Free Thrown to the Wolves (The Faith in Peril Trilogy) by Holly Newcastle

amount of heat. I sat with Anna and Molly, who I began to examine for scratches and bites. I could find nothing in her fur to indicate a wound and she did not bleed. The bucket sat in the flames, and the water would boil soon, so we could drink it.
    I patted Molly’s head. She seemed relaxed at that moment, gazing at me with her tongue hanging from the side of her mouth. “You’re an impossible dog. You’re going to get yourself into trouble if you’re not careful.”
    “I don’t think the leaves will help much,” said Anna, touching them with her fingertips. “There’s no padding.”
    “They’ll keep us from getting wet, because the dirt’s damp, but nothing more. We’ll be sore come morning.”
    She sat with her arms around her knees, her look resigned. “You’ve made a good fire, Jacob. It’s perfect. At least we’ll be warm.”
    “I told you I could do it.” He got to his feet, reaching for the walking stick. “I gotta hit the privy. Then it’s off to bed for me. Who knows how long we’ll be able to sleep.” He sounded entirely grown up and not at all like a child.
    “Dat would be proud of that fire, Jacob,” I said, smiling at him.
    “He’s the one who taught me. I learned it all from him.”
    I smiled, fighting tears suddenly, but they were from joy and gratitude, because I had been blessed with a smart and helpful brother. “Be careful, and don’t go too far.”
    “I won’t.” He tramped off into the trees, disappearing, but we could hear him nearby.
    “We should try to sleep,” I said.
    “I’m thinking of taking the apron off and folding it for a pillow. It’ll be thin, but I don’t want my head directly on the ground.”
    “That’s a sound idea.”
    “Thank you.”
    “At least we’ve stockings on to protect our legs. It’s not raining, and it’s not too cold. We should be grateful for that. The water will be ready soon.”
    “When Jacob returns, let’s say our prayers and go to bed. I have a feeling I’ll not sleep well. There’s something … well, there are animals out there. It’s their forest, and we’re trespassing. They’re watching us.”
    “Rabbits and things. They’ll leave us be. The fire will scare them away. We’ve no food to attract them.”
    “Yes, that’s true.” She had removed her apron, folding it. “I just hope the dog stays put. If she’s running around all night causing a fuss, it’ll be even harder to sleep.”
    “If only we had some rope to keep her, but we don’t.” Jacob had returned. “How was it?” I asked.
    “Just fine.” He had brought several branches with him, one especially large. “This should do us for a few hours.” He placed the items upon a stack of limbs for later use.
    His maturity struck me, yet again. “You’ve done a fine job with the fire. We’d be sitting in the dark, if it wasn’t for you.”
    He grinned. “Not to worry. I’ll take care of you girls. You’re in good hands.”
    Anna laughed, “How precious. He’s the little man around the house.”
    “I am. I’ll take care of everything, and, in the morning, I’ll find the way out.”
    “Thank you, Jacob,” I said, although I doubted it would be that easy.
    He sat across from us with his legs stretched out before him. “It’s my pleasure.”
    Being in the company of my siblings gave me a measure of comfort, despite suffering in the elements. “Let’s say our prayers and have some water. Then we can go to bed.”
    “I’ll begin, if you want me to,” offered Anna.
    “Please.” We bowed our heads, clasping our hands before us.
    “Dear Lord, our Heavenly Father, please watch over us. We’re all alone in the wilderness, and we need your guidance and protection. Please keep the animals away, and help us to sleep. Please let Dat and David find us in the morning. Bless us and guide us to safety. We humbly ask that you keep us from harm. We were without light, and you’ve given us fire, for which we’re grateful. We needed water, and you