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“A little over three months. Which explains why we live here,” she nodded toward their makeshift home. “But Albert’s strong. And the girls are a big help. We’ll have something better by winter.”
“Winter? So, you experience all four seasons here?”
“From what they tell me, yes. We’ve only been here since early summer. I can’t really complain about the weather. It’s been so mild and nice. But the people, at least the long-timers, speak strongly about not wasting food and putting away as much as possible for the cold, harsh months to come. That’s why Albert is so worried about getting something more solid built by then. And he will,” she smiled. “He always takes good care of us.”
Paige admired Elsie’s optimism but wondered how much of it came naturally and how much might be wishful thinking. Hopefully she and Taran could help tip the scales a little—for as long as they were here—at least. Those two little girls needed a warm, snug, place to live.
“Then you’d have been here when my brother came?” she queried. “Austin Williams? Do you recall seeing him? Old man said he was here but didn’t stay.”
“Yes, I remember him.” Elsie said softly, pushing a carrot around on her plate.
“Really?” Paige shifted to face her; her own plate of food forgotten in her lap. “Did you talk with him? Do you know why he left? Where he went?”
When Elsie didn’t immediately answer, Paige tensed. “I’ve been searching for him a long time.” She cleared her throat, pushing back the lump forming there. “I’ve been waiting for him even longer. Please, Elsie, whatever happened, please tell me. I need to know the truth. I have to know. Ihaveto find him.”
Elsie looked up at Paige, her cornflower blue eyes full of sadness. “Are you sure you want the whole truth?”
Paige’s mouth went dry. “Of course,” she managed as the food in her belly turned sour.
“Well,” Elsie began, once more chasing that carrot on her plate, “he was very pleasant when he first came. Charming, even. The community sort of took him in since he didn’t have anyone. Old Man explained the rules, as I’m sure he did to you and Taran, but Austin didn’t seem inclined to take them seriously. He didn’t really take to the work. Any of it. They let him rest at first, understanding how hard the…trip…can be for some people. But, things just didn’t get better.”
She placed a hand over Paige’s. “I’m sorry. It must be very hard to hear all this.”
Maybe he really was sick? Paige reasoned. Austin’s postcards were full of the odd jobs he’d taken to earn money for his travels. She couldn’t imagine he’d balk at the work here, unless something was really wrong.
“Is that why he left? How long was he here?”
“Well, after a month, things sort of came to a head. He was told he needed to contribute in some way—he could choose how—but he couldn’t continue to live off the labors of others.”
Elsie released a long sigh. “I’m sorry, Paige. Everyone liked him. They really did. But when given the choice to work or leave…he left.”
Something must have happened. But what? “To go where?” Paige questioned, gesturing to the mountains on three sides, and the forest on the other. “There must be other villages out there, right? Somewhere he could have gone.”
Elsie shook her head. “Possibly. But the only people out there that we’re aware of, are theOthers.”
“The Others?” Paige repeated, noting the wary tone of Elsie’s voice. “Who are they?”
“Other people—like us—who’ve ended up here, but who can’t or won’t live with rules or laws that benefit the whole. My understanding is they live in the forest where they can do what they want.”
“Where in the forest?” The urgency to go after him filled Paige’s chest. There had to be some mistake. Some logical explanation why he left. But no matter what it was, she couldn’t—wouldn’t—just leave him out there. Not when she was this close.
“They move around so no one can find them,” Elsie explained. “Occasionally, they’ll come here and trade rabbits or a doe, or maybe some hides for whatever they want. And sometimes…” Elsie looked away and shook her head.
“Sometimes…what?” Paige pressed.
“Sometimes one or two will sneak past the village guards at night and just take what they want. Some of them have even threatened to do worse. That’s why we stay inside the fields and use them as a buffer. But even with perimeter night guards out in the fields, we can’t seem to keep them from pilfering food from the outside edges. We just don’t have enough people to cover the whole thing. Not and work all day, too. But at least, by posting both field and village guards, the Others can’t come in a large group and do major harm. At least not without some warning.”
She gave Paige a pained look. “I know how much it would hurt if one of them were my family. Just because Austin is with them, doesn’t mean he agrees with all they do. Maybe he’s just caught in the middle. Maybe when he hears you’re here, he’ll come back.”
Paige refused to let the tears burning behind her eyelids, fall. “How? How could he possibly know I’m here?”
Elsie’s sigh was filled with sadness. “Because by now, all the villagers know who you are. And that you want to find Austin.”
“How does that help?” Paige challenged.
“Because nothing happens here that the Others don’t find out. No one knows who or how, but by tonight, they’ll know you’re in the village. So, if you want to see Austin, all you have to do is wait.”
Elsie covered Paige’s hand, with hers. “That’s assuming he wants to see you, of course.”
