If Ren found the new environment strange, she didn’t show it. She kept up with Joe and didn’t make a sound.

He stole a quick glance left. Conor ran lightly, with Ariel gliding silently next to him. Conor, who’d never won a fight in his life, daring to join this attack. And Amina, to his right. She was an artist, not a warrior. They were his best friends and they believed in him, even if it meant risking their lives.

‘Stop! Down.’ Yannic gestured as they circled and came to the edge of the barracks where the rows of huts were tightly packed in the flat circle of land.

They all crept low, with their dragons following, crawl­ing right into some bushes to the rear of the buildings.

Winter and Fidell were there already. ‘No patrols,’ she said softly. ‘Just a few guards.’

They peered out through the upper leaves. Joe kept one hand on Ren’s back. The moon was hidden behind a bank of cloud, but its milky light spilled out and bleached the night 253blue and grey. Joe strained his eyes. It looked as if there was a guard pacing at each doorway, but he couldn’t tell if there were more hiding behind the long low buildings.

‘See, as I said,’ Yannic whispered. ‘A guard for each building.’

They’d agreed that Yannic would stroll out and cause a diversion. ‘Stay low, you lot,’ he told them, getting ready to move. ‘If we mess it up, hide till you can flee to your tunnels and don’t look back. Got it?’

They would work in pairs: Joe and Winter; Amina and Conor; Flavia and Tiago.

Yannic crawled on his belly in the opposite direction, till he reached the cover of some trees. Then he stood up and strolled out into the moonlight, as if he’d come from the palace. He called out in Norlandish, ‘Evening, Brothers, in the name of the lost duke.’

The greeting was returned by the nearest of the guards. ‘What you doing here?’ he added. ‘Did Asa send you?’

In reply, Yannic belched, undid his trousers and relieved himself in a long stream, with a loud sigh.

It worked. The guards relaxed. One jeered, others swore at him, a few laughed.

The children circled the bunkhouses, Joe taking the east side of one, Winter the west. They paused for a moment, hiding in the shadows.

‘There’s some of that fine rum left from last night,’ Yannic was calling out. He buttoned himself up and started singing a bawdy drinking song, swaying as he moved slowly towards the first pair of guards. 254

The Brotherhood joined in, their voices filling the night air.

This was the signal.

The children attacked.

Joe flung himself forwards with his knife lifted, not sure he’d be able to use it.

The guard faced him. As he saw Joe coming, he swore and tried to draw his sword, but Winter jumped on him from behind, her strong fingers clutching at his throat. The man made a horrible choking noise.