The Thief's Gamble

Taken from:

D'Oxire's Precepts of Navigation The Ocean Coast

Sailing off the ocean coast is a totally different proposition to navigating the Lescar Gulf or the Aldabreshin Archipelago. Any mariner coming to the ocean must relearn all his seamanship or perish. The weather is much harsher, storm-force winds coming straight in from the deeps. The waves are both bigger and more forceful, which means vessels are narrower, deeper in draught and carry a greater variety of sail and rigging. Galleys cannot be used with any confidence in these waters, since fierce storms can blow up from nowhere. However, given the lack of coastal routes on land and the length of time it takes to move goods via the inland routes, a mariner who learns what he must to survive will make impressive profits quickly. Those who don't bother will drown.

Ocean currents are the major danger to shipping on this coast. Any mariner venturing out of sight of land must be alert for the danger of being earned off his planned route. Obviously, it is relatively easy to tell if you are too far north or south, but this may be of little help. There are relatively few anchorages along the cliffs of the coastline and most of those that exist are limited to fishing vessels. Hiring a pilot with personal knowledge of the coastline, its hazards and landmarks and the points where fresh water can be taken on is essential. Not all harbours are easy to approach, especially with contrary winds, and many have shoals at their entrances. Experienced crews are worth paying for. Former pirates are useful crew members as long as their numbers are limited.

Being carried too far east will almost always prove fatal one way or another. The currents move fast and dead reckoning is of no use in calculating daily rate of travel. Any harbourmaster will be able to list ships lost in any season, where no trace ever returned to land, even in the winter storms. The currents that circulate south of Bremilayne are particularly rapid and can carry a vessel tens of leagues out of its way. If a ship gets favourable winds and escapes such a current, the danger then is that the prevailing winds will drive it rapidly west and wreck it on the ocean coast, especially if landfall is made at night. This happens sufficiently often that most fishing families earn extra coin recovering cargoes washed inshore.

The weather deteriorates fast once south of Zyoutessela and the currents become highly unpredictable. Attempting the passage of the Cape of Winds is for the mad or the desperate, not for serious seamen. Portage of goods across from one side of Zyoutessela to the other is less expensive than losing a ship and cargo. Most traders make portage a condition of any agreement with a mariner. No one reputable will lend money against purchase of a cargo unless portage is written into the contract.

Sholvin Cove, Gidesta 26th of Aft-Autumn

The cries of seabirds came winging over the tree-tops, followed, after a while, by sounds of human activity — the creak and splash of vessels, hammering, snatches of voices swept towards us by the strengthening wind.

'Careful,' Shiv cautioned us as we tethered the horses and moved to the edge of the trees to look down the steep hillside.

'Sorry,' he said as I shot him an irritated look.

We saw the Elietimm heading openly into a village sitting in an irregular inlet cut deep into the rocky coastline by a vigorous river that Azazir would have been proud of. Fishing boats were tied to a jetty of dark grey stone and drying nets fluttered in the breeze, which was now bringing us a powerful mix of weed, fish innards and mud, the usual delightful scents of the seashore.

I frowned as we watched our quarry head straight for a large three-masted vessel tied up at the far end of the quay, some distance from the nearest boat where a handful of grubby locals were heaving baskets offish out of the hold. The crew did not even look up from unloading their catch as the Elietimm passed by in two even-paced ranks, discipline having suddenly reappeared.

'Shiv, are they using magic to hide themselves too?'

'Not that I can tell.'

'But no one's even noticing them, let alone speaking to them. What's going on?'

We watched as the orderly squad marched to the side of the boat and went through what must have been some kind of identification.

'Saedrin, this is peculiar.' I ignored Shiv and Ryshad's objections and slipped carefully down the path, keeping as much cover as possible between me and the boat until I reached the muddle of stone-built cottages around the river where there were enough people to hide me.

None of them had any trouble seeing me; they looked at me as if I were a travelling fair.

'Morning.' A grizzled old gaffer, sunning himself on a bench, eyed me suspiciously.

I tried the bright smile, cute but dim, even if it didn't go with the stained cloak and breeches.

'Can you tell me anything about that boat over there?' I pointed at the three-master.

He looked at me in complete mystification. 'A boat, you say?'

'Yes, that one, the one with the green pennants,' I said slowly, wondering if I'd managed to find the village idiot at the very first attempt.

His eyes narrowed as he peered out to sea, completely ignoring the huge ship right in the centre of his field of view.

'Is it coming in then? My eyes aren't what they used to be.'

'Never mind.' I was about to move away when a woman with hands like leather and a face to match opened the door of the cottage.

'Dad? Who're you talking to?'

She looked as sharp as the gutting knife she was holding so I abandoned any attempts at charm. Women rarely fall for it, at least not from other women.

'Can you tell me if you've seen any strangers round here lately?'

The gleam in her eyes reflected the silver she saw appear smoothly between my fingers. 'Who might they be?'

'Fair, like Mountain Men. Foreign, keeping themselves to themselves.'

She eyed the coin but shook her head after a moment. 'Sorry, I've seen no one like that.'

'How about ships you don't know? Ocean-built, like a Dalasorian.'

'We've seen no one new since a trader sailed up from Inglis for the Solstice.'

Disappointment coloured her tone but there was no doubting her sincerity. I would have believed her absolutely if only I hadn't been able to see the ship with its crew busy doing whatever it is that sailors do.

'How about that boat at the end of the dock, when did they come in?'

She looked rather puzzled as she followed my gaze and her eyes lit upon the fishing boat. 'That's Machil and his brothers. They got back from the fishing grounds just after dawn.'

I pressed a couple of Marks into her slimy palm to distract her from wondering just who I might be and walked briskly back through the village with enough self-assertion to dissuade anyone who might have accosted me.

Ryshad looked none too pleased with me when I got back to the others. 'Well?'

'It's peculiar. No one seems able to see that ship or the men from it,' I said simply.

Ryshad and Aiten looked puzzled but Shiv looked dismayed.

'You're sure? Sorry, stupid question.' He was looking as if his dog had just died.

'Why's that such bad news?'

Shiv rubbed a hand over his tired face. 'One of the magic disciplines in the Old Empire was mental control: they could do this kind of thing. We've never been able to duplicate it in Hadrumal. Do you reckon they know something we don't?'

There was a moment's silence before we all turned to Shiv at the same instant.

'So, what do we do now? Can you tell if they've got Geris in there?'

'How do we get to your mate if they have him here?'

'Can you get him out the same way you got me out of the lock-up?'

'Give me a moment,' Shiv snapped. He closed his eyes and frowned as magelight of several different colours flickered round his head. 'Shit. There's something blocking me, I can't see inside the hull at all.'

I sighed. 'I think that proves a different sort of magic is at work here.'

We stood in a indecisive circle until Aiten looked down into the anchorage and cursed. 'Dast's teeth, they're not wasting any time. They're casting off.'

We watched helplessly as the crewmen loosed the lines to the quay and long oars moved the ship out of the shelter of the inlet.

'Come on,' Shiv snapped. 'We need a boat.'

Oh, wonderful; things were just getting better and better. I wondered yet again which deity I'd offended to get landed with this.

We hurried down the hill and out on to the quay, ignoring the curious stares of the locals.

'Machil!' The sun-browned sailor looked up from the deck of his boat, clearly wondering how this strange redhead knew his name.

Shiv cast his instant-respectability-for-dealing-with-peasants spell again and looked down imposingly from his horse.

'I am on urgent business for the Archmage and require a vessel. Are you for hire?'

Machil looked sadly unimpressed as he turned to continue washing fish guts and scales off his deck. 'No.'

Ryshad drew out his amulet. 'I'm working for Messire D'Olbriot of Zyoutessela. He would be extremely grateful for your co-operation.'

Machil shrugged. 'What's that to me? I'm not going that far south, not at this time of year.'

Since appealing to the man's better nature was clearly failing, it looked like my turn.

'We'll make it worth your while.' I didn't bother with a smile, just a rattle of my belt-pouch. He wasn't to know it only held Caladhrian pennies; I just hoped Shiv had collared some more of Darni's expense money before we started on this mad trip.

Like they say, you can always get to a man's hands through his pockets. Machil put down his bucket and raised his eyebrows, still unsmiling. 'How?'

I looked at the boat, the size of its cargo and the size of the village; an idea struck me so I ran with it. 'You don't sell all that fish here, do you?'

He looked suspicious. 'What of it?'

'So, you salt it, smoke it, whatever, and take it inland? How about the mining camps? I bet they'd pay top coin for it?'

He looked at me, silent but expectant. The others had the sense to sit still and look as if they knew exactly where I was heading.

'Do you move it yourself, or sell it on to a middleman?' His eyes flickered to a long, low building on the other side of the river and I knew I had him. I gestured to our horses and the mule.

'With three saddle horses and a pack-mule, you could cut out anyone else and take the profits yourself.' Now I grinned at him and, to my relief, received a thin smile back.

'Four horses and we might have a deal. I'm not taking a horse on board ship, so you'd have to leave it here anyhow.'

No chance of keeping Russet then; it had been a slim hope at best and I stamped down hard on my regret. Whenever I caught up with Geris, he was going to pay for landing me with all this sentimental nonsense.

I looked appropriately reluctant so he'd feel he'd won a round and then nodded slowly. 'I suppose so.'

'You've got a hire, then.' He yawned. 'I'll be ready on the dusk tide. Where are we heading?'

I shot Shiv a questioning glance. He nodded almost imperceptibly and I smiled at Machil. 'We'll tell you later.'

