The farmer had not been out past sundown, nor had he heard anything untoward.  But his youngest child and only son, the boy had complained in the morning of bad dreams.  He'd mentioned two evil shadows, one of which slew the other.  The boy, a lad of seven, hadn't seemed unusually upset, beyond the expected, and he'd known that a dream couldn't hurt him.  But with the cow...well, now the farmer wasn't so sure.  Perhaps William would like a word with the boy?

Dawn looked interested at that comment, but immediately wary.  The sort of creature that killed animals in such a manner was far removed from the sort that would be clever enough to slip inside a house.  Given that the two inside had been in conflict, that made three sets, possibly four, though the two inside might be from the same group and merely had a falling out.  Still, it was truly concerning.  If this was what the other towns had faced, no wonder they had been devastated.  She wondered what was drawing the dark spirits here.  The ones that had slain the cow might be lesser ones that had slipped past her wards, but the ones in the house -- those would be stronger, not the sort her wards could protect against with any degree of certainty.  It would be like expecting cloth to stop a shot from a musket.

The look the spirit woman gave William tacitly expressed her concern.  This was far more than a stray beast.  This was unusual behavior, even for the dark spirits.  Add the restlessness she'd felt from the land, and the recent tales, and they were in grave peril.  She sent a brief prayer heavenward.  It looked like she was going to need all the help she could get.