Coralen’s band of scouts had grown to thirty or forty the deeper they had moved into Narvon; even some of the villagers that had joined them in the north had become part of Coralen’s wolven pack, as they had taken to being called.

‘Cywen’s giving a lesson in knife-throwing,’ Farrell said. ‘You’re looking fine this evening, by the way,’ he added.

‘I look like an unwashed wolven,’ Coralen snorted, then ignored Farrell, looking between Cywen and the tree trunk as Cywen pulled her knives free.

‘That’s something I’d like to learn,’ Coralen said.

‘I’d be happy to show you,’ Cywen told her. The two girls had not spoken much since travelling together. Cywen had thought Coralen aloof and disdainful. And in truth she was also a little jealous of her – she was so capable with a blade, could best many in sparring and hold her own with most of the others.

‘What would you like in return?’ Coralen asked her. ‘A trade.’

‘Teach me how to use that,’ Cywen said, pointing to Coralen’s sword.

‘All right then,’ Coralen said and held her arm out. They gripped and shook forearms.

I like her a bit more, already.

‘Brina, I’ve a message for you from Corban. He says he would like to speak with you.’ Coralen paused.

‘Oh did he now,’ Brina snapped. ‘Wasn’t so long ago I was teaching him what end of a broom to use, and now he’s sending for me.’

‘He asked me to say please,’ Coralen said, smiling. ‘He was very insistent that I didn’t forget that bit.’

‘Ahh, well then. Maybe I will go and see him. Cywen, come on.’

‘Me?’

‘Of course. You are my assistant, so come and assist.’

Corban was sitting beside one of the streams with his boots off and his feet in the water. Coralen turned to go but Corban called out to her.

‘Stay a while, Coralen, if you would.’

She hesitated a moment, then muttered, ‘I can spare a few moments, I suppose.’

‘You’ll kill the poor fish doing that,’ Brina said to Corban as she sat beside him, pointing at his bare feet in the stream. Craf appeared beside Brina and hopped up onto her leg.

‘Ahh, Brina, I’ve missed you.’

‘Missed me? I’ve been no more than a hundred paces away from you for the last two years.’

‘You know what I mean,’ he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and squeezing her tightly. He kissed her on the cheek. Cywen thought she saw the edges of Brina’s mouth twitch.