At dinner, Lou was too busy filling up on food to join in the ongoing conversations.
"Hey Lou, what's wrong? You're not yourself. We all know you're missing Buck, but you never acted like this, even when you were with Kid & he was away. With all the food your eating, you've made me ask this question…are you related to Cody?" Noah teased, laughing at his own joke, but Lou was too preoccupied in thought to hear him. Noah leaned over & knocked Lou's arm out from under her chin, & Lou stopped just before she landed in her food.
"Damn it Noah, what did you do that for?" Lou asked heatedly, standing up like she was ready for a fight.
"Sorry, Lou, but you were in a world of your own, & I just wanted to make sure you were still with us. What's wrong Lou?" he asked concerned for his 'sister'.
"Nothing, just got things on my mind…I'm gonna go for a walk, if that's okay?" With nods for Teaspoon & Rachel, she got up & left. She went to the barn & proceeded to write the letter she would leave on the bunkhouse table tonight.
An hour after the boys had fallen asleep, Lou got up from her bunk, placed the letter on the table, looked around at all the boys sleeping, & walked out the door. As she got to the bottom of the steps, she reached under the porch & gathered her belongings. Then went to the barn, got Lightning & on the way out looked over to the dark house where Teaspoon & Rachel were sleeping. She whispered "goodbye. I will see you all again" Then she headed in the direction of her beloved's tribe, hoping to find him soon.
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