*Ellie*
The baby grows fast—so fast, in fact, that it could be twins. I can’t tell Erik that, for he would be too upset if it is not.
The village is pulling itself back together after the terrible attack, but everyone has felt the loss of so many women. Many men do not know how to cook, so we have large dinners at the long house now for any who needs to join us. Erik has begun to teach them to cook, hoping they can learn to care for their families before the winter hits.
“Are you ready?” Anders asks me, and I nod.
He takes the buckets from my hands, and I follow him up the side of a hill. It’s rocky, so we go slow. He looks back to check on me often, and while it is a difficult climb, I am happy to make the journey.
We reach a clearing on the side of the mountain where Anders h
