Rafe reined in his horse, so surprised he nearly lost his balance.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Halion is heading south-east, looping around the outskirts of the Baglun. My guess is that he’s avoiding Dun Carreg and the giantsway so that he can approach the marsh from the east – a much safer route for him.’

‘Aye, that makes sense.’

‘Whatever his reason, when he finds Edana, you, me and two hounds aren’t going to be enough to finish this. Chances are she’ll have more than a few swords around her. Ride to Dun Carreg, tell Evnis to come, personally, with enough warriors to end this. Take Sniffer with you, he’ll find us quickly enough.’

Rafe nodded.

‘Ride hard,’ Braith said, ‘otherwise they’ll go to ground and we’ll have a much harder job, worming them out of the marshes.’

‘I won’t let you down,’ Rafe said to him, leaning in his saddle to grip Braith’s forearm.

‘I have no doubts in you, lad; no, it’s Evnis that I’m worried about.’ He reached inside his cloak and pulled out two things. A silver chain with a stone pendant and a vellum scroll, sealed with red wax. ‘The pendant will get you through the gates and in front of Evnis quickly enough, and the scroll – give that to the old snake – it’s a letter from Rhin. If your words don’t move him this should put a fire up his arse and get him in a saddle.’

Rafe grinned at Braith, put the scroll into a pack strapped to his saddle and then he was off, Sniffer bounding along beside him.

It took over half a day of hard riding to reach the giantsway, memories flooding back to Rafe – hunting countless times with his da in and around the Baglun, his warrior trial and Long Night, the night Dun Carreg fell, marching to battle against Rhin.

And now I’m back. Almost a year to the day that I left on a ship for Cambren.