‘You are strong, here,’ Kulla said, tapping her forehead. ‘And here.’ She pressed her palm to her heart. ‘Back there, you did what you had to do, even though you did not like it.’

They had gathered the four dead huntsmen, wound rope around their feet and hung them from branches so that they dangled over the trampled path. Then Coralen had gutted them, slicing their bellies and spilling their intestines in tangled heaps below their hanging arms. She knew the warband that would eventually come this way would find them, half eaten probably and butchered like game after a hunt. It would sow seeds of fear.

She looked at her hands, still stained with blood.

‘No, I didn’t,’ Coralen said.

‘You will make a good match for our Bright Star.’

Coralen blinked at that, felt her neck flushing.

‘Did Tukul talk to you?’ she said, more abruptly than she intended.

‘No,’ Kulla said, wrinkling her brow. ‘Why?’

‘Never mind.’

She found that she missed Tukul, had enjoyed his company on the mad ride through Isiltir. All of the Jehar were stern and serious, but there had been another side to Tukul, a pragmatic humour that seeped into all he did or said. He had reminded her of Rath.

And now he is dead, too. Like Rath.

She felt grief clench in her chest, like a fist about her heart, slowly breathed it out, her thoughts turning to Gar. He had howled like an animal when Tukul had died, and his grief was still draped heavy upon him, his eyes hollow and angry.

I do not think there is one person in this entire warband that has not suffered the loss of loved ones because of this God-War. That made her angry.

We shall have our vengeance.

They were catching up with the warband now. Something drew her attention, from behind her. She slowed, turned, stared into the forest, head cocked to one side.

‘What is it?’ Kulla asked, staring with her.

‘I don’t know,’ Coralen frowned. She could not have said what had made her pause – not a sound exactly, more a tingling upon her skin.

Like I’m being watched.

There was nothing, only the gentle rustle of a breeze through branches. She shrugged and carried on, leaving Kulla and the others as rearguard scouts, and sped up to try and get back to Enkara before it was full dark. Storm padded beside her, and when they reached Corban the wolven loped away to join him. Glancing down, Coralen noticed something red sprinkling the ground. She squatted to inspect it, saw it was paler than blood, almost pink. Then she heard Storm growl and looked up to see Buddai sniffing at the wolven. He frolicked closer to her, Storm gave him a swipe with a paw and he jumped away.

Hmm . . .

Corban reached down to run his fingers through Storm’s fur, then smiled over at Coralen.