I came upon them by the last of the daylight, an old woman and a bare legged child filling in a grave before a cold and lonely smithy.  Neither moon nor sun being in the sky, I guessed they were burying a married couple, sun-child and moon-daughter; it seemed the proper thing to do, to tether my horse and help.

Once the Passing Words were said, the child and I helped the old woman to her feet.  She looked me up and down and glanced, briefly, over my shoulder.

"Bid you thanks for your courtesy," she said "Will you shelter the night, daughter?"

"A blessing on the roof-tree," I answered formally, "that shelters the stranger."

She smiled crookedly, and turned away towards the house.  The child said,

"Are you a girl?"

"She is a war-maid, Melagra," said the old woman, turning back briefly.  "She serves the Goddess."

"My name's Thula," I added.

"Does your horse dislike donkeys?" Melagra demanded.  I must have looked blank, for she turned on her heel, marched up to Dester and unhitched his reins.  "Come and meet the donkey," she said to him.  He blew suspiciously at her, but did not offer to bite.  I followed her round the house to the stable, and asked as she lit the lantern,

"What happened?  Was it a raid from the Eyries?"

"It was the soldiers.  They came for Melvia.  I hid when I heard the shouting, and they killed Mam and Dad and left Gran for dead and took Melvia away."  She thrust a full hay-net at me.  "Here.  Pulley's there."

"Soldiers don't do things like that," I objected, hauling the net up.

"It was soldiers," she said, her voice rising.  Dester tossed his head and snorted, and in the other stall the donkey stirred nervously.

"Was your Gran hurt?" I asked.

"Hit on the head.  I'm glad you've come," she said confidingly.  "Maybe she won't talk so odd in front of strangers.  She's been seeing things for me."

"What sort of things?"

"A man with no face, looking over my shoulder.  That sort of thing."  She dumped a brimming measure of oats in the manger.  Dester thrust his nose in, shouldering me aside.  "Gran's a witch," she added.