My stomach growled loudly enough to wake me up, reminding me that it had only had a single bowl of soup and a handful of leaves in the last twenty-four hours. Hunger clawed at my insides, twisting until there was no chance of falling back to sleep.

There would be no food until I went out and collected some. The bit of dried meat and meager remains of last night's watery soup were for the children's breakfasts and to provide a small lunch to those who stayed in the village.

I took a big drink of water in an attempt to silence my stomach. I lay in bed until I could see light under my door, then got dressed, refilled my water skin, and wiped down my arms and legs. Hunger drove me down to the crystal.

Callie was awake earlier than normal. She came over and gave me a big hug, saying, "I'm hungry."

Her words struck my heart like a knife and twisted painfully. I hugged her tighter. Children weren't supposed to go hungry. Yet...I didn't see any easy solution. The areas around most crystals had been picked clean. The small amount my group brought back yesterday only served to contrast how much they had been contributing before.

Was hunger going to plague the village like it had during the drought? It'd break my heart if Callie and the other children cried themselves to sleep every night.

The worst part was that there was nothing I could do other than take the far-ranging hunters and foragers to better locations. How I wished there was another option! Something I could do or somehow contribute.

Callie and I sat on a bench as our stomachs grumbled at us and had a lively discussion. Others also gathered earlier than usual, likely woken by hunger or hungry family members.

As soon as Merryl came down, Callie grabbed her mother's hand and pulled her to the front of the group where Grant was organizing his notes. He began working his way through the crowd.

When Grant reached me, he asked, "Do you feel like trying Jungle Landing?"

"The tropical place about three hundred paces away from several dozen fruit trees and that tiny trickle of a creek?"

"Yes. There should be a bit of wildlife farther out, and birds have stolen enough fruit that some has to be growing wild."

I took a deep breath. "As long as the hunters don't get lost and keep a sharp eye out for predators. That's the kind of forest we've lost hunters in over the years." It was also where Chase had been killed by a tiger, and the loss of my boyfriend still sat heavy in my heart.

An arrow or flint knife wouldn't stop the powerful felines, and the dangers didn't stop there. Venomous snakes, stinging insects, treacherous terrain, toxic plants, and other dangers lurked around every corner.

As soon as the first nine hunters arrived, I ported them there to "claim" the crystal for the day. I frowned when I saw the resilient tropical grasses were trampled flat, proof that it was a popular location.

This hinted at a very boring day ahead since the easy-to-identify edibles would be long gone. I wasn't familiar enough with most tropical plants to know which ones were safe to collect. Many could make someone sick.

"Stay safe," I quietly told the hunters as I ported back to retrieve their companions. Like the last few days, I didn't feel even the faintest twinge of discomfort after the heavy port and subsequent bounce.

I brought over the last group, waiting just long enough between ports to keep Grant from grumbling. The three ports barely left a faint twinge in my chest even though I hadn't waited long between ports.

I watched as the last of the hunters disappeared into the foliage. I truly hoped I'd see all of them later today. The jungle was dangerous, and they planned to wander much farther than was wise.

To distract myself from my gloomy thoughts, I began searching for anything that might count as breakfast. Fruit would be a dream come true, although greens were far more realistic, and I wasn't desperate enough to eat bugs.

A quick search of the area around the crystal came up completely empty. It had been scoured clean by previous porters who were probably just as hungry as I was, if not more so.

My stomach growled, demanding food. I circled wider, and when I found nothing, I left a few carry nets near the crystal to show someone was here, then began checking the fruit trees scattered along the tiny creek.

The hand-wide trickle of water was easy to step over as I investigated each tree. None of the fruit was even remotely ripe. The half-ripe stuff had probably been picked and taken back to the village to ripen.

A flash of blue caught my eye as a small frog jumped between some mossy rocks. Alas, this type was poisonous and even touching it would cause a rash. I walked along the creek, alternating my attention between the fruit trees, nearby vegetation, and the water. A tiny snail the size of my thumbnail crawled along a leaf, but crustaceans either needed to be cooked or completely dried out to kill any internal parasites.

After ten minutes of searching, I stopped and scratched my head. I hadn't found anything edible, not even a single leaf.

