"Don't be afraid," she says, unexpectedly gentle.

The woman looks up at the shadows; they've gathered again, pressing close against the fire light, and in the reddish glow her eyes are distant. "They're not so bad, you know."

"They'll always come back. And they don't always go when you tell them to. They'll take all they can, and they think it's owed them."

"But there are more dangerous things."