She ignored him and hauled it aside. Danjin winced as he saw the bloodied bodies underneath. A black shape reared up and launched itself at Raeli. She made a quick gesture and the vorn jerked aside. It regarded her with chilling intelligence, then slunk away.

A familiar voice cursed vehemently. Looking down, Danjin was amazed to see Songmaker struggling to his feet. His left arm was bleeding badly from deep gouges.

“I can heal you,” Raeli offered, stepping closer to examine the wound.

Songmaker hesitated, his gaze becoming distant for a moment, then frowned.

“Thank you, Dreamweaver Adviser,” he said, his tone formal, “but I must decline. A bandage will do for now.”

Her lips thinned. “I will see what I can find.”

Danjin felt a stab of sympathy for her and, surprisingly, anger. It seems I agree with Auraya that the ban on using Dreamweaver services is ridiculous. The vorn still lurked nearby. Raeli did not turn her back on it as she tore a strip of cloth from one of the dead servant’s tunics and used it to bind Songmaker’s wound.

“If the White want you to remain here, they had best send you a priest—and soon,” she said. “I can ward off one or two of those creatures, but I doubt I could manage more.” Her gaze hardened. “Tell your leader my people will be here in a few hours. Remind him that we do not take sides; that we will offer our help to all. Should the Pentadrians accept us, but not the Circlians, that is none of our doing.”

Lanren stared back at her, then nodded. “Several priests are already on their way.”

The sun hung low in the sky by the time the Dreamweaver caravan stopped. Their numbers had grown to a hundred or so. Leiard knew there were more Dreamweavers coming to the battle than those he travelled among. Other caravans had stopped in nearby valleys. Scattered, they lessened the risk that the Circlians—if seized by some crazed fanatical urge after the battle—could rid the world of hundreds of Dreamweavers in one strike.

They had halted an hour’s walk from the battle and Arleej had gathered a group of twenty to accompany her to the scene. Most of the others would come when the battle was over. A few would stay to defend the tarns should opportunists decide to loot them.

Leiard had joined Arleej’s group. He had brought Jayim with him, knowing that the boy would sneak after them if he was left behind. Now, as they reached the scene of devastation, he sensed Jayim’s curiosity and anticipation change to horror.