“Uncle, he comes, but not alone. See, he has an ally.”

Millie pointed and Dalton Johnny looked sharply where she indicated. He sucked in his breath and swore a white man’s curse under that breath. “Deer-mouse,” he added and shook his head.

“But I do not understand,” Millie continued. “Deer-mouse is not alone. I can see others riding deer-mouse, like fleas but they are much smaller. They are like nothing I have ever seen before. They swarm and spill from deer-mouse every time he moves―see, there!”

Dalton Johnny’s face paled as well. This was worse than he had thought, for now he knew how coyote would kill the world. “Niece, you must stop deer-mouse and those that ride him. It is a sickness, a pestilence that comes with deer-mouse and through it, coyote expects to win free. Chase it, hunt it, with your guides. It must not be allowed to come forth.”

Millie looked once at her uncle and nodded, but he could see she was reluctant to leave him there, alone. “No, I can handle coyote, if I must. I have before. I can do it again though I’m old and not as strong as I once was. I still know ways to face the trickster that he does not suspect, even now.”

His voice broke off as a deep crash sounded from further up the canyon. Something tumbled away from far above and the crashing sounds echoed around them as they slowly subsided. Then Millie heard a laugh that chilled her bones.

The voice was worse. It was petulant arrogance, willful pride and greedy cleverness. It called to them, “I see you, Dalton Johnny. You and your niece. Do you come from my son? Where is he? I would talk with him.”

“Go,” Dalton Johnny said, touching her shoulder and pointing. “I’ll attend to coyote. You stop his ally.” Millie took one quick look at her uncle and then took his arm, to give him what strength she could. Then she moved, up the slope to the left of the lightning stone and it seemed to Dalton Johnny, she moved with the speed and skill of a woman much younger. A sudden grin split his weathered face and he recognized the stolid strength that Annie had always shown. “Ah, my niece. You came with her, I see. Thank you.” And then he was gone as well, up the right-hand trail to disappear from mortal sight.

Forever.

Wearily, Millie returned after more than an hour of slipping, tracking and chasing the furtive, quick steps of deer-mouse. It had taken all of raven’s clever sight to follow their adversary as it slipped under fern and rock and hid, only to dash forward once again. Only otter’s speed prevented their quarry from escape several times and Millie chanted her praise of their efforts.

They almost had deer-mouse many times but always, he seemed to vanish before raven could swoop, otter could strike, or Millie could cast rock or branch. She knew they were winning, even so. They pushed deer-mouse further and further away from the trail, back up the canyon, ever denying him passage. But they could not catch him.

Rattlesnake struck many times but to no avail. And then, suddenly, rattlesnake disappeared and Millie could see no trace of him. Millie feared that he might have been taken by one of the many slides that descended from the canyon walls. Grimly she chanted an appeal for aid to the spirit world around her but none would takes sides. The only answers to her calls were now from otter and raven and they closed up with her, tightening their chase of deer-mouse.

Deer-mouse vanished for a moment once more, between two rocks and then the rocks were flung apart and rattlesnake had him. Straight into his fangs had deer-mouse run and rattlesnake quivered and coiled as deer-mouse quickly died. In seconds, rattlesnake consumed him and swallowed deer-mouse whole, eating the tiny riders of the now dead body. Millie chanted their victory to the heavens and reached for rattlesnake to pick him up and carry him away as champion, only to stop suddenly when rattlesnake quivered suddenly, his entire length coiled in a twisted knot of agony and then he, too, died, killed by that which rode deer-mouse so innocently.