He didn't look too happy at that, and I thought we might have trouble when we turned up that evening with as many potentially useful supplies as we'd been able to buy in such a small place. Luckily, he didn't want to display his own ignorance before his crew and he curtly beckoned us to follow him down to the cramped cabins while our gear was loaded and stowed.

'So where are we heading?' he demanded.

'Straight out to sea,' Shiv said baldly. 'I'm tracking a ship that left the coast this morning.'

Machil gaped. 'You must be joking. They'll be long gone by now.'

Shiv gestured negligently and lit the gloomy wooden walls with magelight. 'I'll be able to find them.'

'Can you guarantee the winds and currents too?' Machil asked sarcastically.

'Of course.' Shiv looked as if he were mildly surprised the fisherman bothered to ask.

'Sorry, there's no way I can take on enough stores for a voyage when I don't know how long it will take, not by this evening. Anyway, I'd need to know how long we were going to be out so I'd know how much fresh water to take.'

A hint of steel edged Shiv's voice. 'The ocean is full of fish and I can take the salt out of as much water as anyone could need.'

Machil ran a hand through his greasy hair, clearly disbelieving but, not unreasonably, reluctant to call a wizard a liar to his face. He shook his head, his face set.

'No deal; you can have your animals back. I'm not risking the open ocean for anyone.'

'How far do you usually go out?' Aiten asked mildly, knotting a piece of twine as he spoke.

'There's good fishing on some banks about three days out,' Machil said after a moment's suspicious pause, watching Aiten's hands.

'How about you take us that far? If we've found the boat we're looking for and the weather's holding, we can see about going further out then.'

'That's got to be a fair deal for five good beasts and their gear.' I thought a little reminder would do no harm.

'All right. As far as the fishing grounds, then I decide if we go any further.' Machil left without giving anyone a chance to answer and we heard him shouting orders at his brothers.

Aiten gave Shiv a grin. 'I take it you'll be able to keep the winds in the wrong direction, if we need to go on.'

'That's all very well, but I'm no sailor,' I pointed out.

'We'll still need them to run this tub; what if they won't co-operate?'

Aiten threw his knotted piece of twine to me. 'I learned more than good sea stories from my grandfather. Why do you think he decided to trust me?'

I was saved from having to find an answer by a sickening lurch of the floor.

'Looks like we're under way.' Aiten climbed up the ladder and out to the deck while I drew a deep breath and sat down, gritting my teeth.

Ryshad looked at me sympathetically. 'Are you not a good sailor?'

I looked at him and forced a smile. 'I did the trip from Relshaz to Col once and threw up all the way, and coastal waters are supposed to be calm.'

The Guest-house at the Shrine of Ostrin, Bremilayne, 42nd of Aft-Autumn

Casuel bit down on his vexation as Darni started pacing the room yet again.

'I don't see why we have to spend all morning waiting around for this man to call,' the warrior repeated irritably.

'A Tormalin Prince sees people at his convenience, not theirs,' Casuel said wearily for what felt like the fiftieth time.

'All we want is permission to ask one of his sea captains for a charter.' Darni went to look out of the window. 'I'd like to know why he decided to come here himself.'

'How should I know?' Casuel wiped his pen clean and put it away. There was clearly no point in trying to do any work. He stoppered his inks and stacked his books neatly on one side of the gleaming, if elderly table.

'I could be doing other things, making enquiries.' Darni turned to look the other way down the street, twitching the muslin drape aside. 'I don't like being ordered to waste time to suit the convenience of some nobleman who's decided to get nosy.'

'Messire D'Olbriot is one of the leading patrons of Tormalin life,' Casuel said, exasperated. 'He is used to running the affairs of his household, his wider family, his tenants and their clients and overseeing the business of about a twentieth share of the country, at last taxation. If he wants to see us, it's because he thinks this is important, not because he's just at a loose end!'

Allin looked up from the corner seat where she sat with her sewing. 'Is he like a Duke, then?'

'No, he's far more important. When he says it's about to rain, everyone from the Emperor down puts up their hood.'

Casuel looked at Allin; she was neatly turned out today, he'd made sure of that, but he was still uneasy about having her here. He had planned to send her out with a handful of copper to amuse herself shopping or something but typically it turned out to be the guest-house washday so no maid was free to accompany her on the one occasion when he would have been glad of her unquashable tendency to befriend servants at the spit of a candle.

'He's the most important man you'll ever meet, so sit still and keep quiet,' he said forbiddingly. Her Lescari accent would sound appallingly commonplace in such company.

'He might be the most important Tormalin.' Darni looked round. 'I'd say Planir's the most important man of all.'

Allin jabbed nervously at her seam with her needle. 'Will I have to meet him as well?'

'Yes, but don't worry, he's very approachable.' Darni smiled at her. 'We'll get you to Hadrumal soon, I promise. I'll introduce you to Strell, my wife. She's an alchemist so she knows lots of fire-mages; she'll soon get you fixed up.'

'Thank you for your interest, Darni, but I shall be arranging Allin's apprenticeship,' Casuel said firmly.

'Surely there's no harm in looking at all the offers?' Darni tried to look innocent. 'You can help her choose the best.'

Allin looked from one to the other, faint surprise animating her round face, eyes brightening. 'I'll be able to choose?'

'I should say so.' Darni nodded. 'New fire affinities are in demand at the moment.'

'I think we should concentrate on the matter in hand,' Casuel said repressively. Allin ducked her head over her sewing again but a small, pleased smile played around the corners of her mouth.

The business of the morning carried on outside their window; visitors came and went, people came to make offerings at Ostrin's shrine and distant calls could be heard from the market beyond the wall. Allin worked her way through most of Casuel's mending and Darni must have examined every bit of the sparsely furnished waiting-room, its handful of chairs, the table and the series of engravings depicting various of Ostrin's travels in disguise to test the hospitality of kings and princes. At last they heard the jangle of the front bell.

'At last,' Darni exclaimed.

'Remember what I told you about conducting yourself properly, Allin.' Casuel smoothed his hair with nervous hands, hastily tucking books and workbasket under the settle.

The door opened and a liveried youth entered. 'Messire D'Olbriot awaits you in the reception room,' he announced in a condescending tone.

'Does he, indeed?' Darni's face hardened and Casuel stepped hurriedly forward.

'Thank you, my man.' Casuel swept past the flunkey, pressing a coin into his hand. The lackey stared at it in momentary puzzlement, so effectively disconcerted that he had to scramble to get past Allin as she trotted obediently after the wizard. Darni sauntered after them with an appreciative grin.

'Messire D'Olbriot.' The lackey bowed them all through the door, still taut with outrage. Casuel acknowledged the footman with a superior nod and then bent low in a servile obeisance before the four men seated before them on elegant chairs set around a gleaming table bearing a vase of fresh flowers.

'Messire, I have the honour to be Casuel Devoir, mage. My companions are Darni Fallion, agent to the Archmage, and Allin Mere, apprentice.'

Allin's petticoats swept the floor as she dropped so deep a curtsey she nearly fell over. Darni caught her elbow and steadied her as he inclined somewhat stiffly from the waist.

The four men rose and bowed politely in return.

'May I introduce my elder brother, the son of my first sister and my youngest son.' The Prince indicated his companions in turn, to Casuel's profound relief. He bowed again, studying this leading patron and his advisors covertly.

Messire D'Olbriot was well into his prime, a stout man with receding grey hair, a plump face and deceptively watery eyes. His brother was definitely on the verge of old age, deep wrinkles drawing his jowls into a lugubrious expression though his expression was keen. The nephew was some years the senior of the younger man, both already showing a tendency to excess weight although expensive tailoring concealed this fairly effectively thus far. As well as a considerable family resemblance, the four faces showed all the self-assurance of wealth and influence.

'Devoir?' The nephew spoke suddenly. 'Would your father be a pepper merchant in Orelwood?'

'Indeed.' Casuel forced a nervous smile; his father would not thank him for attracting this kind of notice if he made a mess of things.

'Then you are a brother of the composer, Amalin Devoir?'

All eyes turned to Casuel with new interest and he bowed low again, suffering a stab of pain from his damaged ribs, scarcely less painful than his chagrin. Would he ever meet a cultured Tormalin who recognised him for himself, not just in relation to his bumptious little brother?

'I heard your brother's new composition in Toremal; your father must be very proud,' Messire D'Olbriot said politely.

'My father is no one in particular and I have no brothers but I answer personally to the Archmage.' Formal courtesies were clearly not to Darni's taste. 'May I know your answer to our request?'

All the blue-grey eyes turned to the warrior. Messire D'Olbriot drew a parchment from one of his wide sleeves.

'Your letter came as something of a surprise,' he commented. 'I was concerned at not hearing from Ryshad for so long but I was aware his enquires could take him beyond the reach of the Despatch. Do you know where he is at present?'

'I have scryed for him and our associates.' Casuel took a cautious pace closer to Darni. 'At present all we can tell is that they are on a fishing boat, somewhere deep on the ocean.'

'Then we've seen the last of him and Aiten,' the brother observed dourly. 'We shall mourn their loss.'

'Not necessarily,' Darni replied firmly. 'Our colleague is a wizard with considerable experience and many talents over water.'

'Do you know where they are heading?' the nephew asked, leaning forward, clearly intrigued.

'A group of islands, far to the east.' Casuel tried to rub his sweating hands discreetly on the back of his jerkin.

'And what do they hope to discover there?'

'We believe this to be the home of a race of yellow-haired men who are responsible for a series of thefts and violent attacks.'

D'Olbriot looked at his relatives in turn, eyebrows raised in question; the brother shook his head, the son shrugged and the nephew pursed his lips.

'We need a boat to enable us to pursue them.' Darni's impatience was becoming evident. 'We hoped you might assist us.'

