Translations

shao bing- sentinel

Sentinel Part Two

Zoe waited until she was sure that the men were gone before she pulled the razor blade Jayne had given her out from beneath her wristband. She immediately got to work cutting through the thick ropes binding her to the tree at her back. Not far from the camp were the two horses Mal and Zoe had ridden into the mountain. One of the animals had been killed, its throat slit to leave a messy blood scent in the air to lure predators to the camp. The other horse was still tied to the tree, fresh bait for predators.

When the gray gelding began to pull at its rope and neigh in fear, Zoe moved the blade faster. Finally it cut through the rope and using her free hands she pulled the hidden knife from her boot and easily severed the ropes binding her ankles just as a snarl came from the nearby trees and the horse whinnied in terror.

Zoe rushed over to Mal and cut his rope freeing him. Together, captain and first mate went over to where the tied horse was lashing out with its hooves and a cougar was stalking it. The sound of two people shouting and crashing through the underbrush frightened the cougar away from them, and Mal was able to calm the horse.

The gray horse had only the halter holding it to the tree. Mal untied the rope and laid it over the horse's neck then vaulted onto the animal's back. With Mal's help, Zoe climbed up behind Mal on the horse's bare back and the captain guided the animal away from the encampment back down the mountain toward the mining camp where Serenity was waiting for them. Zoe said nothing as Mal guided the horse in the opposite direction from where the men had taken their crew. She knew that were not armed beyond the knife Zoe had in her boot, and they had no supplies and only the gray horse, and they would need help finding the missing crew members.

Jayne kept his eyes on the litter where River lay beneath the blankets protecting her from the cold mountain air as the group guided their horses through the forested moun