16The fire crackled and spat making it dangerous for anyone to move too close, which was unfortunate as the night was cold, the sky clear, the stars twinkling in the frosty air. Most of the men wore padded jackets, some with fur collars, and all with thick trews, the bottom halves covered with tightly bound sheepskin, but not Lorna who sat in her tent shivering, longing to go to the fire and allow the warmth to seep into her frozen joints. She knew, however, she dared not show the men the slightest weakness; it was she who had insisted on coming on this foray into the wilderness, to seek out the reivers who had murdered her friends and levelled their village. The king, for his part, remained in the depth of his royal castle, tucked up in bed and full of wine. Thank God for John who, throug
