Mjolner led the three of us back the way he and I had come, through the cold darkness with nothing but his meows to guide us. We held onto each other"s hands and tried to keep our footsteps as shuffling-soft as possible.
If anything, this journey felt longer. But at least I was dressed more warmly than before. My grandmother had arrived dressed for a cooler spring than had been happening when I was still aboveground. Kara had added a sweater and wool cloak to her outfit, then given me Nilda"s versions of the same.
And I had put my shoes back on. That helped a lot.
Still, the moment I could detect the barest brightening from the flames of the older ancestral fire, it was like it warmed my very soul. Coming through the endless cold darkness to warmth and comfort was an emotionally moving
