Chapter TenThe woman sat beside the hazel tree, as she had done for the past three days and three nights. Cross-legged, she ignored the intermittent rain that dampened her clothes and the wind that tangled her long blonde hair. At night, she heard the barking of a fox and once the spine-chilling howl of a pack of wolves. She remained still, becoming so much part of the landscape that a herd of deer passed her without hesitation and hopeful bees explored her bare arms. Feeling neither hunger nor thirst, she waited with the infinite patience of a child brought up in nature.
At last, on the fourth day, she heard a whisper from the ground at the foot of the tree. It was only a small sound that most people would not notice, but the woman was aware of everything. She remained still when the sna
