’He’s in such great shape,’ she thought. ’Unlike me. I’ve put on a little weight.’

Thankfully, the rain only lasted a few hours before stopping, and the snow hadn’t piled up. Evelyn Ford took stock of the medicine in her space. There was still plenty of Western medicine, but most of the herbal remedies hadn’t been sorted or processed. She took out several boxes of medicinal herbs, measured out the proper proportions, and had Ronan Kendrick wrap them in paper.

"This batch is all Hemostatic Vine. It needs to be ground into a powder."

"This box is Bone-setting Herb. It also needs to be ground into a powder."

Evelyn Ford packed everything up, box by box, then took inventory of her supply of rice, flour, grains, and oil.

They were in no short supply of food and water; they had mountains of it. The two of them stayed busy the entire afternoon, and eventually, the cold wind outside began to die down.

That evening, Evelyn Ford went to check on Peter Owens’s recovery. His wound had mostly healed and was starting to itch. He couldn’t resist the urge to scratch, but Evelyn stopped him.

"The wound is knitting itself back together. If you scratch it open, you risk infection."

Peter Owens’s face went pale with fright, and he repeatedly promised he wouldn’t scratch it again.

During the night, the calls of Snow Eagles occasionally broke the silence. They had lit torches outside their shelter, so the eagles didn’t dare approach. Instead, they let out piercing, desperate shrieks in an attempt to intimidate their prey. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Evelyn Ford held Mina and played with her for a while. Mina had put on quite a bit of weight recently, and her tail was so fluffy it was beautiful, making her look like a little sprite.

Ronan Kendrick pushed open the door to the carriage and stepped inside. Evelyn Ford retrieved a cup of hot water from her space and handed it to him.

"Didn’t get them?"

"Got them. Two of them."

The Snow Eagles had been circling outside, and their cries were getting on everyone’s nerves. Ronan Kendrick had taken the crossbow and gone out to deal with them.

"We should be able to leave tomorrow, right?"

"We can. The rain and snow have stopped, and there’s very little wind."

Evelyn Ford breathed a sigh of relief. Beyond the grasslands lay mountain ranges, lakes, deserts, and snow-capped peaks. ’It’s best if we leave Khoros as soon as possible,’ she thought. Even without wild beasts, the prairie’s unpredictable weather was more unsettling. The place was filled with invisible, intangible dangers.

After Ronan Kendrick lay down, he pulled Evelyn Ford into his embrace.

"Go to sleep. I’ll take care of everything."

Evelyn Ford rested her hand on his waist. Then, on a sudden impulse, she lifted his shirt and felt his abs. ’Tsk, tsk. They feel amazing,’ she thought.

The look in Ronan Kendrick’s eyes shifted, but he did his best to restrain himself.

"My Kendrick has such a great body."

She had to admit, she was practically drooling.

"Do it again," Ronan Kendrick pleaded in a low voice.

Evelyn Ford gave him a wicked grin. "Alright."

***

「The next day」

The sun, a long-unseen guest, finally appeared over the prairie.

It was time to set off. After waking, everyone began bundling branches and logs, then pushed the carriage out from its shelter.

Evelyn Ford took Wendy and Wyatt Vaughn into a small copse of trees to relieve themselves. When they returned, the carriage was ready. Rabbit meat sizzled fragrantly in a pot, and next to it, a batch of rice was steaming.

"Time to eat! We’re leaving at noon sharp. We have to cover sixty kilometers today, so let’s try to get off this prairie as soon as we can."

"Ronan Kendrick, did you hunt these two eagles? Should we keep them?"

Ronan Kendrick shook his head. "Get rid of them."

Who knew what these two Snow Eagles had been eating. They had giant, red, fleshy tumors growing on their heads. They were probably riddled with viruses and bacteria.

Hearing this, Miles Vaughn dragged the Snow Eagles away and tossed them into the copse of trees.

