Kelly ran through the woods, branches grabbing at the jacket she wore. She ducked her head, avoiding a larger branch hanging down. The monster had no such issues. It was large, but still small enough to avoid most of the branches. Thin and agile enough to dodge the grasping branches reaching out. The fur was thick, protecting it further.

  Her jean jacket helped her, but it hung loose, the branches wanting to pull it off her. Kelly cursed, wishing she had buttoned it up. It had been decades since she last wore one. This one was oversized too, made for a larger man, but it had plenty of room for her to wear her armor under it. And it had been fine until she’d chased the creature into the woods.

  DEEP WOODS FOSSA

  The creature looked like a cat, long and lithe body, long tail. But it was the size of a wolf, or bigger. It was furrier than most cats she had seen. It reminded Kelly of a cougar, or puma. She could never remember what the official name was or what the differences were between the species. She just knew the Fossa looked like those, but thinner and longer with much shaggier fur.

  Fur that they could use to make winter cloaks.

  It was thin, but there was still a lot of meat to be had. The monster had to weigh a couple hundred pounds due to its size. She didn’t know how much meat they could get from it, but every bit helped.

  The monster leapt over a fallen log, which caused Kelly to slow down. She couldn’t get over it as easily and climbing over the thing would give the Fossa that much more of a lead on her. Cursing, Kelly pulled her arm back and let her spear go.

  It glowed as it flew, sailing across the distance, faster than the Fossa. The tip caught it in the haunch, making Kelly curse again. There was probably a lot of meat in that area of the Fossa’s body.

  The hit knocked the creature to the ground. It struggled to get up, but the rear legs wouldn’t work. The Fossa started trying to drag itself away.

  Kelly crawled over the fallen tree, cursing the whole time. She slowly stalked toward the Fossa, drawing her long bladed dagger. The monster growled as Kelly approached, swiping at her with a paw, claws extended.

  “Sorry,” she said, moving around the Fossa, looking for the best place to make the last strike. “But I need your meat and your fur.”

  Leaning down, Kelly slashed with the dagger, cutting across the monster’s neck. Blood splashed across the ground, the Fossa spasming as it gave its last breath.

  Kelly cursed Senora and Freyja. For months the priestess had insisted that Freyja had a place for them to winter and live. A place where they would be safe and sheltered. It had been a lie. Maybe not a full lie, but an omission, which was the same as far as Kelly was concerned. The small valley was not safe or shelter. There would barely be enough food. People would die over the winter, a lot of them.

  Which Kelly now realized was the plan.

  A horrible plan that she had fallen for.

  Gather hundreds of people together, lead them away with the promise of safety, then let a bunch of them die and the others suffer, then offer them a haven. No one would refuse that. They’d take the portal to Rome, or wherever Freyja wanted them, all thankful to be saved. They’d do whatever Freyja wanted.

  She so badly wanted to take her anger out on Senora but couldn’t. Not yet. The Priestess had suddenly become useful. To an extent, and a dangerous one. The elves in the small valley would not deal with Kelly, they would only engage with Senora. So now the Priestess was the go-between from Kelly to the elves. It was not working out well and the elves were very much not listening. They had their orders from Freyja, their precious Dawnmother, and they were going to follow those orders. No matter how much Kelly threatened.

  She had only threatened but it was coming to the point where she might have to do more. She would not let her people, the people that followed and trusted her, suffer. She would see them all through the winter and then to safety.

  Kelly looked up at the approach of the hunters. They walked over, bows in hand, a man and woman. Kelly thought they were a couple, just wasn’t sure if they had become one through the march or had started out.

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  “Good catch,” Lauren said.

  “We managed to get the other three,” Scott added, pointing behind them.

  Kelly had come out into the nearby woods with a team of six hunters. The other four were probably dealing with the other three Fossas. Each of those were smaller than the one Kelly had hunted. She wondered if this one was the mother and the others the offspring, but stopped that thought quickly. No need to go down that path.

