“Don’t wake him,” I whispered, indicating Grim. “He’s hurt.”

“We will mend him,” said one of the little ones.

“We will dig,” said another, who had a tiny spade over his shoulder.

I eyed the lifeless form of Flannan. He had been a tallish man. I looked at the crowd of very small folk.

“We are many,” pointed out one of them.

“You rest one day. Rest your horses. Rest the big man. One day, then go on.”

Their kindness was overwhelming. Once again I had to order myself not to shed tears. “We owe your folk many favors already,” I said. “This is . . .”

“Common sense,” put in someone briskly. I guessed her identity before she pushed back her hood, revealing her shock of curls. It was the little woman of the ogham message, the fey healer. “Now don’t be stubborn,” she said. “Say yes and let’s get on with things. Our clan owes you and your man a big, big debt.”

“Consider the debt acquitted,” I said, failing to stem the tears. “But yes, some help at this point would be welcome. Maybe I can cook you breakfast.”

For some reason they thought this hilarious. The gusts of laughter continued as they busied themselves around the place. While Grim slept on, oblivious, the firewood was replenished, the horses were fed and watered, the wet clothing was dried with a speed no ordinary fire could possibly have achieved, and Flannan was covered up with a blanket that had not been among our possessions earlier. Most surprising of all, four of the small men appeared leading a familiar creature on a rope. The dog dwarfed them.

“Ripple,” I breathed. “Where was she?” I hastened to fill a bowl with water, to find something she could eat.

“Tied up in the woods, not far off. Not making a sound. Sitting quiet, waiting.”

I would not cry again. Grim had commented more than once on what a perfectly obedient creature Ripple was. Through all of it, and she must surely have heard, or sensed, something of that struggle, she had done exactly what Flannan had bid her do: Sit. Wait. He could never have caught us by surprise if she’d been free to run about. “Good girl,” I told her. “Eat now. Drink. Rest.” Did she know he lay dead under that blanket over there? Had she sensed that he was not coming back for her? “Thank you,” I said to the little men. “I’ll take care of her now.”

A group of little folk was working at a discreet distance, digging away with miniature spades. A big group; the hole was growing quickly deeper.

As the sun climbed higher Grim stirred. It was obvious that his head was hurting him, but once he saw the small folk he sat up, entranced, and watched them with evident wonder. Ripple went over to him, shoulders hunched, tail down, hesitant now. He fondled her ears, murmuring, and she settled by his side. I could see where that was headed.