Walker followed behind Ryder as they rode their steeds alongside a trail hugging Bowman Lake. Ryder had become quiet after they started their quest, only speaking when necessary. Walker could only imagine the pain he must be experiencing by returning to the place his family and adopted tribe had been slaughtered. The fact that they were tracking Joy was unnerving.
They had been on the trail for two days and inquiries before departure had gotten information that another party had ridden in the same direction only four days earlier with an Indian guide. The description of two women and a man wasn't detailed enough to confirm that Joy was one of the women, but it gave Walker hope.
Ryder halted his horse and turned to face Walker. "Someone is camping ahead of us. I've seen their horse tracks since we left the main road and I've smelled their campfires."
Walker nodded, because he had gleaned the same thing.
Ryder said, "I don't think they're more than a mile or two away now."
Walker nodded again and they urged their horses forward.