The fire was warm, but against the growing cold, they still huddled together. Jenna was strangely silent, only staring at her hands, as Victor tended to the rabbit he'd caught and Jimmy sniffled at the memories welling within him. "None of that now." Victor snapped. "No time for that. We've got work to do, us three." Jenna looked up at him, eyes glittering in the orange glow. "We've gotta figure out how we'll survive this winter."

"Sorry." Jimmy wiped his nose on his sleeve.

"What do you mean? Shouldn't we go to the city, find jobs? There must be apprenticeships for the two of you."

"And until we get there?"

"Oh, it's just like any other winter." Jenna stood. "We just have to find some proper shelter, set up some traps, perhaps get some fur to trade-"

"Oh, look who thinks it's so easy!" Victor snapped back at her.

"Stop it!" Jimmy cried. "Both of you, just stop. We won't survive if we fight each other too."

Jenna sighed. "Sorry." She hugged herself, fingers digging into her arms. She'd lost her shawl in the run, and her dress was torn from the brambles. Her eyes flicked to Victor, as though expecting him to apologize as well. But he didn't. "I know I wasn't in the plan, but I'll do my best."

"And what'll you think you can do?"

"I can cook and clean and... When we get to the city... I can.. I'm sure there'll be need for a maid."

"And in the mean time? We're in the wood, not much cleaning to be had." Victor waved his arms about. A bit of blood flicked onto the bodice of Jenna's dress.

"I'm sure there's something I can do. Why drag me along if you didn't want me here?"

"They would have killed you too." Jimmy piped up.

"Doesn't matter. You're here now." He rotated the rabbit a bit. "But those supplies won't last."

And they didn't. Within two days, the trio was starving, and with winter in full force, their options were limited. The closest town wasn't for miles and there was only so much cold they could stand. Thy kept the fire lit, melting snow to drink and trying to make a life until the path could be made to the nearest road. Perhaps in the town they could steal or barter whatever they needed, but for now, to survive, they had to depend on each other.

Jenna was gathering firewood as the boys were hunting whatever they could, hibernating squirrels, rabbits, mice, anything, turkeys. Victor was especially fond of chasing deer, though he hadn't caught one. The wood was quiet save for the chirping of the birds and the creaking of the cold trees. They seemed to grumble along with her stomach. She had just about a good armful, nowhere near the amount Jimmy or Victor could carry, but a good amount, when a strange feeling of being watched overcame her senses. She looked around, but saw nothing more than trees and frozen grass. She listened for a moment. A whisper of a thought telling her not all was as it seemed.

She bent down to pick up another broken limb, when a warm breath and a snap of jaws at her back had her jumping. She looked up to find a wolf landing before her, snarling. She dropped her bundle, screaming, but managed to hold onto one of the branches she'd picked up, a thick study feeling one that had been at the base of her pile. She swung as the wolf lunged at her again, only to twirl at the sound of more growling. She landed a hit, making one heavy wolf fling itself away with a yelp, but another wolf went for her leg. She tried to beat it off, the teeth pinching about her ankle, not yet breaking the leather of the boot. It readjusted for a better grip, but she wrenched away and kicked at it. It yelped as she scrambled up and ran for it.

She was stopped with a tug at her dress. Her own cry falling from her lips, she fell back to the ground, only they weren't touching her anymore. No, they couldn't get through the barrier that now surrounded her curled body. But with her calming heartbeat, the shield faded from view and the wolves had circled her now. Snarling and growling, licking teeth and lips. She grabbed hold of a stick just as one leapt at her, going for her face. She lifted the branch just in time, but the beast had only just landed on her when it was whisked away and she found two boys standing over her, panting, snarling themselves. Back to back with her in the middle, they roared.

The challenge was taken as the wolves lunged forward. Victor slashed with his claws and bit with his fangs, blood dripping down his front. Jimmy speared one wolf in the throat as it went for his face and it landed to the side. Jenna shoved her hand up, the light once more shielding them from an onslaught that had been on their blindside. The wolves realized, with two down, this prey wasn't giving up. Victor roared again, but this time, the challenge was not taken. They retreated with a flick of their tails.

"Are you all right?" Jimmy asked, blood down his claws, but they slinked back in as his fists released when she nodded.

"What were you doing so far from camp?" Victor grunted.

"Firewood was low." She mumbled, blinking back tears. Her heart was still in her chest. But she was alive. She wrapped her arms around Jimmy, who held her close. Victor and he shared a look. They'd heard her scream the first time and come running, but next time, what if they didn't make it in time?

Her power wasn't like theirs. It didn't seem she had anything that they did. Whether it be the hearing or the smells or the predatory nature. She was so frail and powerless compared to them. How on earth would they keep her alive?

Jenna cooked up a good meal from the wolves they'd killed, managing to salvage what fur they had as well. It was strange to eat such a powerful animal, one that had tried to kill her, but then, she thought, perhaps it was right. If things had been turned a different way, it would have eaten her. Fair's fair. When her heart had stopped pounding, and she'd stopped moving, and the fire was bright, her body told her that the events of today were horrid. Her ankle hurt, her back and legs, her arms, her hands. She'd picked out a few splinters and Victor had wrapped her ankle. There was little else to do, but wait to heal.

"I'll take first watch." Victor said, making her turn to him.

Jimmy promptly lay back, took a breath, and soon fell asleep. Jenna, however, could only look up at the stars from the entrance to the cave. A blanket was wrapped about her shoulders and a body sat next to her. "Thank you."

"You can't keep going on like this." Victor's voice was soft, cautious.

She looked down at her hands wrapped within the fold of the blanket. "I wish I was like you and Jimmy."

"No you don't."

"I do." She looked up at him. That 13 year old boy was watching her with those glittering eyes. "You and Jimmy are so powerful and... and... I'm..." Her head fell with a sigh. "I'm just me."

"We'd both be dead right now if you hadn't stopped those humans." She looked up at him again, confused. Those humans? "You're not like us, but you're not like them either. But if you keep going like this, you'll be just as dead."

"Just as... What did you do, Victor?"

"What I had to." He glared. "I'm not gonna look over my shoulder for the rest of my life."

"Victor-"

"In the morning, we're going to make it to Boston and you're gonna get work as a maid." He said, his eyes still hard.

"What about you and Jimmy?"

"We'll be all right." Jimmy piped up, dropping down on her other side. "We've got each other. And when we get settled, we'll send for you."