Chapter 40: Carrot Flower, Part 1

They reached George's house in the dark, gloomy hours of early morning, when the snow and the quiet made it seem like he, François, and the horses were the only living beings left in the world.

In the stable, which was smelly and dusty from disuse, they settled the horses before trudging through the hip-deep snow to the house.

Stregoni raised a hand toward the knocker, then hesitated. If he knocked, he suspected they would only be locked out. If Gilles really was in trouble...

He tried to the door, expecting to meet with resistance, but it gave easily under his hand. Swallowing, wondering what in the hell he was doing and how much trouble this would earn him, he pushed the door opened and slipped inside.

The house was warm, at least compared to the outside. They shucked their wet outdoor clothes and Stregoni set his bag on the entry table. Shivering, he looked around.