[Memory of Trees]

Risse pushed forward through the inn door. She gave an involuntary sigh of relief as the warm air reached out to greet her, wrapping around her cloak and hair. I'll begin to thaw in a moment, she thought ruefully. No more cold for me!

The inn was crowded and dim after the white light of the outdoors. When her eyes had adjusted, Risse glanced around the room. Everything seemed right, in place and cheerful. "How lovely here," she murmured, eyes half closed. "I might even get used to Rohan after all." Images of the forests and mountains of her own country flashed across her mind, startlingly clear. A wave of homesickness swept over Risse. No. Don't think of that.

Risse was stirred from her reverie by a cold blast of air as the door opened once more. In a flurry of activity as a group of people entered, she glimpsed a , pale and limp; she heard the voices, low and concerned. Shadowing them, Risse waited until they had the laid out on the floor.

She reached out and touched the sleeve of a young woman bending over the 's still form. "Excuse me," Risse said softly. "But I have some skill at healing. Can I help?"