Cricket Creek Bog i.xi : who was ground down in the end

She found that notion incredibly hard to believe. He'd been one of them, the demons that had came into her forest, tore everything apart. Why go without conviction? Why live without conviction?

In fact, she found it all hard to believe. Maegi shook her head slowly, peering at him with incredulity plastered over her slim face. Why should I trust you? she demanded, though her voice was soft, barely audible over the white-noise murmur of the bog. Why wouldn't you just get me out to the open and kill me? Why wouldn't you get me to lead you to Blackfeather Woods, so you can slaughter my family?

She laughed, the sound completely without humor--the corners of her mouth didn't even turn up (well, the one did, but it did so always). Why should I even believe she's your sister? After all, she had came all this way coasting on a lie. Why would he be any different?

Why should I trust you? she asked again, fixing a gimlet stare on him.