It's for the Moon Godnes to know

Chapter 20

Angels POV

Our small travel group quickly got into a routine. After the first two nights, Jock began to roam around in the late afternoon. He always managed to find a tree where I could build us a shelter. We ate our food and went to bed after I cleaned Marvel.

In the morning we ate before going on, stopped when the sun was highest to eat again, and traveled on until Jock had found us a place to sleep. He was also good at finding water, so we always had something to drink and wash ourselves in.

By the time the first week was over we had reached a large forest. I could see that the road led both through and around. But I still chose to go into the forest itself. Even though the time for my birth was approaching, I was still easy on the foot in the woods, Jock and I still moved on quickly. The first night in the woods, I let Jock stay with Marvel in our shelter while I went out setting traps. When I came back, she was sleeping safely, cuddled all up to him and warmed by his fur. She slept with him all night, with me next to them. At dawn I crawled out of our shelter and checked the traps before returning back with two half-sized rabbits. After I had furred them and was about to clean them, Jock and Marvel crawled out from under the tree. Jock sniffed at the rabbits' entrails, took it with him to another tree and proceeded to eat it. I took Marvel in the sling and put her by the chest. While I was frying the rabbits, I shared a piece of bread with her. I put the meat from the rabbits in Jock's bags and he did not seem to care at all. For lunch he ate what I gave him, but otherwise he did not take of the food.

When, after several days, we reached a clearing in the woods, I spotted a small farm. I could not smell anything but the animal of the forest, but I still sat on the edge of the clearing and kept an eye on the place. As we approached evening time, I had not seen people coming or going. I decided to investigate further, but I was pretty sure the farm was deserted.

Jock fidgeted in advance and sniffed at everything. He seemed to like meeting something familiar. I went into the house, it looked like Miles's old place, but I could immediately feel that it was very leaky, the wind was whistling in everywhere and large stains on the ceiling and walls told me that water was penetrating.

I moved from the house over to the barn, which smelled slightly musty, as if it had not been cleaned after the last time animals stayed there, but it was not bad. There was a ladder that I climbed up, there was a ceiling filled with dry straw and hay. I looked down at Jock, but he just jumped up on an old wagon standing in the barn before finding a way he could climb up. Soon we were all sitting in the hay under the roof, which seemed to keep water and wind out.

I found food and water, Jock and I ate rabbit, Marvel got some of the bread, I only had a little left and that was still the only thing I could get her to eat.

That night we slept warm and soft. Marvel even crawled over to Jock after I breastfed her, they rolled up into a little ball and soon slept. I laid back whit my hand on my stomach, I could feel my puppy moving, and with the thought that the little one was well, I also soon fell asleep.

The next morning, I let Jock and Marvel lie in the hay and sleep on while I explored the farm further. I found a buried storeroom like those at home. I could not fathom my luck, there was flour in tall glasses, it was dry and undamaged. Partly buried in a barrel, I found potatoes that were no longer completely fresh, but they were edible. I went into the kitchen and found the stove usable. So even though I did not want to live in the house, I could cook for us in it.

The days went by and soon the time came, I feared for the birth, the last time my mother had been there and helped me, told me that everything was fine! This time I had to do it alone, alone with my little daughter and a dog.