Snake River, Idaho
September 2, 1843
dusk
Nash (Koodauw) dragged a shaving stick along his chin and neck, coating the skin in thick, oily soap. With no more women in the party, most of the other men had given up on even the most basic of grooming rituals - but not Nash. God had seen fit to grace him with piercing blue eyes and a straight, square chin, and he meant to get full use of the gifts. He smiled, amusing himself with his own arrogance. In truth, he preferred a clean face for comfort, but he had run into enough farmers’ wives along the trail to be prepared. Elizabeth had liked him clean-shaven, too. He was losing the light and had no mirror, but he managed to get a fairly close cut.
He was dragging the razor down his face again when he heard the bushes rumble with the sound of someone - or something - approaching. The unexpected noise startled him, and Nash felt a dribble of blood roll down his chin as he nicked his face.
“Damn.”
He wiped the blade on his pants and approached the trees cautiously. It was silent for a moment, and then Nash heard a human-like moan that he recognized. He ran into the thicket and saw Abraham (ravenvii) dragging himself through the bushes on his stomach. His throat had been gashed, his gullet slit. Nash had no idea how the man was still alive, let alone moving. Abraham was drenched in his own blood and struggling to speak. Nash helped him onto his back and cradled him as best he could.
“Who did this to you, friend? Who was it?”
Abraham tried hard to make the sounds, but the only thing that came up was more blood. Nash could see the man’s frustration and did his best to comfort him as he lay dying.
“It’s okay, Abe. You’ll be all right. We'll get to Oregon together. Just rest and we'll find who did this. I promise you that.”
The words had their intended affect, as Abraham ceased his struggling and relaxed in Nash’s arms. His breathing slowed, finally, and after a few moments it stopped altogether. Nash laid him on the ground and got up, his shoulders heavier than before.
ravenvii has been killed by traitors.
It is now DAY FOUR. The day will end at 12:00AM PST, or at majority lock.
(please note the shorter day, in an effort to speed things up a bit.)