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The animals heard the clink of metal on metal and the brush of leather on everything else; they looked, sniffed, listened, and felt the air for what change the sounds brought.
It was the reindeer of that furrier woman, the one who always went north. The animals peered at the sled and saw (and smelled) the bunch of furs all ruffled up that they expected to see, which meant that the woman was huddled in the midst of them.
Only, when the reindeer came to a stop outside the Green Man, the woman did not rise and tether the deer to the pole. She didn't get up at all! The longer she stayed unmoving, the more curious the animals got, and the more their curiosity overcame their native fear, the closer they approached the sled, sniffing and pricking their ears and tails and readying their legs for running at the least provocation. Still the woman did not move.
Finally, old worm brain flew right down on the sled and peered in amongst the furs, then started moving the furs around with its beak. Soon, the furs were all strewn on the snow beside the sled, and there was no woman to be seen.
"Where is she?" asked the crow.
The reindeer looked back at the crow and said, "She drove us to a village up north away. She was walking about it when we heard all the sounds of wood and brush go quiet. Our feet wanted to run but we stayed and sniffed the air; we could smell nothing. Then we saw a shadow coming toward us. Our feet took us away back down paths our hooves knew, and here we are. We know not where the woman is."
The animals chattered about this news, drawing the interest of a soul or two in the Green Man.
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