she only thought that on the coldest days , or days when her bones ached , and she felt old before her years , in need of some human warmth , some soft human voice to say nothing in particular , just make a soothing sound , the feel of warm , strong arms around her chilled and aching body when the night should have been over long ago , but lasted longer and longer , damper and colder , until the solstice brought slightly shorter nights , slightly longer days and within days , the appearance of tiny , tentative buds , if she looked very , very carefully .