'Garbled tales for children and contrary legends speak of islands in the east,' the brother stated grimly. 'The only thing they agree on is the ill fate that befalls anyone who reaches them.'

'In that case, we can only hope Ryshad and Aiten fail to find them.' The nephew looked thoughtful. 'They are in some considerable peril whether they make a landfall or not, that much is certain.'

Messire was rereading the letter. He looked up. 'You evidently know of the crimes against our blood of which these men are guilty. What is your interest, beyond a natural love of justice?' His voice was neutral but there was a glint in his eye.

'One of our colleagues has been abducted by a group of these fair-haired men. He is a scholar working on the Archmage's business; he is also my friend.' Darni stared down at the seated Prince.

D'Olbriot returned his gaze steadily. 'What is this business of the Archmage that is so vital? Does it affect this strange blond race?'

'That is for the Archmage to tell you, should he decide you need to know.' Darni's tone was courteous enough but Casuel winced at his bald words.

'It is very important and I am sure that Planir will want your counsel, Messire. It certainly pertains to the security of Tormalin territory and—'

Darni cut him off with a glare. 'The immediate question is that of a ship. We need a vessel to enable us to find these islands, to assist our men and yours in recovering our colleague. I have heard much of the loyalty owed a sworn-man in Tormalin; I had assumed you would wish to help.'

'I don't think you can teach a D'Olbriot anything about loyalty, mage's man.' The nephew looked at Darni with faint hostility.

'I'm sure he meant no insult—' Casuel began hastily, subsiding as Messire D'Olbriot raised a hand.

'What do you think, brother?'

The older man shifted in his seat. 'Two sworn men in a fishing boat is a reconnaissance, but an ocean ship with the D'Olbriot pennant at its masthead could be construed as a hostile act. There is also the question of allowing wizards to become involved in politics. I think we would do better to leave well alone.'

'You may do as you choose but I don't believe these men are going to leave you alone,' Darni said in a level tone. 'Make your own enquiries, my lords; you will find many others have been robbed besides your nephew. I'm sure you have had reports of recent events in Inglis. When you hear Ryshad's account, I think you will find this violence is only a prelude to something worse.'

Casuel wondered how Darni could make a guess sound so convincingly like a plain statement of fact.

'We have an obligation to secure vengeance on my cousin's behalf, Father.' The son spoke up for the first time. 'And we do owe a duty of loyalty to our sworn-men.'

Messire D'Olbriot looked at him consideringly then looked back at Darni. 'You intend to go, irrespective of my decision?' It was barely a question.

'I do,' Darni replied firmly. 'I cannot abandon colleagues in such a situation. I have contacted Hadrumal and obtained the Archmage's permission.'

'You intend to tackle this unknown race on your own, do you? A man, a mage and a maid?' the brother asked with delicate sarcasm.

Darni did not rise to the bait, to Casuel's intense relief. 'No, sir, the Archmage said he would send both wizards and fighting men to support us. They will be arriving soon. I would prefer to have a ship ready and waiting, to lose as little time as possible.'

'Then you are planning an invasion,' the old man said with crisp disapproval. 'Most certainly a hostile act.'

'They committed the first aggression, in attacking people such as your nephew and in abducting my colleague.' Darni's voice was under control but icy cold. 'I would term it retribution.'

Messire D'Olbriot had rolled up the letter and was tapping it absently on his knee, looking thoughtful. 'We cannot ignore the fact that we have a personal interest in this matter, gentlemen.' He crushed the parchment in his fist. 'Associating ourselves with wizards will doubtless cause talk but I think, in this instance, we can tolerate that.'

He indicated his nephew with a wave of his hand. 'Esquire Camarl will arrange interviews with my sea captains for you. The decision whether to sail must rest with them but I will let it be known that I am supporting your endeavour.'

'That is most gracious of you, Messire—' Casuel swallowed his fulsome gratitude as the Prince continued.

'What I require from you is this.' He fixed Darni with a piercing eye. 'Planir or one of his close associates is to visit me personally to explain this business in full, no later than Winter Solstice. If there is any threat to Tormalin territory or interests, I want to know in plenty of time to take appropriate action. Do you understand me? This is a condition of my assistance, and is not open to debate. Do I have your assurance that this will be done?'

'Of course, sir.' Darni bowed politely, shooting a venomous glance at Casuel as he did so. 'I'm sure the Archmage will be only too eager to give you all the information you require.'

'I can't see any sea captain being too eager to set out into the open ocean at this season.' Messire's brother folded his arms with an air of finality.

'We'll find out who has the greatest faith in Dastennin, won't we?' Humour enlivened Messire D'Olbriot's face for the first time, lightening the tense atmosphere. 'Perhaps you had better make some offerings at the Sea Lord's shrine, before you embark on this voyage.'

'An excellent suggestion.' Casuel forgot his ribs and bowed low, wincing as the noblemen rose, but Darni only laughed and offered his hand.

'It couldn't hurt, could it? Thank you, Messire.'

'Esquire Camarl will contact you later today and escort you to the docks.' Messire D'Olbriot paused to bow courteously to Allin, a gesture echoed by his family. She blushed scarlet and curtsied, mute with confusion, Casuel was grateful to see.

'Let me escort you.' He hovered anxiously as the noblemen made their way out. Darni looked after him with an expression of faint contempt.

'Do I have to go on a ship over the ocean?' Allin whispered, her plump face crumpling with worry.

'No, chick.' Darni put an arm round her shoulder and gave her a quick hug. 'It'll be all right. There will be some proper wizards here soon; they'll look after you.'

The Far Reaches of the Ocean, Latter Half of Aft-Autumn

I can't say much about this particular stage of our nonsensical journey because I was soon staring continuously at the bottom of a bucket. None of the others were affected but the jokes at my expense soon faded when they realised it wasn't just a case of a few hours heaving before I'd get my sea-legs. A handful of days vanished in a blur of nauseous misery.

Ryshad came to see how I was as one dusk darkened into night. He held my head and then helped me wash my face. Lemon oil in the water cut through the sour smells of sickness and I managed to force out a thanks.

'Don't mention it.' He wiped my face gently with a clean, damp cloth. 'Here, drink some water and chew this, it might help.'

When a few cautious sips stayed down, I held out my hand. 'It's not thassin, is it?'

'No, sugared ginger.' He passed me a sticky lump. It cleaned my mouth, which was a relief, but as the motion of the ship mounted again, I was back to my bucket. I soon lost interest in everything else and couldn't even summon up the curiosity to listen when Shiv came down into the cabin. Well, not until I realised they were discussing me.

'She's not even keeping water down now,' Ryshad was saying. 'This could get serious.'

'You should have fetched me earlier,' Shiv fretted. If I hadn't been feeling so dreadful, I'd have been touched by his concern.

'You were too busy. How's the helmsman taking the magical effects?'

'Oh, he's happy enough, though I can't decide if it really doesn't bother him, or if he's just pretending, to put his brothers on the wrong side of the river.'

Shiv came over to the bunk and put gentle hands on each side of my head. I screwed my eyes shut at a sudden emerald glimmer; it didn't help much since the light seemed to come from inside my head which was such a peculiar sensation that I quite forgot to feel sick. The glow faded and I blinked to clear the shimmering from my eyes.

'What was that?' I croaked.

'There's water inside your ears,' Shiv explained. 'It's part of why you're being so sick. What I've done should help; try to sleep now.'

I realised the racking nausea had faded. I drew a deep breath and regretted it as I felt the rawness in my throat, the ache in my stomach and shoulders and my head started to pound like Misaen's own anvil. 'You'd never think I had the southern sea-wind in my birth-runes, would you?' I managed to joke feebly.

'Here, try the ginger again.' Ryshad passed me a small grease-paper parcel. It did seem to help; I took a long drink and, when that stayed down, I had another and some dry biscuit. After a while I thought I probably could sleep. To my surprise, I woke to a bright sunny day, an empty cabin and a peaceful gut, thank Drianon.

Ryshad appeared after a while with some dry bread. 'Come out on deck,' he advised. 'You'll be better for some fresh air.'

I followed him, my legs still shaky on the steps of the ladder, but there was no return of the racking nausea so it looked like Shiv's magic had worked. I looked round the boat and saw Aiten stripped to the waist despite the cold, helping the crew with a net. Shiv was deep in discussion with the helmsman.

'Sail ho!' A shout made me look up and I saw a skinny lad clinging high up the mast as it swayed from side to side. That was almost enough to set my stomach off again so I peered out to sea.

'Where is it?' I asked Ryshad.

'You won't be able to see it from down here.' He looked back at Shiv, who nodded and I realised the boat was slowing.

'Are we stopping?' I asked nervously, looking around at featureless water in all directions.

'No, just making sure they can't see us. We'll stay far enough back so the curve of the ocean hides us.'

'Pardon?'

'The ocean is curved.' Ryshad drew an arc in the air. 'If we stay here, they can't see us. They're a taller ship, so we can follow the tops of their masts.'

I must have looked totally blank so Ryshad squatted down to draw a picture in water on the deck. 'This is the surface of the ocean; some say it's like the curve on top of a full glass, some even reckon the world is a sphere. Anyway—'

I raised a hand to silence him when he looked up. This was starting to sound like a conversation with Geris and I decided the less I knew about oceans, the happier I'd be.

'I'll take your word for it. All I want to know is when are we going to see dry land?'

No one could answer me but none of them seemed bothered. Machil agreed to continue sailing out into the open ocean once he realised how well Shiv could control the winds and water around the vessel and when it became clear he would look very foolish in front of his brothers if he backed out; Aiten had done excellent work getting them on our side. None of them asked what we were doing and since Shiv did not volunteer any information, the rest of us kept our mouths shut.

