Seven
The Beast
Winter 919/920 MC
Following a cold snap from the north, winter blew in hard that year, lingering much longer than was usual. Even the nearby stream froze solid, so they had to resort to melting snow or ice over the fire to get any water at all.
The abundance of kingsleaf had worked wonders for Raynor. He now puttered around the cabin fixing furniture and carving a new stool. They brewed the tea each morning, but by late afternoon, its effects wore off, and he slowly descended into his former self, bereft of energy and paralyzed once again by constant pain. Albreda talked of giving him more, but Gemma warned that taking too much would be detrimental. And so each evening she had to watch as Raynor, wracked with pain, crawled into bed.
With the cold weather lasting so lon
