CHAPTER FIVE
The stiff leaves covering Yusumi crunched as she rolled over on the ground, shaking the tiredness from her body. How long had she been asleep for?
She scanned the sky, but the sun seemed to be in the same place as when she’d settled down. She stretched, her joints stiff with the cold, then stood up and shivered. Was Jidan still away? There was no sign of him anywhere she looked.
Her stomach growled, and she clutched it through her thin nightclothes. Wandering through the trees in hope of discovering something edible, she turned to find a small blackberry bush, which despite it being winter, was still bearing fruit. Gleefully she picked a handful, but before she could eat them, she heard a distinct rustling close by. Shrinking back against the bush, she slowed her breath and
