‘I would think morning will do. Perhaps even later. It will do us well to hear Calat Hustain’s thoughts on the matter of this threat, and his course of action beyond sending a troop out to investigate. We are now here as representatives of the Legion, and we must be direct in our offers to assist.’

But Osserc scowled. ‘Well enough for you, Hunn, but I am representative of nothing—’

‘Untrue. Here, and in the morning, you will stand in your father’s stead, and I will be certain to make the others aware of that.’

‘But what will I say to them?’

‘Nothing. Just listen and, if a sharp question pricks you awake, voice it. But be spare in your queries – let others ask the bulk of them, and heed well the conversations to follow.’

Osserc nodded, although he remained nervous.

‘See Sharenas over there?’ Hunn Raal asked. ‘She watches and listens – not to my cousins so eager to adopt her, but to Ilgast and Calat. Heed her methods, Osserc. She plays well these political scenes.’

‘We must learn more of this Vitr.’

‘We shall,’ Hunn Raal assured him. And probably have little say in the matter, for I feel events quickening.

* * *

Sharenas had watched Tulas leave the room, had observed with interest the man’s sudden acuity. Dead in spirit he might be, but in the matter of salvation of others – in this case his betrothed – he was first to the fore. In fact, she could almost see the lurid flames ignited in him, this potential opportunity to die in defence of the woman he was to take as wife, and so live pure in noble grief for ever, rather than descend into the squalid truths of an unhappy marriage, where old ashes would begin settling on glory before the last stone was set on the threshold of their new home.

There was something almost pathetic in Kagamandra’s energy as he prepared to set out into the night in search of Faror Hend. This was a man who would wither without hands and feet, without the promise of sure motion and actions to undertake with verve and will. But those brave expostulations were all short-lived, the echoes of deeds quickly falling away, and what was the poor man left with, but a renewed silence or, worse, the unheard howl inside his own skull? No, far better these hands in motion, these feet to carry him; better all these things that need doing, and indeed could be done with.