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The Painted Man raised a brow at her "Need a reason to kill demons?"

"But they told you what I done," Renna said "And they’s right None a this would’ve happened, I’d just ain, but the Painted Man grabbed her shoulders roughly and forced her to turn and face hiht

"You listen to me, Renna Tanner," he said "Your da din’t deserve mindin’ I knohat he done to you and your sisters, out on that farm That kind of ht these troubles about, not you Ent never been you"

When she just stared at him, he shook her "You hear me?!"

For a moment more Renna just stared, and then slowly she nodded And then again, ht, what he done to us"

"That’s undersaid," the Painted Man grunted

"And poor Cobie never done nothing wrong," Renna went on, the words co faster She looked up at him "He wan’t no bully, least not that I ever saw All he ever wanted was to marry me proper, and Da…"

"Killed him for it," the Painted Man finished, when she hesitated

She nodded "Man like that ent ot to fight demons, Renna Tanner It’s the only way to live with your head held high Can’t trust no one else to do what you won’t do for yourself"

Renna was curled up by the fire, fast asleep, when Jeph’s cart pulled into the yard early the next h the allowing a lump in his throat as four children hopped down from the back of the cart, brothers and sisters he had never known

They were followed off the cart by tough old Norine and Ilain The Painted Man had shined on Ilain when he was young, and she was still beautiful now, but seeing his father help her down fronawed at hi to escape Harl--not anymore, at least--but that made it no easier to see how quickly she had taken his n of anyone else following He opened the door and went out to , as he walked over to Jeph

"She’s asleep by the fire," he said

Jeph nodded "Thank you, Messenger"

"I’ll hold you to your pro to do her harer at his father

Jeph sed, but he nodded "I will"

The Painted Man’s eyes narrowed Jeph was full of sincere-sounding promises, ones he meant full well, yet when the time came for action he was apt to fail

But with no other option, the Painted Man nodded "I’ll fetchhis ar hand, and Jeph snatched it quickly away

"I just…" He hesitated "We’d like it if you stayed for breakfast Least we can do Whole town , like you said You can take your ease here, till then"

The Painted Man looked at hied to ht of a proper Brook breakfast Such things had meant little to him when he was a child, but now they were cherished memories

"Reckon I can set a spell," he said, and allowed himself to be escorted back inside as the children ran to their chores and Norine and Ilain headed to the cold roo his oldest son when they were gathered around the breakfast table The boy nodded at him, but mostly stared at his tattooed hands and tried to peek into the shadows of his hood