Mockra was the Warren of manipulating thoughts and the mind. ‘I understand.’

‘So – you may sleep. I will keep watch. And if … anything should happen I will send for you, of course.’

She tipped her head in acceptance. ‘How can I refuse such a kind offer? My thanks, Petal.’

He leaned back against a post then jumped when the horseshoes and chains hung there jangled and rang. ‘Certainly,’ he managed, and smoothed the front of his dark robes.

Shimmer felt the urge to give the sweet fellow a peck on the cheek. ‘Good night.’

‘Ah, yes. Good night.’

The next morning she found her best shirts, gambeson, and long tabard laid out by her servants. This would be the last day of such pampering, as they would be leaving all the servants, grooms, and maids behind in the fortress. She splashed her face, saw to her toilet, then dressed. Gwynn, who had somehow fallen into the role of her unofficial second-in-command, awaited her in the Great Hall.

The dour white-haired mage had returned to his typical dress of hues of charcoal: a long coal-black shirt over midnight trousers. And his expression was in keeping with a priest of Hood, though he was not.

‘How are we doing?’ she asked, and took a bite from a scrap of yesterday’s bread.

‘We are behind, of course.’

Taking up a glass of watered wine, she invited him to follow her out. ‘Oh? What is it now?’

‘The water casks. We are still short. More were promised by the cooper but they haven’t arrived.’

‘We’ll just have to make do.’

‘We are too low on salted meat as well.’

‘Why am I not surprised?’

‘And dyed red cloth.’

‘Red cloth?’

‘For the tabards,’ he explained.

‘Well, some will have to go without.’

They descended the stone and dirt way that led from the fortress to Haven Town. Shimmer nodded to tradesmen, labourers and farmers as they passed. Guardsmen and women saluted her. She cast a glance sidelong to the elder mage. Did the man enjoy being the bearer of ill tidings? Did he relish failure and gloom? Or was he perhaps merely excruciatingly careful? In all the time spent with him in Jacuruku and since, she had yet to decide.

‘We’ll take whatever we can get,’ she told him.

‘Which, I must point out again, is not enough.’

‘Are there enough casks and nails in all of Haven Town?’

The mage contented himself with rubbing his jowls and grumbling into his hand. Shimmer smiled tightly; that should hold him for a time.