The three of them ran through the trees. Blackmane looked around for the rest of the Emlyn group but found no sign of them. Then a woman appeared in front of them, gesturing to Tolly with her hands. He seemed to understand what she was saying and gestured something back. It made sense that they had found ways to communicate without words over the years. She then stepped forwards and took Blackmane’s horse. Again, he was forced to trust that at some point he would get it back.

Tolly checked his surroundings, then whipped out a knife before crouching and tapping it on a nearby log. A moment later, it began to roll, and the section of earth beneath it lifted at the same time.

The pair leaned forwards, peering into the dark hole. Isabel then took a giant step back. Tolly jumped down first, then looked up, his expression making it clear that they only had one chance to follow him. Blackmane guided Isabel back to the edge of the hole and gestured for her to jump. She hesitated for only a moment, then dropped down. Tolly caught her, and then Blackmane followed.

Everything went dark.

No one spoke as a rumble of hooves passed overhead. Isabel’s hand found Blackmane’s in the dark, and his fingers closed around hers. Of course she was afraid. She had just been thrown into a black hole, and the man she was fleeing from was right above them.

When the thunderous noise overhead faded, Tolly said, ‘Give me a moment.’

They heard him shuffling around, and then there were sparks from a flint, sending Isabel scrambling closer to Blackmane. Pale light filled the room, cast from a candle Tolly was holding. It gave Blackmane a chance to gauge their surroundings. It was amazing that they could stand up while underground, a vast contrast to the maze of tunnels that had once connected the boroughs inside Chadora’s walls. This one opened out to spacious rocky pathways that could be navigated without the need to duck one’s head. There was no way it was man-made.

‘Are we in a cave?’ Isabel asked, peeling herself from Blackmane.

‘Yes.’ Tolly lifted the candle high so they could see. ‘This way.’

Blackmane kept hold of Isabel’s hand, his other resting on the hilt of his sword. They followed him down a wet path to a large space with water trickling down one wall. It took Blackmane a moment for his eyes to adjust properly, to realise there were people on the other side of the cave—lots of them. Men, women, children of all ages. Some were seated on woven mats preparing food. Others were sewing. Children were playing a game with rocks in an area marked out by charcoal.

‘Do you live down here?’ Isabel asked when she noticed younger children asleep on blankets along one wall.

‘For now. We try not to stay in the same place for too long.’