Love Me, Love Me Not

Tanga jogged steadily along her way in a rhythmic pace she could maintain indefinitely. Her kind were naturally efficient travelers and while the metabolic enhancements were minor compared to how their minds had been opened up, they allowed her to keep a steady pace as long as there was any forage she could snatch at the jog.


No sense in being hasty, but it was nice not to have to stop and graze.


She'd known the instant Reed pulled the trigger that the off-worlder wouldn't hurt Saile, not too bad anyway, not like that good-for-nothing uncle might. Tanga smelled the setting before the blast even hit Saile, the difference between stun and kill couldn't be mistaken. She'd charged past and away, galloping a safe distance before she slowed and circled back. She followed Reed and his band of damitts until she was sure of their direction.


They'd wandered north, skirting the greenlands until, in the middle of a sandstorm on the second day, they turned due west and increased their speed. Tanga followed for another day and when they didn't waver, she veered back to the south. She'd go for help, but not back to the ranch.


She'd learned to sniff the wind before she leapt, learned that as a foal, and wasn't about to do any different now. Donks heard things when people thought they weren't listening, and smelled things before they topped the horizon.


Saile was mad, shooting mad, but Reed could handle her and probably just as well without her in the way.


She'd take her time thinking this through and it'd be easier done without that hothead human spouting "let's go"; all the time waving weapons in the air, and firing them every which way. Maybe she'd keep Reed distracted as well.