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He didn’t have to knock a second ti of the handle, the door was hauled open by a sixtyish woht once have been beautiful There was a hardness about her features now, but Oliver thought that had not always been the case When she sht of them, he was startled He’d been prepared to quickly explain their presence, but she did not seeers upon her doorstep in the middle of a December storm, despite the remoteness of the island
"Not the best weather to be out on the water, I’d say"
Oliver could not help being charht, et worse Captain Moncreiffe wants to get back to the mainland by lunch, and--"
"Ach, well, that’d be Barclay, all right Though I’d guess he’slunch than he is about any storht Well, what can I do for ya, then? Didn’t coraves or for some monastic retreat like the fellas were out here in September"
Kitsune drew back her hood The old woman blinked and stared closely at her, perhaps drawn by those jade eyes Or perhaps there was sonized in the face of the fox-woence lit her expression
"We’re looking for aA professor We’re told he lives on the island I wonder if you could point us in the right direction?" Oliver asked
The woaze back to Blue Jay "Mischief in your eyes, son"
"And in yours, mother"
Most women would have been taken aback at the reply, unless they were son of respect to call older women h his response was confirmation of some profound suspicion
"Just beyond the Presbyterian church, along that way, behind the bigger building with the fancy porch-- used to be aa path Won’t be able to see the path in this weather, of course, but if you follow the wall it’ll take you to a pretty little gate In warate, you see The cottage on t’other side belongs to hiht find the professor hoo? They thanked her and started off, and Oliver noticed that she kept watching thee in the stor after them even after the snow had obscured her view
They wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference between the Presbyterian church and the other thatever denominations they had once been home to-- except that the former market with the "fancy porch" was unmistakable Other than the churches and what had clearly once been a pub or inn of some sort but was now as hollow as soof any size The rock as the sort that had been built to e Snow had built up on top, but it was not nearly deep enough to hidebeside it on what they presumed was the path the old woate, a delicate white-picket thing that seemed absurdly out of place in such inhospitable terrain
Oliver suspected that in the suarden in full bloo the perimeter of his property would have seemed far more appropriate, even quaint
He paused in front of the gate
"What are you waiting for?" Blue Jay asked, and when Oliver looked at hi eyes were dark with uncharacteristic impatience
Kitsune seeate open and turned toward him "At least you will have an answer Even if it is not the answer you hope for"
He nodded and followed her, the three of theate At the door, both of the Borderkind looked at hi froliding to the ground, body slipping serpentine upon the winds The dragon see it appeared quite the sa hi’s eyes gave off enough heat that as the flakes touched his face, they on asked
Oliver stared at his and shook theainst his body once more His tufts of hair and beard ild from the storm and his expression pulled back now into a kind of snarl
"Look around, you fool He’s everywhere"
Oliver took a long breath and knocked on the door It had been Frost who had drawn him into this Much as he admired and respected Kitsune, Oliver had seen that Frost carried a greater weight of authority when speaking to other Borderkind Not that Koenig was one of them He was just a man But even Kitsune deferred to Frost, and it would have been better to have hi snow Seconds went by without any response frolow of a laht Despite that it was still -- no later than ten o’clock-- the day was so dark with storht inside was no surprise
"Oliver," Kitsune urged
He nodded and knocked again, but lightly
"Fuck this," Gong Gong snorted, and he stepped forward and began to kick at the bottom of the door so fiercely that it shook in its frae hih of that You’ll terrify theopen
But it was not Professor David Koenig who stood there, holding the door wide to admit them It was Jenny Greenteeth
"Hello there!" Jenny said happily "Don’t just stand there in the snow Come in There’s cocoa on, and whiskey for those that will have it despite the hour If you behave, there are soers in the cupboard as well"
Beyond her was a tall h on his waist, wisps of white hair on his head and bifocals propped on the end of his nose thatAnd perhaps he was
Kitsune laughed It seemed the most beautiful sound Oliver had ever heard "Jenny," she said happily, and she stepped over the threshold and into the arirl with the reen flesh
"Come here, Kit Glad to see you in one piece," Jenny said