The other man's teeth flashed, pale against the darkness of his beard, his tan. He stepped closer, each stride long and wolfish. But he sauntered around Abel, one thumb hooked between his belt and his tunic, inquisitively inspecting the room.

"Food, water, wood. Even in winters. When the snow's deep enough, even with a horse, the way can be difficult. And nights, sometimes, you'll hear wolves when they come down from the mountain. Strange, I always thought, that they only put one man here, all alone."