Straight to Edana. Can’t believe she’s survived this long. She never seemed strong enough for times like this. Mind you, she’d changed a bit when I met her back at the battle for Domhain. Lording it over me in her tent, along with Corban and the rest of them. Bet she’s not so high and mighty now.

‘So what do we do then? Kill them all?’ Rafe asked. He didn’t actually like that thought, but he’d come to admire Braith and wanted to show him he wasn’t scared of anything.

‘That’d be a tall order for even you and me.’ Braith grinned. ‘No, we’ll pick up some help along the way. Evnis is sitting on his arse in Dun Carreg – he’ll be glad of something to do.’ He stared straight at Rafe, his smile gone now. ‘Got to do this right – can’t have Edana escaping again. Or Lorcan, Eremon’s whelp. We take their heads to Rhin. If we can’t do that then we’d better build our own cairns. Rhin’s big on rewarding success and punishing failure.’

I bet she is.

‘You’ve known Rhin a long time?’

‘Aye. All my life, it feels like. When I was a bairn my kin were killed in one of Owain’s raids,’ he waved his hand. ‘Rhin found me when she rode out in response. I was curled up on my mam’s dead body, all cried out. Just about ready to die. Anyway, Rhin took me in, gave me a home. All I’ve ever wanted was to repay something of her kindness.’

Kindness? Can’t say that’s the first word that comes to mind when I look at Rhin.

‘And have some revenge against Owain, of course.’

‘Well you’ve had that,’ Rafe said. He had been there, at the battle where Owain was defeated. He’d fought in it, part of Evnis’ retinue.

‘Aye, that I have,’ Braith said. ‘Just one more score left for me to settle.’

‘Who’s that?’

‘Camlin. Bastard nearly killed me on that beach in Domhain.’ He reached up and rubbed his neck. ‘But I can forgive him that, I suppose. This is war, after all, and we’ve chosen our sides. We all know our end may be a sharp blade, don’t we, lad?’

‘Not really thought about it like that.’

‘Well, it’s the truth, no point hiding from it. Camlin, though . . . he betrayed me. We had Queen Alona and Edana all trussed up and were leading them off to Rhin. He stood against me. Next thing I know, those brothers – Halion and Conall – are hurtling out of the shadows with iron in their fists and men of Ardan behind them. And that lad with his wolven.’

‘Corban,’ Rafe said. His lips twisted over the name.

‘Not your favourite person, then?’ Braith asked him.