ABOUT AN HOUR LATER WE lay on our cloaks, full of food and feeling calmer, almost satisfied. Audi and Lucky seemed happy enough with their meal of beans and dried meat and we knew we had enough food to last a few days which helped soothe some of our anxiety.'What do we do next?' Loi asked.We fell silent all considering then I spoke up. 'Shelter.''Let's explore,' suggested Sian.Kassie sat up. 'We really need to find a town or city; our supplies aren't going to last that long.'We got into an earnest discussion of survival when Audi gave a sudden low growl.Huh?I twisted to look at her then stiffened.The dog crouched, staring out into the forest with a lowered head, body tense and ready. The fur around her shoulders and neck fluffed out mane like, with her tail low and stiff. Audi's tan muzzle wrinkled with a snarl before she gave a short angry warning bark. I stared, feeling my heart start to race then turned, looking for whatever she'd seen.KASSIE CROUCHED, HER HANDS

KASSIE GULPED. NO ONE SEEMED to look at them in a bad way, most just looked concerned. A strange sound caught her attention.'Lucky,' she gasped.Loi swore and snatched the pack off the floor, setting it on the bench between them. Kassie wrenched the top of it wide. They peered in. The tortoiseshell cat huddled at the bottom, ears flattened and fur spiked, her eyes wide in fear. She whimpered.'Ooooh Lucky,' whispered Kassie, her heart going out to her tiny, normally feisty cat.Easing the cat onto her lap she wrapped her arms around the shivering animal, ignoring all the strangers staring. Loi draped her cloak round Kassie's shoulders shielding Lucky from everyone's view. The cat relaxed a little before stretching her forelegs out. Kassie winced when the claws dug into her thigh but didn't scold Lucky, just cuddled her until she started purring.Loi leaned over. 'Kass, is she okay?'Kassie nodded while she hummed, soothing the cat. 'She's starting to purr so I think she'll be fi

LOI'S EYEBROWS SHOT UP WHEN Henja said "out the back" what did that mean? Henja ushered them out the back of the Inn, past the tables and more staring people. Audi snuck along behind and scooted through the door before it caught her tail.There, in a concealed courtyard stood four iron baths lined with sheets and filled to the brim with hot, sweet smelling water. Tiny coal fires burned underneath to keep them warm. A hot and flustered looking woman stood to the side of the courtyard, hooking a long metal pipe back to the side of the building. She wore heavy looking gloves and steam wafted from the end of the pipe.That's where the hot water came from, Loi thought in fascination, wondering how it all worked.The others appeared to realize this at the same time and all four of them thanked the maid, making the woman glow even redder. Henja waved the maid away as the girls grinned at each other, gesturing the baths again in delight. Loi felt the tension in her shoulders start to evapor

WE MADE OUR WAY TO the kitchen as instructed then Henja led the way up a narrow staircase and along a corridor to our rooms.'Did you see the dragon? Such a big one too, what a good example for your first time.' She beamed at us while we made appropriate remarks but all I could really think about was food. The smells that wafted from the kitchen almost made me dizzy with hunger.Henja opened one door with a key from a laden iron ring and ushered us in.'I have given you two rooms that have an adjoining door, so you don't have to go out into the corridor. As you can see you will have to share two to a bed and please,' she pointed at Audi beside me then to Lucky in Kassie's arms. 'No animals on the beds.'I nodded in agreement along with Kassie and Henja smiled, satisfied.'Well, I will go get your supper.'She disappeared back down the corridor. Sian and Laura took the other room and Kassie and I the first. I wandered around the small room. Nothing extravagant but it had a couple

KASSIE PICKED UP THE PACE, relieved to leave all the staringalbeit very politevillagers behind and pulled Lucky out of the bag, draping the compliant cat around her shoulders. After the first hour of cautious looks and careful steps their initial wariness wore off. They passed through the grazing lands of the village and the normal stock in the fieldssheep and pigsmade it feel just like wandering past a farm in New Zealand. Then the fields gave way to young trees, as if this land had once been farmland too. Lucky clacked in Kassie's ear when she spotted birds in the trees and Kassie reached a hand back to rub behind the cat's ears, making Lucky purr and knead the shoulder strap of her pack. The cloudy sky gave way to brilliant sunshine and the young trees grew sparsely enough for them to see the track continuing a way ahead.I ENJOYED THE BEAUTIFUL SCENERY, it all looking so familiar in some ways yet totally different in others. Spindly, dark-limbed trees stretched for the sky with