Withdrawing and engaging in melee

[Jensolovski]

The Withdrawing from Melee and Free Attacks have me puzzled (again). I've searched the archives and not quite come up with an answer to my question. Apologies if I've missed a topic and I'm just rephrasing an already answered question.

In this topic: https://www.pegforum.com/forum/savag...unityt-attacks PEGRon explains that Withdrawing requires Intent and here: https://www.pegforum.com/forum/savag...-meant-to-work PEGClint points out, that extraction is not about the endpoint. So far, so good. However, when are characters engaged in melee?

A few cases:
I want to run past an NPC in a corridor. I have no intention of engaging him or hitting him - I have the higher Initiative card and he is not on hold. Will the NPC get a free attack as I run past him within his reach?
Two thugs have attacked me and are now both adjacent to me. On my action, I take a swing at one of the thugs and move off to the side so I'm only adjacent to one of my attackers. Will the second thug get a free attack as I move away from him?
How about Reach? Say the second thug above has a spear and I finish my move within his Reach?
Two characters are standing adjacent arguing. So far no blows have been traded. One of the characters decide to leave - does the second now get a Free attack if he wishes to escalate things?

Looking forward to your answers :-)

[PEGRon]

I want to run past an NPC in a corridor. I have no intention of engaging him or hitting him - I have the higher Initiative card and he is not on hold. Will the NPC get a free attack as I run past him within his reach?

The NPC can attack. You enter melee when you hit a square they can affect.

Two thugs have attacked me and are now both adjacent to me. On my action, I take a swing at one of the thugs and move off to the side so I'm only adjacent to one of my attackers. Will the second thug get a free attack as I move away from him?

Yep.

How about Reach? Say the second thug above has a spear and I finish my move within his Reach?

Yep.

Two characters are standing adjacent arguing. So far no blows have been traded. One of the characters decide to leave - does the second now get a Free attack if he wishes to escalate things?

Only if you're in combat rounds, really. Of course the details could lead the GM to begin a combat and adjudicate otherwise.