  “Can you deal with this one?” Kelly asked, standing up from the beast.

  “Yeah,” Lauren said, moving closer.

  “Thanks.”

  Kelly walked away, heading through the forest. She moved quickly. There was no time to waste. She had so much to do and very little time for it all. Since arriving at the valley, Kelly had been going non-stop. She had a couple hundred workers, which helped, but she was afraid it wouldn’t be enough.

  She set some to getting the nearby buildings ready. No way would she allow them all to stay in tents at the bottom of a valley. She knew it was possible to safely camp in the winter and snow, there had been thousands that did it during war, but it was not something she wanted anyone to be doing in this new world. The workers were blocking windows, cleaning out rooms. Getting the spaces ready for people to live in for the next few months.

  Luckily, the closest buildings had been apartments. Four stories, there wasn’t enough room for everyone to have an apartment. They’d be doubling and tripling up, but there was no help for it.

  Others were tasked with cutting down trees and chopping them into logs. The buildings had a central heating system from the basements. They had been oil furnaces, but Kelly was hoping someone would be able to come up with a way to use wood. No one wanted to light fires inside the apartments. That was too dangerous.

  Still more were ranging out into the buildings around them. They were grabbing every blanket, pillow, sleeping bag, comforter, winter coats and thermal wear they could find. They were to grab clothes for the winter, hats and gloves. And food. Any preserved food they could get their hands on. The teams went out with backpacks and duffels, filling them and coming back. Over and over. Every day, almost every hour except for night.

  Night was when the monsters came out. Kelly, the other Valkyries and guards were busy every night fighting monsters. The elves had said that if they just entered the valley, they’d be protected. Kelly didn’t believe them. Besides, each beast they killed was more meat, fur and hides.

  The team of hunters she’d been out with were just one of a few. They had the most important task, finding meat. And any fresh vegetables and fruits they could find.

  Even with everyone out doing what they could, Kelly didn’t think it was going to be enough. They were lucky that they were in a city that apparently hadn’t been raided yet. There were plenty of apartments, offices and shops within a mile or two radius. She knew how hard it had been for Loch and his people to find supplies out in the middle of Northwood. A city just had so much more to offer, in greater quantities and closer together.

  Stepping out of the woods, Kelly looked at the city. The woods ran along the east side of the city, Kelly wasn’t even sure which city it was. Acres of forest. She could hear the people chopping down trees, others struggling to carry the logs in wheelbarrows and wagons the half mile or so to their chosen buildings. The pine boughs were being carried back as well. Anything that could burn and give heat or be used for insulation.

  Walking over to the lumberjacks, Kelly made her spear disappear. She’d been excited when she’d gained a Soul Weapon. It was so much stronger than what she’d been using.

  “Hey,” she said, waving as she joined the group at the wood piles.

  She got some hellos and waves, even a couple of ‘milady’s. She hated those and now understood why Loch got so aggravated by the title. Kelly just nodded, not wanting to make a big deal. There were no extra wheelbarrows, so Kelly stacked some logs up in her arms. Shifting the stack, she started walking back toward their new camp.

  ***

  Kelly dropped her load onto the large pile. She brushed the small splinters and pieces of bark off the jean jacket, stretching out her cramped arms. They had almost locked up after carrying the logs for a half mile. The logs hadn’t been that heavy, not with her Adapted body, but it had still been awkward and holding her arms under the load for just about an hour had been tiring.

  Stepping back she looked around the small area they were going to call home for the next few months. It was coming together quickly.

  Not quick enough.

  She wished they had thought to do this a month ago. The caravan had passed by places that would have been better suited. Hotels and larger office buildings. But she had foolishly listened to Senora and the idea of the plan Freyja had. She just hoped that the plan she and Loch made would work out.

  Shaking her head, Kelly looked around, wondering where she could help next.