Chapter 479

• "My name's Pippa," the child finally answered, her tears drying and her breathing calming now that she knew she wasn't about to be removed from her current location.
• Natalia took a moment to lean her face into the gentle hand her mother placed on her cheek, closing her eyes briefly as her Mama accepted her decision. Then she rose and took the little girl's hand. "Let's go start packing, Pippa."
• She gave her mother a brief smile, knowing that her actions freed her up to organise the evacuation of the children. Natalia knew her mother was terrified for her and wished she would leave too, but they were also pack, and that meant the good of the whole must often be placed before the good of the individual. Whatever was going to happen would happen, and she only hoped that if it turned out to be the worst, then she could be as strong and brave as the little girl blindly following her into the tent.