Page 154 of Moonless

She opens her fingers, and I stay bent while she tries again.

She minds better than her aunt does.

Mel gets up beside Kestria, brushing off her skirt. “Right. Dinner. Come over to the cooking fire, all of you. There’s meat, and I can put some roots on, and you can tell me everything while I do it.”

Keer lifts Eskan off Kestria’s thigh with his good arm, and she moves Colm out from between her knees so she can stand.

I wait for Birdie to let go of my ear. “We have to go with them.”

She takes my collar instead. That’ll do.

My left leg’s gone stiff, so I get up slowly and hold her against my chest until the foot takes my weight. Two days of walking, and a bench is what stiffens it.

Kestria watches me over Colm’s head. “It’s only across there.”

“I can see it.”

“I was telling myself.” She takes Colm’s hand, and we follow Mel between the tables.

Axan goes back for our things. He brings the sack in his good hand with the bow clamped under that arm and the arrows sticking out behind him. That’s a wolf carrying my father’s shirt, and he’s got no idea. I watch him until he’s set it all down beside the table Mel picks.

Axan keeps a hand on the sack. “Here?”

Mel nods at the end of the bench. “Yup.”

The herbs tied to the sack drag across his foot as he steps away.

Mel looks down at them. “Oh, good. We can use those.”

“Please do.” Kestria sits with a hand against her ribs. “We’ve been carrying them for two days.”

I’m never going to hear the end of those herbs.

I sit down beside Kestria and lean back with my left leg stretched out. Birdie braces both feet on my right thigh and leans toward the table.

There’s a hen under the end of the bench by Mel’s feet. She’s pink. I don’t ask. The rooster behind her is big and red and scarred, and he’s already got his feathers up at me.

That’ll be Keer Jr.

Mel reaches for her. “Let him rest that arm, darling.”

Birdie turns into my chest, winding her fingers into my shirt. “No.”

That one came out clear enough.

Mel keeps her arms out. “You’re only going beside him.”

She holds on harder. I lift my right hand to her back. “I’ll stay here.”

Mel eases the little fingers out of my collar. I hold Birdie up from underneath while her mother lifts her across, then leave my left hand on the bench beside her, and she grabs it at once.

Her whole fist fits around one finger. I won’t be getting that back.

Mel settles her between us and puts a wooden spoon in her free hand. Keer has the boys on the opposite bench, Colm leaning against his side.

Eskan tries to get at Birdie’s spoon.

“There are more, Eskan.” Mel catches his hand. “You live here. You’ve seen them.”