Zoe stood by the lake, her fingers resting lightly on the Mare’s Leg at her hip. Unlike most of the others, she’d been armed since they arrived, wearing her gun like her necklace, as if she’d been born with it. Her eyes scanned the horizon, unable to shake the impression of being in crosshairs. As far as she could see there was no-one watching her, beyond an opportunistic bird paddling determinedly towards her across the still lake, hoping for crumbs, but she was too experienced a warrior not to take the feeling seriously, and far too often had found she was right. This time there didn’t seem to be any cause, but …

The bird, its iridescent green plumage shining in the sun, had reached the small boat house, his fast moving orange legs showing through the clear water, then something startled him and he took to wing, scattering droplets like silver rain as he squawked a warning.

Zoe turned, dropping to a low crouch, her gun almost leaping to her hand. She approached the wooden hut with caution, sliding silently along the wall to the tiny window. She leaned down and peered inside.

Ah. Somehow she wasn’t surprised, although it was a wonder the children hadn’t discovered her. The boat was tied up to the short wharf, so maybe with the bad weather they hadn’t had a chance to venture inside yet.

For a moment she pondered the options, but that vanished as something stabbed at her well-honed senses. Turning back towards the house she could just make out something moving in the distance, and it seemed to be getting closer. Without a second thought she started to head back, keeping to the long grass so she couldn’t be seen.

---

“And the dinosaur bellowed ‘Are you my dinner?’” River looked up from the storybook at her husband who had hold of Hope around the waist and was lifting her high in the air.

He grinned, pulled back his lips even more and made such an almighty noise that it shook the rafters and caused a rain of soft dust to catch fire in the pale sunlight through the window. Ho