Sly was the first to wake in the morning. He took the liberty of preparing everyone’s rations before nudging Mabel awake. He had tried to wake Curtis first, opting to give the young girl more time to sleep, but Curtis refused to get up.
Sly sat down by the remains of their fire from the night before and shoveled spoonfuls of beans, dried meat and fruits, and biscuits into his mouth. Mabel dragged her feet along the sandy ground as she made her way to Sly to collect her breakfast. She thanked the Ranger and sat opposite the burnt branches, her head still fuzzy from the early wake. The two of them were quiet as they ate. Curtis still slept soundly with his back to his new companions.
***
Curtis rolled his knapsack and tied it to the side of his horse’s saddle. Sly stretched and prepared f
