Alpha of Smoke

abe

h as we slowly make our way across the prairie. From time to time, we'll pass by a small to

agine. We're so far away from everything I've ever known, and in front of us sits a

ver we get to a part of the journey that is a bit more dangerous. I tried arguin' with him about it the first time he tried t

he river?" Alice asks Ma f

nce–the cattle that is, not my kin–but I can't see them because we're in a stretch with lots of trees. This is what Sanders calls a more dang

sighs and flips the doll s

from her brow on the back of he

try to see any sign of the river in the distanc

e cuts from previous wagon trains, so I can really only see the folks in front of us and behind us.

out with Pa and Joseph,"

o.

e ain't nothin' goin' on

hen you're out there with t

er or of a rogue sneakin' up on me while I'm out there. She don't like the way Andy and Bill look a

we get to the river."

ves the horses a little nudge with the re

she lets out a stream of hot

like your broth

's been sleepin' so much lately, he'll leave Tennessee and wake up

Go in the back and shift. Don't ruin that dress, and

hat she said, careful not to wake Robert, but then, drop

run right at the horses behind us because I don't wanna spook them, but once I'm in the trees

n' a long while today, since we started before the sun was up, and it's clear they're

ows ahead of me. I'm about to round them up and move 'e

. Musty. Laced with wood smoke and earth. Swea

about twice my size. He's way older than me, with tu

I just found a rog