nly then did she let out a slow, silent breath. She turned back to the cart,

they groaned in protest as she pushed them through the rutted mud. It took all her

oughfare, but she couldn't avoid the central square.

ered, blocking the way. In the center, Marsh Fletcher was down on one knee, his

pouch and pulled out a low-grade energy crystal. It pulsed with a faint, sickly light. "I offer you thi

plucked the crystal from his hand with two fingers, holding i

the crystal into her pouch. "Fine. You may join the line of ca

e back of her hand. Diann slapped him away with a

ugh her, and it had nothing to do with the smell of the dung. This was a transac

f Carin and the cart. Her lip curled. "Ugh! T

They swung the wooden shafts of their spears,

ne of the

, swallowing the cry that tried to escape. She ducked her head and pushed the cart forward as fa

d the cart's contents into the pit, the foul smell washing over her, and then slumped against a la

edge of the clan's territory, far from the bustling ma

m the rocks. She knelt beside it, looking down at her reflection. The mud c

n her jaw. The mud smeared away, revealing a patch of skin that was startlingly w

thout hesitation, she grabbed a fresh handful of dark mud from the bank and smeared it back o

Carin gasped, clutching her head as she doubled over. It fe

unknown sys

eyes flew open. Floating in her vision, superimposed over th

wn cheek, the sting sharp and real. The panel didn't disappear. Instea

complete. Hos

oticing an eye-like icon blinking. She tried to concentrate, thinking the word 'scan' in her mind, but the icon remained unresponsive. Frowning, she adjusted

g near the puddle. The panel flickered, and

No nutritional value. Trace

ation? This broken datapad... was it actually working so

on. She stood up, brushing the dirt from her knees. Her hands were steady no

tle cut through the air. It was the signal for

ened her spine, ignoring the protest from her ribs, and b