SevenHe emerged from the trees as the first cold light of dawn seeped out from between a sky stricken with grey clouds. He stopped and frowned. For weeks, possibly months, no rain fell to give respite to earth hard and compacted. Plants withered, birds stopped singing and, despite the Colorado flowing so freely and so full, he often wondered if there might be a time when even that mighty river would dry up.
But not today.
He heard the deep and distant rumble of thunder.
A storm was coming and he gritted his teeth and considered returning to the trees to take shelter. Something stirred, an old tale of lightning striking trees and killing folk. He thought he might take his chances. And then he saw the deer.
It stood, grazing on the few sparse pieces of scrub, rummaging for a new shoot, s