Simply because I was a snoop, I turned over some rocks and fallen branches as a worm and a couple of beetles scuttled for cover. No crickets or mealworms were present, so the bug debate was less of an option than before.

"Hello?" a voice called from the direction of the crystal.

I winced at the overly loud call. What were they thinking? You didn't make that much noise outside of the desert!

"One moment," I replied in a slightly louder than talking volume, which should reach them and hopefully not alert anything else in the area.

I jogged through the trees and slowed when I saw a group I didn't recognize. Three carried bows, two had carry nets and tiny shovels carved from bone, and two—a middle-aged man and a teenage boy—just had a small knife and a couple of wrapped-up carry nets.

"Sorry about that," the older man said, possibly having just finished chastising the teen whose head hung low. "It's one of Ethan's first trips."

"I haven't seen any Saursune activity so far, so it should be fine, but that doesn't mean anything lately."

"Ain't that the truth." He glanced around. "Where's your group?"

"Farther out," I replied honestly. "This spot has pretty much been picked clean by all the groups who came before us. Can I ask which village you're from?"

"Mount Everji Village. You?"

It took me a few seconds to recall their village as one who primarily raided farms and crops.

"Vermilion Village."

"Been meeting a lot of villages lately." He rubbed the stubby beard bristles on his chin. "Never was this many people 'round the farms."

"I can't really blame them. Not many want to risk a Saursune ambush."

"True. That's why we're out here. This is the second place we've tried today, and both were claimed. Any ideas where to check next?"

I scratched my head. "All the good locations will be claimed by now. If you know of any crystals near a field that was harvested at least a week ago, those aren't too bad—just don't go near the field. Check the opposite direction."

He frowned. "Going near a farm isn't a wise way to avoid 'dem lizards, and I ain't about to take my nephew into that kind of danger."

I hesitated, then said, "Want to hear a secret?"

"What's that?"

I lowered my voice. "The Saursunes aren't killing porters. If you stand still, they'll circle you, and eventually leave. And if your group doesn't set foot on a field or farm—and as long as they drop any weapons at the sight of a Saursune—they might get pinned, but they won't get hurt."

Judging by the looks I was getting, not a single one was about to consider such an option. They must have had some close calls in the past or known those who did.

Adapting quickly, I shrugged. "But you're almost guaranteed to be found near a farm or field, so that choice is up to you and your group. As for other places... The alpine slopes grow quickly this time of year, but it's all small stuff. The bamboo forests are an option as not many people like the shoots, but my group sprung a pretty big trap the last time we went there."

"Big trap? Where was this?"

"Uh, Yellow Bird Bamboo Forest. It was a huge corral that used bamboo trees like fence posts. Two armed fighters. We haven't gone back to check if it's still there."

"I don't think I know that place, and after what you just said, I'm rather glad of that fact. Can I ask how many you lost?"

"None. I'm not sure if we weren't the group they were trying to catch or if they got distracted, but they just disappeared." I left out the part where they actually blasted a hole in the wall for us to escape. They would definitely think I was off my rocker.

"Huh. Well, I'll try Alpine Slope and hope no one has beat us there."

I waved as the man and his group disappeared. The location name could have been their term for half a dozen different places. As I walked back the way I'd come, I frowned, realizing that a dedicated raiding village normally never had any interest in such distant crystals, nor would they have known where they were. Several villages had clearly been trading away a lot of the remote spots, which would also explain why more and more places were picked so clean.

I shook my head and went back to the oddly difficult task of finding breakfast. A gentle thud to the side made me jump, and I turned just in time to see a second nut fall to the forest floor. High in the canopy, a large bird successfully grabbed one off a branch and flew away.

Almost any nut in the jungle was safe to eat, and I quickly claimed the two in the leaf litter. I scoured the ground without finding more, and when I peered upward, only the outermost, thinnest branches still had nuts. The rest had been picked clean.

I cracked the shells between two stones. My stomach ached from hunger, needing more than two small morsels. I gazed at the branches overhead, but the finger-thin branches were too small to hold my weight, and the huge trees were way too high for me to throw a rock and knock more down.

Hours passed as I ventured farther away from the crystal. A carry net still hung off my belt, not a single thing in it. All I'd found so far was two small sprigs of asparagus under a leafy shrub, and more nuts from the same tree.

