The night did not bring peace, it brought preparation. The hidden settlement did not sleep, not truly. Where there had once been quiet movement and soft voices, there was now purpose. Controlled. Focused. Urgent with panic. They had done this before, no this exact moment, but something close enough.
The woman stood just outside the shelter, Kaelith held securely against her chest. A fresh layer of furs had been wrapped around the child, thicker, warmer, marked with symbols she didn’t recognize. Protection, or something more.
“They’re getting ready to leave,” she said quietly.
The leader stepped beside her, her sharp gaze scanning the tree line. “We don’t stay in one place when we’re found,” she replied.
“You already think they’ve found you.”
A brief pause.
“They will.” No doubt, no
