She stopped short. There, in the flecks of shade, stood a waist-high pile of stones.
“Look!”
She ran off, the monster clanking to a stop behind her. By the time she had covered half the distance she was sure what they were. She arrived, knelt and traced her hands over the spherical stones, river-worn and deliberately placed.
“It’s the trail,” Hunter explained to the others.
“It’s more than that,” Evie said. “They left this cairn for us. They haven’t given up hope.” A shuddering breath rose in her chest. Her family had seemed so remote for so long, and this message of the stones was so sudden. She clamped her mouth shut before she lost control.
After a few moments, she stood and motioned to Hunter. “They would have headed into these woods. We should be able to find signs. Let’s go.”
“
