"Quiet is good," she says approvingly, though there's a rueful twist of her lips at the rest. "I'm not sure I could live with other people, though. I like my space." Though obviously she'll share it occasionally. Visitors are nice, constant company isn't really her style.

Moving to the stove, she fills the kettle with water from the tap and opens the front of the cast iron appliance, poking the embers within back into a flame hot enough to start warming the water. The tea is herbal, made from local plants, and she does miss coffee, but it's good enough for now. "You're welcome to stay a little while, and I don't mind sharing what I have," she tells him. "Maybe one day you'll do the same for me, though I don't plan on turning up on four legs at anyone's door any time soon."