IX - The Cabin
The cabin owner studies Lee and Kearney silently for a moment. Shaking his head, he retreats into the cabin momentarily, returning with a pair of worn canteens, one in each hand. ”Water taken from from the stream, just east of here. Purest you’ll ever taste. Stays cold, no matter what.”
He walks down the steps, his gait slowed by a limp. ”If you’ve got to go up there, and you’re not sure of what you’re seein’, take a guzzle. It’ll help.”
“Just remember, that witch, she’s only as bad as the people that settle on her land. She becomes what they think they need.”
He hands one canteen to each of the law dogs. As he does, he fades from view, his form briefly becoming translucent before vanishing entirely. Behind him, the cabin becomes vacant, its windows without glass, its doors open, swaying slightly in the mountain breeze. The structure itself remains sound, the wood weathered by years of resisting the elements, but still sturdy enough to stand firm and support the roof above it.
Glancing into the back window again, Kansa Kate sees that the cabin is vacant, save for a table, a lone chair, and the cold fireplace.