‘A form of entertainment for the Vin Thalun. Slaves they capture – they break them in on the oars; if they survive that then they throw them in the pit, a dozen, more. Last one alive gets to come out. Gets to fight another day. Some fight all the way to their freedom. He was one of them – almost.’ He looked at Coralen. ‘Heard you held your own with him. You’d have won a fortune in silver if you’d have done that back in Tenebral.’

‘He’s fast,’ Coralen said wryly, touching her lip.

‘He’s an animal,’ Pax said. ‘And touched.’ He tapped a finger against his temple. ‘They all are.’

‘Are there more like him on the oars – pit-fighters?’

‘Pit-fighters, aye,’ Atilius grunted. ‘Many. Like him, though? None. Not here, anyway.’

Coralen noticed a change around them, the murmur of conversation dying down. She looked up to see Corban vault onto a wide, low branch of an old elm. Storm lay at his feet, Meical, Gar, Tukul and Brina arrayed about him.

‘Looks like your brother has something to say,’ Dath said, slapping Cywen’s arm.

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

CORBAN

Corban stood on the branch of an old elm, looking out at the sea of faces staring back at him.

For a moment his mind went absolutely blank. He took a breath. ‘I’m not much for speech-making,’ he said, his voice falling into the silence like a stone in a deep pool. ‘But there are some things that need saying.’ He looked around again, his mouth dry, feeling a little overwhelmed.

‘Get on with it,’ Brina muttered under her breath. Corban scowled at her. Speech-making was all well and good for those used to it – but he wasn’t one for rhetoric and flowery talk. All he could do was speak from the heart and hope it was enough.

‘When I took these ships I promised you freedom,’ Corban shouted. ‘I also asked you to row us all to safety. Well, you have. Narvon lies behind us, Isiltir ahead, so I say to you again, you are free.’

Someone cheered, more voices adding to it, rippling through the crowd, surprising him, and also making him feel less self-conscious.

Maybe I’m not making a huge fool out of myself after all.

When it quietened he carried on.