Of the two weary travelers, Beatrice was the first to notice a path cutting across the hard earth. The James brother stirred the wind wagon onto it for easier travel. The sun shown down but the brothers had pulled up a linen shade to block its rays though this didn't help much when it came to the heat.

Tennessee and Beatrice were relaxing along the hull when Cyril suddenly pulled the break sending them rolling. He hastened to lower the sails and told everyone to get down.

Tennessee peaked out the wagon and saw the reason they had stopped.

"What's happening?" Beatrice asked.

"Coach robbery," Tennessee said. "Just ahead." He watched as one of the white clad bandits snatched luggage down from the top of the coach and tear through it. Meanwhile his partner held the three hostages, the driver and two passengers, at sword point. "Aha." Tennessee said as he watched the bandit dig through a man's bag letting the clothes fly across the desert.

"What?" Beatrice asked.

"See how they leave the woman's bags?" Tennessee pointed out to the others. "They'll take them eventually but this robbery is for something else. Bullets." He pointed to the revolver at the waist of the bandits with the hostages.

"You can tell all that?" Cyril asked.

"I know this breed of people," Tennessee said. "And they don't usually leave their hostages behind." He drew his sword. "Let's use surprise to our advantage."

They waited until one of the bandits had stepped back into the coach then Tennessee gave the command to raise the sails and catch the next breeze. Old Mary surged forth and at first bandit was stunned. The hostages scattered as the wagon plowed into him knocking him to the side.

Cyril pulled the brake, letting the passengers duck behind the wagon for protection as the second Windstalker stepped out of the coach. The James brothers drew their rifles and Tennessee readied his sword.

"Good morning," he greeted the men. "Enjoying your daily plunder?"

"What do you want, EAK?" the second Windstalker demanded. "You're out of your jurisdiction."

"Justice has no jurisdiction," Tennessee said, his pin gleaming in the sun. "You let these people on their way."

The Windstalker twirled his sword. "Make me." With a loud yell he charged forward the blades clashed together. The hostage holder moved in to aid his partner but Captain James struck him with the butt of his rifle.

"Stay behind me!" Tennessee said as he fought blade to blade with the Windstalker. Beatrice spun out of the way as the flashing blade slipped by Tennessee who just barely dodging it. With a flip of his wrist Tennessee brought his blade around sideways and clubbed the bandit.

Beatrice trust their chained arm forward and caught his blade on the links sending the weapon spinning from his hand on his way down.

Determined to be defeated the Windstalker reached for his pistol.

In a flash Tennessee took Beatrice by both her wrist and swung her into the air.

Pointing her foot as she came around, Beatrice knocked the weapon from his hand disarming him completely.

Tennessee grabbed his blade and the Windstalkers held their hands up in surrender. "Now get out of here, both of you!" he ordered them.

The two robbers quickly scrambled and the coachman and his passengers cheered. Tennessee then gave them the sword from the battle to compensate for what they had lost. "You two all right?"

"Just fine," Captain James said. "Say you didn't tell me you could use a sword."

Tennessee sheathed his weapon as he searched the crime scene. "It's not something I brag about," he said.

"I think we made a good team," Beatrice said. "They way you brought that sword down on him, then he swung me around—"

"Nice kick," Tennessee said.

"We call them battements in ballet," Beatrice said.

As soon as the coach got underway Tennessee turned to the James brothers. "It would be best for you two if we detached ourselves from your party. You won't want me with you if those Windstalkers come back by." He went to the wagon and got their things.

Captain James removed his hat. "Well I thank you for your company," he said with a slight bow.

"And we thank you for your help!" Beatrice said. "You have an amazing machine."

Captain James laughed. "Did you hear that, Cyril? She called Old Mary amazing!"

"I hope you can get that chain off soon," Cyril said. He raised his head as a strong wind came over the sands. "This is us."

Captain James climbed aboard. "Take care young ones," he said as the winds swelled the sails. "Good sailing with you!"

