t through the hole in the roof, h

dy ached from sleeping on the solid stone slab.

athing shallow but even. She moved quietly, slipping

ld. Ariel selected a few of the thickest, most flexi

nots, twisted strands, and wove the vines together with practiced e

e fish basket sat in her lap. It had a

rubbing his temples. He froze when he saw he

breaking through his usual dull, sickly facade. B

he grinned, holdin

waving him over. "L

ing up, the air still cool. They reached the riverbank

led back on itself. She dropped the basket int

w fat, squirming mutated earthworms. She crus

cked up several thin, sharp-edged stones. She tested t

sed. Ariel point

she in

rope. Together, they ha

nside, more than a dozen mutated fish thrashed wil

hese fish were notoriously hard to catch. Fa

hree swift moves, she gutted a fish, scraping out the in

hite fish meat on a flat rock. She picked up another

into a sticky paste. She spotted some wild ginger grass growing nearby. She ripped up

She set their only dented iron pot on top, fille

d her left hand into a fist, and using her thumb and index finger, she forced a perf

aroma exploded into the air. It was incredible. Noth

hroat bobbed visibly. His e

with a stick. She blew on it twic

at

econd, then opened h

, and deeply satisfying. It burst across his taste buds. It

t Ariel, this dirty, skinny girl, li

shock. Her s

he said. "Permanent partner

He swallowed. He didn

es

nod

oden bucket and hurried toward the center

er her feet. In her mind, she wasn't just seeing dirt. She was