‘Go on, please.’ Donagan poured mead into the cups and pushed one in my general direction. ‘You seem to be managing well despite the setback, Mistress Blackthorn. In fact, that is why I’ve come to talk to you. There must have been a great deal of equipment lost in the fire, as well as all your personal things. If you can give me a list, Prince Oran will arrange to have the tools of your trade replaced at his expense. He considers your presence at Winterfalls an asset to the community. He believes the fire occurred because of a failing by that community. Therefore he will take responsibility for making good your losses.’

I stared at him, fighting the urge to tell him no thanks, I didn’t want help from princes and their like, and as for my losses, there would be no making those good, ever. I held back the words. ‘Sharp knives in different sizes. A bone saw. Some strong fine cord. A set of surgical instruments.’ I wondered where on earth they’d get those, then remembered there would be court physicians at Cahercorcan. ‘Everything else can be improvised without too much difficulty, though if there’s a stillroom at court with a good store of dried herbs and spices, a few bags of the most essential items wouldn’t go amiss. The healers there will know what they are. Some things, I won’t be able to gather until spring or summer.’

‘I’ll see to it,’ Donagan said. He drank his mead and watched me. ‘What about your personal belongings? Clothing, household goods and the like?’

‘We didn’t have much. Later on, when the cottage is fixed, we might need some bits and pieces.’ It was hard to think which would be more uncomfortable, being obliged to Prince Oran or to Conmael. Fey folk being what they were, quite likely a snap of the fingers would bring Conmael here; a second snap might furnish our little house with every comfort. A third might restore the garden Grim had made with such painstaking care. ‘We’ll work to earn those things,’ I said.

A few days later a box came containing every item on my list. Nothing left out. And a few extra things put in: bags of herbs and powders, bottled oils and neatly labelled spice vials. I was forced to concede that Prince Oran might be a better man than others of his kind. Of course, this might be largely Donagan’s doing.