When Lillian woke it was morning. She looked up through the pine boughs and smiled to hear the bird chorus. The scent of pine and the forest loam upon which she lay filled her nose, and for a long moment she was able to forget why she was out here in the forest.
Stretching lazily, she slipped out from under the fallen pine, pulling her gear after her. There was still plenty of water in her canteen, and the creek was only a hop, a skip, and a jump away, but her food sack was woefully lighter than it had been when Mrs. Creek had given it to her. She rolled up her blanket and tied it with her carrying strap. It was only when she turned around that she discovered she was no longer alone.
A few feet away from where she’d slept under the boughs of the fallen pine was the biggest man she’d ever seen.