Chapter 41

As darkness fell over her hiding place, Mand felt the spring chill creep into the air.

She huddled in the shed as best she could, but the ocean winds that blew around the island had a certain frigid bite to them that seemed to eat through the little protection that her clothing provided.

Mand recalled that Claire had mentioned that this island, this Shellrock, was further North than Cain's Point, which meant that the spring warming probably came a little later in the year.

Mand cursed the fact that when she had been kidnapped, she had not been able to get her heavy travelling cloak or leather gloves, both of which provided an essential extra bit of protection against the elements this time of year. It was a stark reminder that she had left much behind at the "Right Rudder Inn"

She shook her head and shamed herself for thinking about the meager material possessions that she had left behind in Cain's Point. "I'd give away every scrap of warm clothing if it meant that I could be with Val again," Mand thought.

Ever since Brenda had gone inside, the farmyard had remained still and quiet - save for the occasional snort or whinny that came from the barn.

Mand occasionally blew into her hands, and rubbed them against each other to try and keep them warm.

Her stomach growled again. "Food and warm clothing - those are the two things that I need for survival for the foreseeable future."

Just as Mand had thought about abandoning the farm to take her chances in the woods that led up into the mountain, she heard a door creak open.

Doing her best to remain as still as possible, Mand listened, and soon heard the crunching sound of approaching footsteps. The footsteps stopped right outside the door and were soon followed by a soft knocking.

"Hello," she heard Brenda's voice say. "If you are still in there, please let me in. I promise you it's safe to do so."

"One moment," Mand said.

Mand reached over to the wedge that she had jammed underneath the door and removed it. She then stood and pulled the door towards her to open it.

It was a clear night, and the illumination provided by the moon shone down in full force on the island. The pale light washing over the farmer's field let Mand clearly see every feature of the woman that stood in the doorway.

The woman appeared to be in her late 20s or early 30s and wore somewhat loose-fitting work clothes. She was a little taller than Mand, and had great dark curly locks of hair that framed her face. Her grey eyes almost seemed to glow in the moonlight. She carried a basket of bundled goods in her hands.

"My father is sound asleep," Brenda said stepping into the cramped confines of the shed. "He's a deep sleeper, so we should be able to have a conversation without worrying about waking him."

Mand nodded as Brenda sat the basket on top of the little workbench inside of the shed.

"I'm sorry it's not much," Brenda said pulling out a steaming covered pot from the basket. "If I took too much, he'd probably notice. My father might not be the smartest man in town, but he has a way of accounting for food that would rival geniuses."

"I appreciate any help that you give," Mand said.

Brenda nodded and then removed a small bowl from the basket which she then placed on the workbench. She then removed the lid from the pot and poured out what appeared to be a thick brownish stew into the bowl. Once more her hand went into the basket to retrieve a spoon, which she handed to Mand.

"Thank you," Mand said accepting the spoon. As Mand picked up the bowl from the workbench, she felt the warmth flow through the ceramic of the bowl into her chilly fingers - it felt like heaven.

"Oh my," Brenda said as she looked Mand up and down. "You poor thing, you're shivering! Eat up - it should help." The woman paused, thinking for a moment. "You're a little bit smaller than me, but I should have some clothing back at the house that might fit you as well."

Mand dipped the spoon into the bowl and proceeded to gulp down a mouthful of stew. It was delicious.

"Please don't trouble yourself too much with me," Mand said. "This is plenty."

The woman waved her off. "It's no trouble - you're not the first one that I found hiding on our farm," Brenda said.

Mand raised an eyebrow, "You've done this before?"

Brenda gave a slight laugh. "It's rare, and I don't help everyone the drifts through. Sometimes it's a sailor who has made trouble in one of the bars and has decided our farm is the best place to hide out - those I will call the guard on. Those truly in trouble like yourself, I try to lend a hand - much to my father's chagrin. Hence the secrecy." She said the last part in a conspiratorial fashion.

When Mand emptied the bowl, Brenda took it back and filled it with another helping of stew. "Now," she said as she handed the now filled bowl back to Mand, "How did you end up here?"

As she ate the stew, Mand told Brenda about how she had been abducted from Cain's Point and her subsequent escape from the ship.

The woman nodded as Mand recounted the details. Brenda was silent for the most part as Mand told her tale, but she would occasionally ask questions for clarification.

"It's your friends I worry about the most," Brenda said as Mand concluded her story. "The guard here is pretty good, but they have been known to take bribes."

"That was our thought," said Mand. "That's why I haven't gone to anyone official for help."

Brenda placed a light hand on Mand's shoulder in a comforting fashion, "Well of all the spots you could have chosen to hide on our little island, you probably stumbled onto the best place. Although we have to keep you out of sight from my father."

"What now?" asked Mand. "I can't stay here can I? Isn't your father going to "fix" the door to this shed tomorrow morning?"

"Right, I have to get you out of here and preferably somewhere warm. Unfortunately, the house is out of the question for now."

"But," Brenda said smiling. "I did mention that I have done this before, so I do have a place... for people like you."