Fire Down the Valley Ch. 02

Long before Ilesh finished, he had dragged a shivering Cal out into the water and under the waterfall and fucked him standing in the water, with Cal plastered to his pelvis.

In the makeshift camp, with both of them drinking the coffee Ilesh had brewed and Cal checking the saddle bags that he had repacked with his camping equipment, Cal spoke first after a long period of silence, during which both were thinking about how long they'd have to wait before another meeting and how dangerous such meetings now were becoming. "I guess this is good-bye for now," he said. "I think it's too dangerous to meet again for a while."

"I will follow you farther on your journey today. And, as for the future. If you need help, just come to the mill camp."

"You can't stay near the mill camp, Ilesh. It is too close to those who would do you harm."

"If you need help, just come to the mill camp. Continue on through and come up the same path from the logging track that you did yesterday."

"And it's too dangerous for you to follow me farther toward Hayden, too," Cal continued. "The cattle ranchers have men out. I might not be shot on sight. You most certainly would be."

"Then go in peace, little campmate," Ilesh said. He rose and melted into the forest with no more of a farewell than that.

With a sigh, Cal started off along the mountain slope toward the south. Dark was already approaching when he started to descend, at an angle, the slope to the plain leading to the banks of the Yampa River and, across that, the lights of the growing little town of Hayden. He made sure he went well past where the southern mouth of the Slater Creek valley was located before coming down on the plain. Once on flat land, the ranch hands of the Double O cattle ranch he had to cross to get to the river wouldn't readily identify him as with the sheep people rather than the cattlemen.

Unbeknownst to him, however, Ilesh didn't stop shadowing him after he had started off from his makeshift camp, but followed him almost the entire way as Cal descended toward the plain just north of the Yampa River. Cal heard the rifle shot behind him as he reached the plain, but there was only the single shot and it was at a good distance behind him. He had no reason to think that it had anything to do with him or anyone he loved.