Before long though, it was the time that Kes had been planning for the previous day. An hour past when all the men would be gone to work in the mines. The sun hadn’t gotten really hot yet, and wouldn’t for a few more hours yet. The cliffs had just ceased giving most of the city their shade. It was time to go back, to find more provisions. If she was going to provide for Anara and her family, it would be best to have a reserve stock of food and water. And if, after she discussed it with Anara, they decided to leave and go back to the Ocampan city where she’d come from, then, ideally, they’d wait a few days at least until Anara and her children were better fed and in better health before going, and they’d need to be well stocked with provisions for all of them for the trip as well.

All of which meant she and Tresit would be going down to the city again. She wanted to go alone, but she knew enough to know that Tresit would be badly hurt if she didn’t let him go with her. That he wouldn’t understand, and that Anara might even take offense as well if Kes even tried to convince him that he should stay… even though she knew very well that he should stay.

She thought about it more though, and made up her mind that she should at least take Anara aside and ask her if there was a way they could convince Tresit to stay this time without harming his sense of self-worth.

So it was, a little later, in hushed tones, Kes asked her question. ”I was thinking that I need to go get more supplies for us today.” She told her.

”Can’t… can’t that wait for a time?” Anara asked, sounding apprehensive of the idea.

That warmed Kes’s heart, that Anara was concerned about her so. It was definitely a good sign. Kes shook her head though. ”We should have some in reserve, and you and your children still need to get your strength back. It’s not a good time to be rationing so much as we are.” She explained, holding back on her idea to take them home with her for now. That was a much longer conversation that she’d save for later in the evening when there was more time to have it… Assuming, of course, that she’d make it back this time. She planned to. She was determined to. But she also knew her luck might run out. That was why she was determined to at least ask what she was going to ask next.