I didn’t really want to owe him still more of a debt, but it seemed I did. He had not only carried me to safety, he had undressed me, cleaned me up, then left me to sleep while he made a fire, dried out my clothing and tried to look after Becan as well. In view of our situation, the fact that Cathal had seen me at close quarters in my small-clothes seemed far less shocking than it would have done a day ago.

“How’s your face?” he asked. “Does it hurt?”

“Not much. I feel sick, but it will pass. How bad are the cuts?”

“Not so bad. I’ll tend to them again tomorrow.” He was matter-of-fact about this.

“Cathal, how long was I unconscious? Is it really dusk already?”

“Believe me, if that were so I would have been trying to rouse you long before this. As it was, Becan took a great deal of my attention. He has a powerful voice. How very fortunate that he doesn’t need milk. Imagine bringing a goat across on that raft. So, what now?”

“We go on, I suppose. But maybe not right away. How soon will our things be dry enough to wear?”

“Your clothing won’t be ready before morning. I’m sure you don’t want to walk on dressed like that, so we’d best stay here overnight and keep the fire going. I did hesitate over lighting it. The smoke will draw attention if there’s anyone about. Which way are we headed next?”

I looked at him. He appeared remarkably sanguine, considering everything. Another part of the training, I supposed. And he hadn’t uttered a single word of reproach. It was almost annoying. It made me feel deeply inadequate, and I didn’t like that. “I thought you were the one who knew the way,” I said.

“I promised to find a portal. I’ve done that.”

True enough. Wherever we were, we were no longer in the forest of Sevenwaters. “I hate to say this,” I said, “but I think we just keep on walking, and sooner or later we’ll find what we’re looking for. That is, someone who can tell us where my baby brother is. Then we go there and I ask these people to give him back.”

“And you hand over Becan in exchange.” There was something slightly odd in his tone, as if there were an unspoken question beneath this statement.

“What’s wrong with that?” I asked.

“Nothing at all, Clodagh. It makes perfect sense, if the rules of our world are applied to the problem.”

“I don’t have any other rules to apply,” I said quietly. “Cathal, how did you know we had to cross the river? How did you know there was a river? There’s no such place on any map of Sevenwaters, and I know we didn’t go beyond Father’s borders.”