A slight figure hobbled across the uneven hillside, occasionally pausing to crouch beside a tree to pluck berries off the vines. One by one, she dropped them into her cloak, which hung like a bag in her arm. With the rest of her company asleep in camp further downhill, the peace of Evendim's woodland was a welcome rest. Yet over the sound of birds and the soft breeze of the wind, the wounded howl of a wolf is heard.
Merys paused, straightening up to look around. The deer nearby did not move, so she returned to her picking.
