It had been a hard climb. Enera was exhausted, more than usual, and she couldn't help the anxiety churning in her mind. Had their tryst taken? It hadn't the year before and part of her hoped there was something within her that didn't let it. But then, she reasoned, she wouldn't mind having a little one to look after. She'd had her sister for a while and having family was nice. She could pass on her mama's stories of their ancestors in the stars, that Rhae was watching them from above. She wondered what Rhae would think.

"Do you think the Cove will take us?" she asked Luca as they walked. They were almost there, so close to safety.

So of course everything had to go to hell.

She smelled it first, that earthy stench, and then saw the flash of movement as a pair of cubs scaled a tree. She barely had time to register before the grizzly sow was rushing them, trampling fresh undergrowth with a roar. "Luca, run!" Enera shouted, bolting toward the lake, and hoping to reach the Cove's borders in time to find sanctuary.