Evelyn Ford’s face flushed crimson. ’That’s foul play! How could he act so cute?’

And yet, it seemed she was a complete sucker for it.

...

The next day, everyone continued to rest in the courtyard. Quincy and Miles Vaughn were suddenly struck with the idea of having a barbecue. The two of them retrieved a large chunk of Musk Ox beef from the cellar and began cutting it into cubes.

Evelyn Ford gave them a bag of chili powder. She had brought it back from Westeria, and its intense heat was perfect for a barbecue.

Wyatt Vaughn was already able to get out of bed and move around, but Evelyn Ford found herself back in bed. Perhaps due to the extremely low temperature, her stomach was feeling uncomfortable that day. Ronan Kendrick offered to let her drink his blood, but she refused.

’There are too many people around. It’s best if no one sees. I can just endure it for a while, and it’ll pass.’

In the afternoon, the group started grilling on the veranda. The savory aroma of meat wafted into the house. Ronan Kendrick brought her a plate of food and a cup of warm brown sugar water.

"Are you still feeling unwell?"

"Much better. I just feel a bit weak. My body’s detoxing. I’ll be fine in a few days."

Ronan Kendrick touched her forehead. "Good, you don’t have a fever."

"I’m not sick, you don’t need to worry."

"I thought you caught a cold from the freezing weather."

Evelyn Ford smiled. "The RV is very warm. I won’t catch a cold in there."

By the next day, Evelyn Ford was back to her energetic self, but the others still wouldn’t let her go hunting in the mountains.

At nine in the morning, the hunting party was packed and ready to go. Everyone went except for Evelyn Ford, Wyatt Vaughn, and Wendy.

They planned to be back before five in the afternoon. Evelyn Ford packed a backpack for Ronan Kendrick, filling it with a Magnesium Rod, a whistle, a Water Cup, goggles, a Warm Baby, and some Dried Meat.

"We’ll be back by five. We don’t need to bring all this," Ronan Kendrick said, planning only to take the goggles.

"It’s cold in the mountains. You have to be prepared. Just try to come back as early as you can."

"Alright. I promise I’ll be back on time."

Ronan Kendrick led the way on horseback. Behind him were two Mammoths, with the rest of the group following.

"They’re going to be out for eight hours," Wyatt Vaughn said, a worried look on her face. "It’s so cold. I wonder if they’ll even find any prey."

Having been idle for two days, she was starting to feel anxious. She felt restless just lying on the heated bed, and even eating felt undeserved when she wasn’t working.

"They’ll definitely find something," Evelyn said. "Let’s go warm up by the fire in the kitchen. I’ll get the ox head stewing; it should be nice and tender by the time they get back. Wendy, I still have a ball of yarn I brought back from Zaltar. I can teach you how to knit a hat later."

Wendy’s eyes lit up, but she didn’t reach out to take it.

"You’ve already given me so many hats, I can’t even wear them all."

Evelyn Ford pressed the yarn into her hands. "Then just use it to pass the time. The horse and the Mammoths are gone, so we’re not busy today. We don’t have to do any work."

"But yarn is too precious."

"This ball was always meant for you. Wyatt has one too. Ask her if you don’t believe me."

Wyatt Vaughn nodded. "It’s true. Mine is purple. Evelyn gave it to me back when we were on the ship. But I’m all thumbs; I tried to learn for a long time but just couldn’t get the hang of it."

Only after hearing this did Wendy accept it, her mind at ease.

"Wyatt, once I learn how, I’ll help you knit yours."

If she hadn’t sprained her waist, Wyatt Vaughn would have rushed over to give Wendy a hug. ’She’s so sweet!’

Evelyn Ford started by teaching Wendy how to knit the hat. Wendy was very clever and good with her hands, so she learned quickly. Seeing that she was knitting away competently, Evelyn took out two ox heads to thaw.

"By my count, my period is due soon, too. I need to make some pads to have on hand."

