There were benches arranged around the perimeter of the village commons, all facing the well in the center, but as I was packing up my art supplies I decided they were too far away for what I wanted to do. I looked around the great room and saw a three-legged stool sitting near the fireplace, opposite Mjolner"s cat bed. It would be easy enough to carry down the street. I slung my bag over my shoulder and hoisted up the stool then headed back outside.
The sky was cloudy and the newly fallen snow in my front garden was nearly taller than my boots. I would have to figure out where I had a shovel at some point. In the meantime, I muscled my front gate open despite the barricade of snow and stumbled out into the street.
The snow was gone on my end of the street, but when I looked down the roa
