Natasha collected a handful of twigs and stacked them in a square before adding some larger sticks. She crouched down beside the timber and began to spark the flint of her carbine, sending showers of sparks down over the tinder. It stubbonly refused to catch despite her best efforts. The powder in her pouch was no help, having been soaked to slurry during the river crossing. She bent down and blew, coaxing a few whisps of smoke from the pile, then cursed and sat up straight, pushing her hand to her side.

"Are you alright?" Marius asked.

"Da, ze vound opened," she hissed, feeling the warm dribble of blood run down her ribs.

"Here let me..." Marius said, making his way awkwardly towards her. Natasha suddenly looked alarmed.

"Stop!" she hissed. The merchant made a dimissive sound and kept coming towards her, reaching out with a hand in comfort.

"Stop!" Natasha repeated, more urgently.

"Seriously, you'd rather bleed than let me take a look? I promised you its nothing I haven't seen back in Altdorf..." he cut off as Natasha lurched across the cellar and clamped a gloved had across his mouth. Marius struggled for a moment and then stilled as a sound came from outside. Natasha held up a finger in front of her lips and, when she was certain he wouldn't make a sound, let him go. She pulled herself up to the lip of the cellar and peered over the ancient stonework. The rain was still coming down in sheets, but at the edge of the scrubby wood were a trio of figures. They were humanoid but they weren't human. All three were covered with fur and mixed the aspects of humans and beasts. One of them had gnarled antlers protruding from his skull, another cloven hoofs and backward jointed knees. All three carried weapons that had once been farm impliments but had been hammered into crude polearms by the most basic of methods.

"Beyest meen," Natasha hissed. The beastmen picked their way along the treeline. Suddenly one paused and snuffled at the air in a disturbingly cannine way before braying at its fellows. Their eyes turned towards the ruins of the mill.

"Can they smell the horses?" Marius whispered.

"I thynk eet is my blood," Natasha replied. Under normal circumstances the scent would have drawn them in moments but the rain was obviously providing them some cover. After a few minutes they lurched off down the hill and away.

"Soo mich for fyr," Natasha breathed in relief.