I was too tired to protest, and Grim had nothing to say. Our spare clothing lay neatly folded atop a storage chest; someone had unpacked our bags for us. My head was swimming with weariness. This wasn’t the first time someone had assumed we were the kind of couple that shared a bed. And, the fact was, we’d been undressing and washing and sleeping at close quarters for the last year or two. Though, through the haze of exhaustion, I did sense this was a little different.

‘If you want, I’ll sleep on the floor,’ Grim said, bending to take off his boots. Ripple had settled herself on a mat of woven rushes.

‘Don’t be silly. That bed’s big enough for five or six people. Even people your size. Just turn your back while I take off my gown, will you? Gods, I feel as if I haven’t slept for days.’

The bed was soft, the blankets warm. There were pillows stuffed with what felt like goose feathers. ‘Imagine sleeping in something like this every night,’ I said as I climbed in. ‘Feels wrong, somehow.’ Though it felt good, too. Especially when his weight settled on the other side of the mattress. It felt oddly right. ‘Good night, Grim,’ I said. ‘Thank you for standing by me today.’

‘Sweet dreams.’

I was walking through that tree tunnel again, alone this time, with the strange leaves whispering around me. The tunnel branched to left and right. ‘Choose,’ said a voice, though I could not see who spoke. ‘Will it be the hermit’s way or the warrior’s way?’ Before I could take another step, I was awake in the night, with three candles burned down to guttering stubs and the other gone dark. And I was acutely aware that even though the bed was big enough for five or six, Grim and I had both ended up in the middle. My head was resting on his shoulder. His arm was around me. The rest of me was pressed up against his side and, somewhat to my astonishment, I found myself reaching out a hand to lay it over his heart. The warrior’s way meant being prepared to take risks.

‘Grim? Are you awake?’

‘Mm-hm.’ His hand came over mine. ‘Had a good sleep, though. Best in a while. Should do this more often.’

‘Shh,’ I said, moving my leg to hook it over his. ‘Don’t say anything, mm?’