"Hopefully, yes." Lorne wasn't about to place any bets on it. Between the weather and the war, the soldiers might be here for far longer than anyone anticipated. Assuming their move to the mines didn't result in an early demise.

He considered the various cheeses and selected three, one for Colin and two for the Ward house. With four of them in the house, it wouldn't take long to go through it all. "I'll look forward to seeing you when you're here, and not simply for an extra pair of eyes," Lorne said, reaching for the coin purse at his belt. "Don't make me come up there and find you having broken something by being incautious," he added, ribbing his old friend.