Kate stood in the farmhouse kitchen, staring out at the farmyard and the moor beyond. Snow had fallen deep and crisp and... well DEEP, and some farms all across Exmoor had been cut off for days. At the moment, the access to the main road was still clear, but that could change very quickly if the wind got up again!
With Christmas fast approaching, there were worried phone conversations between Kate and Sam and their friends to decide the best course of action to get supplies and everything ready to celebrate the season. Sam and Kate had invited Laura and Mark from the next farm to spend the holiday with them and Sam had made sure that there was plenty of firewood stacked conveniently in the nearest barn. Enough to feed the wood burner for at least three months. Sam REALLY was into wood chopping, Kate smiled to herself.
Their businesses were already closed for the season. All orders had been despatched well before the snow set in and payment would be made by bank transfer, so there was no need to visit customers in person this time. Now it was just down to making a list of groceries and consumables needed before a last trip into town and they could settle in for the holiday.
The Christmas tree was glittering beside the wood burner and festive lights flickered around the beams. This year, they had bought new, solar powered decorations, so that a power cut -- which was likely -- wouldn't stop the party.
The list complete, Kate called Sam on his mobile. The signal wasn't good, but they could still talk, with a few repetitions to clarify things when the signal dropped.
"Hi!, I've got the goodies list finished, when do you think you'll be back to take me to the shops?" Kate asked.
"Mark and I are out checking their livestock, as the weather forecast is pretty dire. We won't be back much before dark, I'm afraid," Mark sounded a little worried.
Being out on the moor in the snow could be a dangerous business, even for people who knew their stuff.
"Tell you what, we are more than half way to town now, so why not send the list over to me and we will get the stuff before we come back."
"Will do Sam," Kate yelled over a burst of static, "But don't take chances on getting back. We can live without a full larder, but I can't live without you, y'know!" It sounded like a joke, but Kate was also aware of the dangers of driving on the snowy moor.
The phone clicked and Sam was gone. Kate did as he suggested, emailed the shopping list over to him and went off to start getting the spare bedroom ready for guests.
Like a lot of these old farmhouses, their home had several bedrooms, a legacy from the days when farmers had huge families to help run the farms. Kate made the beds up and cleared away some things that had been stored on them. When she had finished, the room looked warm and inviting. Just the thing for friends who had come through a cold night to be there!
--~--
Laura was busy too. She had closed down the barns and made sure that the sheep that were in out of the cold for early lambing had plenty of food. They would be OK for a few days at least. Now she was clearing up the kitchen and packing any foodstuffs that would go off into bags to take with them to Kate and Sam's. They should only be gone for two days at most, before one of them would be back to feed the animals and cast an eye around for anything that might need attention. The dogs were coming with them, as their needs were more demanding, but they got on with everyone, so they wouldn't be a problem.
Mark and Sam had been in touch to say that they were shopping and would pick her up on their way back, so she busied herself to be ready when they arrived.
It was getting dark early these days and the sky held the threat of more snow, so Laura packed extra clothing for them both. When she had finished, a large pile of bags, suitcases and boxes stood by the door, ready to be loaded into the pickup. Mark had fitted the removable awning onto the flat bed of the truck, so they could just pile it all up in the back and go.
All done! Laura sat at the table with a well deserved coffee and waited for the boys to get back.
She let her eyes drift across the farmyard, mentally ticking off anything that she might have previously forgotten. Something out of place caught her eye. There was a small figure standing in the snow, right in the middle of the yard! Laura blinked and rubbed her eyes, but the figure stubbornly stayed put. It looked like a young girl, but surely not in this weather? Laura grabbed a torch, put on a coat and went out to investigate. The child was tiny and clad in just a light dress. She shrank from the light of the torch. Laura half thought she was just a figment of her imagination, but her natural responses denied that.
"Hello, lovely," Laura said softly, "What are you doin' here?"
There was no reply, but the girl moved a couple of slow paces backwards in the deep snow.
Laura moved towards the girl, taking off her coat as she went. She didn't want to frighten the poor thing! Reaching out, Laura enveloped the child in her coat and pulled her into her arms. The child hardly fought at all and Laura was already wondering how she would get any required medical attention out to the remote farm on a snowy Winter's night like this. Turning back, Laura carried the shivering bundle into the house and sat her on the kitchen table.
The girl was cold as ice and shaking tremendously. Putting her next to the fire would really be cruel at the moment, so Laura wrapped her up in a clean blanket and gave her some orange squash made with warm water to drink.
The child took the sweet liquid and drank a little. As Laura looked at her, she could see that her dress was a thin cotton one, in a bright yellow. The sort of thing a little girl would wear to a summer fete or party, perhaps? What the hell was she doing out here in the wilds, in two feet of snow?
After a bit, Laura moved the girl closer to the fire and was pleased to see that her shivering was already easing. "She must be made of stern stuff," she thought!
"What's your name lover?" Laura asked, "Have you been outside for long?"
Still no answer, but the girl suddenly threw her arms around Laura's neck and hugged her close.
Laura was taken aback by the sudden affection. She pulled the girl gently away and gave her a reassuring smile.
"Are your Mum and Dad close by? Do they need some help?" Laura could only imagine that there had been an accident and that the girl had managed to get to the farm, which would have been the only source of light in the area.
The girl put down her glass and climbed off of the chair. She looked at photographs placed along the mantle piece, the log pile in the hearth and touched the horse brasses hanging on their leather straps.
"Mum's OK. Dad's not here." She said abruptly.
The girl's voice was light and musical. Almost tinkling at the high points. Her accent was very 'local', almost like the chatter of the old chaps who sat in the pub in it's cadences. Laura opened her mouth, but before she could speak, the girl continued.
"Everything's OK now though." The girl turned to Laura and smiled. It was like the sun came out from behind a cloud.
"Well, we need to let someone know that you are safe and sound first, then get you collected and taken home." Laura said firmly.
She had been married to a farmer for a few years now and had become intensely practical when life threw a curve ball at her.
"I feel quite at home now." smiled the girl.
Laura was floored. What did she mean? Where was she from? Too many questions!
The girl had once again settled into the chair next to the fire, looking at a book she had found on the floor. Laura took a moment to look at her properly. Very thin and pale skinned, but not sickly. Small for her age -- How old was she? Eight maybe? Ten at a stretch. Shoulder length light coloured hair and fine features. Laura thought she was pretty and somehow familiar. Was she the child of one of the new families who had moved into the area with the advent of better internet access? There were a lot of them now, working from home and only visiting their offices when they really had to. It was maddening! Laura felt that she almost knew who the girl was, but every time she thought she had an idea, it slipped away from her again.
Another hot drink was made. Tea this time, with biscuits which were quickly consumed. Laura made a cheese sandwich and put this and some more biscuits onto a plate and offered it to the child. The girl ate her way through it all.
Now fully dry, with food in her belly and no longer shivering at all, the girl looked around her with more interest.
"This is a good place to live." She said, in a very matter of fact voice. "I could be very happy here."
"We love it," said Laura, "Mark and I are very happy."
"Are there any other children here?" The girl looked around.
"Not yet." Laura answered, "We hope they'll come along one day though."
