Adventures on RV Traveler (Free Trader Series Book 3) Read Online Free

okay. C’mon, Speckles. Get us to the other side,” she said calmly. The horse pulled hard and the cart bounced across the stream. When they were on the bank, Micah let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
    Braden spurred Max forward and they trotted across the stream. He stopped at the other side and turned so Max could drink, since Aadi told them it was clear.
    They followed this routine across the remaining streams.
    Ax and ‘Tesh held themselves up, each with their arms wrapped around their mother’s legs.
    Braden looked at Brandt’s injuries. Running through the stream had washed away most of the numbweed. If they hadn’t applied it, he may not have been able to walk. It was worth it. And now the wounds were clean. When they applied more numbweed, he would be back to his old self.
    They continued to River Crook where the people were happy to see them. Unfortunately, the caravan wasn’t the only thing attacked by the crocs and the mutie fish.

 
    6 – River Crook
     
    Crabby was first to offer his hand. “You are a welcome sight! We ain’t seen no one in ages! The last were a group from Westerly that walked here, then went back home.” Crabby looked closely, eyes wide when he saw Brandt’s injuries. He waved over a young man who showed the King of the Aurochs a place near the trees where he’d be in the shade and could lie down on a soft bed of thick grass.
    Bronwyn took the numbweed and the twins to treat Brandt’s wounds.
    ‘Joining us has not been kind to you,’ Braden told the King over their mindlink.
    ‘I feel like a calf again, my friends. You have given us hope and a new life where we matter. These scratches are nothing,’ he said in his booming thought voice.
    Ax and ‘Tesh attempted to climb on Brandt’s head while Bronwyn looked at each of his legs, applying a thorough coating of numbweed to the fish bites and shredded skin. Micah watched as her son was wrist deep into the Aurochs’ nostril as he attempted to climb up the King’s face.
    ‘I think that’s enough, you two. Let Brandt rest,’ she told them both. It didn’t change anything they were doing, so she picked them up and bodily carried them away. Braden took one of the squirmers from Micah before resuming his conversation with Crabby.
    “Looks like you met the Menace, what we call sharkfish,” Crabby said. He shook his head as he looked at them. “We lost two before we figgered what was going on. They show up outta nowhere. If the crocs don’t get you, the sharkfish will.”
    Yellowfin ran toward them from a field, lightening their sober moods.
    “We’ve taken to posting a watch at the next bend. When he sees them coming, he screams and everyone gets away from the water. The banks here protect us. The crocs can’t climb them without exposing their underbellies. Roasted croc tail tastes pretty good, by the way.” He didn’t smile as he wasn’t trying to be funny. They were fighting for their very existence.
    Braden and Micah saw the villagers of River Crook winning. They still fished. Their fields were growing. They hunted. And they killed those who would hunt them.
    “We’re sorry that you lost two people to the Menace,” Micah said for both of them. Braden nodded and hung his head.
    “They lived well and they died free. We have a future and we’ll do what we got to. Come, lemme show you the progress we’ve made…”
    When Crabby finished the tour, Braden led him back to the cart. With little fanfare, Braden handed Crabby two of the saw blades. The Old Tech steel glistened in the daylight. Crabby, for once, was at a loss for words. With these, buildings would go up in no time.
    The thirteen villagers of River Crook celebrated the caravan’s arrival. All creatures great and small were welcomed with equal joy. They traded little things and finally, with Micah’s encouragement, Braden shared his stock of sweetened pork. This was the hit of the celebration.
    Braden watched longingly as the