It was very hard to get privacy in a tiny, one-room house, so, after supper, which Marcello did allow Meg to cook, he helped her do the washing up, and then nodded toward the door. "Can we go for a walk?" he asked. "I know it's cold out."

Morgana studied him for a moment, nodded, and went to fetch her cloak from the hook. "Are you worried about going back?" she asked him, once they were out of doors.

"A little," Marcello replied, from beneath the safety of his cloak. "There are a few things I wanted to talk to you about. First off, Mal is worried that you're going to think he doesn't want to stay with you. But he wants to see Cnoch-na-Niall for the holiday. I just...I don't know what you can say to him; but I suppose you would know the right thing to say."

Morgana smiled a little behind the veil of her hood. "I wondered when he'd want to be off adventuring." She patted his arm. "No worries, I'll ask him about it." She crooked up her eyebrow for the rest of it.

"And for the rest," Marcello said hesitantly. "I'm worried because...well. It's almost Samhain. Do you think Niabheara is thinking with her head?"

Morgana frowned, not sure if she was understanding him correctly. "I don't think she would be luring you to Cnoch-na-Niall for anything sinis--oh." And the time of year caught up with her. "Well, it would be the work of a moment to tell if that is the case, wouldn't it?"

Marcello gave Morgana a dubious look. "We're talking about Niabheara," he pointed out. "She's very good at rationalizing her emotions. I don't know if...I don't know how to tell if I should be trusting what she says or not."

"In this respect, you know her better than I do." Morgana curled her fingers around the edge of her cloak. "I assure you, we can all still think in our season. But I can see where the matter would carry some weight, especially with Niabheara." She gave him a close look. "What will you do if it is that?"

"I don't know," Marcello said, letting out a breath. "I don't know if I'll be able to tell if that's what it is till the month is out and she's back to her normal self," he said soberly. "I'm worried. I'm worried she's going to give in to things that she wouldn't normally agree to. And I...I'm worried about having to pull myself away from her again so soon."

"If you think that's the case, then you will have to be the one to say her nay." She sighed. "Would you rather stay away 'til the moon goes down?"