A high-pitched squeal of laughter woke me precisely one second before the five-year-old cannonballed onto my bed. Loki must have abandoned me at some point during the night since the feline didn't yowl in protest.

"Morning!" she proclaimed with the delight only a child could muster.

I yawned and snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her close and tickling her. Her laughter and giggles echoed off the bare walls of the tiny cave.

When I finally let her go, she darted outside, and with laughter in her voice, she called out, "Aunt Natalie's awake now!"

I shook my head, wondering if I had to blame my sister or Grant. The darkness provided enough privacy for me to dig into my storage chest and quickly change into clean leather clothing. I stretched, feeling completely like myself and back to normal.

After a quick trip to the latrine, I went to grab my breakfast. The meager meal consisted of a tiny piece of dried fish, a dozen grains of fire-popped barley, and some plants that had soaked in water overnight. It was all I'd get until this evening, supplemented only by what I ate in the field. We were expected to "graze" while we were out.

I ate as I wandered over to the crystal, where other porters, hunters, and gatherers were also gathering. I checked my ankle. I had to search to find the pinpricks, and the faintest hint of a bruise was the only evidence of my close call.

"How are you doing?" Merryl asked as "her" four gatherers and two hunters already trailed behind her. Callie bounced beside her mother, never straying more than five steps away.

"Good," I replied. "My ankle is fine, and I slept like a rock."

Grant arrived and slipped into the crowd with his big leather notebook in hand. About half of the people had already arranged themselves into their usual groups while the rest waited to be assigned where their skills were needed most.

Grant stopped by each porter, explained where he wanted them to take their group today, and ensured they knew the exact location they were porting to.

"Merryl, the usual place, if you could?" he asked her.

"Sure," she jogged toward the crystal, and her sudden movement was immediately mirrored by her group, although Callie scurried to catch up. My sister glanced back and sent me a grin. Her attempt to check if they were paying attention showed exactly how well they worked together and how well they knew her sense of humor.

"Natalie, do you mind taking four to Aspen Ridge? If the pickings aren't good, come back."

I nodded, and he quickly picked two hunters and two gatherers to go with me. They arranged themselves around me as we walked to the crystal. I brushed my fingers against the crystal's smooth surface, letting the light shimmer through my veins. "Ready?"

They all nodded, so I turned my mind to the forest of slender trees whose leaves rustled in even the faintest breeze. "Aspen Ridge."

The warm desert air was replaced by cold dampness and the earthy smell of wet dirt. The hunters twisted on their heels as they quickly scanned the area, ignoring the rain drizzling out of the clouds above.

After waiting several seconds to make sure nothing was going to appear, they began checking the area, hoping to find an unwary rabbit. Most animals would be holed up somewhere dry, so I wasn't expecting much.

The grass around the crystal was unfortunately trampled, evidence of another group having been here in the last day or so. I didn't see any edible plants from where I stood. With a group in tow, I couldn't stray far from the crystal to help gather plants. It annoyed me that I wasn't going to be much help on this trip.

With a watchful eye on my surroundings, I began gathering fallen branches for firewood while my companions dispersed among the aspen trees.

~

My muscles were starting to ache from how hard I was shivering. The narrow tree branches above did nothing to stop the rain, and there were no sheltered spots. I tied a length of cord around a bundle of branches and set it near the crystal.

The two hunters returned less than an hour later, bringing the gatherers with them. All of them were as soaked as I was.

"My bowstring is stretching," one hunter said, holding up his bow to show that the waxed sinew was starting to fray and wasn't nearly as tight as it should have been. "The rain isn't letting up either."

"No sense in getting sick," I agreed. "Let's head back."

The gatherers hadn't filled their carry nets, and the hunters had a rabbit and a couple of rats. I hoped we'd find more elsewhere. They grabbed the bundles of sticks, and I ported everyone back to the village. The heat hit us like a welcoming hug.

Grant was nearby, as he always was. "Change into some dry clothes. Once you've warmed up, you can head out again."

All five of us scattered to our rooms, eager to get out of the cold clothing. I got changed and laid the dripping garments on a rock outside my door. Someone was bound to whisk it away for a proper cleaning and drying. They didn't want porters "wasting" energy and time on menial chores like these, and I already saw an old grandma eagerly hobbling over to kidnap my clothing before someone else beat her to it.

The hunters were already by the crystal, with dry bows and fresh arrows. They were alert and eager to get going. I envied their endurance, something built up by years of constantly chasing prey over rough terrain. Gatherers and porters moved more cautiously.

As soon as the gatherers arrived, I whisked them off to the next location Grant gave us.

~

Andre sprawled out on the resting hides with a groan. "There are way too many mosquitoes in Pantano Swamp. That was a long day."

"At least they weren't Saursunes," Ariel murmured, resting her chin on her knees as she sat beside me, idly watching the crystal as she waited for more porters to return.

"Oh, yeah?" Andre retorted without any heat. "Tell that to the one by Zebra Plains. That was our first location, and we weren't even there ten minutes before we had to bounce."

"Derek also saw one in the distance," Grant said, frowning at his notes as he waited for the last three porters to return for the evening. "Natalie, once everyone is back, do you mind taking me to the Oasis?"

