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It was a cold, clear Thursday in the third month of autumn, as Evan Pierce slowed his horse and peered down the dirt road to the village of Clearbrook. The autumn air was crisp and a small cloud formed in front of Evan's mouth every time he exhaled. Looking about, Evan saw bare trees in the distance, their limbs like gnarled hands trying to catch light and warmth. Dead brown leaves tumbled across Evan's path in the slight breeze or crunched under the footfalls of Evan's horse, a dappled gray named Alsvinn.

No one was on the road leading into town as Evan trotted along. It was only after he passed the homes and stores that stood along the edge of town that he began to see people. They appeared to be going about their business: splitting firewood, shoeing horses, raking leaves, or walking down the street, their cloaks pulled tight around them. Each person Evan saw greeted him warmly with a "Good morning, Father," or a smile and a nod of the head.

Evan, a Michaeline priest and demon hunter, smiled and waved back or returned their greeting saying, "And good morning to you."

Up ahead, Evan began to hear the din from the open market. As he approached, the priest saw that it bustled with people hawking their wares and haggling over the price of meat, bread, and a hundred other goods, despite the cold. Somehow the noise made Evan feel warmer. As he looked out over the activity in the market, Evan saw a middle-aged woman with auburn curly hair and a blue scarf wrapped around her head. She had a round face and round, full cheeks, which the cold air had turned red and made her face resemble a plump tomato. Evan thought he knew the woman as she looked over the tuna, salmon, cod, and haddock that hung on hooks suspended from a wooden bar over the fishmonger's stall.

"How much for this tuna?" the woman pointed.

"Three farthings," said the oily fishmonger.

"For the whole tuna?"

"Yes."

"Two farthings," she said.

"Two farthings! How are the poor fisherman of this village going to feed themselves at that price?"

"I don't know," said the woman. "But can I feed myself and my family if the price is higher?"

"Well," said the fishmonger, "I'm a reasonable man. Would you settle for two farthings and 10 pennies?"

The woman considered the price and sighed. "All right, but not a penny more."

The fishmonger wrapped the large tuna the woman had selected.

The woman dug the copper pennies and the silver farthings out of her purse and gave them to the fishmonger. Turning, the woman looked up and was caught in Evan's gaze. She smiled politely, but no look of recognition surfaced on the woman's face.

Evan looked away, wondering if he had been wrong about knowing her. After all, it had been more than 15 years since Evan had lived in Clearbrook. Perhaps his memory was beginning to fail him or perhaps he was tired. It had been a long ride.

Dismissing the thought, Evan pushed on into the town square. At one end, the town's clock tower stood and chimed the half hour.