Finishing her drink, she smiled at him. ‘Thank you, Lann. For everything.’ Her voice still sounded strained, and he guessed it must hurt her to speak. As if reading his thoughts, she shook her head. ‘I’m fine. You are a good healer, Lannigon Gudbrandr.’

‘You taught me well.’ He leaned forward. ‘Those creatures in the forest … What were they?’ he asked.

‘Kurgyres. They seek to take the thing most precious to each and every one of us living in this realm: our essence … souls, if you prefer. And if they had taken much more of mine, I would have surely died. It was fortunate you came when you did.’

‘Thanks to Halbe,’ he said, looking about him to see if the house wight was lurking in the shadows somewhere.

‘Kurgyres are not usually so bold,’ she said. ‘And I have never heard of them working together as they did against me. They are usually sneak-thieves, creeping up unexpectedly on their victim while they sleep.’ She shook her head.

The fire spat a small ember on to the hearth. ‘Before I was attacked I saw your god,’ she told him.

‘Rakur?’

The witch nodded, but seemed reluctant to continue.

‘What happened?’ he prompted.

‘He told me I would have need of the black blade in the near future. He was right. No ordinary weapon could have saved me from those monsters.’

She stared into the fire.

‘How did they come to be in the woods? I thought this place was protected by powerful majik.’

‘That is a good question.’ She leaned forward and placed her cup on the hearth. ‘The young necromancer you saw in your dream? His name is Kelewulf, and he is the son of our former king, Horst Rivengeld. The boy is possessed by a lich.’ She paused when it was clear her nephew had never heard the term before. ‘The undead soul of a powerful sorcerer,’ she explained.

‘Together they are trying to form a link between this world and the Void. In doing so, they are eroding the barriers that separate the two realms. These rifts between the worlds will become more common as the two continue to look at creating a more permanent opening, more so in places of majik, like this forest.’ She gave a small shrug. ‘Kurgyres are opportunistic creatures, and I was not paying enough attention.’

‘Neither were they,’ Lann said, glancing at the sword by his side.