Einar shrugged and went to the chest, dug around inside for a moment, then sent a gobbet of gold spinning across the room. The man plucked the ring from the air with a rakish chuckle.

‘There’s more for you if what you say is useful.’

‘Ah, you’re a generous soul, Lady,’ he said, examining the gold in his palm. ‘Just like your grandfather.’

‘My grandfather?’ Lilla frowned. ‘You knew him?’

‘I fought alongside him for nearly five years in the Estland Wars.’

‘That was twenty-five years ago.’

‘Aye. I was a younger man back then.’

‘What’s your name?’

‘Valrik Viggorsson.’

‘Well, Valrik Viggorsson. While you may wish to waste time reminiscing about your youth, I have paid you for information.’

‘So you have.’

‘Go on then.’

‘It was about a moon ago. He left one night by the river in the same boat he sailed here. He would have slipped away unnoticed is my guess. Except for one thing.’

‘What’s that?’

‘He took my lads with him.’

‘Your lads?’

‘My sons. They deserve a thrashing, the pair of them – and they’ll get one next time I catch up with them. But they left a thread behind them, see.’ He nodded at the little girl.

Lilla listened as Valrik told her how his daughter was the only one who knew of Erlan’s departure with the boys. Valrik was ashamed to admit that he had beaten it out of her since it was obvious she knew something though her brothers had sworn her to secrecy. Eventually she gave up what she knew – that the boys had thrown in their lot with the Aurvandil and gone in search of the king of kings in the south.

‘The king of kings?’ repeated Lilla. ‘Who is he?’

‘That’s all they said. Best I can tell, that’s all they knew.’

‘Perhaps they meant Ringast,’ said Gerutha. ‘If they didn’t know he was already dead.’

Valrik shook his head. ‘Ringast was west. They were heading south.’

‘The king of kings. Bah!’ scoffed Einar. ‘Well, that ain’t worth a stale turd, let alone a gold ring.’

But Lilla was watching Valrik’s face, and the smile playing at the corners of his mouth. ‘He knows more. Or he thinks he does.’

Valrik chuckled. ‘I can’t be certain. But you’re right – I’ve a notion where they’re headed.’

‘Well?’

‘Happens that I’ve travelled further than any other man you’ll meet in this place. Far to the south, beyond the great rivers to the Black Sea. Do that and you get to hear many stories. And I heard tell of a kingdom in the south greater than any other – a kingdom, they said, that ruled the world.’

‘Well, that’s a lie,’ said Gerutha. ‘The north has its own kings. And queens,’ she added, glancing at Lilla.