Approach the house

“Let us continue,” Adella decides. “We cannot be living in fear of everyone we encounter, and we will never get any information of use if we do not talk to anyone. But let us retain our aliases; I see no great advantage to anyone knowing our true identities at this time.”

They urge the horse onward, and it isn’t too long before they hear the sound of barking and see a dog come around from the back of the house, sounding the alarm about the approach of strangers.

The young man stops his plowing and looks in the women’s direction. Leaving his horse and plow in the field, he walks toward the dog. As he does so, the door to the house opens, and an elderly woman steps out. Upon seeing the approaching ladies, she scolds the dog, commanding it to be silent, and ushers the ladies toward her.

“Come in! Come in!” she cries, in a voice heavily accented with evidence of an unfamiliar language. “Weary travelers, come in, and rest yourselves!” As Adella and Courtney draw near, they can see the pleasant smile on the old woman’s wrinkled face. They reach her and dismount from the horse just as the young man arrives.

“Please, come in and rest yourselves, daughters,” urges the old woman. “I am Floreza, and this is my grandson, Jakob. You are most welcome in our home. Jakob, tend to their horse and give it a good rubdown and some extra oats; the poor animal looks as if it is on its last legs. Daughters, come with me.”

The woman is so eager and insistent in urging the women to come into the house that they scarcely have time to consider whether they even have an option. They follow the woman’s instructions and soon find themselves inside the house. It is a modest in size and appearance. It is clean and well cared for. They notice a number of items on the shelves, walls, and hanging from door posts that are either ornaments or talismen. Before they even have a chance to introduce themselves, they find themselves seated in comfortable chairs near the wood stove. Floreza thrusts cups of hot tea into their hands and urges them to drink up and warm themselves.

Only after all of this and after Jakob joins them from having attended to their horse do the ladies have a chance to introduce themselves.

“I am Parapine, and this is my sister, Lystrella. We are from Camoratheon,” says Adella. “Thank you so much for your hospitality. We are, indeed, weary from our journey.”

Floreza reacts with surprise at their words. “Camoratheon? You hide your pattern of speech well for someone from that part of the country.”

Adella thinks quickly. “We travel much and have endeavored to pattern our speech to the region where we travel; it minimizes suspicion from those who are uncomfortable among strangers.”

“Indeed,” says Floreza, looking at them steadily. “You seem to be quite adept at obscuring appearances. There is something about you.... about both of you.....”

“You must forgive my grandmother,” says Jakob. “She is not from Mirantia originally and retains many of the ways of her native land — including a sometimes-charming and sometimes-not-so-charming way of speaking without thinking. She means no offense.”

“None taken,” says Adella, relieved at the rescue. She decides to turn the conversation away from themselves to avoid further scrutiny. “Do you live here alone, the two of you?”

“We do,” says Jakob. “My parents died of the Blight when I was a boy, and Grandmother has raised me ever since.” He places an arm around his grandmother’s shoulders and gives her an affectionate hug.

“And do you have many neighbors? It seems a rather remote place for just the two of you.”

Floreza looks steadily at the ladies. “Not that remote. Coming from the direction of Camoratheon, you no doubt traveled through the village not more than five miles from here. Unless you came from the other direction, of course.”

Something about the way she said, “the other direction” gave Adella and Courtney concern. Before they can answer, Jakob said, “Grandmother, of course they didn’t come from that way. Look at the time of day! And the morning after a full moon! They would not be with us if that were the case.”

So they know about the werewolf! Adella and Courtney exchange looks. Each of them has the same question: do we tell them about what happened?