The cabin was, indeed, a couple of hours from the city. Four hours and change, to be specific. Dania spent the majority of the trip attempting to sleep through the misery-soaked haze of pain that thudded through her arm and side. Berto's ride was comfortable enough, but by the time they arrived, Dania fervently wished she'd never have to get into another motor vehicle in her life.

"This place is pretty," she said to Berto over the roof of the car as she stepped out of the seat and stretched her back. He gave her a dark, inscrutable look and slammed the driver's side door. "When you said it was a little creepy, I was picturing a half-rotted shack. That cabin is huge! What is it, two thousand square feet?"

"Closer to three." Berto shoved his hands in his pockets and hunched his shoulders, against the cold. They'd come quite a ways north from the city, from what Dania could tell. Snow blanketed the ground and ice glazed the bare conifer branches that ringed the cabin's spacious yard. "Come on, I'll show you the inside."

Dania glanced at Jake, who shrugged, and then at Machairi, who stared back at her with his weird, pupil-less eyes. The companion card still held her backpack, and for a moment Dania considered taking it from him, but then she remembered that her arm was in a cast. So she returned Jake's shrug and turned to follow Berto as he stomped up the three stairs to the wide wooden wraparound porch, and unlocked the double front door.

"Berto…" Dania breathed as she crossed the threshold behind her old buddy. She looked around, eyes going wide as she took in the massive native stone fireplace, the airy living room, and the oceans of natural light that streamed through the two-story windows to her right.

"I know, it's big," Berto said as he stomped inside and yanked the dust-cloth off of what turned out to be a wide, brown leather sofa of the kind Dania hadn't seen in the last twenty years.

"Those windows!"

"Yeah, they're pretty, but I'm telling you, they're creepy as fuck when you're all alone out here in the middle of the night with no lights for miles." Berto shivered, and then shook himself and unveiled another sofa facing the first.

"The roof is solar, so you've got power for heat, light, the well pump, and the kitchen," he said. "Plus, that fireplace will heat the entire cabin if you get it going."

"I can do that," Jake said, a hint of eagerness in his voice. "We used to go camping when I was a kid. My dad taught me."

Dania smiled and gave him a nod, and he and Machairi headed to the huge fireplace.

"Wood's on the other side of the hearth," Berto called, his voice still carrying a tightness.

"Hey," Dania asked, reaching out with her good hand to touch her old friend's shoulder. "Seriously, Berto, you okay? If you don't want us here in your family's place—"

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"It's not that," Berto said, his tone sharp. He let out a sigh and shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said then. "It's just… I forgot how much this place unnerves me."

"Why?" she asked. "Did something happen here?"

"N-no. Not really. It's just… we used to come here all the time when I was a kid, especially for holidays, you know? My grandfather built this place and my mother loved it. But then, when I was a teenager, all of a sudden I started getting wicked nightmares here. Like every night. I couldn't shake 'em. I told my parents, and they said it was probably just something I ate. But they happened the next time we came back, and the time after that. And they got worse every time. Finally, I just found excuses not to come. Then I joined the Army, and that was that."

"Do your parents still come here?"

"Nah, Dad passed away when I was nineteen. Mom moved to California with her sister after that. She died two years ago."

"Shit, man, I'm sorry."

Berto shrugged. "Don't be," he said. "She was ready to go. Missed my dad, I think. Anyway, this place has always creeped me out since then, but it should work for what you need. Let's get you settled in one of the bedrooms, and I'll make a run into town to pick up some supplies for you. I can head back to Noimoire tonight."

"Sounds good. And Berto? Thanks, man. Truly."

"Anything for family, Dani. You know that. Bedrooms are this way."

He led her through the spacious but dated kitchen to a back hallway that contained a mudroom, laundry room, pantry, and the stairs to the second level. Upstairs, another short hallway led to a series of doors.

"Loft," he said, pointing at one, and half opening it so she could glimpse more dust-cloth covered furniture and an old-school big-screen TV. He closed that door and opened another. "Hall bath. Leads to that bedroom," he added, pointing to another closed door. "And that bedroom as well."

"Cool," Dania said. Sharing a bathroom with a teenage boy wasn't ideal, but she did it at home, so it didn't make much difference to her. "Should I just pick one or…"

Berto let out a short laugh. "Nah, you'll want this room," he said, heading to the end of the hallway and opening it up. Beyond lay more windows and a sun-drenched bedroom with a queen-sized bed flanked by heavy, dated nightstands.

Dania stepped into the room and saw that some of the windows were actually a pair of French doors that opened onto a balcony overlooking the clearing and the mountain vista beyond. Her mouth dropped open in a little "O" and she turned in a circle.

"This is the master suite?" she asked.

"One of them. This one was my room, actually, when we stayed here. But it's got the best view. The one at the opposite end of the hallway is a little bit bigger, but the view's not as nice. with showers, but this one has the soaking tub."

"You know me too well, Berto," Dani said with a smile.

"Yeah, well. I remember you bitching about the showers back in the 'Stan. This is much better."

"I can't… Berto, I…"

"Family, Dani," he said, with a smile. "Listen, why don't you lie down and get some sleep. And take one of your damn pills, I can see from how your eyebrows are pinched together that you're hurting. There's no extra points for pain, you know. I'm going to run to the store and grab supplies, like I said. I'll check in with you before I head back to Noimoire."

"I—Okay," Dania said, noticing once again the crushing fatigue that frayed the edges of her attention.

Berto stepped forward and wrapped her in a hard hug. "Sleep well," he said. "Or at least, sleep better than I ever did."

"Thanks, asshole." She smacked him lightly on the shoulder, but he just smirked at her and pointed toward the inviting expanse of the bed.

Dania didn't bother undressing. She just kicked out of her boots and dragged herself under the covers, stretching out with a sigh. The last thing she remembered seeing was Berto closing the door softly behind him as the morning light painted the room in white and gold.

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