When he had finished he put his arm under the stallion’s neck and laid his head against Shield’s shoulder. He stayed like that a while, listening to the rhythm of Shield’s heart, the steady flow of air expelled from nostrils. Eventually he stepped back, began picking a knot from Shield’s mane.

‘Big day today,’ he said, ‘and I’d rather be here seeing to you than over there.’

He glanced towards a group that had gathered at the head of the warband, waiting for him. Meical was at their head.

Shield regarded him with his dark liquid eyes and whickered. He stamped a hoof.

‘I know – truth and courage,’ Corban whispered as he swung into his saddle and trotted towards Meical.

The sun was rising, a finger’s width over the rim of the world, the sky clear of cloud. There had been no sword dance or sparring this morning. Meical had suggested that at this point speed was more valuable than training, and Corban was inclined to agree.

I want to be out of Narvon.

He saw a dark speck circling high above them and frowned. Kartala – we need to do something about that bird. He glanced at his fingers, the tips sore and throbbing from all the stitching he had done last night.

He pulled up before Meical, Tukul and Balur One-Eye, the rest of the warband gathered behind them. All were ready to travel, watching him.

‘Balur, will you lead us to Ardan?’ Corban said. He waited as the meaning of his words settled upon them. Meical sat tall and straight in his saddle. He gave nothing away except for a tightening around his lips, perhaps a rigidity in his shoulders. They locked gazes for what felt like a hundred heartbeats.

Meical nodded, a sharp, controlled movement, and Corban let out a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding.

‘To Ardan,’ Balur said, striding off on his trunk-like legs. Like a creature rousing from sleep the warband followed him.

‘Dun Cadlas lies to the east,’ Balur said to Corban as they travelled through a green-sloped valley. ‘It was Owain’s fortress, his seat of power. Rhin will likely have a strong garrison there.’

‘I thought the same,’ Corban said. So we need to avoid them. Coralen had already gone ahead with a score of scouts, Dath amongst them. Corban had asked her to search for a specific location for their evening campsite. She had scowled at him as she’d ridden away.

Did she want to go to Drassil?

‘We will loop wide around the fortress, then rejoin the old road – it is the fastest route to the border,’ Balur continued. He didn’t usually offer information, speaking only when Corban asked questions of him.

Hooves drummed and Meical rode up beside them. He nodded at Corban but didn’t say a word.

Thank Elyon for that.