The Mark of Trust

The howls finally faded as the rain continued, leaving a silence that felt even more dangerous. It was as if the forest was holding its breath, waiting for the next move. I held Finn tight against my chest.

He was so small and warm, his soft breathing the only thing keeping me grounded. My arms ached from holding him all night, but I couldn't bring myself to let go. Every little wiggle he made sent my heart thumping.

Kira was the first to move. She groaned as she stretched her stiff limbs and poked at the fire with a stick. "We can’t stay here," she said, her voice gravelly. "Those howls were way too close, whatever is coming for us is getting way closer."

Renn was already standing by the entrance, checking the gear he’d left out. He gave her a short nod. "I’ll go scout the perimeter. I want to make sure they didn’t leave anyone behind to watch us."

Gage sat by the fire, slowly pulling a whetstone across his knife. Scritch. Scritch. He looked over at Finn, his lips pulled into a thin line. "That baby's cry echoed through the valley," he grunted. "They heard it. Why do I still feel like this isn't over yet?" He asked no one in particular.

I didn’t have the energy to argue. I just kept humming a soft, wordless tune, the same one my mum used to sing for me as a child, just that currently I've forgotten its lyrics. Finn’s tiny eyelids fluttered open for a second, showing a flash of that startling green, before he went back to sleep. He looked so perfect, yet so out of place in this harsh, muddy camp. He wasn't a normal baby, and we all knew it even though I was trying to deny that fact.

Nearby, the two children, Mia and The were starting to stir. They rubbed the sleep from their eyes and stared at the fire. Theo looked at Finn, his voice a hoarse whisper.

"The wolves came because of him, didn't they?"

Mia elbowed him hard in the ribs. "Shut up, Theo. He’s just a baby."

I gave them a weary, protective look. "He’s my baby. That’s all that matters right now."

Kira handed me a mug of hot willow-ginger tea. "Drink. You need your strength. We need to talk about the kids, too."

Mia and Theo had only been with us for a few days and we hadn't decided if they were staying for good, and Gage had been making sure everyone knew how he felt.

"If they were in a pack, they could have been living fine," he’d grumble every time we barely have anything to eat. "They’ll just slow us down, maybe we should drop them off in a pack that'll take good care of them."

Lena sat down across from me, her dark braids still dripping with rainwater. "They want to stay. They asked again this morning. They said they’ll work to earn their keep."

“Theo's almost a grown up and he's a smart kid too. I wouldn't mind keeping him as a younger brother and I'm already fund of them, they are cool kids.” Marcus said.

Gage let out another loud grunt. "More mouths to feed. They’re small, they’re loud, and they’ll be the death of us."

Kira flared up, her eyes snapping toward him. "I was small once, too, you old wolf! I doubt you were born fully grown with that sharp mouth of yours. Everyone starts somewhere."

Gage muttered something under his breath but went back to his knife. I looked at the children. Mia was nervously twisting her fingers in her lap, and Theo was trying his best to look brave and strong. I took a slow sip of the bitter tea and let the heat spread through me.

"You can stay," I told them. The camp went quiet. "But you have to work. Just like the rest of us."

Theo sat up straight, his eyes bright. "We will! We can do anything!"

"Tonight," I continued, "you’ll go out and set four traps. If you bring back food by the time the moon is up, you stay. If not, we have to rethink things. Deal?"

"Deal!" Theo chirped. Mia nodded quickly, looking relieved. "We won't disappoint you, Liora. We promise."

I smiled at them. "I believe you. Now, go find Renn. He’ll show you how to set the snares correctly."

They scrambled up and ran toward Renn, shouting questions. Gage shook his head, but Kira gave me a small, approving nod.

"You’re good with them," she whispered.

"They need someone to believe in them."

"I remember what it's like to have nobody believe in you," I said quietly.

"Well," Kira said, looking me in the eye. "That isn't you anymore. You're the one making the calls now."

I nodded, but the weight on my shoulders felt heavier than ever. My mind kept drifting back to the vision of those black wolves. I hadn't told the others yet. I didn't want to ruin the tiny bit of peace we had just found.

The day passed slowly. I stayed by the fire with Finn, resting my aching body while Lena checked on me every hour. Renn came back later with some edible roots and a small bird. The smell of roasting meat filled the lean-to, making everyone’s stomach growl.

When night fell, we sent Mia and Theo out into the dark with the traps. I sat by the fire, Finn sleeping soundly on my chest, and listened to the rain. Kira was braiding some rope, and Renn stood guard at the entrance, his spear ready.

It was night time already, the moon was up and turning the wet forest into a world of silver and shadows. Every time a twig snapped or the wind shifted, I felt a jolt of anxiety.

Lena looked over the fire at me. "They’ll be fine, Liora. Theo is fast, and Mia is careful. They’ll make it."

"I know," I said, though my stomach was tied in knots.

Finally, we heard the sound of quick, light footsteps. Theo and Mia stumbled into the firelight, soaked to the bone but grinning from ear to ear. Theo was holding up four plump rabbits by their ears.

"We did it!" he shouted, breathless. "Just like you said!"

Mia stepped forward, showing me the snares. "We checked them twice, they were alright and made no mistakes."

Gage reached out and took one of the rabbits, weighing it in his hand. "Not bad," he admitted, his voice a little softer. "For a couple of runts."

Lena smiled happily while facing them. "I told you so."

The knot in my chest finally loosened. I looked at the kids and smiled. "You did excellent work. Welcome to the group."

Theo’s eyes sparkled, and Mia looked so happy she looked like she might cry. "We won't cause any trouble, we promise!" she said.

Renn clapped Theo on the shoulder. "Good job, kid. Now go get dry before you freeze."

As the kids curled up by the fire, sharing a piece of roasted bird Gage had tossed them, I looked down at Finn. He was awake now, watching the flames with his bright green eyes.

Later that night, after the children had fallen asleep, Kira sat down next to me. "You handled that well. They just needed a chance."

"I know the feeling," I said. "Being the outsider."

"You aren't the outsider anymore, Liora," she reminded me.

I nodded, but I couldn't shake the feeling of those yellow eyes watching us from the ridge. I rocked Finn until he fell back into a deep sleep. For a moment, everything was peaceful. It was the first quiet night we'd had in weeks.

CRACK.

The sound of a twig snapping just outside the shelter made me stand up alert. We were all rogues, but we still had the sharp ears of wolves.

My body went stiff. Kira’s hand flew to her dagger. Renn sat bolt upright, his spear leveled at the darkness.

Someone was out there in the shadows, just beyond the light of our fire. Someone was watching us.