“I did.” Fear had her recalling it clearly. “I kicked at him, swung at him.” She shook her head. “But to no avail. Finally, I swung my head and caught him under the chin, sending him stumbling enough for his hand to fall off me, then I rushed off in the snow, hoping it would swallow me up enough that he wouldn’t be able to find me. I didn’t know in what direction I went and I was frightened he might not be alone. That was why I didn’t call out to you at first, for fear someone else might find me.”

Tarass’s stomach twisted tighter and tighter with each word she spoke. It took courage to fight, to defend yourself. But it took tremendous courage for a blind woman to fight and run off in a snowstorm.

“You’re a brave woman, Snow.”

“Is it bravery or the instinct to survive that forces courage upon us?” she asked.

“Not all have courage. And instinct to survive comes in many ways. Some surrender easily. Some beg for mercy. Some are fearless and some are fools.”

“It takes a fool to be fearless,” she said with a light laugh.

He chuckled as he said, “So you think yourself a fool.”

“Aren’t we all fools one time or another?”

“I’d like to argue that, but I can’t, since there have been times, when thought upon, that I was a fool,” he admitted.

“And I as well,” she said, surprised that he would admit such a thing. “I am done. You can turn now.”

She had wrapped the blanket around her from under her arms down and was sitting on the bed with her back braced against the wall, her feet tucked up nearly under her. She had braided her hair, though loosely, letting red strands fall free around her face. The scratches were more prominent there after being tended, and still, she was beautiful.

“Tell me of a time you were a fool,” he encouraged, needing to stop finding her so appealing. He’d only recently been with a willing woman, but then his appetite to couple never seemed satisfied.

“That would be the first time we met,” she said with a smile and rubbed her bare arms, feeling chilled. “I believe I was eight years and you were ten and three years.”

“You remember that?” He stood, grabbing her cloak from the chair to take it to her. “I have your cloak, let me drape it around your shoulders.”

Snow leaned forward, eager for the warmth of the fur-lining. The warm fur ran another shiver through her, followed by another one when Tarass tucked the cloak around her and over her chilled feet.

He sat beside her on the bed, the side of his arm resting against hers. “So do you remember?” he asked again.