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Letting the axe fall to the ground, she reached into her apron pocket, pulling out the long brook stone necklace Cobie had given her She had known better to wear it when her father ht see, but she had treasured it in her secret ht about her shoulders A proper proift

Then she took up the skin of water she had hidden, slipped out the barn door, lifted her skirts, and ran down the road as fast as she could

The run was harder than Renna thought, if not longer She was strong, but unused to running distances Her lungs burned before long, and her thighs cried out in protest She stopped when she had no choice, gulping water fro hard, but she never rested ain

By the tie over the brook, her eyes were blurry, and she felt drunk on Boggin’s Ale She collapsed on the bank, dunking her face in the cold running water and drinking deeply

Her head clear for the first time in al low, but there was tis and feet and chest all screanored the lances of pain and ran on

She saw a few people as she ran through the Square, ht They looked at her curiously, and one called to her, but she ignored the for the one place everyone in Tibbet’s Brook knew, Hog’s general store

"Shopsh closhed," Sta’s porch steps as Renna started her way up He stumbled, and Renna had to stop to catch hi to keep the desperation out of her voice "Hog’s supposed to be open till sunset" If Cobie wasn’t at the store, she had no idea where to look for him, and would have to run on to Ilain

"Thatsh what I shaid!" Sta wildly "Ay, sho I hadda bit too much ale, and sloshed up a bit Like thatsh reason to kick poor Staht a whiff of him and recoiled The voossip, like that about Sta him on the rail, she ran up the steps and pounded on the door "Mister Rusco!" she cried "It’s Renna Tanner! I need to see Cobie Fisher!" She bashed her fist on the door until it hurt, but there was no response

"He’sh alreddy gone," Sta the banister as if for dear life He was a sickly pale, and swayed "Jusht been setting here on ’is porch a shpell, tryin’a…get my feet under me"

Renna looked at him in horror, and Stam misunderstood the look "Oh, don’ you worry yourshelf on account’a ol’ Shta the air at her "I been worsh off than thish plenny ti for him to stumble away before she ran around the back of the store She doubted Hog would trust anyone, even Cobie, inside his store when he wasn’t there If Cobie lived in the back, there had to be another entrance

She was right, and found a little roo enough for a chest and a cot She drew a breath and knocked A hed out loud in joy

"Renna, what are you doing here?!" Cobie’s eyes nearly popped out of his head He stuck his head out the door and looked around, then grabbed her arm and pulled her inside She o her arm, and kept her away

"Did anyone see you come?" he asked

"Just Sta, "but he’s so drunk he probably won’t even reain, but still he held her back

"You shouldn’t have come, Ren," Cobie said