After the meal, the group continued on their way. Evelyn Ford gave the mammoths some water, and the massive beasts resumed their position at the front, clearing a path.

"There probably aren’t any settlements left on the prairie. But from the looks of it, even though it’s gotten colder, there are no signs of earthquakes. A lot of people must have survived in the Northwest Region. Add in the refugees who fled there... I figure we’ll start seeing some bases once we enter Serena."

The Northwest has always been the nation’s strategic rear, where most of the military is stationed. Combined with its vast, sparsely populated lands and other geographical factors, the Northwest is relatively safe.

In truth, their caravan was a massive target. So many animals, plus the carriage. Evelyn Ford rubbed her temples. ’If only I could put living things in my space.’

"Don’t worry. There are a lot of us, we’ll be fine."

Evelyn Ford nodded. "I hope you’re right."

The day’s journey went smoothly. At nine o’clock that night, the party arrived in front of an earthen house.

"This must be a herder’s home. Let’s stay here tonight."

"Don’t herders live in tents?"

Taylor Vance smiled. "Most do, since it’s easier for migration. But this prairie is huge, and some herders settle down permanently and build earthen houses. Let’s go take a look inside."

The outside of the house was plastered with a layer of cow dung, but it didn’t smell. The inside of the earthen house was surprisingly clean, though all the household items were gone. Two corpses lay on the floor. One had a kitchen knife embedded in its chest.

The bodies had decomposed into skeletons, and their clothes had weathered away into tattered scraps.

"Must have been a fight. There are three more bodies inside. From the skeletons, they all look like adults. Let’s clean up and get the flock inside."

With everyone holding a torch, they disposed of the bodies and then herded the sheep and horses into the earthen house. It was dilapidated, but at least it offered shelter from the wind and rain.

There were still some pickled vegetables in a jar, enough for three meals. For dinner, they made a soup with the pickled vegetables and some stewed meat. After they ate, the day came to a close.

The earthen house was built in a depression, and the wind picked up that night. Evelyn Ford extinguished the stove and shut the push-out window tightly.

The battery bank still had a charge, so Evelyn Ford switched on the electric blanket. After feeding the four little ones some food and water, she decided to take a bath.

She took out the bathing tub and filled it with hot water. The moment she submerged herself, she could feel her pores open from the heat.

Even though a curtain separated them, Evelyn Ford could feel Ronan Kendrick’s eyes on her. Her ears grew hot, and she finished her bath quickly before getting out.

"Ronan Kendrick, do you want to wash up? I can change the water for you."

"The water’s still good. No need to waste it."

"I have plenty of water in my space. We don’t have to conserve it."

Ronan Kendrick just smiled and started to take off his clothes to wash up. Evelyn Ford touched her ear and quickly turned her back to him.

"Evelyn Ford! Evelyn Ford!"

Outside the carriage, Wyatt Vaughn was calling her name. Her voice sounded urgent. Evelyn threw on her coat and hat, opened the door, and stepped out.

"What’s wrong?"

"I need to get some headache powder from you. Quincy keeps saying his head is hurting."

"I’ll go with you and take a look."

When they reached Wyatt Vaughn’s carriage, they found Quincy lying under the covers, his expression pained.

"Wyatt Vaughn said you have a bad headache. Can you describe the pain?"

"It comes in waves... like I’m being stabbed with needles. Evelyn Ford, do you have any painkillers for headaches?" Quincy’s face was pale, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

"Where exactly is the pain? Have you injured your head recently? Fallen or hit it on something?"

Quincy tried to think, but the pain was so severe he couldn’t recall anything.

"Back at the Savage Tribe’s camp," Wyatt Vaughn interjected, "Quincy was protecting me and got kicked away by one of them. His head hit a rock. He bled so much... he almost died. Could this be a lingering effect from that injury?"

Evelyn Ford examined the spot. Sure enough, there was a bald patch where the hair hadn’t grown back. The skull itself was dented, leaving a noticeable depression.