So our voyage grew longer, another ten days, another handful. My main problem was soon boredom since there was little I could do to help, even if I'd wanted to. The weather grew greyer and stormier but no one else seemed bothered so I had to believe we weren't in immediate danger of sinking; at least I didn't get seasick again. Shiv was concentrating on keeping track of the enemy ship while Ryshad and Aiten helped the crew. I managed to get a few games of runes but once I'd netted the ship's supply of crabshell betting tokens for the second time, interest waned.

By the time the moons showed us the arrival of For-Winter,

I was starting to wonder if we'd be sailing on until we saw the Elietimm ship fall off the edge of the world when the lad up the mast shocked the whole ship to silence with a cry of 'Land ho!'

Machil scrambled up the mast efficiently if gracelessly; the wind snatched away his words so we couldn't hear what he and the look-out were saying. When he came down, his face betrayed an odd mixture of wonder and fear which was reflected on his brothers' faces.

'There is land out there.' He obviously hadn't believed we would find anything.

The sailors all looked at each other; something was bothering them but no one seemed to want to be the first to say it out loud.

'Let's put on more sail and get closer then.' Aiten made a move towards the ropes but no one followed.

'I don't want to.' The watch boy, the youngest of the brothers, blushed red as he spoke out abruptly. None of the others hushed him as was their usual habit.

'Why not?' Shiv asked cautiously; I could tell he was worried by this turn of events.

The lad set his jaw. 'If there's land out this far, it must be where the shades live.'

He looked round the circle of his brothers, challenging them to contradict him. They exchanged a few impenetrable glances but none spoke.

'Shades?' I asked, fighting to keep my voice no more than mildly curious.

The lad opened his mouth but shut it again. There was an awkward silence until Machil finally spoke up.

'There are old tales about islands where the shades of the drowned live. They say if you land there, you can't leave again.' He looked at us defiantly and I realised we had a problem.

'You don't believe children's stories, surely?' Aiten's amused tone was a mistake and I saw the faces around us harden.

'There are shades, sometimes they get in the nets if you go too far beyond the northern fishing grounds.' One of the older brothers spoke up now, the sort of man you wouldn't expect to have the imagination to bake fish instead of fry it.

'I see. What do they look like?' Shiv looked entirely serious.

Machil shrugged. 'Like any other drowning, but you can tell they're shades because they don't have hardly any colour, not to their hair or skin.'

I didn't have to look at the others to know we were all thinking the same thing. Why hadn't we told these people what we were doing and asked if they knew anything useful? Whatever we said would sound like lies crafted to suit now this idea of shades and drowned men had gripped the crew.

Shiv looked at the set faces round us and made a rapid decision. He gestured to the ship's little rowing-boat. 'Put us off in that. You can go home.'

'Oh no, we need you to give us the winds we want.' Machil's tone was uncompromising.

'I can set a spell that will get you home.' Shiv matched him with a mage's authority.

Machil turned away, muttering something about a whole mule train not being worth this trip, but ordered a couple of his brothers to unlash the row-boat. I followed Shiv down to the cabin.

'Shiv,' I began nervously. 'Just what are we doing here?'

He looked up at me from a letter he was scribbling. 'Oh, I'd never intended taking this ship right inshore; I think it would be better to land unseen and spy out the land before we decide just what to do. This is a bit further out than I'd planned to take to the row-boat but that won't be a problem.'

'I'm really not sure about this.' His calm reassurance was having entirely the contradictory effect on me. 'How are we supposed to get home? This lot will be heading west before we've got the oars out.'

'I'll get us home. If we can get a boat, it'll be easy. If worst comes to worst, I can translocate us, like I did for you in Inglis.'

I gaped at him. Out through one stone wall and a half a street away is one thing, but how many leagues was he talking about here?

A sudden thought distracted me. 'You mean you can do this sort of trip by magic? I needn't have been heaving up my guts like that after all?'

Shiv shook his head as he sealed his parchment and addressed it to Planir. 'Sorry, I can only take us somewhere I've already been. I'll be no use to anyone for a full day afterwards either. A complex spell like that really wipes you out.'

I cast about for another objection to stop Shiv abandoning this suddenly charming boat and its delightful crew in the middle of the ocean. To my intense annoyance, I couldn't come up with anything I didn't feel he would be able to set aside with similar ease. I remembered this was one of the many reasons that I preferred to avoid dealing with wizards.

So off we set in the cockleshell of a row-boat which put me entirely too close to the water for my peace of mind. At least Ryshad and Aiten were looking nervous as well, though this was down to the fact they had decided to wear their armour in case of trouble when we landed. This meant they would be able to swim with all the efficiency of a sack of corn, but at least that would mean I had company if we all went over. With Vanam about as far from any seas as you can get, I've never got round to learning to swim.

At least we didn't have to row. Shiv sat in the prow of the boat and trailed one hand in the water, intense concentration on his face. The vessel slid quietly through the waves and I soon saw the grey shapes on the horizon take on colour and substance. Dull green hills above slate-coloured shores looked completely uninviting. We glided noiselessly into a flat gravelly bay and sat for a moment looking at each other, suddenly unsure what to do next.

'Come on.' Ryshad stood up decisively and stepped out of the boat. 'We came to get some answers; let's go looking.'

Aiten insisted we pull the boat up above the tide mark and secure it with some rocks. If I had any choice, we'd be going home the fast way and Shiv could sleep it off for however long he needed. I didn't say anything though; we were all too nervous to risk starting an argument. Still, it felt good to have solid ground under my feet and a task to turn my mind to.

'So what now?' I asked as we found a sheltered hollow in the banks of shingle and cached our supplies.

'We need to get a feel for the place before we can make any plans,' Ryshad asserted. 'Let's see how these people live then perhaps we can identify who's in charge.'

This was more to my liking. 'If we can find his house, I'll go in and see what I can find out.'

'I'm not sure we should split up…' Shiv began uncertainly.

Ryshad waved him to silence. 'We'll discuss that when the time comes.'

He led the way through the shingle banks and we crossed an uncomfortably exposed stretch of scrubby grassland. I looked around and frowned.

'There's precious little cover here, Rysh.' The few trees were sparse, twisted down by the winds; they might just have hidden an undernourished pig.

He didn't waste time answering and led us towards a long ridge of broken rock which, while hard going, was at least more concealing. After a lengthy hike, smoke ahead indicated people. We moved with greater caution.

'Dung fires.' Aiten wrinkled his nose at the smell but I just shrugged. What else were they going to burn here?

From a vantage point high on a crag, we looked down on a small settlement clinging to the rugged shoreline. People were working all around beached boats. Something else which I couldn't make out lay immense and black on the grey sands.

Ryshad got out his spy-glass and couldn't restrain an exclamation. 'Dast's teeth; it's a fish.'

'May I?' Shiv took the glass. 'No, it's a whale, a sea-beast.'

'Like a dragon?' I asked nervously; at least I hadn't thought to worry about that while we were still on the boat.

'No. They're built like fish but they're animals, red-blooded. They suckle their young.' Shiv passed me the glass and I was able to see a group of blond-haired people busy stripping skin and flesh from a massive bloody carcass. My stomach was feeling none too strong so I turned the glass to see what else was going on. The place was a hive of activity; meat from the whale was drying on racks, children were digging for something in the sands beyond the village, adults mended nets, gutted fish, sorted out ropes.

Shiv reached for the glass and I surrendered it reluctantly.

'Azazir was right when he said they bred like rats; there must be three times the population of that place we sailed from,' I commented.

Aiten was keeping watch in the other direction. He looked back over his shoulder. 'Come and see this.'

I moved to look down the coast and saw men and women busy on rocks exposed by the low tide. Some were gathering shellfish while the rest were filling baskets with seaweed for others to lug inland, where still more people dug it into mean fields terraced into the hillsides with grey stone walls.

'They move like slaves,' Aiten murmured. 'It's like Aldabreshi.'

'Apart from not being boiling hot and covered in jungle, you mean?' I said, half-teasing.

Ryshad joined us. 'They're not slaves,' he said slowly. 'There are no overseers, are there? No one with a whip or a staff. They're doing this because they want to.'

I looked round at the barren landscape and shivered in the continuous chill breeze from the sea. 'They're doing it because if they don't they'll starve. Misaen, what a place to choose to live.'

'It's not a question of choice.' Shiv spoke up as he passed Ryshad back his spy-glass. 'There's no way off these islands without magic to beat those currents and winds.'

So we sat and watched the grim-faced people going about their tedious tasks. The arrival of a flotilla of small one-man boats created a flurry of activity and excitement; nets strung between the craft were laden with fish. A couple of larger two- and four-man vessels came in soon afterwards and I couldn't restrain an exclamation as I spotted what looked horridly like bodies strapped to them. Ryshad reassured me they were seals, explaining something similar lived off the southern Tormalin coast. I decided I disliked having my ignorance of the seas and their animals exposed every time something new appeared; I'd keep my mouth shut from now on and work things out as we went.

'Where do they get the wood for the boats?' Aiten mused to himself as we watched the craft being hauled up the shore and secured in long, low buildings.

Ryshad was peering through his eye-glass again; I decided I really must get one for myself.

'I don't think they use wood,' he said after a while, snapping the glass shut. 'Those boats are leather over bone frames.'

We looked at the carcass of the whale, now reduced to a bloody framework of massive ribs.

