I sat on the worn bench outside the house the next morning with Finn tucked against me, suckling and making soft, little sounds that came from somewhere deep within. A thin mist lay between the trees in the early morning, and the light had barely started to break through. He continued his quiet, slurping noises, and his little fingers opened and closed against my shirt as I held him close, rocking him gently, trying not to think about how empty the food stores felt, how few days we truly had left.
"We're down to the last of the dried meat," Kira said as she stepped out of the house with a bucket. "If we can't find something today, the kids are going to be eating nothing but roots again."
Lena walked out behind Kira with a basket. "I'll take Theo and Mia out looking for more herbs, whatev
