Strange Attractors - Kim Falconer [34]
She hesitated. ‘I suppose if there are any homes nearby we’ll see their firelight.’
‘Good point.’ He led the way, his teeth still chattering, not waiting to see if she followed.
‘Into the woods then?’ Selene’s expression was hard to see in the dark but her voice carried an edge.
Shane nodded. ‘Looks like our only choice.’ He was certain she was more pleased about being right than she would have been if they’d found shelter. She hadn’t complained of the cold, though, and to her credit she hadn’t harped on about his part in landing them in this predicament either. The opportunity had been there, all afternoon, and perhaps just cause as well. He wasn’t certain. It might have been his blunder in the cave pool that created this situation, and it might not.
He took a final sweep of the land before turning towards the woods. The road disappeared into the twilight and a mist hovered over the ground. ‘Did you see that?’ He pointed into the darkness. ‘There it is again.’
Selene stepped closer. They’d been jogging since sunset and her body was warm against his side.
‘That’s no open fire,’ he said. ‘Is it?’
‘A lamp light? Among trees?’
‘Could be, or maybe a dwelling.’
‘Only one way to find out,’ Selene said.
They headed towards the light, sticking to the road, their progress slow. No moon had risen and they were close to travelling blind. As they approached, Shane saw the light was spilling out from a dwelling, a log cabin with a warm glow in the windows and a plume of smoke rising from the chimney. The smell of bread and spices made his mouth water. Selene strode forward, about to knock. He pulled her back. ‘We can’t just bang on their door like this. What are we going to tell them?’
‘I’m not going to tell them anything. I’m going to ask for food and shelter.’ She pulled her hand out of his grip. ‘And if that doesn’t work, I’m going to beg.’
‘Don’t you think it will seem a bit odd? The two of us—naked, without water, packs or weapons; travellers with no idea of when or where they are? They might be confused about what we are offering.’
‘It depends.’
‘On what?’
‘On when and where we actually are.’
Shane ground his teeth. ‘You’re starting to sound like Jarrod.’
‘If I am, it’s because riddles are the only way to make sense of things. I understand that now. Come on. I’ll do the talking.’
‘This should be interesting,’ he said under his breath, though he brightened when they stood in front of the door. He could hear the sound of guitars coming from the house, one quite good, the other not virtuoso but very pleasant. It reminded him of when he was a boy, learning from his older brothers. The memory made his brow crease. It was much like the tunes they used to play as well.
‘Bards!’ Selene whispered. ‘Two at least. This is good news. You can charm them with your skills.’
Shane shrugged. ‘I’d feel a lot more charming if I had clothes on.’
‘Demon’s pit, Shane. Can you think of anything other than the worst possible angle?’
‘Given time, I could…’
She cut him off, gripping his hand. ‘I’ve got an idea. Follow my lead.’
She was knocking before he could answer and his thoughts were frozen by deep-throated barks and snarls coming from the cabin. When the door opened, a flood of light fell across the threshold and a surprisingly large dog bounded out. Its hackles were up, teeth bared. Shane was very glad to see it come to the end of a short leash; the owner was holding it back, a plump hand over her mouth. Was she laughing? Shane had automatically covered his crotch, not from modesty so much but from the direction the dog’s nose was headed. He took a step back.
The woman kept hold of the animal and a youth poked his head around the door and outright giggled. Selene chatted away, introducing themselves, but Shane didn’t follow her words. He was too busy shoving the dog’s head away from his groin. The beast was now wagging its tail, overzealous in its sniffing. The dog seemed to realise they were no threat and suddenly decided to sit on its haunches, laughing