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it is called ‘Lloegr’. Some of our people have travelled here since the time when your people came. Some did not return. The few who did have told of them. The crwydwyr are everywhere. By day they wander the roads. By night they live in places such as this. Or they return to their home place.”

    “Then why have we not seen any? We walked along that road all day and saw no one. Sounds to me like a story made up to stop your people coming here.”

    As I was speaking I became aware of the sound of voices. They were some way distant, but clearly approaching. Eluned, still holding on to my arm, hastily retreated back into the neighbouring field, where she half-dragged me along the line of the hedge away from the opening. We stopped, both breathing heavily. The voices grew louder. They seemed to be coming from the other side of the house.

    “Check the front.” A woman’s voice separated itself from the chatter. At this point she clearly entered the house as her voice became muffled, but she was still shouting orders. “See to that fire. Open the window in my room. Well, go and collect more wood. Idiot.”

    We could hear the noise of some one’s heavy boots walking along the path I had recently stepped on. Another, younger woman’s, voice pierced the evening. “Nothing. Who’s going to come here, anyway?” The footsteps returned and we heard the door closing. I looked at Eluned.

    As our breathing slowed, I whispered, “That was two women’s voices.” Eluned nodded. The door opened again and footsteps came nearer. A figure appeared in the opening to our field. We shrank back into the hedge. I was convinced that we were about to be discovered, but night was falling quickly.

    “How much should I get?” The shadowy figure was another woman, again quite young. A window opened in the house and the first woman’s voice called, “Enough for tonight. Stupid. Get a move on. We need to make something to eat.” The young woman quickly crossed the field. Within minutes she returned carrying a bundle of sticks. We froze, but we were obviously not visible to her. Or she was not looking in our direction. Again, footsteps, followed by the door closing.

    “We must cross to the next field,” Eluned whispered. “Further away.”

    “What if they hear us?”

    “I think they are all inside. They will not come outside when it is dark. Come!”

    She stood up and scrambled back across the field, heading for the opening we had taken earlier that day, although it was more difficult to find in the near darkness. Once through, she turned along the hedge until she reached a corner.

    “We must stay here tonight. There is no other choice. They will leave early in the morning.”

    She unrolled one of the blankets and laid it out over the thick grass. I lay down on it, pulling the other half over me. The grass was a little more comfortable than the cold stone in the previous place, but it was damp, and I could soon feel the dampness seeping through. Eluned pushed her bag under the hedge, unrolled her blanket and lay down herself. Surprisingly, I was soon asleep.

    Some time later I awoke. There was a thin light in the distance, which suggested that dawn was coming, but I was only aware of how much I was shivering. My blanket was thoroughly wet, as was the side of my shift where I had been lying. I sat up, clutching my arms around my knees trying to find some warmth. It made no difference. I sat feeling totally miserable until I heard the soft murmur of voices. They must be awake. I threw aside my blanket and stood up, my shift clinging to my side, damp and cold. Eluned was still fast asleep, so I left her. As quietly as I could, I crept back to the opening in the hedge. Across the field in front of the house I could see movement. The murmur of voices grew louder, that of the woman who issued orders once again standing out.

    Suddenly a figure appeared in the opening in front of the house. “All right. All right. As quick as I