I looked down. It was a small carved figure, no bigger than my palm, shaped like a bear. The wood was smooth and polished, the details surprisingly intricate for something so small.
"For you," the girl said shyly, her voice barely above a whisper. "So you remember."
My throat closed. I crouched down, bringing myself to her eye level, and pulled her into a gentle hug. She squeaked in surprise, then wrapped her small arms around my neck, squeezing tight.
"Thank you," I whispered. "I will keep it safe."
When I pulled back, the other children were watching me with solemn eyes. My heart ached and I reached out for them, pulling each of them into a hug, one by one. They clung to me like I was something precious, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from breaking down completely.
When they finally scattered back toward their mothers, I stayed crouched down, clutching the carved bear in my hand.Daska's shadow fell over me, and I felt his hand settle on my shoulder.
"They will miss you," he said softly.
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.
I'll miss them too.
Dev found me near one of the fire pits, where I was helping bundle supplies for the journey. My hands kept shaking, and I'd dropped the same water skin three times before he finally took pity on me and plucked it out of my grip.
"You're going to spill half our rations before we even leave," he said, though his tone was warm. Teasing.
I shot him a weak smile. "Sorry."
He studied me for a moment, his expression softening. Then he set the water skin aside and pulled me into a quick, tight hug.
"You okay?" he asked quietly.
I nodded against his shoulder, even though I wasn't sure if it was true. "Yeah. Just… processing."
"Understandable." He pulled back, his hands resting lightly on my shoulders. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry. After everything… you don’t deserve to be alone."
My chest tightened. "I'm not alone. I have you. And Megan. And—"
"Nathan doesn't count," Dev said flatly.
I huffed a laugh despite myself. "Fair."
Dev's gaze flicked past me, toward where Daska was speaking quietly with one of the pack elders. "He's a good man, Ellie."
"I know."
And I did. Iknew. But knowing didn't stop the guilt that gnawed at the edges of my thoughts every time I looked at Rivik.
Dev squeezed my shoulders once, then let go. "Come on. Let's finish packing before Nathan has an aneurysm."
Nathan was, predictably, already on edge.
I found him near the edge of camp, arms crossed and jaw tight as he watched the pack members load supplies into large leather packs. Megan stood a few feet away, her expression carefully neutral, though I caught the faint tension in her shoulders.
"This is taking too long," Nathan muttered as I approached. "We should have left days ago."
"We were recovering," I said evenly. "From a fight. That you didn't have to participate in."
His gaze snapped to mine, cold and sharp. "A fight that wouldn't have happened if you hadn't—"
"Hadn't what?" I cut in, my voice harder than I intended. "Hadn't survived? Hadn't found shelter? Hadn't made allies who saved all of our lives?"
Nathan's jaw worked, but he didn't answer. He just turned away, his hands curling into fists at his sides.
