We intersected the creek at the top of an arroyo about fifteen minutes ride from the barn. I checked my watch and asked, "Kaya, are we going to make it to the damn in time to meet your cousins?"

"Not a problem. We're almost there already."

We were climbing steadily, and Navajo Mountain remained a serene silhouette on the horizon. The trees were more like scrub brush, but it was easy to see there must be a water source, even I couldn't make it out.

Chayton said, "Good to see you haven't choked off the supply downstream."

"Uncle Mato made sure the bypass was open until the turbine facility was finished and then we finally dropped the water flow after the completion of the damn. You'll see, it's an earth berm type, not any concrete except where the turbine and control room is." his niece explained.

We popped out onto a red sandstone mesa with a few scraggly juniper gad, one stunted cottonwood tree and a small aspen grove at the far edge.

"You can't see the dam yet, but it's just over the edge of the mesa by the aspens." She urged her mount into a short canter pulling up when she came to the edge of a cliff overlooking a stand of Ponderosa pines growing at the edge of a small lake.

Chayton led the way down a well used track through various grasses and wildflowers, on the way down to the dam.

"I want to come back here with my camera," I said. "The grasses are amazing. I've forgotten how many different types we have growing all over the nation."

"Tallulah is a photographer too," Kaya said. "Me, I just love the land and the formations. I come up here a lot to be alone."

"I would too. The boys are coming, I can see them on the other side."

"And at a full gallop too. Glad they have horses that can take it." Kaya waved her hat to catch their attention.

As the twins arrived I noticed a subtle difference between them. Observation skills are one of the most important things when it comes to investigations, from body language to noting descriptive information it is a make or break thing.

"Kaya, are you serious about becoming a lawyer? I mean your sister accuses you of not talking about anything else except horses, so I'm confirming." I watched her settle her horse and take a deep breath.

"It's all I've wanted since the first time I watched a law drama. Mom stopped me from thinking it was all excitement and getting it done in an hour and told me to research the educational requirements and the reality of the work. Like you said, lots of reading and research. But the listening thing, thank you. Cause I ignore a lot of stuff that way."

Atsa and Kosumi arrived as she spoke, and one of them spoke. "There she goes again." Both shook their heads.

"I was making a point boys. I think there are skills you can use, and I can teach which will help you all, no matter what you do. From hunting, to being a lawyer and understanding people in your life it is important."

"Yeah, right." I think it was Atsa who spoke.

"It's looking around you and really seeing what is there." This came from Chayton, who figured out where I was going before I could say it.

"Observation skills," I added.

"Like have you seen the elk tracks and the antelope tracks?" Their uncle pointed to the myriad of footprints on the twin path lane we were stopped beside.

"And I noticed you are mirror twins. I will always know who is who now, no matter if you dress the same or not," I added as I thought about their introduction the night before.

"Shit," Atsa said. Now I was sure of it.

"You're good," Kaya complemented me. "Most people never figure that out."

"And you need to be able to remember those details, Kaya. Body language and reading it is a huge deal when you are a lawyer."

"If I was out here looking for an animal to hunt," Kosumi pointed at a spot where the grass was flattened, "I would know there was a deer or other animal here not long ago. That's where they slept. Finding their tracks could lead me to food, if I was out here trying to survive off the land."

"Which is part of listening to the land and animals. Respecting what has been created for us to use and respect," Chayton added.

"Now you sound like Grandma," Atsa commented.

"Who do you think taught me?" he asked.

"Grandma knows all the old stories and I love to hear her tell them. Then when mom dances, it's even better," Kaya said.

"Mom said to find out if the trout we stocked in their pond are still there," Kosumi added as he nudged his horse back over the dam. Since Kaya followed him, I went after them.

Star was already moving differently under me, and I decided not to push her. She moved into a trot by herself as the group headed up a fork in what I would call a Jeep track. Two parallel paths exactly the right distance apart for a vehicle to follow, wound their way along side the little lake and then the creek further up the hill.

Atsa kicked his horse into a canter, his brother and cousin following. I stayed at a trot, and Chayton settled in beside me.

"Let them go," he said. "Kaya will let them know we are on our way as well. They'll probably take a swim in the pond before we eat."

I nodded. "Star isn't as nimble or fast as she was. I don't want to push her."

"Not surprised." He lapsed into silence, scanning the area around us, but deep in thought.

"What are you thinking about?" I knew that look.

"Simi. Things aren't good between us. I've given him the cold shoulder, even though he came back."

"You said he left after Chidi's death. I thought he was still gone, until last night."

He reined in and stopped Bingo in a patch of lush grass. Letting his horse drop his head to graze, he looked at me. "Mom gave me a pretty good push last night. I need to forgive him. Look at what grief did to me. I ran too. Why am I blaming him? He came back a lot quicker than I did. I've ignored every text and voice mail he's put on my phone."

I shook my head. "Not good. But you were a lot younger too," I reminded him. "You need to forgive yourself for doing what you needed and do the same for your Uncle."

"Yeah, you're right. Let's see if Star will canter. I need to fix this."