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she had any right to be. “That'd be me, I suppose.”
    Aryn turned his staff toward the newcomer. Her slim dream form was small compared to the men who stepped aside to allow her through, but the way she walked and held himself reminded him of Kara Honuron. She carried a quarterstaff easily in both hands.
    “Lady Tania, you shouldn't be here tonight,” pitchfork man complained. “You know what we do with thieves in Dane, and this one's far more than that.”
    “A demon, yes. You mentioned that.” Tania's tone revealed nothing of what she thought about that claim. “Well, what does the demon have to say for itself?”
    Aryn spun his staff and settled it vertically by his side. “I'm just a traveler passing by your town.”
    “Liar!” a woman shouted, and soon the mob took it up. “Thief! Demon!”
    Tania raised a slim hand and silenced them. That impressed Aryn. They respected her.
    “Say he is a demon,” Tania said into the silence. “Zeb, you brought us the story of Lared's Row.”
    The pitchfork-wielding mob leader — now Zeb — offered a nod. “I did.”
    “So what makes you think,” Tania swept her staff to indicate the crowd, “what makes any of you think you can stop something that tore through trained militia and all of the brave people in Lared's Row?”
    Some of the men shuffled their feet and a few women shifted closer to their men. Aryn smiled to himself. Tania was fast convincing them to leave him alone. His only question now was why. Why would she help him?
    “Lady Tania, we can't just turn around,” another man said, a bigger man than Zeb. “It'll come for our children next.” Unlike Zeb, this man seemed genuinely concerned for his people's welfare. “Beggin' your pardon, but even if it's like to kill me, I can't let it slip away.”
    “I suppose you're right,” Tania agreed. “Demon or no, anyone skulking about must be dealt with.”
    Aryn ground his teeth. “I've already told you I'm no demon. Must you hold me on this road while you debate how best to murder me?”
    The big man who spoke last stepped forward, but Tania put a hand on his arm.
    “Peace, Bart. I'll handle this.” Tania glanced at Aryn and settled into a low guard, staff raised with her right foot forward. “I know how to handle demons, if this traveler is indeed among their number. Either way, I will ensure he leaves here and never troubles you again.”
    She nodded to Aryn. “How about it, stranger? We'll have a friendly duel. Should you win, you walk out of here, never to return. Should I win, you'll pay twice for the things you've taken while skulking about ... and then you'll walk out of here, never to return.”
    Either way, it sounded like he walked out of here. “You've set fair terms.” Aryn liked her way of thinking. He matched her stance, testing the slip of his boots against muddy ground. “I accept.”
    “Now hold on a moment—” Zeb started, but the woman behind him cuffed his head.
    “Enough!” that woman shouted. “You got us together and told us there was a demon we needed to find and stop. Well, we found it, and now Lady Tania's going to stop it. Don't you dare question her.”
    Aryn smirked inside his lowered hood. Folk might be more simple on the fringes of Mynt, but couples were the same everywhere. Tania offered a small, graceful bow, and Aryn reflexively returned it. It almost felt like a triptych duel at Solyr, what felt like years ago in a life long burned away.
    “How does our duel end?” Aryn asked.
    “If you knock me on my ass, I'll cede victory.” Tania edged closer. “If I put you on yours...”
    Aryn almost laughed. “Simple and direct. One caution, my lady. I don't often lose.”
    “Something we have in common.” Tania's right foot crept forward. Then she moved and thrust .

Chapter 4
     
    ARYN SLIPPED AWAY from Tania's first attack with a movement as reflexive as breathing, but she flowed into another and spun her staff around high, nearly taking his head off. He