Twelve nodded. The effort felt enormous. Six looked up from where he was slumped nearby and the relief on his face was even greater. Through the numbness, a thought flitted into her mind as light and beautiful as a butterfly: they had come for her. She didn’t know what to say, just stared at them. Her every muscle felt like it was in the process of dissolving and she doubted she could have spoken even if she’d wanted to.

She closed her eyes, just for a moment—and blackness swallowed her.

“. . . find the trail again.”

Twelve blinked, swimming slowly back to consciousness.

“She needs rest.”

“I know that, but we have to think of Seven too. We can’t let her spend another night with those things: we have to catch them.”

“You know that is unlikely. We have lost too much time today. Let her rest. Five needs it too.”

Groggily, Twelve opened her eyes and the horror of the Ygrex flooded back. She pushed it away, forced herself to see only what was in front of her.

“I’m awake,” she said, her voice barely a croak. “And Six is right: we must keep going. For Seven.”

Six looked guilty.

At the sound of her voice, Widge stirred, placing two paws on her cheek to examine her more closely.

“I’m all right, thanks to you,” she whispered to him. “You were so brave.” Satisfied, he gave her cheek a quick lick, then set about grooming himself.

The furs over her had done their job and Twelve felt warmed through. On the other side of the impromptu camp, Five was asleep with his back to her, his head resting on Six’s pack. Surefoot was pawing through the snow to the ground beneath, looking much calmer than the last time Twelve had seen her.

Six crouched in front of her. “Are you all right?” he asked gently, his green eyes worried. “I only saw the Ygrex for a moment, but that was bad enough. You though . . . how did you . . . why did . . . ?” He broke off, looking awkward.

“It pretended to be my sister,” Twelve heard herself say, though she hadn’t consciously decided to speak. “Her name was Poppy and it’s my fault she’s dead. The Ygrex reminded me of that. As if I could forget.”

All the color drained out of Six’s face as he knelt in front of her. Suddenly she found her face pressed into his shoulder as he lunged to hug her. Dog moved forward, his step hesitant, then nudged Twelve gently with his nose.

Neither of them spoke and for that Twelve was grateful. There was nothing to say.

They rode back in heavy silence, following the bounding trail that Twelve had made as she rushed after the Ygrex.

But another nasty shock awaited them where they had separated. The goblin tracks had vanished, and with them any way of finding Seven.

Chapter

Twenty-Seven