This brought Fawn’s irritated and vigorous brushing to an abrupt halt; Grace twitched her ears in protest. Fawn turned to stare. “No, he’s not. What are you going on about?”

“They say Lakewalkers eat their own dead to make their sorcery. What if he makes you have to eat corpses? Or worse? What does he really want you for?”

“His wife, Reed,” said Fawn with grim patience. “Is that so very hard to believe?”

Reed’s voice hushed. “What if it’s to make magic?”

He already does that would likely not be a useful answer. “What, are you afraid I’ll be made a human sacrifice? How sweet of you, Reed. Sort of.”

Reed unfolded indignantly. “Don’t you laugh. It’s true. I saw a Lakewalker once who’d stopped to eat in the alehouse in West Blue. Sunny Sawman dared me to peek in her saddlebags. She had bones in them—human bones!”

“Tell me, was she wearing her hair in a knot at the nape of her neck?”

Reed stared. “How’d you know?”

“You’re lucky you weren’t caught.”

“I was. She took me and shook me and told me I’d be cursed if I ever touched anything of a Lakewalker’s again. She scowled so—she told me she’d catch and eat me!”

Fawn’s brows drew down. “How old were you, again?”

“Ten.”

“Reed, for pity’s sake!” said Fawn in utter exasperation. “What would you tell a little boy you caught rifling your bags so as to scare him enough never to do it again? You’re just lucky you didn’t run into Dag’s aunt Mari—I bet she could have come up with a tall tale that would have made you pee yourself into the next week.” She was suddenly glad the sharing knife was stored with her own things, and wondered if she ought to warn Dag to watch his saddlebags.

Reed looked a bit taken aback, as if this point had never before occurred to him, but he went on anyhow. “Fawn, those bones were real. They were fresh.”

Fawn had no doubt of it. She also had no desire to start down some slippery slope of explanation with the twins, who would only ask her how she knew and badger her endlessly when her answers didn’t fit their notions. She finished brushing Grace’s flanks and turned her attention to her mane and forelock.

Rush was still mired in the age difference. “It’s sickening to think of a fellow that old pawing you. What if he got you pregnant?”