"If you know what's good for you, you'll turn your carriage around and have no part of it too."
The cooper's warning hung in the cold winter air for several moments alongside the frozen mist of his breath before Maela was able to respond.
"I appreciate your warning, goodman," Maela said, looking once again from the man to his shaggy mare and the cart that held everything of importance or value in the man's life. "Where will you go now?"
"Where there's work, your ladyship," the cooper said with a shrug. "Keating eventually, like as not. Leufroy for now. Cider season is over, but the swine should have fattened up on apple scrap by now. Plenty of pork to salt and pack and never enough barrels to go 'round."
