He was about to proceed east when Margery reappeared, landing on a branch up high and glaring down at him.

‘Am I supposed to trust you? Just follow you into the forest and hope you know what you’re doing?’

Margery responded by flying off again. Cursing under his breath, Blackmane left the road and headed into the trees after her.

He followed the eagle north for a while, watching the sun continue to sink. Just when he was beginning to think he had made a big mistake, he emerged onto a road. Margery landed on a low branch nearby with what looked an awful lot like an ‘I told you so’ expression. She was waiting to see what he would do next.

Blackmane glanced both ways down the road, then looked down at the ground. He counted six sets of fresh hoofprints headed east. The corners of his mouth lifted. ‘I guess you’re not just a pretty face after all.’ He looked up at the eagle. ‘After you.’

Off she flew, this time rising high into the sky before hovering.

Blackmane’s horse was tiring, so he continued at a trot now. That was fine, because he could tell by the spacing of the prints that the party ahead of him was moving at a walk. He suspected he was close when Margery disappeared from sight. That was as near as she would get to Hodge. Blackmane could not blame her after their encounter.

He decided to get in front of the group, because Hodge was more likely to stop if Blackmane was physically in his way. He veered his horse right into the trees and continued at a fast walk, listening for any noise up ahead. Nothing. He decided to return to the road and saw the tracks were gone. At some point, the group had left the road also.

‘What are you up to, Hodge?’ he muttered as he looked around.

He crossed the road and trotted into the trees, but a few minutes later, he stopped again. A familiar feeling came over him. He realised he was no longer the one doing the hunting.

Letting go of the reins, he raised both hands. ‘My bow’s on my back. My sword’s sheathed. Let’s talk.’

At first, silence. Then finally a horse walked into view.

Hodge.

‘I thought I made it clear that you were no longer a welcomed guest in Carmarthenshire.’

Blackmane slowly lowered his hands, resting them on the pommel of his saddle. ‘Word in the woods is that you’re no longer a welcomed guest in these parts either.’

Hodge watched him carefully from twenty feet away. ‘All right. I will take the bait. Clearly there is something you wish to tell me, defender, so go ahead.’

‘The wastelanders started a war today. Judging by your composure and the steady speed at which you’re travelling, I’m guessing you haven’t heard.’