Blood Moon Read Free Page A

needed.”
    A look of fear flickered through the
woman’s eyes, but she nodded jerkily that she’d
understood.
    Aslyn rose a little stiffly, shook her
cloak out, and donned it once more, carefully pulling her hood over
her head, as much to hide the red hair she despised as to ward off
the wind.
    The child’s wails had quieted to a
snuffling whimper as her mother put her to her breast to pacify
her. “What do I owe you?”
    Aslyn glanced down at the woman.
“Nothing.”
    The woman shook her head, a look of
obstinacy hardening her features. “We are poor, but we are not
beggars. My man will insist upon paying you for your services when
he returns.”
    Aslyn glanced around the
area.
    “He ran after the beast. He will be
back soon, likely with the dead beast. We have no money,” she
added. “But I can at least offer you something to chase away the
chill. For the rest, we can haggle on something at a later
time.”
    “That I will gladly accept,” Aslyn
said, smiling. “But I offered no charity. The babe was not in need
of my attention. I did nothing but look at her. What do you call
her?”
    Pulling the babe from her breast, the
woman held the child up and bounced her slightly, smiling. A look
of uncertainty crossed her features, whether because her tit had
been so rudely taken, or because she didn’t care for the sense of
falling, it was difficult to tell. “She is called Bess. Aren’t you,
my beauty?”
    Bess offered her mother a wavering
smile. Her mother’s smile widened to a grin.
    She tucked the child close to her
again, settling her in a sling of fabric tied cross wise around her
neck and over one shoulder. When she was certain the baby was
secure, she smiled at Aslyn. “I am Enid. Come ‘round to this side
of the cart. Perhaps it’ll block a bit of the wind and I can get a
fire started.”
    Aslyn wanted to be on her way. However,
she could not dash off into the wilderness without arousing
unwanted suspicions. She subdued her sense of urgency to depart,
therefore, went to gather some sticks, and helped Enid to build a
small fire. Relief had loosened the woman’s tongue. Or, perhaps,
she was merely starved for company. She chattered animatedly as she
set up a small tripod over the fire and set a tin packed with snow
over it to boil for tea. As she moved to the cart and dug out a
couple of earthen mugs and a jar that contained, Aslyn supposed,
the promised tea, she explained to Aslyn that she and her husband
had been on their way into the small, nearby town of Krackensled in
hopes of finding shelter there for the winter. They had a tiny
farm, but, naturally, could do little with it in winter time.
Ordinarily, they would merely have settled themselves in for the
winter and waited for spring thaw, but there were rumors going
about that had made them uneasy enough they’d decided to seek
safety in town.
    Aslyn’s brows rose. “Rumors of what
sort? I confess I’ve not heard much news of late, but … our land
has not been invaded?”
    The woman crossed herself. “Don’t even
say such. It tempts the fates. Nay. Wolves. Not more than a month
ago a stranger passed through and told us there’d been attacks, and
not only upon livestock. And then, only a few days ago, our nearest
neighbor came huffing up to our door at dawn, white as death, and
babbling about some great beast trying to tear his door down and
set upon him and his family. I decided right then that that was
enough for me, but Jim—that’s my husband—he wasn’t so easy to
convince. I suppose he’s convinced now, though,” she finished,
looking pleased about the matter as she handed Aslyn a cup of the
tea she’d brewed.
    Aslyn took it and glanced at their
wrecked cart. “I would think so.”
    “Where are you off to then?”
    Caught off guard, Aslyn stared at the
woman blankly a moment.
    “You said you’d not heard the rumors.”
She paused, frowning, and then looked around as if she’d only just
then realized that Aslyn was alone.