The Monastery Chapter 3

In which the Lady of Avenel, fallen from her former estate by the cruel ravages of war, seeks refuge for herself and her infant daughter amidst the harsh Scottish borderlands, accompanied by faithful attendants and guided by a cunning old shepherd and his wary pony. Their perilous journey through treacherous morasses and uncertain paths brings them at last to the humble but hospitable tower of Dame Elspeth Glendinning, where misfortune and neighbourly kindness entwine in the common plight of fallen fortunes.