And because his death could be blamed on the women.
The story would be simple.
A drifter kidnapped four wives.
The husbands pursued him.
A gunfight happened.
Everyone died.
The council would inherit the land.
Emtt listened quietly.
Then laughed.
"What?"
Mara asked.
"I finally understand."
"Understand what?"
"Why they let me take everything."
She frowned.
"They expected me to die before winter."
The room went silent.
Abigail nodded.
"Yes."
Emtt looked toward the window.
Outside, the sky was turning orange.
"Then we'll disappoint them."
Winter came early.
Snow covered Mercy Flats.
The valley disappeared beneath white hills.
For weeks, Emtt and the four women prepared.
They repaired fences.
Rebuilt the roof.
Dug a deeper well.
Stored grain.
Raised chickens.
And slowly, almost without noticing, they became a household.
Not a marriage.
Not ownership.
Something different.
A family created by choice.
Mara became the strongest with the rifle.
Lena learned to repair saddles.
Sera handled the accounts and discovered that she had a remarkable talent for numbers.
Nell learned to ride.
Emtt taught her to shoot.
Abigail taught them all how to survive winter.
Nobody talked about returning to Red Willow.
Until the letter came.
It arrived in December.
A rider left it at the gate.
The council demanded that the women appear before them.
If they refused, their land would be confiscated.
Emtt read the letter twice.
Then handed it to Mara.
She read it.
"Do we go?"
Emtt looked toward the mountains.
"No."
Mara smiled.
"I thought so."
But Sera shook her head.
"We should."
Everyone looked at her.
"The council still controls the records."
"What do you suggest?"
"We expose them."
Abigail nodded.
"There is a territorial judge in Fort Benton."
"Will he believe us?"
"He will if we bring the documents."
The old records.
The names.
The land transfers.
The signatures.
Everything.
They began preparing.
For the first time in years, Emtt had a destination that was not chosen simply because it was somewhere else.
He had a purpose.
They left Mercy Flats in January.
Five horses.
Six people.
One wagon.
The journey took twelve days.
On the eleventh night, Emtt sat outside the camp staring at the fire.
Mara joined him.
"You could leave."
"I know."
"You don't have to go to court."
"I know."
"You could disappear."
Emtt looked at her.
"That's what I used to do."
"And now?"
He looked toward the wagon where the others slept.
"Now people would notice."
Mara smiled.
"That sounds dangerous."
"It is."
The next morning they reached Fort Benton.
The judge listened.
At first he seemed skeptical.
Then he read the records.
One page.
Then another.
Then another.
By afternoon, warrants were issued.
The council members were arrested.
The husbands were questioned.
The land deeds were frozen.
And the four women were finally recognized as the legal owners of what had been theirs all along.
When Emtt walked out of the courthouse, snow was falling.
Mara stood beside him.
"What now?"
He looked at her.
"I suppose I need to find work."
She laughed.
"You traded everything you owned."
"I noticed."
"Do you regret it?"
Emtt thought for a long time.