Chapter 12

Caspian was stewing fruit in the cooking pot when she stepped back into the den, sprinkling in more of the nut meal that Fern had served her the evening prior. Netya crept over to the fire and sat down, warming her wet feet by the coals as she shivered.

Caspian carved a slice of apple with the flint knife he was using and popped it into his mouth, before handing a second piece to Netya.

“I thought your people would eat more meat,” she said after a moment of silence had passed.

“Hunting has been bad. Even the alpha eats poorly when there is little to go around.”

“I heard you giving advice to him. Do you help lead your people too?”

Caspian paused his chewing and looked at her for the first time. “Only the alpha leads our people, and I am not him.”

“But he seems to listen to you.”

Caspian smiled. “He does. Perhaps he finds value in some of the things I say. But the decisions are his to make.”

“Is my being here going to cause problems?”