Like survivors returning from war, they walked sluggishly back toward the settlement.
Tessa held her chicken so tightly it probably regretted every decision it had made in life. With Julian's help, a rope had been tied carefully around its beak to stop it from screeching endlessly and pecking holes into her hands.
Thankfully, it worked.
At least partially.
The birds still made angry muffled noises from time to time, but it was far better than the ear-piercing screams from earlier. Tessa swore if she heard one more aggressive "bawk," she was going to lose her sanity completely.
Not that yelling at them would help.
The chickens looked dumber than rocks.
Of course they wouldn't understand.
"Home sweet home," Tessa muttered with a tired grin while dragging her feet through the settlement entrance.
