Chapter Eight

Miriam was panting as well as soaking wet when she reached the hut. It was a haven, though not, she suspected, for long. She searched frantically for something to wear before subsiding in a kind of daze. More than likely, in this mood, Ketil would only rip it off.

Why was he being like this with her? Belatedly, she realised he had been naked. She must have been in a kind of brain fog when she entered the water. That had soon woken her up.

Common sense prevailed. She needed to dry herself, perhaps on an old chemise, and maybe wear the peach dress which was currently lying on the floor. It could well be covered in insects by now.

On hearing the creak of the door, she snatched it to her for the minimum of covering, only to see Magnus.

“Are you all right, lass?” he asked, adopting the local vernacular.

She managed a nod before she found her voice. “I fear I have killed a robin unknowingly,” she said. “All this bad luck.”

“Speaking of which,” he began, and sighed. “I am the bearer of furth