I relaxed quite a bit after that. I didn’t have to think of everything, they didn’t need that much of my protection.

The reasonably friendly fire giant disturbed me, though. But I also owed somebody something. I found the horn and got some good juice from a farmers’ market – no sugar added and all.

This time, Tyr stepped through the trees right away. I wondered if I’d ever learn to do that…teleport or portal or whatever it was.

“Hello.”

I offered him the horn. He grinned, took it, and drank. “Not bad.”

“I’d have brought mead, but I’ve been sailing close enough to the wind on that front.”

He nodded. “Any luck with your problem?”

“In the waiting to see what happens phase. But…if you have any people in town, warn them to be careful.” I felt I owed him more than juice.

“Careful?”

“Somebody’s throwing spirit bombs around.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Ah. Yes. I thought I heard some noise.”

“They hit me, but it’s not bad. I don’t want anyone else to get hurt. Except them.”

“A sentiment I can get behind,” he admitted.

Justice and vengeance were close together, I thought, a little wryly. Very close together, in fact.

But justice was more controlled. “So…any ideas? Other than being careful.”

“What are you already doing?”

“I have somebody who might be able to infiltrate them. They only take women, for some reason.”

Tyr nodded. “Probably some motif they’re going for. Or maybe they fancy themselves as valkyries.”

“Not hardly. They made it clear they think we’re all demons. No discrimination whatsoever.” I frowned. “Like some Christian fanatics, but I didn’t see crosses on them.”

“Maybe atheist fanatics,” he quipped.

I laughed a little bit. “I like you more than I thought I would.”

“You aren’t the trickster,” he noted. “I have more than one reason not to trust him.”

“You aren’t alone there. I don’t always trust him.” Which, I thought, made me a quite sensible woman. But…well…

“I’m working on it. What I want is to get to the person making the bombs.”
“And kill them?”

I frowned.

“Only if necessary.”