‘My brother?’ he called, and men pointed. Halion was still unconscious, laid out on the beach, bound at wrist and ankle. Conall strode to him and stood over Halion’s still form, staring. His face softened, then clouded, other emotions playing out across the landscape of his features. Eventually his expression settled back into a scowl.

‘Any luck?’ a warrior, one of Queen Rhin’s captains, asked as he joined Conall. All of the warriors who had accompanied Conall were Rhin’s. Although the people of Dun Taras had opened their gates to Rhin, it was still too early to trust the warriors of Domhain. It had not been that long ago that the men of Domhain and Cambren had been trying to kill each other.

‘Not a single boat within a league of here,’ Conall muttered.

‘They’ve escaped, then,’ Rhin’s captain said.

‘You’re a quick one,’ Conall snapped.

The captain frowned. ‘Queen Rhin won’t be happy. Glad I’m not you.’

Conall hit the man in the face, hard. He stumbled back a step, then dropped to one knee.

‘I’m not happy, either,’ Conall growled. Other warriors moved, comrades of the felled captain, a loose circle forming around Conall.

Rafe stood, took a step towards them. He’s the only link to home I have. Don’t want to see him dead as well. One of the hounds gave a low growl.

Conall turned to face the men drawing close about him. ‘If any need reminding, I’m your Queen’s regent, and her first-sword.’ He put a hand upon his sword hilt, a reminder of how he’d beaten Morcant to become Rhin’s champion.

Don’t get involved, you idiot, Rafe told himself. You don’t want to die on this cold beach, but his feet were already moving. He pushed through warriors, the dogs snarling at his heels. Rafe joined Conall; the two hounds flanked him with bared teeth.

There was a long drawn-out moment, violence in the balance. Only the roar of surf on shingle, a gull calling overhead. Then Rhin’s men were turning, backing away; first one, then all of them.

‘Up you get,’ Conall said to the fallen warrior, offering his arm.

The man looked at him, then gripped Conall’s wrist.

‘No harm done, eh? Well, maybe a blackened eye for a few days. A tale for the ladies,’ Conall laughed, slapping the man on the shoulder; the captain grunted and walked away.

‘Saw what you did,’ Conall said to Rafe. ‘Won’t forget that.’

Rafe shrugged.

‘Where’s Braith? If anyone can track a ship it’ll be him.’

‘He’s dead,’ Rafe said. ‘Camlin killed him – threw him in the sea while you were fighting Halion.’

‘Did he, now?’ Conall said, frowning. ‘Didn’t expect that.’

There weren’t many that could have stood against Braith.

‘Me neither, but I saw it happen.’

‘Shame. Don’t suppose you can track a ship, can you?’

Rafe raised an eyebrow. ‘Where do you think they’re going?’ he asked, as they both stared at the empty horizon.

‘Away from me,’ Conall growled. ‘Somewhere far away from me.’