She had heard people in the clearing. Two men stood in front of the cottage, wrapped up against the cold, with hats covering their hair, scarves hiding their face from the gusts of freezing wind, and bundles tied to their back. Behind them a one-horse cart creaked to a stop. A woman climbed down and gestured towards the empty houses. Since her cloak was still damp from the various outings she’d made during the day to fetch water and check on Shadow, Rose grabbed McGunn’s black coat and slipped it on. It was far too big, of course, but at least it was warm. ‘Hello,’ she called, as she opened the door, shouting over the howling blizzard. The woman let out a piercing shriek and hid behind one of the men who held out his stick and pointed it to Rose’s chest. ‘Put your stick down, Garbhan. Can’t you see it’s only a wee woman?’ The other man said. ‘Aye, I can see that now.’ The man called Garbhan dropped his stick to the ground and pulled the scarf down from his face. ‘Sorry about that, lass.
