‘Wait!’ snarls Tóla, and the knocking stops. ‘I have to go,’ he says. ‘I don’t want my daughter here a moment longer than is strictly necessary. I’ll be back later today. And whether or not we have an agreement, Grim, I want Bardán kept out of sight until Cara and I are well away. When he came back, you understand, his mind was in even more disorder than it had once been. He’d forgotten the circumstances of his departure from Wolf Glen. Forgotten all about his child, his wife, his life before. He couldn’t tell us where he’d been all those years. We had believed him dead. There had been no word of him, no trace. No message. But there he was, back among us and expecting to rebuild the heartwood house. I’d never found anyone else who knew how to do it. So I said yes. I want it done, and that means I must have him at Wolf Glen. And keeping him, keeping him safely, depends on everyone here working together. Every man doing his part.’

This story should make me want to walk away. Turn my back on the lot of them. ‘I’ll stay, Master Tóla,’ I tell him.

‘I’m pleased to hear that, Grim. We have a bargain, then. And now I must be off.’ He heads for the door. ‘You may remain here and finish your breakfast. Make sure you close the door on the way out, and call a servant to take the dishes back to the kitchen.’

‘Just one thing.’ Something’s bothering me. ‘I need to get word to Blackthorn. About where I am and why I won’t be home. She’ll worry.’ Feels a bit awkward. Can’t ask Tóla to be my messenger boy. ‘Your daughter. Cara.’ I try not to catch Gormán’s eye. He did tell me not to talk about the girl. ‘She sees a lot of Blackthorn, from what I’ve heard. Could she maybe pass the word on? Let Blackthorn know I’ve promised to stay up here till the job’s done?’

‘The arrangements for my daughter will be changing.’ Tóla speaks with his hand on the door and his back to me. ‘But as I will be at the prince’s residence, I can request that a message be passed on. Didn’t you say the wise woman is at Longwater today?’ Showing he has been listening.

‘She’d be going home this morning,’ I say, ‘if all’s well with the mother and child.’

‘Mm-hm. I’ll speak to you when I return, Gormán.’ And he’s gone.