Restless and driven on by an empty stomach, I wandered back to the tree, hoping the bird had returned and knocked a few more loose. I circled the tree, but alas, the bird hadn't returned. My feet scuffed the shells from my previous finds.

With a sigh, I turned and jerked to a stop as something large slid out of the foliage. A green Saursune. Caught off guard, old habits kicked in, sending my heart racing as I skipped back. Had it not been between me and the crystal, I would have bolted.

Reason caught up with me a split second later, and I came to a shaking stop as Liam's words came back to me: Porters who run are the ones who get pinned. Part of my mind was already analyzing its stance. Its neck was neither lowered in threat, nor lifted high in an intimidating show of dominance. No teeth were visible. No armband, belt, or armor adorned its scales. The slightly longer horns marked this one as a male.

He tilted his head as a deep hum echoed from his chest. It was reminiscent of the sound the dark brown female had made. Even though I knew it wasn't a true growl, my breathing quickened and my hands grew clammy.

The Saursune paced closer on all fours, heading directly toward me. Just as I was about to sidestep out of the large predator's path, he angled to the side. His neck curved slightly as he circled behind me. I trembled as I fought to stand still.

He appeared on my left and passed in front of me. I flinched when his tail brushed against my ankles. After what happened last time, I kept my hands close to my sides to avoid accidentally sharing any energy.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to slow my racing heart. I was fairly certain he wasn't about to hurt me, but it was hard to change old reactions. With my immediate panic already subsiding to heart-pounding fear, I was able to focus on other things, like the faint shimmering of light and how I could feel my energy slipping away.

His tail felt hot, and I was quite certain it was a side effect of them stealing my energy. The longer I tracked it, the more easily I could feel it. As the energy ebbed away, tiredness set in. No porting strain, which I found strange since that was usually the most noticeable aspect when porting.

The drain stopped.

I wasn't completely tapped out, so the Saursune hadn't been trying to take everything. It definitely left me tired, although not nearly as bad as last time. He circled me once more, although his tail now felt cool. He walked to the side and shook himself.

Instinct said to run to the crystal and port to safety, but what was the point? My legs would give out if I tried running right now. The Saursune wasn't an immediate threat, and I'd have to come back for my groups anyway. A tiny part of me hoped he might even help locate some food like the last one did.

Right on cue, my stomach growled, protesting how I was burning calories without replacing them. It also caught the Saursune's attention, and he looked back at me. I flushed and scuffed my feet in the leaves, somehow embarrassed by the fact that an oversized alien lizard had been scolded by my stomach.

His gaze drifted to the empty carry net half-hanging out of my pocket. With sharper and more alert movements, the Saursune's head turned and scanned the area. He trotted to the side, still looking around. When he reached the discarded shells, he gave them a cursory sniff, glanced upward, and began trotting through the undergrowth.

Remaining where I was, I watched him circle the area. His head frequently dipped to the ground and rose in the air, obviously checking scents. If he was trying to help me find something to eat, he was going to have his work cut out for him. Had there been ripe fruit or anything really good relatively close by, one of the hunters would have let me know before disappearing for the day.

The Saursune swung back this way and snuffled the trampled path where I'd cracked the nuts open. Was he able to smell the dozens of feet that had passed through this area over the last week? That led me to wonder if he could differentiate people by scent alone, the way dogs could.

Standing was beginning to take too much effort. Since I knew there wasn't anything edible in the immediate area, I sat on a nearby low rock to conserve my remaining energy.

Eating smaller portions in lean times was common, but I wasn't used to going almost two entire days with only a bowl of soup and a handful of greens. I could definitely feel the difference in my legs. It might have been different if there had been meat or starches in my soup yesterday, but plant leaves didn't give much staying power.

When the hunters returned, there was a good chance they'd grab some greens on the way back to fill their carry nets. It usually wasn't hard to convince one to share part of their haul if there wasn't much food near a crystal. I'd just have to be patient for several more hours. My stomach gurgled in protest, telling me it wanted food now.

The Saursune emerged from between some nearby bushes, glanced down at me, then looked around again. I remained where I was, unable to find the ambition to move, and almost too tired to be worried by his presence. An empty stomach and an energy drain simply didn't go well together.

With a snort, the Saursune bounded out of sight.