Pāhonoa te oro

Chapter 3: Footprints in the Ash The bush was quiet. Jessie moved ahead, slower now, the bow held low but ready. Sarah followed close, her eyes scanning everything—not just the path, but the ground, the trees, the broken shapes around them. Something felt off. “Wait,” Sarah said. Jessie stopped immediately. She pointed. “There.” In the soft dirt ahead—clear as day—was a print. Deep. Defined. Not animal.