Don�t worry,� he said. �We�ll talk later.�

The man stopped beside a horse, and placed his good hand on the saddle horn. He gripped it and then the man was helping him mount. Darkness swam in front of his eyes as the man mounted behind him and put an arm around his waist to help steady him. Pain shot through his injured shoulder from the bouncing of the horse and if he had eaten that day, he was sure he�d have thrown up.

In moments they were at the camp. As Peter dismounted he looked up, saw the boy�s eyes roll back in his head and barely managed to catch him as he slid bonelessly from the saddle.