Back at the camp, Mel busied herself with sorting the gathered herbs and fruits with the others, glad for something to occupy her traitorous mind. The baskets were laid out near one of the fires and the women worked together, separating what could be eaten immediately from what needed to be dried or stored.Mel held up one of the purple fruits and showed Nora how to identify ripeness by feel. Nora listened intently and practiced on a few. A number of the other women drew closer, curious about the new items Mel had helped them discover. For that small window of time, Mel felt genuinely useful.It was a good feeling and he wanted to hold onto it.The afternoon passed with more work. Mel helped Gerda hang herbs in a makeshift drying arrangement by one of the tents and sorted through the mushrooms, discarding a few that she now felt less confident about after a closer look. When the sun began its descent and the sky turned dark, the camp settled into a quieter rhythm.Supper was being pre
Read more
