Isolde woke to find Dolph gone which she had expected. The sun was shining, pouring through the windows like liquid gold. She lay in a pool of contentment for  a while but with one ruthless thrust she tossed the quilt aside.<br/><br/>Later, after she had stirred the fire and made some coffee, she sat on a high stool in the kitchen to make a list of things to do for the day. At the top of the list was a visit to Dr. Ray's home to check on Kyrie. She reasoned that if he was a physician who worked at the hospital, then he must be able to maneuver the day light. She hoped this was true because she would hate to create a problem. Putting down her mug, she glanced at the window realizing that the birds were out of seed. That would be the first order of business.<br/><br/>Despite the cold and the snow, the day was beautiful, clean and crisp. The snow glistened in the sun, sparkling so brightly that Isolde wished she had put on shades. A distant pounding disturbed the tranquility. At first she ignored it, pouring the shushing sunflower seeds into the tube feeder. She spread the peanut butter/lard mixture on tree trunks, wishing that who ever was building would go inside for a break. Finally, she brushed snow off the platform feeders and spread fruit and seed on them. She was coming around the house to discover Dr. Ray pounding on her front door.<br/><br/>"Good morning, Doctor," Isolde greeted the man. "I'm so glad you have stopped by. I would like to check in with Kyrie if that could be arranged. "<br/><br/><br/>~~~~~~~~~~~~<br/>Isolde followed the man back to his ornate mansion where she met Sylvie, the doctor's wife. She was so beautiful that Isolde felt she could have sat in a chair to admire the woman for a few hours. Finally, she was taken to Kyrie's room where the girl lay quietly on the bed.<br/><br/>Large dark circles highlighted the waxy pale face. Isolde was concerned that there was not more animation about her.<br/><br/>"Hi, Kyrie, I'm Isolde. You were at my house the other night. Do you remember me?" the witch asked gently. "Could I examine you closer? I would need to touch your wrist and your forehead as well as check the bandages on your neck. May I?"