King Elk Forest the cold earth slept below

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She had not moved very far from the river, but was now at least in a more wooded area. She was still freezing but there was nothing for that. All large animals had migrated and all small ones were nestled underground in their burrows. Except for one shrew—one single tiny mammal who would be no more than a mouthful. What it was doing aboveground Wick would never know, nor did she care. She took any opportunity to eat that she could. The tiny mouse-like creature was freezing and seemed about to die as she approached it. It did not even react to her. She reached down and crunched it in her jaws, swallowing it whole and wishing there were more.