The laughter died. Dara felt a chill shiver over her skin, calling the fine hairs covering her arms and the nape of her neck to attention. Fool. Whatever slim chance the man'd had of getting a guide had just disappeared, along with his best chance of getting out of the village alive. Dara knew what happened to things that were feared, and there was fear in the room now. It thickened the air and soured what little food sat in her stomach. Movement caught the corner of her eye and she saw several men make signs against evil. Her mouth twisted bitterly. They were fools twice over if they thought such simple gestures would save them.