Back at camp they found Klia and the camp drysian with Thero and Mika. The boy was sitting up in bed, sipping broth one-handed from a bowl under the watchful eye of the healer. Thero sat beside him, watching with apparent concern.

“I’m glad you’re safely back,” said Klia. “We had a bit of a rough night here, as you can see.”

“Did you see any ghosts?” Mika asked hopefully.

Alec glanced at Thero, who nodded slightly.

“We did, that of a very sad lady,” Alec told Mika. “But what about you? Looks like you went off and had an adventure without us. What happened?”

“He’s about to tell us,” said Thero. “Finish your medicine first, Mika.”

The boy gulped down the rest of his broth, and the drysian bowed and took her leave.

“So, what happened?” Alec prompted, sitting down on the floor by the bed. Seregil swung the desk chair over for Micum, then leaned on the tent pole.

“I went down to the river after you all went into the city—” Mika began.

“But why?” asked Klia.

Mika gave a little shrug. “I was bored, I guess. And it wasn’t very far. Master Thero isn’t angry at me for that, are you, Master?”

“No, I’m not. But we do need to hear everything that happened. Think carefully.”

Mika gave the wizard a relieved look. “Well, I was sitting on the big rock when a boy my size came by. He couldn’t talk, but we played together on the riverbank for a long time. We had fun and ran and played in the water and he even showed me how to catch fish and little lobsters with my hands.”

Thero raised an eyebrow. “Lobsters?” Micum smiled. “Crayfish, most likely. Go on, then what happened?”

“Then the other one came.” Mika grew serious. “He was mean. He had a cudgel and he chased us and hit us with it. That’s how my arm got broken. I used my magic to make him go away. My friend and I ran and then I fell and—” He paused, biting his lower lip nervously. “After that, I woke up here in the tent with Master Thero.”

“Did the mean one say anything?” asked Seregil.

“He was very angry and was yelling at us, but I couldn’t understand what he was saying.”

“He was speaking a different language?”

“I guess so. But I knew he was angry, by his face and his yelling.”

“Was your friend scared of him, too?” asked Alec.

“Yes! He tried to help me get away.” Mika was trembling and pale now, remembering.

“Where did the mean man come from?” asked Micum.

“I—I’m not sure. We were playing and then he came over a bank by the road.”

Thero put a comforting arm around the boy’s shoulders. “That’s enough for now.”

“How about I stay with you today, while Thero is gone?” asked Alec.