The sergeant gave a small sour smile. ‘Well they haven’t.’

‘Haven’t you had enough from us!’ a woman screamed from the crowd. ‘Where is my son? Where is he?’

‘You know where they are.’ The sergeant drew his sword, easily, sensing the rising tension. ‘In good hands. The Watch will feed them, clothe them, and they’ll be taught. More than you could have given them. You should bless the Watch.’

‘And now you’ve come for more.’ The grey man gripped his hands around the rake-handle.

‘No. You’ve given your quota. We’re only here because the storm caught us out.’ He half-turned. ‘We met your friends here on the down. They’ve been lucky as well.’

The villagers stared.

Carys gripped her bow.

Galen glanced briefly at Raffi. Carys was close; she heard Raffi barely whisper the word. ‘Arno.’

Instantly the keeper strode forward, slapping an arm round the villager’s shoulder. ‘Arno! Good to see you. How have things been?’

Amazed, Carys watched. For a moment Arno was silent; stiff with surprise. He won’t do it, she thought. Her fingers slid the bolt in. Behind her, Raffi waited, hands gripped tight.

Then Arno spoke. ‘They’ve been fine,’ he said. His voice was dry; his face held no flicker of astonishment. ‘We’ve been expecting you, brother. Here’s your wife.’

Galen took a step back. He looked wary at once; his face darkened. A woman ran out of the crowd, tall and fair-haired; she flung her arms round him and kissed him. ‘You’re back! And early too!’ She came to Raffi and Carys and grabbed their hands. ‘You both look half-starved. I’ve got some fine chickens roasting for you, just as you like them …’ Talking and laughing and not letting them answer, she led them briskly between the houses, away from the crowd. Glancing back, Raffi saw the Watchmen dismounting; the sergeant giving orders.

Round the corner, and Galen stopped the woman instantly. ‘What’s going on!’

She shook her head impatiently. ‘I should ask you that! How could you just walk in here with them! And why haven’t have you been answering me? For two days I’ve been trying to make you hear.’

He stared at her, his dark eyes narrowing with delight. ‘You’re a keeper!’

‘Of course I am. Now in here. Quickly!’

She pushed them through a low doorway into the house. Straightening, Raffi saw a long room with another beyond it, a bright fire crackling, a complicated arrangement of spits with three chickens being turned by a very old woman who grinned at him, showing only one tooth.

‘Is this them?’ she asked.

‘Yes.’ The tall woman looked back through the slit of the door. ‘No one seems to be following. The Watch are back.’

The old woman spat. ‘God curse them.’

‘Arno will keep them busy. Go and keep an eye on them.’