saved us.” He kissed her head.
“Jazira, please could you bring me a knife?”
In the dark room she limped to the drawer and pulled it open. Carefully taking a knife in her mouth, she ran back to him, placing it in his hand.
In no time his feet were free and he stood. After lighting a lantern, he spoke. “Come here Jazira. I have to look at your foot.”
“It doesn’t hurt that bad.” She lifted her paw to his lap.
He examined the cut. “Good, no glass and it’s not that deep.”
After washing and bandaging the cut he looked at her. “Jazira, we don’t have any horses to go after them, but perhaps there is a way we can both go and at a faster pace.”
“What is it?”
“I have a sled. If you thought you could pull while I push, I think we’d catch up in no time.”
Ready to go, she ran to the door. “Let’s go. Hurry, Samuel.”
On his feet he grabbed a rifle, left the house and raced to the barn. Her head tilted when he pulled the sled out and into the snow. She sniffed it while he attached leather lines. Then he came out with a funny contraption.
“This is for you, Jazira. You’re larger than any dog, but I’ve made it as big as I can. You wear this and then I attach you to the sled. You pull and I’ll push with my feet. Do you think you can try?”
“Yes, let’s try.”
Samuel put her in the harness and she shook. It wasn’t the most comfortable thing in the world, but she’d do it for her new family and Quinn.
He attached her to the lead lines and readied himself. “Are you ready, Jazira?
She didn’t respond, just jolted forward running in the direction Quinn disappeared.
The weight of the sleigh was nothing. Her shoulder hurt from the exertion, but she continued to run using her nose to guide them.
Eventually, Samuel’s voice asked her to halt. “Why are we stopping?” she asked, looking over her shoulder.
He approached her and undid the lead. “You need to drink and rest a bit.” Samuel pulled out a cantina of water and put some in a bowl for her to drink. She did so gladly. Also from the pack he opened some jerky and shared a piece with her.
“Where do you think they are?”
Samuel chewed the jerky. “Probably just about to hit the switch backs. Jazira, when we get close I’m going to set you loose and I’ll catch them on foot. Perhaps you could cause a diversion?”
She nodded her head. “I’m ready to go again.”
He hooked her up and off they went.
How much time went by Jazira didn’t know. Her thoughts were on Quinn and Amanda, hoping they’d be okay.
Stopping for the last time, Samuel removed the harness. “Okay, let’s go . Jazira, be careful. They will shoot you again.”
“I understand,” she said and bolted down the path ahead of him.
It took her no time at all to catch them. She circled around the party with enough distance to not alert the horses. They were half way through the steep terrain.
She circled back toward Samuel who ran silently down the path.
“They’re just ahead,” she whispered to him.
He nodded and took a drink.
“Jazira, do you think you could distract them from up ahead while I sneak in behind them?”
“Yes, I think I can.” She trotted away from him.
Making a large sweep around the group, Jazira came down the path toward them. They wouldn’t see her until they stumbled upon her.
She crouched on the hill behind the trees and spied them. George came first with Amanda on his horse, followed by Quinn and one man. The last rider was alone.
Jazira sprang from the trees with a growl then darted back over the hill. The horses spooked, and Amanda fell from the horse to the ground.
“What the hell?” George yelled, trying to gain control of the horse.
She snuck up behind the last man, snapping and jumping at the horse’s feet. The frightened animal reared and bucked. The actions had the desired effect. The horses went crazy and finally Quinn also landed on the ground.
Silently, she watched Samuel slip in behind
“Jazira, please could you bring me a knife?”
In the dark room she limped to the drawer and pulled it open. Carefully taking a knife in her mouth, she ran back to him, placing it in his hand.
In no time his feet were free and he stood. After lighting a lantern, he spoke. “Come here Jazira. I have to look at your foot.”
“It doesn’t hurt that bad.” She lifted her paw to his lap.
He examined the cut. “Good, no glass and it’s not that deep.”
After washing and bandaging the cut he looked at her. “Jazira, we don’t have any horses to go after them, but perhaps there is a way we can both go and at a faster pace.”
“What is it?”
“I have a sled. If you thought you could pull while I push, I think we’d catch up in no time.”
Ready to go, she ran to the door. “Let’s go. Hurry, Samuel.”
On his feet he grabbed a rifle, left the house and raced to the barn. Her head tilted when he pulled the sled out and into the snow. She sniffed it while he attached leather lines. Then he came out with a funny contraption.
“This is for you, Jazira. You’re larger than any dog, but I’ve made it as big as I can. You wear this and then I attach you to the sled. You pull and I’ll push with my feet. Do you think you can try?”
“Yes, let’s try.”
Samuel put her in the harness and she shook. It wasn’t the most comfortable thing in the world, but she’d do it for her new family and Quinn.
He attached her to the lead lines and readied himself. “Are you ready, Jazira?
She didn’t respond, just jolted forward running in the direction Quinn disappeared.
The weight of the sleigh was nothing. Her shoulder hurt from the exertion, but she continued to run using her nose to guide them.
Eventually, Samuel’s voice asked her to halt. “Why are we stopping?” she asked, looking over her shoulder.
He approached her and undid the lead. “You need to drink and rest a bit.” Samuel pulled out a cantina of water and put some in a bowl for her to drink. She did so gladly. Also from the pack he opened some jerky and shared a piece with her.
“Where do you think they are?”
Samuel chewed the jerky. “Probably just about to hit the switch backs. Jazira, when we get close I’m going to set you loose and I’ll catch them on foot. Perhaps you could cause a diversion?”
She nodded her head. “I’m ready to go again.”
He hooked her up and off they went.
How much time went by Jazira didn’t know. Her thoughts were on Quinn and Amanda, hoping they’d be okay.
Stopping for the last time, Samuel removed the harness. “Okay, let’s go . Jazira, be careful. They will shoot you again.”
“I understand,” she said and bolted down the path ahead of him.
It took her no time at all to catch them. She circled around the party with enough distance to not alert the horses. They were half way through the steep terrain.
She circled back toward Samuel who ran silently down the path.
“They’re just ahead,” she whispered to him.
He nodded and took a drink.
“Jazira, do you think you could distract them from up ahead while I sneak in behind them?”
“Yes, I think I can.” She trotted away from him.
Making a large sweep around the group, Jazira came down the path toward them. They wouldn’t see her until they stumbled upon her.
She crouched on the hill behind the trees and spied them. George came first with Amanda on his horse, followed by Quinn and one man. The last rider was alone.
Jazira sprang from the trees with a growl then darted back over the hill. The horses spooked, and Amanda fell from the horse to the ground.
“What the hell?” George yelled, trying to gain control of the horse.
She snuck up behind the last man, snapping and jumping at the horse’s feet. The frightened animal reared and bucked. The actions had the desired effect. The horses went crazy and finally Quinn also landed on the ground.
Silently, she watched Samuel slip in behind
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