As the men left, Espie watched them carefully. She didn't take her eyes away for a second. Not until they walked around the sides of the building and finally disappeared from sight.

It was like a weight off her chest. Espie let out a heavy sigh and relaxed her stance. All her anger and tension rolled off her and she felt tired and soft instead suddenly.

The dog was at her feet now and Espie couldn't help a tired smile as she knelt down.

"And where did you come from? Your master's got to be far from here," she told the dog, reaching out to pet it and being overly pleased that it was still alive.

Espie glanced up at the woman finally. The hunter. She vaguely recognized that term, but talk of anything supernatural related had been off-limits in her home unless it was talk about how they were messing up the world. She was important, though. Everything about those men, her clothes, and her general air said as much. Someone who was naturally strong and didn't have to force it like Espie did. Espie admired her already.

"Thank you," she told her with a gentle nod. "And I'm sorry I dragged you into that. They were drunk and stupid, they weren't going to let up." Not unless she had somehow gotten away, which had been Plan A until the girl on the bike had arrived.