I take in my very first physical look at Briar Lowell, positioning herself a little closer to Lyra, who is several inches shorter than her. Sharp eyes that I doubt miss much watch me. She’s on guard, ready to protect her friend if I make another snarky comment. If I were a betting woman, I’d say that willingness to defend the people around her is a reason one of Ponderosa Springs’s most violent and notorious men chose her.
