Stella frowned, struggling to open her eyes.
A few feet away, a campfire crackled and glowed, its warmth filling the small cave. Suspended above the flames hung a battered little pot, steam billowing from its bubbling contents.
Joshua stood with his back to her, stirring the pot with a spoon.
Stella coughed softly, her voice hoarse. “What are you doing?”
At the sound of her voice, Joshua turned around.
“You’re awake, good. Here—try to eat something first.”
She blinked in surprise. “Eat something?”
Joshua ladled a bowl of soup from the pot and brought it over to her.
Only as he drew closer did Stella realize what it was—a bowl of mushroom soup.
The earthy aroma drifted through the cave, and even though her body still felt dull and weak, a faint hunger stirred within her.
She looked from the soup to Joshua, curiosity overcoming her. “Mushrooms? Where did you find them?”
He set the bowl in front of her. The pot and utensils, she noticed, looked well-used—probably leftovers from that abandoned campsite they’d stumbled upon earlier. The pot itself was cracked on one side, but still usable.
“I picked the mushrooms just outside,” Joshua replied.
Stella suddenly felt a bit foolish for asking. Maybe her fever was making her slow—her head wasn’t working right.
Joshua rummaged for a clean spoon from a nearby bowl. “You need something hot in your system if you want to get your strength back.”
Wild berries wouldn’t do her any good right now. Judging by her state, she probably couldn’t have kept them down anyway, so Joshua had foraged for mushrooms instead.
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