James led Ninny along the narrow deer path, losing it several times and ending up in briar patches that tore and ripped his fine clothing. It was vexing, but he kept his good humor each time he had to retrace his steps. Besides, it was his own fault he was in this predicament, haring off on his own after the black hare without a care and not watching which directions he was led off in. Not only should he have been paying attention then, he should also have been paying better attention when the solicitor went over the surveyor's maps! Who else should he blame? His uncle for bequeathing him the land? The horse for throwing him when it was lame? The hare for leading him off? His mother for-

"Now that is tempting," he chuckled to Ninny as he ducked below a bough. "How I would love to lay all of this at my mother's feet, the oh so prim and proper Widow Anna Rossmund, sovereign of the salons and matriarch of the Season! Her and all of those preening popinjays she parades before me. Bah. As if I'd marry any of those lifeless poppets! What good their beauty, you tell me, what good their bearing and standing if they have no spirit?!" He reached up and stroked the gelding's nose affectionately. "You don't mind me rambling like this, old fellow, do you? Course not. Weight's off your back and there's food aplenty for you everywhere we step. Sorry about the leg, Ninny. We'll see you right whenever we find ourselves upon our doorstep, alright then? Blame my mother," he laughed again sadly, "How I wish it were possible!"

The moon had risen high above the trees by the time James admitted that he was well and truly lost. He didn't think he'd been traveling in circles, at least he hadn't come upon the spring again with its crumbling walls, but it was hard for him to actually tell. Not having come upon the green of his manse nor the road that bordered the forest on two sides, he could only conclude he was headed towards the stream. On the upside, that also meant that he might be headed in the right direction of the crofter's house! He certainly hoped so, as his wet stockings and stiff boots were starting to rub blisters across his feet, making walking both painful and difficult. Not a superstitious man by nature, James still could not shake the the eerie feeling of walking by his lonesome through the ancient woods, the sounds of nighttime animals made all the more eerie by their obfuscation. Owls hoots, bats shriek, deer stepping through the underbrush. He could easily see how such forests gave birth to ancient legends and fireside tales. Any animal crashing through the shrubs could be a pack of goblins coming to ambush the unwary. The flittering of winged creatures might be fairies upon the wind, casting spells and making mischief. A snorting boar might well be mistaken for the snoring of a troll. The tired mind could play such tricks on the unwary, lost soul. James was not afraid. He considered himself a man of reason, and such things belonged solely to fireside tales and children's nurseries. 

All the same, he found some relieve when the scent of a wood fire reached his nose. It was faint, but grew in strength the further along he went. It was puzzling, James admitted to himself, for he had no idea where such a fire might be coming from; if he was right, neither the village nor his manor house were in this direction, and there were no other neighbors in easy walking distance. Not unless he was [i]really[/i] lost! Still, a fire meant warmth and people. Even a poacher could be forgiven if he was shown the way home. When James came across the small clearing with the ancient stone cottage, its chimney venting thick smoke into the moonlight, he was all the more confused. It certainly looked like the description he was given of the crofter's house. Only it was supposed to have been an abandoned ruin, unused for generations. So, if this was the ancient structure that was supposedly deep within the section of woods that he owned... who was in it??

"Not that we're in any position to complain, eh, Ninny?" he whispered to his horse in an amused tone. "Let's see if they have some soup for me and some hay for you, old fellow."

Raising one hand to his mouth, James called out. "Halloo! Halloo the house!"