‘Fourteen, fifteen or so. Probably a little before your parents were first getting to hate each other.’ He blinked. ‘I never told anyone that before. No one who wasn’t there, anyway. Suppose I’m not accustomed to having time for reflection.’

‘Did you, did you get revenge? Hunt the soldiers down?’

Rennic shook his head, as if clearing cobwebs from his mind. ‘No, what? No. How? A bunch of mercenaries, beneath the king’s pennant? How would I find them? It’s not like they killed her either, she took care of that herself. Who’s going to shed a tear for the grief of a whoreson?’

Chel’s troubles seemed abruptly small.

‘I’m sorry.’

‘Yeah, and likewise for your sad parents.’ Rennic flexed his grip against the bars, straightening, shaking off his reverie. ‘Have you found out what the fuck we’re doing here, and why the fuck I’m locked in a box that smells of horseshit?’

Chel leaned in close. ‘They’re watching the traders in the huts, saw us going in and grabbed us on the way out.’

‘Then what do they want from us?’

‘You, as a mercenary, they don’t trust, and apparently they don’t like to let the leaf-traders talk to anyone outside their existing circle, especially “ruthless hirelings”. Me being one of them, looks like it surprised them. The one in charge, Laralim, who wants me to call her “Auntie”, she’s talking about, well, adopting me. They want to keep me here with them, make me one of them.’

‘Huh.’ Rennic’s indifference surprised him. He’d been expecting outrage, or ridicule. ‘Can see why,’ he said. ‘How many you reckon there are here? In this bastion of purity? Can only have another generation or two before they’re as inbred as ancient royalty.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘They want you for breeding stock, little man. Stop their chins disappearing. See if you can use that to get us out.’

Chel nodded. ‘They might yet let you out, you know. Maybe we just need to be patient.’

‘Princeling would pitch a fit if I turned up without you. Besides, we stay here much longer, we won’t even make the Bridge House before the first moon, never mind hitting any townships on the way. Let’s hope Lemon and the others are having an easier time of things, eh?’

He shot a look at the barn opposite, indicating the small door at its side. ‘They stowed our gear in there. If they start going through it, we’d better hope that leaf I bought wasn’t too fresh or we’ll be wearing our arseholes as hats.’

Urbu was coming, his slow mouth already forming the word, ‘Enough.’

Chel raised his hands. ‘I’m going, I’m going.’ To Rennic, ‘Stay strong.’

‘Me? I’ve got my own bucket. I’ll be happy as a nun weeding asparagus.’

FIFTEEN