‘Now!’ Galen said. ‘While we can.’ He swung his legs over, steadied himself and jumped on to the black, slippery mass of wood, almost fell, then pulled himself quickly upright. Carys followed carefully, then Raffi, letting himself down by his arms. Just as he let go, the ship juddered free. Arno’s white face came to the rail. ‘Galen, there’s no need…’

‘This is as far as we go.’ Galen looked into the forest quickly. ‘Get away from here. Tell Lerin I’ll remember what she said.’

Arno nodded. ‘Good luck. Keep safe.’ He leaned closer. ‘Give us your blessing, keeper.’

Galen spoke the words softly, his hand stretched out. For a moment they watched the ship drift away between the black trees. When he turned away, the keeper’s voice was quiet. ‘The bravery of the faithful. Remember it, Raffi.’

The three of them had to crawl and slide along the huge trunk, the rounded surface slippery but wide as a track. Halfway to the jutting roots, Carys flattened herself. ‘Get down!’

Alarmed, Raffi jerked, grabbed and slid hopelessly off into the water, trying not to splash. Chin-deep he hung on, scrabbling for a hold, finding to his astonishment that his feet touched bottom, sinking into deep mud. Small gnats whined about him; the water stank and he closed his lips tight not to swallow any.

The Watchboat came through the drowned forest in silence, a sleek, black-painted ship, sharp-prowed, her silver eye glinting in the green light. She moved quickly, drawn by the current; on board he could see men in the rigging and on the decks, leaning out, looking anxiously down.

Still as leaf-shadow, they watched the enemy pass, the wake sending tiny waves to lap against Raffi’s lips. He turned away.

Finally, when she was gone, Galen sat up, his stare full of hate. ‘I hope they outrun her.’ He leaned over and grabbed Raffi’s arm; tugging his feet free, Raffi gasped, ‘I can’t get up. Too slippery. I’ll wade.’

Splashing as little as possible, he struggled along the side of the trunk; to his relief the water quickly became shallower until it was down to his waist. He shivered, rubbing off green slime, water running from his clothes.

Underfoot, the mud was hard to tug out of; the disturbed water was brackish; twigs floated in it, and sediment rose in clouds.

He splashed the whining insects off, and saw that Galen had slid into the water with him, and that what had been sea was swamp, almost land.

It took them over an hour to come ashore properly, and by then the sun was almost setting. They stopped to eat a little and change their clothes, and then started off, stiff with tiredness, walking west.