While the piece of hardtack that Nicholas nibbled on wasn't very much, he didn't finish it. His stomach was either turning knots because of what had happened in the last 24 hours, because of his lack of food, or both, but whichever it was - he couldn't eat anything else. Especially nothing that just tasted so stale, without flavor. He needed real food. He [i]wanted[/i] real food.

"Right," he said, in response to Mattie's suggestion. There wasn't much else that they could really do at this point. They could search for the refuge, but isn't that what he'd been doing anyway? A sigh escaped him and he said, "We'll head south. Further into the country. We might find the refuge, and that's where I'd build one. Away from people."