It was about an hour before dawn when Murdock awakened Declan and Annie. Mei Lee had some meat cooking and Murdock had filled three waterskins. The children were still asleep as the pair entered the main room. Both were sluggish, in their movements, from the foreshortened night.
“Eat up,” Murdock said as Mei Lee gave them each a chunk of venison. “We need to hit the road soon. I would like to be there before the first snowfall.”
Annie looked at him through heavy eyelids. Declan chewed on a piece of meat as he looked sideways at Murdock with a scowl.
“Annie needs to go, but you, Declan, can go back to bed,” Murdock stated.
In short order, Murdock had the cart loaded and was kissing his wife good-bye as Annie and Declan went out to the cart. They both got on the cart and sat patiently.
