Chapter 48 Echoes In The Snow

• The morning broke cold and colorless, a pale sun struggling to pierce the clouds hanging low over Talawan. Snow had fallen through the night again, draping the city in a quiet shroud. It made everything look clean, untouched, though both Lucy and Daren knew better. Beneath the powdery white lay desperation, hunger, and the brittle tension of a world still crumbling.
• Lucy moved with practiced efficiency as she packed the old satchel on the table. Bottles clinked softly together: tinctures of willow bark, feverfew, valerian, and mint. Dried herbs were bound into small cloth pouches alongside them. A few precious tablets, scavenged from forgotten supplies, nestled at the bottom. It wasn’t much, but it would help.
• Ash padded over, nudging her elbow with his nose. She smiled and scratched behind his ears. “I know, boy. You always know when it’s time.”