Cara glanced up at the noise. Did they have a dog? But Idelt had shifted to look at the thick door to his home, and Violetta had paused for a moment. The [Blacksmith] held the knife close to the curved bit of wood and carefully removed a sliver.

Violetta looked at Idelt, and he gave her a slow nod. For a moment, the young woman seemed…Cara felt her hairs begin to prickle on her neck. Just for a moment.

Nothing else sounded after that and the two relaxed. Cara tried to understand what that moment had been. But again, Cara’s intuition was too slow to figure out what it meant that night. Lulled by a full stomach and the security of a fire, she let her guard down…

Which would have been a disaster if Violetta and her father were evil in any way. Since they weren’t, Cara slept in Violetta’s bed while the girl took the living room, despite Cara’s sleepy protestations. The next day she awoke and got to know Landsmecht as it really was. The good, the boring, the unexpected—

And the undead.

1.07 P

“This is Cara O’Sullivan. She’s from Izril. A traveller. She got lost in the forest—Lord Lantal will help her. If you see a horse, bring it here. She’s an [Actress].”

That was how Idelt introduced Cara to the village the next day. They showed up in black and white clothing like they were at a wake. Actually…that was the perfect way to describe it.

They asked questions. The villagers stared at Cara, but their murmurs were quiet. They were interested, but too reserved to show it.

And the law of hospitality was strong here because the first question one of the others asked was if Idelt needed food to feed Cara. No one even gave a thought to turning out a passing traveller.

Landsmecht was weird that way. Cara had known very friendly places in Ireland—but perhaps it was a function of the times that the days of welcoming a needy traveller into your home didn’t come to mind so easily.

In this village, it did, even if there wasn’t much to share. Violetta helped wash Cara’s clothing, since the young woman stuck with them because nothing Violetta had fit. She was offered some of the black-or-white clothing by other villagers, but it had to be taken in by a [Seamstress] to fit her.

Well, her clothes were comfy enough, especially after a cold-water wash. And there was soap, even toothpaste! When Cara awoke in the morning, she’d been afraid to inquire, but Violetta had provided it for Cara without even being asked.

“The [Alchemist] makes it. It’s one of the things we have to go to town for.”