Smalls made it back to the others by sundown. He was sweating and exhausted and didn’t know what to tell Emma and Heather.

“Smalls your back,”Emma said! She ran over and hugged him. Heather was cradling Molly who was fast asleep and smiled at Smalls.

Smalls was surprised because even if he had only been away for a day he had missed Heather a lot and he didn’t know what to do with this because now was not the time to like someone who probably didn’t like him back. 

A small fire was crackling in the middle of the clearing and all the kids were sleeping soundly close to the warm fingers that reached up as close as they could to the bright stars in the cool night sky.

Emma led Smalls to a log near to the fire and gave him a few red berries which Smalls' guest had been picked earlier that day.

“I am afraid to ask Smalls but where is Naylen,”Emma said? 

Smalls looked down.

“He was captured. Someone snuck up on us and grabbed Naylen but I got away. 

Emma looked down.

Heather looked up with a fire in her eyes.”We can’t let them win,”She said with determination. We have to find them. We can’t give up, not if it means these innocent children become orphans. 

Smalls admired Heather’s love for the kids that she would put them before finding her own parents.

“I agree but we have to be smart about this. I don’t want anyone else being taken. Especially not you or Emma. Smalls didn’t say this out loud but he thought about it. 

“We could start patrols and if we see anything report it. We could also make a hideout to put the children and people can take daily trips to the stores in town to find food.

“Why don’t we just start living in one of the houses,”Emma asked?”Because we could be found quickly,”Smalls answered for Heather. This still doesn’t solve the problem of how to find the others if…,”Smalls trailed off but everyone knew what he was thinking. If they are still alive.