It was cold, deathly cold. A young woman wearing nothing but rags huddled up against a tree, shivering violently as the snow began to fall. Her eyes were closed tightly, tears streaming down her face. She would die here. She and her baby would die here, and nobody would know, and nobody would care.

A bark startled her, and she opened her eyes. A nondescript brown dog stood in front of her, mouth open, tongue lolling out in a friendly smile.

"Where did you come from?" she asked, her voice soft and weak.

The dog barked again and turned, bounding away just a few steps, and then turned back toward her again.

She may as well follow it. She had nothing to lose, but potentially everything to gain.

The wind and snow picked up rapidly. She could barely see the dog anymore, could barely hear its bark ahead of her - and then, next to her. Why had it stopped? She put out her hand, feeling painted wooden planks directly in front of her. Her breath caught in her throat, and she felt around with both hands, finally finding the latch. She was weak from hunger, and the wind pushed violently against her efforts, but she managed to open the door just enough for her and the dog to slip inside.

Warmth, blessed warmth.

She took a few steps and collapsed. The dog curled up around her, barking constantly.

Finally the door opened again, and a misshapen woolen lump entered the barn. It pulled the scarf down from its face and took the gloves from its hands, fumbling in a pocket for a match. The dog was whining now, but she did not get up.

"Hitomi, here girl!" the man called as the match's feeble flame flickered to life. He reached for the lantern beside the door, prying the cold glass door open to light the candle inside. "Hitomi!"

He took a few steps into the barn, holding the lantern before him, and tripped over the dog. "What-" He bent down for closer inspection. Hitomi whined, nudging the woman's face with her nose, but she didn't move.

"Good girl, Hitomi. Good girl." The man set the lantern down, pulling Hitomi's leash out of a pocket and clipping it to her collar. He hooked the leash around his wrist and unbuttoned his coat, scooping the woman into his arms. The dog jumped to her feet now, tail wagging as he stood, wrapping the coat around the cold, motionless body. They were suddenly coated with snow as the wind changed direction and blew the door open. The man fumbled toward the door, feeling for the rope he'd tied next to the entrance, the rope that would guide him home. The world was white in motion. He couldn't possibly see the lit candle waiting in the window. Finally he reached the door, pounding on it with frozen hands.

"Steven!" cried his wife, throwing the door open and pulling him inside. "Where are your gloves? And Hitomi!"

Steven opened his coat and she gasped. "She's still alive, but barely," he said.

"Take her to the bedroom. I've got hot soup on the stove - I'll be right there."

She was so thin, lying shivering on the bed. "Jessica," he said when his wife entered the room, "she's pregnant."

Hitomi, momentarily forgotten, jumped on the bed and curled up next to the woman.

Jessica handed her husband the soup. "Here, eat this." She bent over the bed, examining the woman. When she looked up again, her face was strained with worry. "I'll need hot water. She's in labor."

Steven ran to the kitchen, praying under his breath. "God, spare this woman. Spare her child. Let them live!"

I woke up.

The sun was setting. I had forgotten how beautiful a plains sunset could be. The western sky was painted with colors - yellows, oranges, reds, pinks, purples. The few remaining clouds took on their own colors, embracing the last rays of light before the sun finally slipped below the horizon.

The ground below was still muddy from yesterday's rain. There was no remaining trace of the demons - their ashes had been washed away.

I stretched my arms above my head, loosening my tight muscles, and stood. The streets of the town below were empty. All were shut inside, bright lights escaping the cracks around the doors and shutters. I jumped down, feeling a satisfying squelch as my feet met the wet ground, and straightened up. Ashley wouldn't come for a while. She would have to wait until her family was asleep. I wondered if they knew of her nightly escapades.

The palomino mare was much more comfortable tonight, standing quietly in her stall as the gangly black foal nursed. A golden name plate outside the stall bore her name: Angel. An interesting name, that, given this town's proximity to the dangerous Wilds.

I walked the full perimeter of the town. Nothing of note had changed since the last time I was here. Maybe a few of the houses were new, replacing those that had been burnt down. An image flashed through my mind, a fire, the screams of those trapped inside. But that was another place, another time. I shook it out of my head.

The church was the northernmost building, and the oldest one standing. I stopped outside its door, laying my hand on the chipping paint of the door. White paint. My pale hand almost matched.

Tsuki was nowhere to be seen.

I kept walking, lapping the town again. And again. And again.

Finally Ashley's window opened and she jumped out, landing silently. She reached up and pushed the window mostly closed, and then stood perfectly still, looking, listening. I too stood still in the shadows of the forest. She scanned the area carefully, her eyes landing on mine. A big smile broke out on her face and she headed toward me.

"You are too trusting," I said as she came to a stop in front of me.

The smile faded and she tilted her head slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Come." I started walking toward the barn. She fell in step beside me. "The horses seem to be doing well."

"Yes, they are," she said excitedly, the smile back in full force. "It's no wonder poor Angel had such a hard time - he's big for a newborn."

She took the lead when we entered the barn, barely able to contain her excitement as we neared the last stall. The foal was lying down now, sleeping. His mother slept standing up.

"How long have you been sneaking out at night?"

She looked up at me. "I just started about a week ago. To check on Angel."

"You said you'd fought demons."

She nodded proudly. "Well, just one. But I killed it."

"One is easy. What would you have done with three?"

She frowned slightly. "I'm not sure. You were amazing, though. I couldn't have done that." She smiled again, her bright green eyes shining. "Could you teach me?"

