---
Lirien's jaw worked. She swallowed and kept it together. "What do you need from me," she asked.
"Heat, water, traps and tools ready at the mouth," Kai said. "When we come back, I want the steam on and the cot warm. If she is sick, you will keep her steady while I go back out."
Vel blurted, "I can run," then looked at Luna and shut her mouth.
"You will run inside the mountain," Luna said to her, voice still even. "You will carry stuff where they must go and keep the work to a minimum."
Sha's tail flicked and her eyes were wet. "If anyone steps into our space I will break their shins," she said. "Then I will kill the ones who fight."
Naaro did not move from the egg chamber door. "If someone tries this door," she said, "they will leave their life behind."
