The lad blushed and lowered his gaze. Tulan stroked his beard and grinned like a proud uncle, saying, ‘We have the best maps outside Assail itself, I am sure.’

Reuth dared a glance. ‘The names,’ he whispered, as if frightened. ‘I don’t understand the names. ‘Have you heard those names?’

Kyle nodded his agreement. Yes. Those names haunted the stories of his youth. All of them ghost stories. ‘Wrath …’ he murmured. ‘Wrack … Dread … Black Pit … the Anguish Coast.’

Tulan grunted, but not unkindly. ‘You’re young, Reuth.’ He held another titbit of meat over the brazier. ‘We may be ignorant provincials here in these lands, friend Kyle, but I know a tale or two. I’ve heard tell of lands where people name their children “Fool”, “Louse”, or even “Splitnose”. Know you why they would do such cruel things to their own children?’

Kyle smiled his understanding. ‘To turn away the attention of the gods – or demons.’

‘Exactly. So, tell me, friend Kyle, if you wanted to ruin a place what would you name it?’

His smile twisted to its side. ‘I suppose I’d tout it as Paradise. Or Bounty.’

‘Exactly. And if you wanted to keep people away?’ Tulan turned his questioning gaze on Reuth.

The lad nodded. ‘I see.’

‘Or perhaps they are just awful places,’ Kyle suggested.

Tulan burst out in a great bout of laughter. ‘Perhaps indeed they are, friend Kyle.’ He rubbed his hands again on his already greasy furs and leathers. ‘So. You will bunk here on the Lady’s Luck, yes?’

Kyle motioned that he had no objection.

‘You have gear? I could send Storval.’

‘No – no thank you.’

The captain waved to Kyle’s side. ‘Need you another blade? We have plenty.’

He could not stop his hand from going to his belt where he carried his sword wrapped in leather. ‘No. It is quite all right. I will repair it.’

The big man shrugged. ‘Suit yourself. Storval will see you bunked. We’ll push out with tomorrow’s evening tide, yes?’

Kyle rose. ‘Very good. Thank you.’ He bowed to the captain and noted how Reuth now could not keep his gaze from the wrapped blade at his side. He descended to the rowing deck. Tulan bellowed: ‘Storval! Rouse your worthless hide! See to this man’s berth!’