She glanced back at Jonathan. When he looked uncertain, she smiled. "It is kind of pretty."
Jonathan's eyes sparkled and his lips gave in to a wide smile. "I love it. I knew I would." He took a deep breath. "Smell that! Pure air."
Carmen laughed. "The air is pure in Arkansas too."
Jonathan nodded. "I know, but it's…humid. Sometimes it smells like mold and rotting plants."
She hadn't thought about it before. It was the smell of life.
"There are no mosquitoes," he offered tentatively.
She made a face. "Where would they hatch and what would they suck blood from."
Jonathan pointed to a spot above and in front of her. "That!"
Carmen followed his gaze to see a peccary standing on the trail watching them.
"They forage at night," Jonathan offered. "I think they call them Javelinas around here."
They had a few peccary on their wildlife safari, but it was exciting seeing it in its natural habitat. "Don't they hang out where there is water?" Carmen asked. "Watch your horse to see if it acts like it smells water."
The peccary darted off the trail and into some brush as they approached. The sun was low enough to bathe the desert in highlights of orange. They weren't going to reach the town before dark, but once they reached the top of the pass, they might be able to see the lights.
Carmen was further convinced that there was water nearby when she saw the mule deer. Soon afterward her horse pointed its ears forward and nickered. Carmen smelled the water as they drew near it. Actually, what she smelled was wet dirt - like a summer shower as it began to sprinkle on the dry soil.
The trail forked, with one fork going up to the pass and the other down into a ravine. Her horse headed down the trail to the ravine. She let it lead the way and the other followed. As the horses pushed through the brush, she could hear the water. Finally she saw it, bubbling out of the side of the mountain, splashing down to a pool, running a little ways only to sink back into the ground. They let the horses drink from the pool and refilled their canteens from the tiny waterfall. They drank their fill and left the spot, once again heading up the trail to the pass.
They reached the pass at dusk and decided to rest the horses before descending the other side. It looked like a smooth open slope. They would probably be able to travel at night when the moon was high. With any luck, Alex would join them before they started down the slope.