A thin layer of leaden clouds still hung over the sky, casting the land into gloom.
The heavy snowfall had stopped, but as the bone-piercing wind swept through, it lifted the loose powder from atop the deep snowpack, whipping white waves across the silver-clad earth.
Jasna stood at the doorway, leaning on her crutch, blankly staring at this frozen world.
Though the blizzard had passed, the several feet of snow piled upon the ground remained an insurmountable obstacle to her attempt to leave this isolated village.
The Anti-Apparition Charm remained in effect, yet no Aurors from the German Ministry of Magic had appeared.
Jasna did not know whether she should consider that fortunate or unfortunate.
Her seemingly frozen eyes shifted, and Jasna looked toward another bleak stretch of scenery.
Across the river, several black specks moved amid the endless white.
The heavy snow had cut off the villagers' routes, and those dark figures were clearing a path to the frozen river.
Old Enma had already finished that task.
He had plowed through the snow around the cabin and dug out a path. Then, pulling his hand-drawn sled, he had crossed the frozen river toward the upstream area. He had been gone for half the day.
Thinking of that silent, gaunt old Muggle, a flicker of helplessness crossed Jasna's face.
Forgive her for only being able to call him Old Muggle in her heart.
She had been trapped here for days, yet she still had not managed to learn Old Muggle's real name. Without a wizard's methods, her questioning skills were hardly exceptional.
Wizards.
At the thought, Jasna's heartstrings stirred slightly.
That night four days ago, Old Muggle had truly shocked her!
An old Muggle who lived deep in the mountains and looked as though he had barely left home his