‘Wisdom of ancestors, passed down generation to generation, ever expanding. No daughter of Clyden is going to repeat any ancestor’s mistake. We’re all part of a great whole, a giant one.’

‘It certainly sounds like it. You must consider yourselves fortunate, I suppose, that your people are born with strong and lustful animal urges, or you would no doubt have died out years ago.’

‘I don’t have to listen to this blather. I’m going to find Fossy.’

‘Watch out for gods and spirits.’

‘Fuck off.’

‘For a rationalist, you’re showing a great deal of emotion.’

‘Fuck off!’

A crest of faded pink hair appeared around the partition. ‘Everything all right in here, ladies? Not disturbing an intimate moment, am I?’

‘You can fuck off an’ all,’ Lemon muttered.

Loveless flashed her a malicious grin, which softened when her gaze fell on Chel. ‘You made it, cub. Good to see you.’

He could only stammer a reply, his tired brain flashing straight to thoughts of Rasha in the rain, and a sudden burst of guilt. He felt his cheeks darkening and tried to cover his face with his hands in a feeble pretence at cleaning off some of the filth, but she had already moved on. His relief must have shown too clear on his face, as he turned to find Lemon giving him an appraising look, one eyebrow raised.

Rennic was upright and awake. ‘On your feet, little man.’

Chel tried to follow. His aching body was protesting seriously. Eventually, Lemon launched him from the straw-pile, and Foss kept him upright on landing. He was too sore to be grateful.

***

‘God’s bollocks, we thought we’d finally cut you loose, Gar.’ Loveless’s smile was playful, but something simmered in her eyes. Apparently, their arguments had not been forgotten in their time apart. In the fading afternoon light she looked tired, paler than Chel remembered. Perhaps she’d had a tough trip too. ‘You had the decency to be late by only a day, I suppose. Did you keep your heads down on the way in? This place is crawling with small-timers, and there’s word of more on the road. Did anyone see you? Did you see anyone you recognized?’

Rennic was gazing up at the darkening sky, wearing a look of uncharacteristic stoic patience. Chel wasn’t sure if it was affected or not, thinking back to his time in captivity in the Andriz enclave and the calm that had settled on the big man before their escape. While their trip had been hard and exhausting, it hadn’t been … angry. Perhaps Rennic had gained a new perspective in his time alone, perhaps some of the rage had left him. It seemed a lot to hope for.

‘Don’t think so,’ he mumbled at last. ‘Little man and I were focused on finding you lot.’