'They do make use of everything, don't they?' Shiv's admiration was tinged with concern and I could understand why. These people had little enough but made the best possible use of it. Poverty and ingenuity is a dangerous combination. We moved stealthily into the shelter of a grey crag. Getting out of the wind was a relief, but we were still cold; if it started to rain we would be in trouble.

Noon came and the shifting wind carried us tantalising scents of cooking fish.

'I'm starving,' Aiten groaned. 'Smell that!'

He looked at me speculatively. 'I don't suppose there's any chance you could slip down and lift us something?'

'Be serious!' I spared him a rueful look. 'I'd stick out like a eunuch in a brothel.'

'I thought the whole point about eunuchs was they didn't stick out, not in brothels or anywhere else,' Aiten grinned.

'Will you two be quiet,' Shiv hissed, unamused. I suppose this wasn't the most appropriate time for silly jokes.

'Look over there!' Ryshad was still studying the village and we all followed his gaze. A group of men had gathered on the landward side of the houses and were loading up with packs heavy enough to make me wince even at this distance.

'Let's follow them.'

We worked our way carefully round the stone ridge that encircled the little settlement, looking down on the men as they formed themselves into an orderly line and headed off up the coast. We kept roughly parallel with them and found ourselves moving into a flatter, less rocky stretch of land. Cover became more scarce again and we had to sprint from stone walls to ditches cut in the close-cropped turf, trusting Shiv's magic to keep any casual gaze sliding over us.

There was a delay when the pack-men reached a river where yet more people were out on the estuary mud, dealing with nets fixed to catch fish brought up by the tides. A cliff rose high on the far side; small figures on the ledges gathered eggs from the nests of the seabirds who were shrieking their indignation and attacking with beak and claws. I shivered. That was an ungodly climb to attempt on damp rocks, with your hands busy and birds shitting on your head.

We waited until our pack-men were safely over and then picked our way cautiously over the wet sands, Shiv leading the way to keep us out of hidden pools. My boots kept out the water, but we were all getting thoroughly cold now and I was relieved to see we were heading inland once we'd crossed the river. Hills rose to give shelter from the wind and we hit a levelled road, which made the going much easier, although we still had to dash for the cover of the scrubby bushes which lined the route whenever Shiv's questing magic revealed that somebody was approaching.

As, on one of these occasions, I sat sucking a hand skinned by the vicious thorns of the local vegetation, I noticed something on one of the stone posts that marked out the road. It was a crude device of lines and angles set in a square. Where had I seen that before? Had it been on the fishing boats? I'd thought it was just decoration.

We moved on and, now I'd noticed it, I spotted the emblem on all the road posts. I was so busy wondering what it could signify that I nearly walked straight into Ryshad's back when we turned a curve in the road to be greeted by a cluster of buildings. The pack-men had arrived at a compound. A large house stood two storeys high in the centre, surrounded by a high wall lined with smaller buildings. It was as busy as the village we had just left but the buildings were not nearly so crammed together; I guessed space meant wealth in a place where every scrap of usable land had to be tilled. A slab carved with the emblem I had been following was set high above the gate, where brown-liveried guards stood alert.

'Looks like we've found the chief's house,' I murmured, moving next to Ryshad.

He was looking around with a frown. 'It's not a very defensible site. Attackers could get on this high ground and simply pour rocks or arrows in.'

'You don't know what magic defences they've got,' Shiv remarked, a reminder I could have done without.

We crouched in a secluded niche in the rocks and watched as the pack-men waited patiently in line. None of them sat down or slipped off their packs. They just stood until they were called forward to have their loads taken by men from the compound. People were busy in stores and workshops; I heard the ringing hammer strokes of a smith at work and there was another sound that I couldn't place until I saw men dusted with flour carrying sacks out of a low building. What was missing was any sound of water or sign of smoke from a forge.

'How are they powering a mill?' I whispered to Shiv.

He frowned and closed his eyes, hands spread flat on the rocks. Confusion wrinkled his brow for a moment then he opened his eyes. 'Heat is coming up from under the ground, hot water too, and steam. They're using that somehow.'

We looked at each other, wide-eyed; these people were certainly inventive.

'Fire mountains must have made these islands,' Ryshad breathed. 'Like the Archipelago, after all.'

The line of pack-men shuffled forward and I remembered what I was supposed to be doing. A man was making some sort of list on a wooden tablet and I watched him carefully; we wanted information so I wanted to see where this particular piece was taken. Eventually he put a cover over his list and headed for the main house, entering without challenge or ceremony.

'Do you think you can get in?' Ryshad passed me the spy-glass and I studied the settlement.

'If all I have to worry about are the walls and the windows, it'll be no problem.' I turned to look at Shiv. 'Have you any way of telling if there are magic defences?'

He shrugged helplessly. 'Nothing elemental, but I can't say if there's anything aetheric.'

I frowned. 'I don't mind taking risks but I prefer to do it when I know I'm after something worth the gamble.'

Ryshad got the obvious question out just ahead of me. 'Can you tell if any of the things you had stolen are in there?'

Shiv held up a hand, already rummaging in his pack for his scrying oils. 'Let's see.'

We kept up our watch while Shiv muttered and gestured over his little silver bowl, all magelight extinguished for safety's sake. Finally he tapped me on the back and I wriggled back to his side.

'I think I've found some of Darni's books, a couple of volumes of a history by Weral Tandri. They're in a study of some kind, I think it's on the far side, top floor.'

'Any sign of Geris?' I asked, hoping vainly for a win on this first throw of the runes.

Shiv shook his head with a sigh. 'None.'

'Any areas shielded like the boat?' Ryshad looked back over his shoulder.

'No, I was able to scan the whole place.'

'Could you show me the inside? It would make things a lot quicker when I go in.'

Shiv looked reluctant. 'I'd rather not, if you think you can manage. A quick scan is one thing, a detailed survey takes time and power. Remember, those people at the lake were able to pick me out as the magic-user so I suspect they have some way of detecting elemental magic, even if we can't pick out theirs.'

Sadly, I had to agree with his reasoning.

'If there are no shields, I'd say there are less likely to be any aetheric defences,' Ryshad said encouragingly. I raised my eyebrows at him and gave him a sceptical look; it was a pretty thin argument but I suppose it was better than nothing.

So we sat and waited the rest of the day out, getting bored, cramped and hungry. Ballads about great adventures leave out an ungodly amount, I decided. When was the last time you heard a minstrel put in a few verses about his hero getting bored rigid waiting for something to happen, or soaking wet in a rainstorm? Well, at least we didn't have that problem; I nearly remarked on it to Ryshad but decided, given the luck we'd been having on this particular quest, that would just be too much like tempting Dastennin.

The Guest-house at the Shrine of Ostrin, Bremilayne, 1st of Far-Winter

Darni vented his irritation on the handle and the bell jangled frantically.

'Organise some lunch,' he snapped over his shoulder at the startled acolyte opening it.

'Good afternoon, do forgive my associate.' Casuel made a hasty bow and hurried past. Esquire Camarl followed slowly, his expression thoughtful.

'What's wrong?' Allin asked, nervously clutching her sewing as the three men shed cloaks damp from the persistent drizzle.

Darni began pacing. 'We can't find a single captain willing to go out on to the ocean with us.'

Casuel looked gloomily at a list of names. 'We've been given every excuse from the state of the currents to the dangers of sea-serpents.'

'I must confess that I am getting a little tired of being treated like an idiot by men who smell of seaweed.' Camarl ran a hand through hair sticky with wind-blown salt.

'They're just cowards,' Darni spat.

'No, just cautious, and rightly so at this season.' The Esquire shook his head. 'We're asking these men to risk their lives.'

A sudden gust rattled the window as if to emphasise his point.

'We're offering them enough coin!' Darni dropped heavily into a chair. 'Why can't Messire D'Olbriot just order one of them to take us?'

'They are his clients and many sail in boats he owns.' Faint irritation tinged Camarl's voice. 'However, they make their own decisions and Messire has neither the means nor the desire to coerce them.'

'We've got to get a boat organised before Planir's people arrive.' Darni's frustration drove him to his feet once more.

Camarl looked at Casuel, who was sitting morosely hugging his ribs. 'Do you know when that is likely to be, Esquire Devoir?'

Casuel shook his head tiredly. 'They've got to get a crossing from Hadrumal and that's always a problem in winter. They should make good time overland through Lescar though -there won't be any fighting at this season.'

'The roads are going to be in an unholy state at this rime of year.' Darni was not mollified. 'Shiv and the others could be in all kinds of danger.'

'Alternatively, they could be heading home as we speak.' Camarl frowned. 'I would not land on an unknown shore without means of escape. Surely they will have retained their vessel?'

'I don't suppose it's occurred to Shivvalan to worry about how to get back again,' Casuel muttered sourly.

'Do you know what's been happening to your friends?' Allin finished her neat darn and bit off her thread.

'Well, Cas? You've been scrying them, haven't you?' Darni loomed over the table at him.

'Not as such, not since the last time you asked and they were still on that boat.' There was a defensive edge to Casuel's indignation.

'Do I have to tell you to do everything?' Darni threw up his hands in disgust.

'You've been telling me to bespeak Hadrumal at every new chime,' Casuel retorted with a flash of spirit. 'How do you expect me to have the energy for anything else?'

'Show some initiative, Saedrin curse you!' Darni's voice was beginning to rise.

Allin hurried to answer a knock on the door, revealing a startled maid.

'The Esquire asked for tisanes.' She bobbed a nervous curtsey.

'Thank you.' Camarl watched the girl place her tray on the table and scurry out.

'I don't think arguing with each other is going to prove very productive,' he observed as he reached for a tisane ball, spooning tiny amounts of dried herbs from the little china bowls on the tray. He snapped the hinged sphere shut with a decisive click. 'I will talk to my uncle and see if he can think of any other mariners we could approach.'

