or some such. We ration our water out like we should, we'll do okay."
"Easy enough," Victoria said, rolling her eyes. "Shall we get on with this lovely parade, then?"
Cora nodded. "Daylight's wasting, and I sure ain't going to be caught around here come nightfall. They know this place too well, and we don't."
The two women returned to the house and set about gathering what few supplies they had. The fire had dried out their riding clothes well enough that they could be worn with only minor discomfort. Victoria had expressed her concern when they'd woke to find them still slightly damp, but Cora assured her that an hour in the desert sun would finish what the fire had started.
Filling their water skins from water pump's spigot, they shouldered their packs and set out into the rising sun. Victoria's pack weighed more than she liked, Cora having burdened her with jars of preserved vegetables they'd found in the cellar. She gritted her teeth and bore the extra weight, determined not to give Cora the satisfaction of hearing her complain. The hunter had given her the functioning revolver as well, but that was one burden Victoria no longer minded.
The rest of it grew heavier as the morning dragged on, and the blisters on her feet ached with every step. Her vision grew bleary. Above them, the sun climbed higher into the cloudless sky, making the horizon shimmer with false promises of water and shade. The water skin bounced against her side, teasing her with promises of cool relief for her parched throat.
When the sun neared its zenith, Cora called for a halt. The two women took shelter beneath an overhang that jutted out from a nearby cliff. It wasn't much shade, but any relief from the glaring sunlight was an improvement.
"No more than a few mouthfuls," Cora said. "It's got to last us awhile yet."
"How much farther, do you think?" Victoria asked.
Cora squinted at the horizon. "We ain't made much progress today. I'd say we got us at least another day, maybe two."
"You mean we will need to spend the night outdoors?"
"Of course," Cora said. "Took us a full day's ride to make it out here. You wasn't thinking you could make a horse's speed all on foot, was you?"
Victoria shook her head. It seemed silly to her now, but some part of her had still hoped they would make it back to Albuquerque before nightfall. "Will we be safe from them if we sleep out?"
The old hunter sighed. "Probably not, but ain't like we got a choice. We'll trade watches and keep the fire built up."
"What good will fire do?"
"Critters of the night usually don't take to it," Cora said. "That goes for regular critters and them that ain't so regular. Fought me a monster a few years back that was right scared of no more than a candle if you waved it in its face."
"Is that how you defeated it?" Victoria asked. "With fire?"
Cora shook her head. "Ain't what finally laid it out for good, but it played its part sure enough."
The hunter's face clouded over, and Victoria thought better of any more questions. Instead, she peered up at the sky, wishing a cloud or two might appear to offer some respite from the heat. The blue expanse stretched from one horizon to the other, unmarred by even the thinnest wisp of white.
Victoria took a small sip from her water skin. It already felt dangerously light. Replacing the stopper, she sloshed the water around inside to reassure herself that it would see her through this ordeal. The sun had evaporated what rainwater had lingered in pools that morning with frightening speed. Her concern grew as the puddles shrank, but she tried to reassure herself that they had brought enough.
All too soon, Cora stood. "Best get moving," she said, taking one final sip of water. "Don't want to waste any daylight if we can help it."
Victoria made sure the stopper was firmly wedged into the neck of her own bottle before standing. Tucking her uneaten hardtack into her satchel, she took a deep breath and nodded. The hunter returned the nod, then stepped back out into the unrelenting light.
Cora muttered under her breath as she held the match to the pile of sticks and twigs. Despite the heat of the day, the wood was reluctant to catch. She waited a few moments before throwing the match aside in disgust.