The "pads" Wyatt Vaughn was talking about were made by sewing several pieces of cloth together. During her period, she would use them as liners. If the weather was good, they could be washed and dried for reuse the following month. If the weather was bad, they had to be thrown out.

Evelyn Ford gave her some clean cloths and helped her make several pads.

The three of them had a simple lunch. Afterward, Evelyn Ford took a nap. She woke up slowly around three o’clock and checked the time. There were still two hours until Ronan Kendrick’s party returned. She moved the large pot of stewing ox head off the main fire and set it by the edge of the fire pit to keep warm.

Then, she began kneading dough for steamed buns. Since Wyatt Vaughn still couldn’t do any heavy lifting, she just tended the fire for her.

"I wonder what time it is."

"It’s three-thirty."

Wyatt Vaughn was surprised. "How do you know?"

Evelyn Ford pulled out the pocket watch she wore around her neck. "I have a watch."

"Miss Ford gave me a watch before, but it was swept away by the sea," Wendy said.

Wendy remembered it had been a blue watch with purple diamonds. It was beautiful.

Evelyn Ford smiled. "Don’t worry about it. From now on, you can just ask me if you want to know the time."

"Miss Ford, aren’t you angry?"

"You didn’t lose it on purpose, so why would I be angry? A watch is just a watch. The important thing is that you’re safe and sound."

Wyatt Vaughn sighed emotionally. "When we left the safe zone, I had a bracelet and a necklace my mom left me. They were washed away by the sea, too."

The three of them chatted as they worked. Evelyn Ford set the buns to steam. At four-thirty, a sudden sleet began to fall. Evelyn carried some leaves to the sheep pen, then walked out of the courtyard and stared toward the mountain forest for a long time.

"Evelyn, are they back yet?" Wyatt Vaughn asked, and she would repeat the question every ten minutes.

"Not yet. It’s not even five."

Wyatt Vaughn was sighing nonstop. "It’s sleeting now. They’re going to catch a cold for sure. I’ll make a pot of ginger tea for them to drink when they get back."

Evelyn Ford went back to the kitchen and lifted the lid of the steamer. A cloud of steam instantly enveloped her face, fogging her vision.

The steamed buns were large and fluffy. Evelyn Ford picked one up, tore it into three pieces, and handed them to Wendy and Wyatt Vaughn.

"This is so good! You can even smell the fragrance of the flour. Evelyn, you’re a miracle worker in the kitchen," Wyatt praised.

Wyatt Vaughn started slicing some ginger, which had also been brought back from Westeria. They didn’t know if it was the soil, but plants from Westeria grew to incredible sizes. A single piece of ginger could be as large as a washbasin, and even their chicken eggs were the size of goose eggs.

Evelyn Ford went into her room to feed Mina and the other pets. She had been so busy lately that she’d had to keep the little ones cooped up inside, ordering them not to go out. Thankfully, they were all quite obedient and hadn’t made a mess or tried to run off.

Wendy was taking excellent care of the Snow Rabbits. The doe’s belly had gotten quite large; it looked like she was about to give birth.

Rabbits have large litters and reproduce quickly, making them an excellent emergency food source.

Because of the cold weather, the animals weren’t shedding much anymore. Evelyn Ford held Mina in her arms, cherishing the moment for a long while. When she saw it was almost time, she put Mina down and left the room.

The three women waited in the courtyard, their eyes anxiously fixed on the path. It was five o’clock sharp, but no one had returned.

"Did they get too much prey? Or did they go too far out? Why are they taking so long?" Wyatt Vaughn was starting to panic.

"Don’t worry, it’s only ten past five."

"My brother can handle himself, so I’m not that worried about him. But Quincy is too weak. I’m more worried about him."

Evelyn Ford didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at her bluntness.

Just then, Evelyn heard a noise. Holding a piece of oilcloth over her head to shield herself from the sleet, she walked out of the courtyard.

In the distance, a large procession was making its way toward the courtyard. The man leading on horseback was none other than Ronan Kendrick.

A wide smile spread across Evelyn Ford’s face. "They’re back," she said. "And it looks like they had a good haul."