Chapter 24The galloping hooves threw up great showers of melting snow as the horsemen rode down the hill. At the bottom, they slowed as the road turned sharply to lead them into the village.
The single street that wound through it was deserted, the drizzling rain keeping everyone indoors who had matters to attend to that could safely be left for a day or so.
The riders halted and held a brief, arm-waving, discussion. Then, with a snort of annoyance, the leader swung down from his horse, strode up the short path of a nearby house, and banged urgently on the door. A small patch of snow on the roof gave up the uneven struggle against winter’s demise and slid down suddenly to land noisily on the wet ground a pace or so away from the man.
He turned to look at it, then stepped into the shelte
