By the time we get to the big house and go indoors I’m wound up tight and in no mood to talk to Tóla, not calmly anyway. The fellow takes me to the council chamber, knocks on the door, then goes off and leaves me. Tóla calls out something which I hope is Come in, and I do.

The master’s got a couple of men in the chamber with him, fellows I’ve seen working around the farm. No idea why they’re here. The two of them are standing near Tóla, sort of an embarrassed look about them. They’re big men, one nearly as tall as me, the other one a bit smaller.

‘You asked to see me.’ I come in. Door shuts behind me.

‘Grim.’ Tóla’s got cold eyes at the best of times. Wintry now. Only time I’ve seen a soft look on his face was that night we brought Cara home, and it wasn’t there for long. Bit sad when you think about it.

I wait. Remind myself that I did help save his daughter’s life. And I’m building his wretched heartwood house. Can’t wait till the day I put the last touches on that nine-course thatched roof. Happy day, that’ll be. Wish I’d never agreed to this.

Tóla moves his hand in a sort of shooing gesture and the two men move away. One stands by each door. Looks like he’s using them as guards. Can’t see a weapon on either of them. Doesn’t mean they don’t have any.

‘Your friend went down to Longwater after her visit here,’ Tóla says.

I want to say, Speak ill of her and I’ll get angry quick as quick. And if I get angry it takes more than a jumped-up landholder and a couple of farm hands to hold me back. I try to breathe slow. Don’t let the red rise up in me. ‘Mistress Blackthorn, you mean. Her work takes her all over. She went to visit a woman called Fann. The one that gave birth not so long ago.’

‘Mistress Blackthorn’s activities are of some concern to me. It’s come to my notice that she visited two households today. The woman you mention lives in one of them. The other, I’m given to understand, does not currently house any person in need of a healer’s services.’

‘You got someone following her around, then?’ Should shut my big mouth, maybe. But the man’s annoying me. What business is it of his where Blackthorn goes or what she does? And how am I supposed to know anyway, seeing as he hardly gave us time to say a word to each other?

‘Why would I do such a thing, Grim?’