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CHAPTER EIGHTY-TWO

Ellery

The next morning, the descent down the hill was difficult for us as our legs were cramped from being crammed into the alcove for days on end. There were a few falls, and Ianto, Tucker, Callan, and Ryker carried some of the children down. It took time, but we made it to the bottom.

Once there, Tucker turned to the woman I’d come to know as Val. “If you intend to return to your village, it’s best if we say goodbye here.”

“My family is still there,” she said. “I have to return.”

“Then you can’t know the exact location of where we are.”

She bowed her head. “Understandable.”

“If others want to join us, bring them,” Ryker said.

“I will. And there will be others; it’s not safe for us anymore. Take care of yourselves and take care of them.”

She waved a hand at the women and children she’d brought to us.

“We will,” Ianto promised.

With that, Val opened a portal and left.

“I’ll take us home,” Tucker said.

He opened another portal, and we walked through it to the encampment. Once we stepped from the opening and into the clearing, my heart sank.

The storm had caused a fair amount of damage. Some of the tree houses had toppled after tree limbs were struck by lightning. The shattered remains lay scattered across the ground.

The chicken coop was gone; I had no idea where the chickens were, but I hoped we could find them again. We’d need them now more than ever with the children here.

The barn had sustained some damage, mostly on the roof. Most of the paddock fences had blown over, but the animals remained securely locked inside the structure, as evidenced by the cries coming from within.

It would take a lot of work to rebuild, and I was too hungry and damp to think about it now. It would get done.

Ryker walked away and returned with a pouch full of jerky; he handed it to me. “Eat something.”

“You’re not eating,” I pointed out.

“Yes, I am.” He lifted a dried piece of meat and bit into it. “Eat. Neither of us will be useful if we don’t have the energy to help.”

I couldn’t argue with that as I fished a piece of meat from the pouch and ate it. I was still chewing one when Scarlet emerged from behind the barn, released a small squeal, and ran to meet us.

I grinned as she crashed into my side, wrapped her arms around me, and squeezed. “There you are!”

“Here I am,” I said as I hugged her.

She leaned back to look at me. “Are you okay?”

“Starved. How about you?”

“It was crazy, but we survived.”

“And now it’s time to rebuild,” Tucker said. “Let’s get to work.”

I swallowed the dry meat before resting my head on Scarlet’s shoulder. I stared around the clearing as I prepared for what was to come.