Vickie lay on the bed in the room she had been given, staring at the canopy above her. Sleep wasn't about to come. She had too many things on her mind. And the bed felt so empty.
Standing, she moved over to the window. A light snow had fallen and blanketed the ground. She looked up into the sky and saw the low clouds that promised even more snow. A childlike grin crossed her face as she grabbed her jacket.
It was quiet, only the bleating of the sheep in the barn and the hoot of an owl were heard. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. The air was crisp and cool. She could tell that the snow was about to fall.
She walked to the barn, not even knowing that she wasn't leaving footprints behind her. The breeze had picked up, warning her again the storm was coming. She pulled her knit hat down over her ears.
Something soft found its way into her hand. She looked down to see the lamb had trundled up to her and was begging for attention. Scratching his head, she smiled at Agneau. "You're a good little lamb. Let's go into the barn before this storm starts."
Agneau followed her into the barn where his family huddled together to keep warm. He stayed beside Vickie as she wandered through and greeted all the animals.
Vickie looked around. She felt at home here, which surprised her somewhat. She'd never lived on a farm in her life, yet being here among all these animals made her feel comfortable. "Must be heredity," she muttered to herself. Her father had grown up on a farm.
She climbed the stairs into the hayloft. Agneau bleated loudly below. "I'm sorry, M. Agneau. I cannot bring you up here. You might get hurt."
The little lamb huffed and sadly moved into the middle of the herd. Vickie chuckled and walked over to the huge doors. Taking off the crossbar, she opened one side.
The snow had begun to fall. Large white flakes drifted slowly from the sky. She sat down, her legs dangling over the side. The view was spectacular. She could see the house, the ships, even the small town several miles away. Everything was covered in a winter blanket. It looked so peaceful. With all that had happened over the past year, there were still places that had been left unscathed.
There was a shifting in the pile of hay just behind her. She turned to see a white muzzle and black nose peeking out. It sniffed the air then pushed out to reveal a small collie like dog. The sheltie slowly approached her as she held out her hand. He sniffed a moment before pushing his head into her hand.
"You're friendly," she said with a smile. She noticed he had a tag on his collar. There was enough light from the reflections on the snow so she could read it. "Renoir, eh? I'm sorry to have disturbed your sleep, M. Renoir."
He pushed himself next to her, nuzzling her hand. She scratched behind his ear as they watched the snow. Renoir leaned his head up to lick her cheek. She giggled and pulled him close. "Merci, Renoir. That is just what I needed."
She grabbed the horse blanket that was nearby and pulled it up over her. It wasn't long before the silence and scenery lulled her to sleep.