“Sheathe your sword, Kitsune,” the big man said. “Do you wish to begin a sword fight with the girl in the middle?”

“The girl is a Keeper.” Gavril took a deep breath and lowered his blade. “Remind your men who she is and the disrespect of pulling steel on her.”

“My men are not good with respect,” the big man said. “But they will not harm your Keeper. Our lord wishes her safe, so she will be safe, as her sister is.”

“Ashyn?” Moria said in spite of herself. “You have Ashyn.”

The big man smiled and she caught a flash of silver teeth. “She is a guest of Fairview. Now come along inside.”

“No.” Moria lifted her chin. “Bring her to the gates. I will see her before I enter.”

The small man stepped past Gavril, who rotated, gaze locked on him.

“Is that how it works, girl?” he said. “You give us orders?”

“I will not enter until I see—”

The small man’s blade shot up. Gavril leaped forward, and she saw his sword arm swing out, and was about to shout a warning, tell him not to provoke them with his blade, but there was no blade in his grasp. He’d caught the man’s sword with his bare hand.

“You do not raise your weapon against the Keeper.”

Moria stared at Gavril’s hand. Blood seeped through his fingers as he held the blade. Her heart pounded. A warrior’s sword was unbelievably sharp—new ones were tested on dead men, and a blade that could not pass through at least two cadavers with one slice was discarded. With a twitch of that sword, Gavril could lose his fingers. She stepped forward, touching his back, but he kept his gaze locked with the other man’s. Gavril pulled the blade down, then he released it.

“Warriors.” The small man spat to the side. “It’s a wonder they haven’t all died out from their own reckless stupidity.” He turned to Gavril. “You think you’re brave, boy, but all I see is a coward hiding behind a girl. Hiding who he is.” He nodded at Gavril’s covered arms. “Or are you ashamed of your family?”

“I am not. I stand here only as the Keeper’s guard. That is my duty: subsuming my own identity until she is safe.”

“How noble.” The man sneered and spat again. “Warriors.”

The big man stepped forward. “Do you still insist on seeing your sister before you’ll enter, Keeper?”

Moria straightened. “I do.”

He whispered something to a man near him. The man loped off into the village. Moria and Gavril waited in silence. When the man returned, leading two women with hoods hiding their faces, the true guards stiffened. The big man shot them a look, and they dropped their gazes and shuffled back.