‘Why were you watching us?’ Galen’s voice was cold; Raffi felt the tension behind it. For a moment he felt sick again, and sat down abruptly.

‘He’s ill,’ the girl remarked accusingly.

Irritated, Galen glanced down. Then he hauled Raffi up and turned, his hawk-face dark against the rainy moon. ‘Come under the tree. We can talk.’

Without waiting to see if she followed, he led Raffi in and sat him against the hollow trunk, tossing the blankets to him. Sensing the tree behind him made Raffi feel better, as if the strength of the wood and the spirit of it gave something back to him. His head cleared, and he looked up.

The girl stood hesitating under the thatch of branches. As she crouched he noticed the crossbow for the first time; it was wound back and loaded, he could see the bolt from here. She laid it on the dusty needles, but her hand stayed near it.

‘I wasn’t watching you. At least, not at first.’ She glanced curiously around at the enormous bulk of the yew. ‘I saw the trees and came up to see if I could shelter here. The rain’s getting heavy.’

Galen said nothing. He was still standing, his head bent under the low roof of twigs.

‘Then I heard you talking.’ She shrugged. ‘I crept up. I wanted to see who you were. You have to be careful, travelling alone.’ Her fingers tapped the smooth shaft of the bow.

‘Indeed you do,’ Galen said. He sat down. ‘That goes for us too.’

She looked at him shrewdly. ‘I’m no threat to you. I think I know what you are.’ As neither of them moved or spoke, she shrugged again. ‘All right, I won’t say it. But no one else could have … It was very dark under here but I’m sure I heard him…’ She glanced at Raffi and shook her head, as if she couldn’t get the words out.

‘The tree spoke to him.’ Galen’s voice was hard. ‘Is that so difficult?’

‘For some.’ She gave him a half-smile.

After a moment he said, ‘Why travel alone?’

‘I was with two friends of mine but they turned back at the last village. They’d heard stories about the Sekoi tombs on the downs and that scared them off.’ She glared at her feet, fiercely. ‘We had a terrible row and I stormed away. Told them I’d go on by myself. Then the rain came. They may be looking for me, but I doubt it. They had all the courage of jekkle-mice.’ She looked up suddenly. ‘You haven’t got anything to eat, have you?’

Raffi’s hopes plunged. Galen shook his head. ‘No. So where is it you’re so eager to get to?’

For a moment she was silent, as if weighing him up. ‘I’m looking for my father.’ Her voice dropped. ‘The Watch took him.’