The San Juan Unit

The Long Trek

"You ever ridden a horse before?" asked Colt.

Behind him Emma bobbed up and down while wrapping her arms around Colt's waist. The sun shone through the pine trees, and the singing of birds rang through their ears.

"Once, in Sapporo which is where I'm from," replied Emma. "What about you? Did you know how to ride before coming here?"

"Not really, but I had a love of the outdoors. Grew up reading about mountain men like Jim Beckwourth, Seth Kinman and Hugh Glass, saw pictures of places like this and places we'll be going to shortly. However, my old man had other aspirations for me."

"Sure know how that feels," Emma remarked. 

The horse and her passengers continued up the gravel path. Ahead of them was a small log cabin with smoke rising from its chimney and another horse stationed in the nearby stables.

Colt hopped off his horse and helped Emma down. "Right, head on inside. I'll hitch Aurora."

Emma nodded and headed for the cabin door. The smell of cooking filled the room as did the sounds of the radio and the creaking of floorboards under Emma's feet. During her observation of the room several framed photos on a mantel above the fireplace caught her eye. The first was a young Colt with what appeared to be his parents, the second was Colt with an older man with long black hair. The third was Colt surrounded by his fellow unit and the Saunders girls with Colt carrying a beaming Kay on his back.

Emma smiled as she picked up the photo to look at their happy expressions closer. She eventually heard Colt approaching and quickly put down the photo.

"Sorry for the 19th century accommodation," said Colt.

"Oh, it's fine. It's kinda cute in a way," giggled Emma.

Colt softly chuckled. "I see you've already seen the photos."

Emma's smile left. "I'm sorry! I couldn't help myself!"

Colt laughed. "Your fine kid don't worry. Something tells me you might be here for a couple days so make yourself at home. Your rooms in there."

As Emma went inside her new room Colt walked over to the photo of him and Kay. He grabbed the photo and looked at himself and his former friend.

"Okay! We ready?" asked a Saunders girl.

"Ready!" replied the group.

The congregation of boys and girls huddled around the camera, several of them kneeling, squatting and even laying down. In the middle Colt stood with his arms folded, but suddenly he felt someone jump on his back.

"Gotcha!" 

Colt looked up and chuckled. "Christ woman you're gonna give me a heart attack one day."

"Doubt it," replied Kay. "You're too handsome to die."

The two laughed before Kay stretched out a thumbs up towards the camera. 

"Everyone say cheese!" said the photographer.

Colt snapped out of his reminisce and put down the photo shortly before Emma came back into the room.

"Hey umm, where are you gonna sleep?" she asked.

"I'll sleep in the living room," replied Colt. "Now, you up for another ride?"

"Of course!" exclaimed Emma.

"Good, you'll be riding Aurora. She's friendly but I'll go over the basics with you. And as promised, I'll tell you some stories along the way."

"Oh, thank you!" said Emma.

-Later-

"How's Aurora going for you?" asked Colt.

"Pretty good so far," replied Emma.

The scattered leaves on the path crunched under the horse's hooves and the screeches of wildlife echoed throughout the wooded area. 

"So," started Colt. "What do you wanna know?"

"Well... everything, I guess. Maybe start from the beginning," said Emma.

"The beginning?" asked Colt. "Well, if you insist. As all beginnings go my father had some business with my mother one night."

Emma nervously laughed. "Maybe we could start from the beginning of your unit. Why Kay chose you to lead it?"

"Why she chose me? Well as you probably know things were a bit chaotic back then."

"You've got to be shitting me!" cried Colt.

The young man with bloodshot eyes and runny nose brushed past the perplexed Colt. 

"Oh, don't get testy boy it's only for a few days," replied the smirking man.

"Goddamnit Remington you have a house of your own, don't you?"

Colt's friend replied. "Yeah. An empty house with no power. Look on the bright side, we can watch Godless together."  

"The only thing I wanna watch is you taking out the $50 you owe me," snarled Colt.

"The $50 you owe me," mocked Remington. "Brother that debt was paid months ago. I could have easily spent that on whiskey and company, but I helped your lousy ass with your date."

"It wasn't a date it was a meeting," scoffed Colt.

"Sure, whatever you say Romeo."

To Colt's displeasure, the sniffling Remington made his way to the kitchen and rummaged through his fridge. He held back on stopping his carefree friend from plundering his liquor before sitting down to face the television with a whiskey in one hand and a used handkerchief in the other.

"Fine," Colt sighed. "But if I catch this cold from you then by God's grace, I will send you to the soil early."

"Oh give it a rest, we both know you're a lucky son of a gun," said Remington. "I bet a lot of boys wish they were as close to Kay as you are." 

Before Colt could answer, his phone next to the relaxing Remington began to buzz. Remington leaned over to see who it was and chuckled.

"Well well," he smirked while picking up up the phone. "You wan't me to introduce you again?"

Colt snarled and snatched the phone from his hands. Pleased at finally talking to someone who wasn't Remington, Colt smiled and put the phone to his ear.

"I hope you called to tell me a joke cause I'm at the end of my rope here," said Colt.

"So am I," said Kay.

"What's wrong?" asked Colt, wiping the smile from his face.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine I guess." 

Kay paused for a minute. "I... I need your help."

"Well I'll be damned," Colt said to himself. "With what?"

"Just come by the school please, it's kinda urgent," replied Kay.

"I'm on my way," said Colt before hanging up.

Remington looked up and chuckled. "You wanna borrow a rubber? I got plenty to spare."

"Shut the hell up," said a disgusted Colt. "Don't drink all those while I'm gone."

Colt grabbed his coat and rushed out the door, leaving Remington to down the remaining of his first bottle.