Chapter 25

Of course, it was Ides who posed the question. “Where are Winter Bird and Ité?”

“They’re out somewhere. Maybe they went to check the cattle.”

The child shook his head. “Uh-uh. Heard Bird say they were gonna stay in tonight. Come on, Gabe, let’s go find them.”

Rachel Ann must have seen something on my face because she called them down. “You leave those two men alone. I’ll swear, they don’t get any privacy when you’re around. They’ll come in when they’re ready.”

“Think I hear them now,” I said.

In seconds, the two came barreling through the door wrapped in blankets and dripping crick water. They’d obviously just come from the okinare.Both men rushed to the fireplace and stood facing the flames with blankets open.

“You took a medicine bath this time of night?” Ides asked.

Ethan looked over his shoulder. “My spirit felt a need for medicine.”