Camarl placed the pierced silver ball in a cup and added hot water from the jug.

'I really don't want to spread our business about any more than we've had to already.' Darni reached for a cup. 'We know these blondies have been in this part of the country. Who's to say they haven't still got spies here?'

'There aren't any yellow-haired people around at the moment.' Allin spoke up unexpectedly. She put her mending aside and began to make herself a tisane.

'How do you know that?' Darni looked at her, bemused.

'I've been talking to the maids.' Allin coloured and pushed her tisane ball around in her cup. 'I said my mother's looking to buy some fair hair for a wig and I asked them to let me know if they saw anyone with really pale hair. I said it didn't matter if it was a woman or a man, because I could always ask a man if he had a sister who might be willing to sell her hair, if she was getting married soon.'

She peeped up through her eyelashes to see the three men looking at her, their expressions ranging from Casuel's irritated disbelief to Darni's surprised approval.

'I just wanted to do something to help.' Allin hid her face in her cup as she sipped her fragrant drink.

'I've spoken to you before about gossiping with maidservants—' Casuel began heatedly.

'Oh shut up, Cas, and make yourself a tisane.' Darni shoved the tray towards him.

'What if she's put us all at risk of discovery?'

'You know, you—' Darni caught sight of Camarl's politely disdainful face and clearly changed his mind about what he was going to say. 'If you were any wetter, you'd have ducks landing on your head, Cas.'

Allin grinned and Camarl rubbed a hand over a sudden smile. Casuel busied himself making a drink, filled with sudden longing for his mother's elegant sitting-room and her tisane tray, complete with everything to the same design, new from the silversmith last Solstice. He was accustomed to better than this collection of mismatched antiques, he sulked.

Esquire Camarl coughed. 'If there's no word of our adversaries, that's one worry that we can leave simmering on the hearth. However, I do think it would be useful to find out what Ryshad and your friends are doing. Esquire Devoir, are you sufficiently rested to attempt a “scrying”, I think you called it?'

The urge to withhold his talents out of sheer spite warred with Casuel's desire to ingratiate himself with such a potentially influential gentleman.

'I can try, but I am very tired,' he said after a pause.

'Thank you.' Camarl made him a courteous bow.

Casuel rubbed his hands. 'I need a broad, flat bowl and cold water.'

Allin hurried off obediently to obtain them.

'Do you have anything that belonged to Shiv or that woman?' Casuel went on. 'I'll need something to focus on, working at this range.'

Darni rummaged in his pocket. 'Here.' He handed Casuel a rune-bone. 'I took this off Livak when some Dalasorian goatherders were getting a bit irritated with her.'

'What's he doing?' the Esquire whispered to Allin as they watched Casuel place the oddly heavy rune in the bowl and add water, leaning over and drawing a deep breath which he instantly regretted as pain lanced through his ribs.

'He's going to bring an image to the water, of the people you're looking for, a sort of reflection.' She watched closely.

'Can you do this?' Camarl was intrigued.

'Not yet. But I'll learn.' Allin's eyes were bright with determination.

'Can I have a little silence?' Casuel snapped.

Dull green light gradually gathered at the bottom of the bowl, growing brighter and clearer as it rose towards the surface of the water. It shone up into Casuel's drawn features and flickered, casting strange shadows against the bones of his face.

'That's got it!' Casuel set his jaw determinedly and hung on to the image grimly. 'They've landed, anyway.'

Darni, Allin and Camarl leaned forward eagerly to see a jumbled vista of grey rocks.

'There,' Darni said after a long moment. 'In that hollow.'

Camarl scanned the image. 'They're hiding, but I can't see from what.'

'Geris isn't with them.' Darni's voice was heavy with disappointment.

Allin drew her shawl around her shoulders unconsciously. 'It looks very gloomy and cold.'

Camarl nodded. 'The question is, are they much further north or simply a very great distance further east?'

'Show us some more, Cas,' Darni commanded.

'I'll try,' Casuel said through gritted teeth. The image moved slowly, harsh rocks, bleak screes, cowering houses defying the bitter weather, the scrying rising gradually to reveal more of the surrounding land.

'Do you suppose they're watching that?' Camarl reached to point at the house.

'Don't touch the water,' Casuel said with some effort and the Esquire pulled his hand back hurriedly.

Darni hissed through his teeth, thinking. 'I wonder if Geris is in there. If they get him out, they need a way off those rocks and soon. Saedrin, this is so frustrating!'

'Can't you bespeak them?' Allin asked hesitantly.

'Not with this spell, not at this distance,' Casuel said shortly; sweat was beginning to glisten on his forehead.

Darni muttered something under his breath but the others all caught the word 'useless'.

'Would you like to try doing this yourself?' Casuel snapped, the light of the spell flickering and dimming.

'It is certainly remarkable,' Esquire Camarl interjected smoothly. 'I've never had occasion to employ a wizard and I had no idea you could perform such wonders.'

Casuel lifted his chin and shot Darni a look of triumph mixed with contempt before bending his will to the enchantment again.

'Can you show us any more of these islands?' Camarl began to make notes on a scrap of parchment. 'For when we land.'

'We?' Darni looked enquiringly at the young nobleman, who grinned back.

'I feel I should represent D'Olbriot interests when you reach these islands. Messire will be expecting me to look for any opportunities that the family might exploit in this situation.'

'The idea is to rescue our friends, not to make your Prince even richer,' Darni scowled.

'The two aims are not incompatible,' Camarl replied firmly. 'The seas are obviously fertile, there might be other resources.'

'Is anybody watching this?' Casuel demanded crossly and everyone hastily returned their attention to the image in the water.

An ice-clad mountain fell away, its sides hidden in snow. Below that, long screes of broken rock stretched into bleak valleys with a threadbare covering of scrub and poor grassland. A scatter of lights was virtually all that distinguished a small settlement from the surrounding rocks in the deepening dusk. Any people and animals were out of sight and out of reach of the frost already glistening on the bare faces of the cliffs. Faint tracks were scratched around a patchwork of ragged fields spreading down towards the shoreline where the cold grey sea lapped on the shingle.

'We need to get an ocean boat inshore.' Camarl frowned.

Casuel took a shaky breath and the image began to slide along the coast. An inlet appeared, a long bank of stones protecting a lagoon. A second island came into view, a headland and a narrow strait with a chain of little eyots.

'That's not rock, that's fortification,' Darni pointed. 'Look, that must be a patrol.'

They watched as a file of tiny figures crossed a causeway over the shallows and disappeared into the irregular precincts of the little watchtower.

'What are they so keen to defend, I wonder?' Camarl mused. 'Esquire Devoir, could you follow that strait?'

Casuel nodded silently, now taking short, abrupt breaths. The sea shimmered beneath the moons but the grey land was increasingly indistinct as the twilight deepened to night.

'Look, shipyards!' Camarl exclaimed suddenly.

They peered down at the enclave fenced in on the shore; timber stacked around long low huts, a square mast-pond at one end, tiny dots of light bobbing along, suggesting patrolling guards. A clutch of tall ships lay moored at the end of a long jetty.

The two men looked at each other. 'Where are they getting the wood for ships that size?' they asked at the same moment.

'Gidesta or Dalasor?' Darni's lips narrowed.

'Are they taking it or buying it?' Camarl wondered grimly. 'Just what sort of foothold have they got over here?'

The image wavered suddenly as Casuel carried it high up the side of a cliff. An ice-field shone beneath them, and a reddish glow began to lift the gloom.

'Fire-mountains!' breathed Darni.

'Like the Archipelago.' Casuel wiped his forehead with a shaking hand.

The land sped beneath them until it fell away into a boiling sea. Great gouts of steam rose from the margin of land and water as a river of fire belched molten rock into the seething foam. A little further out to sea, an islet rose up, the graceful symmetry of its cone in stark contrast to the chaos of the waters around its base.

'Misaen's still busy here,' Camarl commented.

'I can feel the power of the earth coming back to me through the spell.' Casuel blinked sweat out of his eyes. 'This place is alive with raw elements, the fire, the seas, all of it.'

Darni stared. 'Is there no way you can translocate me there, Cas?'

'You know full well a mage can only translocate to places he's physically visited,' Casuel snapped, the light of the spell beginning to dim inexorably.

'Otrick's combined it with scrying,' Darni objected, hands hovering in impotent exasperation.

Casuel shook his head and the water was suddenly empty. 'How Otrick hasn't killed himself yet is one of the great unsolved mysteries of modern magic.' He cupped trembling hands around his tisane and drained it.

'At least they look safe enough at the moment.' Darni's face was twisted with frustration.

'You're just annoyed that they got there ahead of you,' Casuel said spitefully.

'That's not the point and you know it,' Darni replied furiously.

'Surely—' Esquire Camarl raised his voice to speak over them both. 'Surely the important thing is that we find a means of making sure assistance is at hand, when they need it.'

Darni and Casuel looked at him. 'How?' they said almost in unison.

Camarl looked thoughtful. 'Just at present, I'm afraid I have no idea.'

The Islands of the Elietimm, 1st of For-Winter

Dusk drew in and the guards on the gate changed. A new contingent marched out from a barracks on the near side of the compound, which I made a note to avoid. As the officers exchanged what I guessed might be the keys, one hapless soldier was stripped, marched over to a wooden frame and tied to it. I winced as the crack of the lash echoed around the hollow in the hills. Even without Ryshad's spy-glass, we could see the blood streaming from the lad's back. When they finally left him, he was hanging with a stillness that spoke more of death than simple unconsciousness.

