“You faced Victory, released the Hunters, an’ gave us a fighting chance. Not one of us perished last night an’ I have you to thank for that. Furthermore, you did what was right. You went after Seven when she was taken, did everything you could to recover her.” Hoarfrost paused and shook his head. “Crackling crawlers! It shoulda been Hunters out there. I don’t know why I listened to Victory when she said it should be Dog.”

“She is persuasive,” Dog growled.

Hoarfrost nodded as he turned to include Seven, Five, and Six. “Ye all showed great fortitude, huge bravery.” He paused and a scowl appeared. “So now I find myself in a tricky position. It’s clear that some of the lodge’s most important rules have been broken by ye four. Six and Seven, ye’re siblings?”

They nodded, their faces wax pale.

“And ye’re all aware of one another’s clan origins?” he asked.

They nodded in silence. Twelve thought about pointing out she didn’t know Five’s, but decided against it. Hoarfrost looked particularly fierce at that moment.

His breath exploded out of him in a long sigh. “Ye should all be banished for that! Yet over the last few days ye’ve proven yourselves to have the qualities of true Hunters. Without yer actions, last night woulda been a very different affair.”

“Y-yes, it would have,” Seven said confidently. She was rewarded with a thundering glare from Hoarfrost.

“Then there’s the fact that three of ye passed through the Frozen Forest. Did so despite meeting an Ygrex, a deathspinner, and whatever manner of creature this Oakhammer was.”

“We were lucky,” Six said quickly.

Hoarfrost snorted. “Lucky? ‘Lucky’ he says! To meet those critters and survive? No. Five, Six, and Twelve, ye’ve performed a feat reserved for much older students and proven yerselves equal to the task. Ye managed to pass yer ruddy Blooding without even being sent on it.”

The little group absorbed this in shocked silence.

“So . . . we’re actually Hunters now?” Five asked cautiously.

“The youngest in five generations,” Hoarfrost said. He glared at each of them in turn as though they had planned it. “But none of ye will ever, I repeat, ever reveal that Six and Seven are related.”

Four heads bobbed in agreement. Six was so relieved he swayed where he stood. Seven beamed at him.

“Ye will continue yer studies until ye’re ready to hunt for the clans. If this episode is anything to go by, then ye’ll enjoy great successes together.” Grudging respect fleetingly appeared on his face. “I’ll be announcing it to the others tonight. There’ll be the usual feast to celebrate.”

“There will?” Five asked, looking around the ragged campsite doubtfully.