Tennessee and Beatrice waved as the wind wagon rolled away across the desert. With a sigh Tennessee started forward and Beatrice followed.

"You seem very enthusiastic," Tennessee remarked as she walked at his side.

"Well each step takes us closer to our destination," Beatrice replied. "So why not walk there with a little more skip?"

Tennessee laughed and Beatrice joined him.

/

At the sound of hoof beats Philemon got up from the table and looked out the cold window. January and his men had returned. They entered the cabin letting in the cold wind from the forest.

"Well?" Philemon asked as January flipped back his hood.

January smiled. "Good news," he said. "We found your girl."

"Where is she?" Philemon asked rearing to go.

"Hold your horses," January said. "Are you sure you want to go charging up there and revealing yourself? She might think you are a mad man for following her out here."

"She's the one who ran off!" Philemon boomed.

"Well if that's how you like it we will take you to her," January said. "But there is one thing I must know?"

"What?" Philemon grumbled.

"Your family," January said. "They mine near the Colorado, don't they?"

"Yes," Philemon said crossing his arms. "If this is about the platinum incident—"

"No," January said. "This is about the Colorado River incident where you carelessly instructed your diggers beneath it. You were new on the job but you wanted to make a name for yourself and your arrogance got thirteen men drowned."

"Chinamen come by the dozen," Philemon said. "What did you think?" He snorted. "That my hands were clean?"

"No," January said. "I knew there was something about you the moment you walked into my home. I pity your wife. She looked liked a little doll, sleeping..."

"You don't worry about her!" Philemon blazed. "She's mine, just for me."

January laughed. "We have an oath remember. Anyone who violates it is quickly destroyed." He snapped his fingers.

"So what do we do now?" Philemon asked in a better mood.

"We put a tail on your girl," January said. "China Doll."

Philemon watched as one of the men who had returned with January stepped forward. Looking at him now he noticed how small and femininely shaped he was. He realized that he was a she.

"This here is China Doll," January said. "She has the fastest blades of all Windstalkers. She'll trail your girl and make sure nothing happens to her before we get there."

"Why must we wait?" Philemon asked.

"Because the closer she gets to her father's treasure the closer I get to it. And that treasure is my end of the deal."

Philemon nodded. "Go," he said to China Doll. "And don't you let anything happen to her."

China Doll turned to January who nodded.

"You heard him."

China Doll turned immediately and went out the door. Mounting her mustang she galloped through the chilling forest. As her horse surged, its breath billowing white, she flipped back her hood. It was like breathing for the first time whenever she got away from the Windstalkers. The mission she had been given would have to wait, for now she had an important message to deliver.

/

Wysteria put out the camp fire then crawled inside the tent. She was even sorer than from her previous ride. She fell flat on the blanket they had below them then pulled the other over her body. "What ever happened to that fleece blanket we used to have?" she mumbled.

"I left it at that hospital," Ladybird said. "You remember the lawyer who was burned up?"

"Yes."

"I left it with him," Ladybird said. "He just seemed so broken and alone there."

"That was nice of you," Wysteria said.

Ladybird sighed as she stared up at the wind currents on the tent. "I felt I owed him something for all he had done," she said. "It wouldn't have happened if he hadn't been willing to help us." she looked at her sister. "I still think of him every now and then."

Wysteria adjusted herself more comfortably. "And Yewtree?"

Ladybird looked back up at the top of the tent. She didn't think about him like she used to and when she did she was trying to get him out of her mind. "I don't know what I saw in him anymore," she admitted. "When I think about him now I can remember all his pompous moments. Maybe it was all Grandmother, or maybe it was the washroom with that shower mechanism." They both laughed. "He was rich and he was charming but I want to be loved."

Wysteria smiled. "Everyone wants that."

Ladybird glanced over at her then sighed and put her hands across her chest. "Good night," she whispered and closed her eyes at Wysteria's reply.