“What else could I do? You should’ve heard what I was calling you, too. Proper little nuisance was the least of it. Well, I was about half a mile out of town when I saw them coming, and I pulled aside and waited for them to pass. You know that old posting station, the ruined one? I was there. I watched them go by, and you at the back under guard. So I guessed he knew. I followed them back to town as close as I dared, and cut home through the side streets, I’ve only just got in. He found out, then?”

I nodded, beginning to unfasten my cloak.

‘Then there’ll be the devil to pay, and no mistake,” said Cadal. “How did he find out?”

“Belasius had put his robe in my saddlebag, and they found it. They think it was mine.” I grinned. “If they’d tried it for size they’d have had to think again. But that didn’t occur to them. They just dropped it in the mud and rode over it.”

“About right, too.” He had gone down on one knee to unfasten my sandals. He paused, with one in his hand. “Are you telling me Belasius saw you? Had words with you?”

“Yes. I waited for him, and we walked back together to the horses. Ulfin’s bringing Aster, by the way.”

He ignored that. He was staring, and I thought he had lost colour.

“Uther didn’t see Belasius,” I said. “Belasius dodged in time. He knew they’d heard one horse, so he sent me forward to meet them, otherwise I suppose they’d have come after us both. He must have forgotten I had the robe, or else chanced their not finding it. Anybody but Uther wouldn’t even have looked.”

“You should never have gone near Belasius. It’s worse than I thought. Here, let me do that. Your hands are cold.” He pulled the dragon brooch off and took my cloak. “You want to watch it, you do. He’s a nasty customer—they all are, come to that—and him most of all.”

“Did you know about him?”

“Not to say know. I might have guessed. It’s right up his street, if you ask me. But what I meant was, they’re a nasty lot to tangle with.”

“Well, he’s the archdruid, or at least the head of this sect, so he’ll carry some weight. Don’t look so troubled, Cadal, I doubt if he’ll harm me, or let anyone else harm me.”

“Did he threaten you?”

I laughed. “Yes. With a curse.”

“They say these things stick. They say the druids can send a knife after you that’ll hunt you down for days, and all you know is the whistling noise in the air behind you just before it strikes.”