Craw thought about it. ‘River. Up against the stones would seem … disrespectful.’

‘You think there are Gods watching?’

‘How do you tell?’

‘True.’ Whirrun chewed his grass stalk across to the other side of his mouth and started off down the hill. ‘River it is, then. Maybe I’ll give Brack a hand with the fishing. Shoglig used to be able to just talk the fish out of the water and I’ve never quite been able to get the trick of it.’

‘You could hack ’em out with that tree-cutter of yours!’ Wonderful shouted after him.

‘Maybe I will!’ He lifted the Father of Swords high over his head, not much shorter’n a man from pommel to point. ‘High time I killed something!’

Craw wouldn’t have complained if he held off for a spell. Leaving the valley with nothing dead was the sum of his hopes, right then. Which was an odd ambition for a soldier, when you thought about it. Him and Wonderful stood there silent for a while, side by side. Behind them steel squealed as Yon brushed Athroc away and sent him stumbling. ‘Put some effort in, you limp-wristed fuck!’

Craw found himself coming over nostalgic, like he did more and more these days. ‘Colwen loved the sunshine.’

‘That so?’ asked Wonderful, lifting one brow at him.

‘Always mocked at me about sticking to the shade.’

‘That so?’

‘I should’ve married her,’ he muttered.

‘Aye, you should’ve. Why didn’t you?’

‘You told me not to, apart from aught else.’

‘True. She had a sharp old tongue on her. But you don’t usually have trouble ignoring me.’

‘Fair point. Guess I was just too coward to ask.’ And he couldn’t wait to leave. Win a big name with high deeds. He hardly even knew the man who’d thought that way. ‘Didn’t really know what I wanted back then, just thought I didn’t have it, and I could get it with a sword.’

‘Think about her, at all?’ asked Wonderful.

‘Not often.’

‘Liar.’

Craw grinned. She knew him too bloody well. ‘Call it half a lie. I don’t think about her, really. Can’t hardly remember her face half the time. But I think about what my life might’ve been, if I’d taken that path ’stead o’ this.’ Sitting with his pipe, under his porch, smiling at the sunset on the water. He gave a sigh. ‘But, you know, choices made, eh? What about your husband?’

Wonderful took a long breath. ‘Probably he’s getting ready to bring the harvest in about now. The children too.’

‘Wish you were with ’em?’

‘Sometimes.’

‘Liar. How often you been back this year? Twice, is it?’

Wonderful frowned down into the still valley. ‘I go when I can. They know that. They know what I am.’

‘And they still put up with you?’

She was silent a moment, then shrugged. ‘Choices made, eh?’

‘Chief!’ Agrick was hurrying over from the other side of the Heroes. ‘Drofd’s back! And he ain’t alone.’

‘No?’ Craw winced as he worked some movement into his dodgy knee. ‘Who’s he got with him?’