I studied her for a moment. "You're lucky I'm here. My siblings would exploit your naivety. Follow me."

"Your siblings?" she asked as I led her back outside.

"You were correct to say I look like a nightwalker. Up until recently, I was one. Manipulation and mind games are favorite pastimes of my siblings. You must be on your guard at all times." I stopped suddenly and kicked out, sending her sprawling across the grass.

"Hey! What was that for?" she complained, scrambling to her feet.

"They will take any opportunity you give them. Trust no one."

She looked with dismay at her muddy clothes. "How am I going to explain this to Mom? She'll kill me."

I walked up, grabbing her by the collar and lifting her off the ground. "You're not paying attention."

Her eyes flashed and she kicked at my stomach. I dropped her, smiling. She landed on her feet and stepped back.

"Good. Always look for an opening."

"You said you used to be a nightwalker."

"Yes."

"I didn't know nightwalkers could change."

"Neither did I." I turned and began walking. She hurried after me.

"So what happened?"

"Do you have a copy of the Book?"

She paused, hesitating. "Yeah..."

We were at the forest's edge now. I scaled a tree and stood on a branch above her. "Come on."

She frowned, studying the trunk, and then took a deep breath and started to climb. She was nowhere as fast as me, but she was persistent, and soon she stood next to me with a triumphant grin on her face.

I sat down, patting the branch beside me.

"How old are you?"

"I'm thirteen," she answered, plopping down beside me.

"I was your age when I became a nightwalker."

She looked up at me in surprise. "What?"

"Maybe I'll tell you, someday. What do you know about demons?"

She scrunched up her face in thought. "They burn in sunlight. They're very fast, and they have sharp claws and teeth. They will always kill a human - unless the human kills the demon first."

"That's a good start. Have you ever noticed their feet?"

She shook her head.

"They're wide and flat, just as good for swimming as they are for walking. Those feet, and their light build, prevent them from sinking into the mud like we do. And they are fast - but they're clumsy. It's easy to trip one. Their legs and arms are very thin, but much stronger than you would think. The claws aren't just sharp - they're hard, too, hard as metal. They have a poor sense of smell, but their eyesight is extremely sharp in dim lighting. They can't blink, and are easily blinded by bright light. And they're dumb. Very dumb."

She listened with rapt attention.

"So how would you handle three at once?"

She thought for a moment. "That would depend on my surroundings, I guess. I'd be at a huge disadvantage in the water or when it's muddy like this."

"Good. You must always take note of your surroundings - the temperature, the humidity, the light level, the texture of the ground beneath you, any vegetation or structures. There are always pros and cons. If you were standing just down there, out in the open, and three demons came out of the forest just over there, what would you do?" I pointed to the locations as I spoke.

"I couldn't outrun them in the mud, but I wouldn't want them to surround me, either." She looked up at me. "I think I would charge straight at them. That would provoke them to attack, probably in a single line because they're not the brightest, and I could dive down at the last minute to trip them. That would get all of them down on the ground and confused. I could get up while they're still trying to figure out what happened, and..." She trailed off, studying the terrain below. "But I still don't have a weapon."

"You already used your body as a weapon," I prompted.

She nodded, her eyes visualizing the scene unfolding down below. "They have thin necks, too. I could step on one to break it. The other two would be getting up now - but I could grab the dead one's wrist and use its claws to slash one of the others. Across the face or the chest would be best - the wounds would be deep enough to be fatal."

"The last one jumps toward you as you land the blow on the second."

"I'd drop the dead one and kick out to the side, catching the third one in the stomach. That would throw it back and buy me time."

"To do what?"

"To attack again before it could react. Another kick would take it down, and I could snap its neck like the first one."

"Good." I dropped down to the ground, looking back up at her. "Now show me."

She landed beside me. "Show you?"

"I'm the demon. Show me what you'd do."

"But-"

"If I don't miss my guess, you heal extraordinarily quickly, correct?"

"How did you know?" she asked, eyes wide.

"So do I. Now show me."

She was remarkably strong and fast - far above the average adult human male, in fact. Still, I was stronger and faster than her, so I didn't sustain any injuries as she practiced. The hardest part was holding back, actually. I had never done that before. And I had to act the part of a demon, so I also had to roleplay defeat. That went against everything I'd been taught. But she was a fast learner, as fast physically as she was mentally, and the night passed far too quickly. A loud caw up above finally brought us to a stop.

"Is that a raven?" she asked, looking up at the trees above. "They're not normally out at night."

"That is Tsuki*." I held out my arm, and he flew down to perch upon it.

"You have a pet raven? Cool!"

"I wouldn't call him a pet, exactly. You can touch him, if you'd like."

She approached carefully, as if she were afraid of startling him. He tilted his head to the side, watching curiously as she reached out to stroke his glossy black feathers.

"How long have you had him?"

"He found me, actually. The night I changed."

He'd had enough of us at this point, and he launched himself back into the sky. Ashley watched him soar, framed by the full moon. "Is that how you named him?"

I nodded. "It was a full moon when he found me. It seemed fitting." I looked back at her. "You'd better get back home."

She sighed reluctantly. "Yeah..."

"We'll pick this up tomorrow."

She gave me her dazzling smile. "I'm looking forward to it."

It had been a long time since I'd smiled, I reflected as I scaled the tree again. I had already smiled more in the past two nights than I had in the past ten years.

*Tsuki is Japanese for "moon."