'And you still reckon this isn't like Aldabreshi?' Aiten muttered grimly.

Ryshad shook his head. 'Flogging troops is discipline, however brutal. Flogging the locals would be more like the repression the Warlords go in for and there's no sign of that. If you're thinking we might get help from the peasants here, I reckon you can forget it.'

This reminder of our isolation and the danger we could find ourselves in silenced us all and we sat and watched glumly as the night deepened around us. It grew colder and colder and I began to worry about how I would go about picking locks with such stiff, icy fingers.

'Here.' Shiv passed me a small rock and I was surprised to feel it warm my hands.

He grinned at me. 'I'm not much good at earth magic but I can do a few tricks.'

I peered up at the stars and moons; Halcarion's crown was in a different part of the sky but I watched it carefully. When I judged we were well after midnight, I got slowly to my feet, grimacing as I stretched the stiffness out of my limbs, and changed my boots for soft leather shoes.

'I don't want you scrying after me in case it alerts someone,' I whispered to Shiv, 'but can you enhance your hearing at all?'

He nodded and I gave a sigh of relief. 'If I get caught, I'll scream the place down. If you hear me, get me out of there fast.'

I crept carefully down the slope. Loose stones lay everywhere and I didn't want to betray myself with the slightest sound. A straggle of one-roomed houses around the road and the gate provided useful cover and I made full use of the shadows as I slipped round to the side of the compound furthest from the barracks. The walls were all dry-stone-built which gave useful hand- and footholds and I was able to scale it with no real difficulty. I clung there like a squirrel for a while, peering over the top of the wall while I checked it was safe. When I was sure all was as still as a miser's strongroom, I rolled over the top and dropped silently inside. No one shouted or pointed. All the guards seemed to be gathered in the gate-house and I didn't begrudge them the warm brazier glowing through the doorway, not if it kept them inside with no night vision to speak of.

The main house had long narrow windows with what proved to be horn panes set in wooden lattice. I shook my head in wonder; this was doubtless the local standard of luxury. At home even yeomen are getting glass in their windows these days. I moved round to the side where Shiv reckoned the study was located, and tested the lowest casement. It shifted but I'd bet there were shutters on the inside, if only for the warmth in this inhospitable climate. I frowned, not keen to risk it when I had no idea what might be on the other side. Even the dimmest servant is going to make a fuss if someone comes through the window and treads on them in the middle of the night. I moved on to a side door and found a crude lock which I could probably have opened with a stiff piece of straw. Since I had my lockpicks, I was inside in a few breaths and closed it quietly behind me.

The hallway was silent and black and I moved cautiously, not wanting to bump into anything. As my eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, I could make out a few alcoves in the walls and doorways on either hand. I listened at each as I headed for the stairs but heard nothing, not even the minor noises of people sleeping. The alcoves held what the locals must have reckoned treasures, metal mostly, goblets, a ewer, some mean-looking ceramics; nothing I would have reckoned worth lifting for the price of an evening's ale back home. The only things I liked were the wall hangings, the same pattern as the gate, neatly woven in soft wool.

One door was ajar so I gave the room a cautious glance. It was stacked with chests and I found myself inside before I really stopped to think; locked boxes have that effect on me. Should I open one? I tried the lid and it proved to be unlocked so I peered inside. It was full of scrap metal, broken bits and pieces of old iron and bronze. I recalled the village, where everything was made of stone or bone, and looked at junk that would be discarded by a smith at home. Here it was stored in the leader's house like silver or gold. If this was what these people saw as wealth, they were more dangerous than I had realised, now they had some way of beating the ocean and reaching the mainland.

My feet were no longer cold and I put a cautious hand on the stone floor. Rather than striking up cold, it was warm to the touch, which puzzled me until I remembered what Shiv had said about heat from underground. I left the boxes and peered carefully up the flight of stairs where a dim glow suggested a light on the floor above. It was not shifting about so no one was carrying it, but if you leave lights burning at night, it's because you're expecting someone to be moving around at some point. I crept stealthily up the stairs and once I turned the corner was pleased to find a carpet underfoot, so much better for silence than flagstones. A small oil-lamp stood on a highly polished stone table in the middle of the hallway and I realised this was the noble's living quarters. I paused to get my bearings and headed swiftly for the study to get out of sight before someone went looking for the privy.

It was not locked either. I was struck by this man's confidence in his security, especially given the relaxed approach of the gate guards. These people just didn't expect trouble, at least not the sort we were bringing. Well, I always aim to be ready for trouble so I locked the door behind me anyway. I looked round the neat room with its stacks of documents and orderly records. This was no idle ruler, like Armile of Friern, say, grinding every mite he could out of his subjects to spend it on a pretty militia and fancy whores. The peasants tilled the land and caught the fish or whatever, but this man ran the mill, the forge, the stores and did a lot of the organisation too. Co-operation meant survival for everyone here, and that made for a still more dangerous enemy. I shivered despite the mild air as I began a thorough search of the room.

With everything else left open, whoever ran this place should have realised that locking a box is as good as sticking up a sign that it holds something important. The ancient oak chest was open in a moment and I pulled out a book. There were others. It was too dark to read anything so I reluctantly reached for a small lamp full of a fishy-smelling oil. The shutters were closed and with the lamp in the hall, there would be no betraying glow under the door so I judged the risk worth it.

In the golden glow of the lamp, I could see the books were written in Old Tormalin and halfway down I found the histories Shiv had mentioned. There was better to come but it is a real shame when something happens to prove you were right about something important and there's no one with you to look impressed when you say 'I told you so.' What got me so pleased were the notes on slips of parchment tucked between the pages. They were written in the Mountain Men alphabet, or something almost identical. Sorgrad and Sorgren had taught Halice and me the script as a means of writing letters no one else would be likely to read, so I knew I wasn't mistaken. I couldn't make much sense of the words themselves; my vocabulary in the Mountain tongue is rather specialised, dealing mainly with gambling, valuables, houses and horses. Still, I was able to see this language bore a resemblance to the Mountain tongue, about the same as, say, Dalasorian to Caladhrian, or Tormalin to Lescari; if you know one, you'll probably be able to get the gist of the other if it's spoken slowly.

Charts were folded beneath the books and I was getting more and more interested so I dug them out and spread them on the desk. As I painstakingly spelled out the names on what looked like a family tree, I recognised several of the 'Formalin noble houses mentioned by Azazir and Ryshad. Some had the names of cities beside them, along with other unidentifiable notations. A couple had been crossed through and I wondered what that might signify. Other closely written sheets might have been reports. They were headed with what looked worryingly like the names of Aldabreshi Warlords. I know very little about the Archipelago; it's another place where no one uses money and, besides that, they have a nasty habit of executing uninvited travellers. Still, everybody knows the Warlords have been known to attack the Tormalin and Lescari coasts when they think they can get away with it, and I didn't like to think of these Elietimm looking for allies down there. It was starting to look as if much more trouble was brewing for Planir the Black than he knew about. I looked around for something to make copies on, but found that ink and writing materials were precious enough here to have their own little, locked cabinet which meant they would probably be missed. I didn't dare do anything which might alert anyone to my visit so I tried to commit as much as I could to memory.

There were maps on the table and I studied them too once I noticed they depicted this island, identifying the village and the road we had followed. I gave a soundless whistle as I saw the detail. Almost every rock was drawn in. The island was divided between three owners and I realised the symbol we were seeing everywhere was a badge of some kind. Each domain was marked out with its own insignia and I made a mental note of the landmarks around what seemed to be the main stronghold of each one; if we were ever going to find Geris, I'd bet it would be in one of these compounds.

I ran through the charts, careful to keep them in order, until I found one drawn to a larger scale which showed the whole island group. My heart sank as I saw the extent of the land area and roughly calculated the population, if every village had as many people as the ones we had seen. These islands might have less than half the land of Caladhria all told, but I'd bet they had more than four times the population of Ensaimin, and we're reckoned to be crowded by local standards. The only good news was the extent of division here; even sand banks in the shallower channels between the islands were marked with badges of ownership, sometimes with several. Careful erasing and redrawing of insignia was quite common on the borders of each domain and several of the changes looked recent; with land this poor, even a few plough-lengths would be a valuable addition, wouldn't they? This evidence of conflict was about the only bright spot I could see in an otherwise very gloomy vista.

This faint spark of good news was stifled when I realised the next map showed stretches of the Dalasorian and Tormalin coasts, I was able to find Inglis and, in a separate sketch, Zyoutessela. The Dalasorian coast was drawn in some detail with numerous lines and notations on the sea which I suppose would mean something to a sailor. I frowned; with Inglis the only real centre of power and organisation in those parts, it would be a tough job to drive these people out if they decided to all get on a fleet of ships and help themselves to some decent land for a change. I could only hope they had very few ships, ideally just the one we had seen. Sinking that — and any other similar vessels — would have to be a priority. Shiv would just have to get us home by magic.

The sound of a door opening down the hallway froze me to the spot. I pinched out the lamp and crouched behind the desk, sucking my scorched fingers. No one approached so I knelt down to peer through the crack of the ill-fitting door; a small child in a long night-gown was padding down the hall, trailing a woolly animal of some sort. It went into a room at the far end and I heard a low murmur of adult voices, hushing the child when a rising wail threatened. I crouched there, heart pounding, for what seemed an age. Finally I decided they must have decided to let the child join them rather than try returning it to its own bed. Still, parents of young children are notoriously light sleepers so I decided I'd better get clear as fast as possible. I replaced everything as precisely as I could and let myself out with ten times the caution I'd used before. Luckily, Drianon must have decided that particular mother deserved a decent night's rest and I was out of the house without anyone rousing.

