Lily smiled gratefully. ‘My name is Lily. And to tell you the truth, I’m feeling a bit out of my depth.’ She sighed, and continued, ‘I’m travelling to Kelseth. I’m seeking out a friend there, but that man unsettled me. That and the horrendous storm. It’s not been the easiest journey.’ She laughed meekly.

‘Well, first things first, you and your poor horse need some proper food. Get yourself freshened up and then come down and we can sort everything out, all right? Don’t worry about paying just now, and don’t worry about that man – for this evening, at least. You’re safe here.’ Lorenna stood and brushed down her dress. ‘Anyway, I have just the thing to distract you; we’re having a folklore reading by the fire tonight. You’re more than welcome to join.’ With a kind half-smile, she left, closing the door behind her and leaving Lily alone with her thoughts.

After splashing her face with the water in the bowl on her windowsill, Lily reached into her bag, hoping that her spare dress had survived the relentless rainfall. She pulled out the heavy wool dress and, thankfully, it was bone dry. She changed quickly, stretched, and flopped down onto the creaky bed, aching. She caught a glimpse of her face in the tall mirror at the other end of the room, and immediately wished she hadn’t.

Had it really only been yesterday that she was lying under her oak tree, carefree and bare-legged, looking forward to spending time with her best friend? It felt like a lifetime ago. Her eyes that had once shone with the joy of being free from worry were now circled with the charcoal shade that only tiredness could provide. She looked pale, paler than normal; her skin was practically translucent, almost grey. Her wild hair circled her head like a fiery halo, only making her appearance even more dishevelled. She felt her old self fading away. In her place was a feral, half-broken young woman with a tiredness that mere rest and food couldn’t chase away. But, she thought, perhaps I need to be feral to fight these people. Sometimes, a little wildness is key.

She dampened her hands and attempted to flatten the hurricane of curls, but to no avail. Lily sighed and ventured back downstairs, heading out into the cold to make sure Morrigan was well-fed and comfortable. The horse was lying down, having demolished a bucket of oats, and was dozing, so Lily tiptoed away, careful not to disturb the poor, exhausted creature.

When Lorenna saw Lily reappear, she gestured for her to take a large, wing-backed leather chair by the fire. Lily glanced around, seeking out the oppressive gaze of the strange man, but couldn’t see him. She dropped down into the chair feeling relieved and, positioning herself sideways, she flung her legs over one of the chair arms, too tired to bother about keeping up appearances. She had no intention of sitting like a normal person after hours of aching in the saddle.