"Can I drop you off and bounce back to help with the water cart?" I asked. "I can pick you up in an hour or so. I've only ported four times today, so I have enough ports left to do that and check a few places for shards."

He scrunched up his nose at the idea of me porting so much where people from other villages could see, but he nodded. "That could work, but when you pick me up, I want you to rest at least fifteen minutes. I don't need those gossipers getting curious about how many ports you can do."

Merryl volunteered, "I can take you. It's safe enough, and I love chatting with them. Callie hasn't been there yet, and she can play on the dunes or in the water."

"Even better," Grant said, brightening at that alternative plan. "Thanks." He grinned at me. "Sorry, Natalie. You're forced to rest until the water cart is ready."

I rolled my eyes and flopped onto my back, letting an arm fall above my head. "Oh, the horror. However will I survive?"

The others snickered. Andre huffed and tossed a pebble at me in jest. The creaking of wooden wheels had me bouncing to my feet, eager to get going. Traveling with a group all day meant I couldn't roam around as much as I liked, and I was chafing at the inactivity. Porting something like the water cart was guaranteed to put a serious dent in my energy and ensure I slept well.

Grant shook his head and waved me toward the crystal. I smirked and wondered if he knew he was going to lose the bet we'd made earlier about how many times I could port. A chance to set a new record? I was going to give it my best shot.

I waited beside the crystal as two young men brought the water wagon over. A faint shift in the air made me skip to the side as a group suddenly appeared beside us.

The closest hunter staggered back as the water cart brushed against his arm unexpectedly. His friend faithfully kept a tight grip on his belt and on Calum's shoulder in case there was actually trouble and he had to bounce.

Calum removed his hand from the crystal with a sigh. "I knew we should have gone to the other crystal."

"We were just checking to see if you were awake," I said with a grin.

"Uh-huh."

His four companions finally separated from the group huddle as bystanders came to grab the carry nets of greens and handful of rabbit-sized rodents. I stepped back into place and grabbed the water cart handle.

"Where to?" I called out to Grant, realizing I wasn't sure which of our usual spots were still an option with all the Saursune activity.

"Try Orange Flower again," he replied. "It's close to the water, and there aren't too many bushes nearby. Hopefully, the Saursune won't be expecting us two days in a row."

I frowned at the unexpected answer. We had never returned to a place we'd seen a Saursune in less than a week, nevermind the very next day.

Two hunters who had been walking away stopped. "If you can port us, we can stand guard."

Grant looked at me and waited for my reply. I quickly debated the pros and cons of having two extra sets of eyes watching for danger against the needed energy to drag them with me on a round trip. It was an easy decision.

"Grab on."

Even with the extra weight, I was pretty sure I'd win my bet with Grant. I knelt down to touch a lower spire since the Orange Flower crystal was so small. Otherwise, I'd end up with my foot touching it. Good enough for a "landing" but not if I needed to port us to safety.

"Yell if I have to bounce. The cart will block a lot of my view." I took a deep breath. "Orange Flower By The River."

The cliffs hazed over, turned green, and cleared, revealing the familiar forest. Birds sang overhead as the creek quietly burbled over submerged stones.

"Clear," a hunter said, stepping away from the wagon to keep watch while not being in the way of the two men hauling water.

I got to my feet and pointed to a cluster of bushes. "That's where I saw the Saursune yesterday."

All four men paused to look at the spot I indicated. The water haulers grabbed their buckets and ran to the creek. I leaned against the side of the wagon while my heart raced like a Saursune was about to drop out of the canopy. I checked the branches above, just in case, although no one had ever reported seeing them in trees.

The hunters remained within twenty paces of the cart, occasionally circling around to make sure nothing was approaching from behind a tree. Slowly, I relaxed. Everyone was nearby, and the gurgling creek and birdsong resisted my attempts to remain jumpy.

Finally, the water cart was full. Not a single Saursune or unusual rustling bush had disturbed us. I knelt down, and with one hand on the wagon handle, I reached for the crystal.

"Home."

Even though I used the location name and hadn't ported much, the heavy load pulled deep within my chest. I didn't think I'd ever ported this much weight before. Not four men and a heavily laden water wagon.

"Welcome back," Grant greeted us, standing nearby. "Do you still plan on checking a couple of abandoned villages to see if any of the crystals have shed shards?"

"Yes, after I take a ten-minute break." I grinned at him, hiding the discomfort of the porting strain as best I could.

"We should be back in an hour or so."

"Have fun!" I told him as Merryl and Calum came over with Callie bouncing between them.

I waved as my sister ported Grant, followed by Calum, who ported himself and Callie. Once they were gone, I sat down heavily on the fur-covered rock for a much-needed break. I twisted from side to side, but as always, the discomfort wasn't truly physical and couldn't be worked out like a cramped muscle.

I kept forgetting just how much the additional weight of just one or two people amplified the porting strain. If I was careful and rested a lot, I should be able to win my bet since these would just be solo ports.

Poor Grant had bet that I could only manage ten ports after working all day, and I couldn't wait to prove him wrong.