I went over the wall at the closest point and took a long route around the back of the compound to get back to our observation point. Safety was more important than time now I had such valuable information. Ryshad was looking out for me as I crept towards the hollow in the hillside and I took the cloak he offered me gratefully, shivering in the cold breeze.

'We've got to—' I began, rummaging in my gear for something to eat.

He hushed me with a finger to my lips. 'Later. Let's move out while it's still dark.'

He turned to Shiv and Aiten and had them awake in a few moments. Aiten was none too keen to move on but Shiv agreed and we were soon creeping through the scrubby grass and bushes. We found another little hollow and Ryshad and I got our heads down while Shiv and Aiten kept watch. I woke cold and stiff in the grey light of dawn and while we ate I explained what I had found.

'I reckon we should try and find that ship, the ocean-going one, and sink it,' I concluded.

'We're going to have to cut back to get more supplies before we do anything else,' Aiten said sourly as he chewed on a strip of dried meat.

'I want to contact Planir and tell him what you've found out,' Shiv decided. 'This information's too important to wait.'

Too important to lose if we get captured, I thought grimly.

Shiv held a blue crystal between his palms, eyes closed and concentration knitting his brows.

'Can you make some kind of map for us?' Ryshad asked me thoughtfully. 'Show us where these other nobles are for a start.'

'I'll try.' I was busy scraping lines on the turf, using small stones for hills and villages, when I heard Ryshad and Aiten swear at virtually the same time although they were keeping watch in different directions.

I looked up, mouth open. 'What is it?'

'Men. A big sweep's coming this way.' Ryshad slid down the slope, face grim as he crossed to Aiten.

'Could it be a hunting party?' Aiten said hesitantly.

'What's to hunt out here, apart from us?' Ryshad gripped Shiv's shoulder and shook him. The mage swore as he opened his eyes.

'What is it?' he said crossly. 'I'd barely got the link made.'

'Trouble,' Ryshad said shortly, shouldering his pack. 'And it's on our trail.'

We crept as fast as we could along a shallow valley leading away from the pursuers. I risked one look back and could just make out two packs of dark shapes. They moved with silent purpose, fanning out as they came down the slope. Despite the dim light and the fact I would swear to any god of your choice that we'd left no trail, they were headed straight for the dell.

'Wait,' Ryshad breathed and we crouched among a scatter of boulders in the sparse stream. As we watched, the hunters attacked the hollow from all directions in a sudden rush of violence. There was little or no sound: their discipline was as hard as the rocks around us and they drew up in watchful ranks as two men began to quarter the area like hounds casting for a scent. Faint on the still, cold air, a rhythmic chant crept across the silent landscape.

'Move.' Shiv led the way and we picked our way carefully along the stream bed. Faint wisps of mist rose from the water, but I could see them swirling round Shiv's hands in a way that disclosed his control. The vapour seemed to glitter at the edges of my vision and while I guessed it was another concealment magic, I found it horribly distracting, like a tune on the edge of hearing that you can't quite make out.

'Shit, flower, watch what you're doing,' Aiten hissed as I trod on his heel. I mouthed an apology and we hurried after Ryshad and Shiv as the valley fell away to leave us horribly exposed on a grassy plain. Ryshad looked around in a moment's uncharacteristic indecision then led us up a rise covered in a scrawny shrub that offered at least the possibility of concealment. My back was starting to ache from running in a half-crouch but we dared not get sky-lined, even helped by Shiv's enchantment. The light was strengthening now and the first gold of the sunrise was colouring the edges of the hills. I wasn't scared, not as such, not quite yet, but the knowledge that I might have reason to be seriously frightened very soon prickled round the back of my head like an itch you can't scratch. I certainly disliked being caught somewhere so isolated; no quick escape over a border possible here.

'Down.' Ryshad dropped flat into the scrub and we followed him as the tinkling of goat bells came up from the far side of the rise. Ryshad edged forward and I had to resist the temptation to move up too; the more movement, the more chance someone would get spotted. I was surprised to realise how much I trusted Ryshad but I hate leaving any part of my fate to someone else at the best of times, and this was promising to be one of the worst.

I managed to unclench my jaw as Ryshad beckoned us forward and used elbows and knees to move through the berry bushes, ignoring damage to skin and clothes. Drawing level, I looked down to see a lad yawning and knuckling his eyes as he drove a flock of remarkably shaggy goats out from crude pens off to our left. A couple of women were milking the nannies there and the lad was heading up the far slope, so we continued our agonising crawl down to the right. The good news proved to be that the valley's shelter had allowed some larger trees to grow, which gave enough cover for us to stand up; the bad news was that the only reason the goats had left them alone was the finger-long thorns which ripped into us at every opportunity. We ignored them and moved faster.

'Hold it.' Aiten was covering our backs and we froze at his warning. I looked back and saw our pursuers hit the goat-pens with the same precision they'd used earlier. The women raised their hands to show they were unarmed but, once they had identified themselves, they stood straight and unafraid and there were no raised swords or voices as the leaders of the hunt came forward to question them. As the first sun lit the valley, I saw glints from gorgets of steel round the necks of these two. Not quite time for real fear, I decided, we could settle for serious apprehension for the present.

'See the insignia?' I breathed to Aiten. 'Those had better be the first ones down if this ends up in a fight.'

Shiv was considering a question from Ryshad and I turned to catch his answer.

'You're right. They must be somehow picking up on live bodies, identifying people at that, since no one's headed for the goats.'

'So we need to be among people,' Ryshad said grimly.

'That's bloody risky,' Aiten murmured dubiously but I had to agree with Ryshad; the thief who hid the pearl in a jar of sugar drops is an old story but it worked then and it works now.

I scanned my mental map of the islands and cursed myself for not taking better note of where we had been heading.

'There's a village down that way.' I led us off and we were able to make good speed but full daylight was nearly upon us and it wasn't long before we began to see where the trees were being coppiced, opening up the woods too much for comfort. We headed for the denser growth on a slope, and our pace slowed on the slippery leaf mould underfoot.

The everyday sounds of a village making an early start on the day came filtering through the leaves and we crept closer, bent like gaffers with joint evil. I saw rough stone roofs with stubby chimneys and Ryshad motioned us all to stillness as he moved ahead, step by agonisingly cautious step. I held myself motionless, forcing myself to keep my eyes fixed on Ryshad's back.

'You can't hear them behind you, you won't be able to see them, so don't risk someone spotting you moving, you daft bitch,' I scolded myself silently. 'Ait's guarding the rear, trust him.'

Shiv's face was taut and I realised the faint sound I could hear was the grinding of his teeth. The tiny noise grated on my nerves like the scrape of a knife-blade on earthenware and

I cringed where I stood. Just as I thought I could not stand it any more, Ryshad beckoned to us and I breathed a silent oath of relief.

We picked our way through tangled saplings below the lip of a rise sheltering the village, and I realised Ryshad was heading for a small cluster of standing stones. We had to do the last bit on bellies and elbows but once we were among the dolmens we had a degree of cover and, more importantly, we could see the whole village, the way we had come in and the other road out of the settlement. Aiten moved to cover the far approach and Ryshad crossed to lie next to me.

'Make out that map again, will you? They may lose us for a while but we need to have some idea of where we're going.'

'We should head for a coastal settlement when it gets dark.' Shiv said softly, looking back from his vantage post. 'If we can get hold of one of those whale-boats, I can get us home.'

'Couldn't you just magic us out of here?' I tried and failed to keep the pleading note out of my voice and scowled at the map I was scoring into the turf.

'Can you?' Aiten looked over hopefully but Shiv shook his head regretfully.

'If I'm not forced to perform any other enchantment between now and dusk, I might be able to send one of you back.'

Aiten looked uncertainly at Ryshad, who shrugged.

'It had better be Livak,' he said simply.

'No!' I exclaimed incautiously, blushing, furious with myself, as the others hushed me.

'You're the one with the information Planir needs.' Ryshad fixed me with a stern eye and I swallowed my confused objections. To be truthful, the long-held instincts of looking after myself first and last had leaped for joy at the prospect of getting out of this mess, until the more recent habits of working in this kind of team had kicked me in the shins. I couldn't decide if that made me a callous bitch or a sensible agent for Planir, but I did know I hated the idea of leaving these three behind to Poldrion only knew what fate.

Still, time enough to worry about that when Shiv was sufficiently rested to regain his strength for the magic, which was not something I was going to offer good odds on. I couldn't think what to say so I moved over to survey the village from a post between two of the great sarsens. The tension eased away but I knew relaxing would be a seriously stupid idea. I forced myself to study our surroundings in detail to keep myself alert. Script was carved into the stone and I wondered what significance this enclosure had, that such good land was set aside in such a poor country. After a while, deciphering the letters in between keeping watch on the village, I decided they were lists of names. A horrid suspicion grew in the back of my mind until it could no longer be ignored. I felt around the turf I was sitting on, running my fingers under the tangle of dead summer's growth, crawling round on hands and knees. Sure enough, I found the regular lines of cutting and lifting which gave a rounded outline about man length and half as wide. I threw up a quick prayer to Misaen, hoping no one in the village had a sudden urge to come and commune with an ancestor today.

I realised Ryshad was looking at me with open puzzlement and I crept over to sit next to him.

'We're in a grave circle,' I said quietly.

He looked momentarily perplexed and I remembered Das-tennnin's followers bury at sea rather than burning their dead like the rest of us.

'Peculiar people.' His face mirrored my own distaste; Saedrin grant I die somewhere civilised and get a good hot pyre and a pretty urn in a shrine for whatever's left while I find out what the Otherworld has to offer.