‘The conclave of what?’

‘The conclave of the Rau Rel. Loveless is inside, saving us a table. Our other friend is here.’ He nodded toward a nearby tree.

‘Other friend? Who—?’ Chel turned and came to a sudden halt. There, slumped against the trunk with her ruined arm now bound tight against her body, lay Brecki the Strangler. She looked cleaner than Chel had seen her, scrubbed of war-paint and decoration, but the pallor of her already milky skin was cadaverous, even in the warm torch-light from the building’s base.

‘She’s … here. Unchained.’ Chel swallowed. An odd mix of feelings welled within him at seeing the reaver, seething resentment at the woman for her killings, a hot flush of shame at the thought of his own negligence in her acts, and a sliver of something altogether lighter, something that might have been … relief? ‘Untied.’

‘She is, friend.’

‘Isn’t that … risky?’

Foss released a heavy breath and ran a hand over his braids. ‘Shepherd guard my words, but she seems no threat to any. She long since ceased to bite anyone, eats little, moves less.’

Lemon came up beside them. ‘Aye, right. Guess she rather lost her motivation along with the use of the arm.’

‘But why is she here?’

‘Our partisan colleagues maintained talk of a citizens’ trial for her, once matters in the capital were settled,’ Foss said. ‘Such talk has faded in light of recent developments.’

‘She’s no longer a prisoner?’

‘Not of the Rau Rel. Do you believe we should restrain her, friend?’

Chel rolled his bad shoulder in its socket. It wasn’t so long ago he himself had been chained, one arm damaged, and locked in a cell. ‘I … uh …’

‘Are we going in, or what? It’s cold out – who is that?’ Sabina had approached, along with the Nort, who was gazing at the slumped reaver with detached curiosity.

‘That,’ said Lemon, ‘is Brecki, a visitor from our southern shores, who was foolish enough to tangle with your brother and his pals at Talis.’

‘You broke her arm?’ The disapproval in Sab’s voice was unmistakable.

Chel felt the back of his neck growing hot. ‘She started it! She’s a bloodthirsty reaver!’

Sab’s eyebrows lowered as she looked back at the pale, lethargic woman, one thumb resting against her teeth. ‘What in God’s name was a reaver doing that far north?’

‘Not just her,’ Lemon said brightly. ‘Whole fucken war-band, came steaming up to attack the King’s Hunt right when wee bear here was trying to arrange a princes’ parley. They’d have slaughtered everyone if our boys hadn’t stepped in.’

Sab’s thumbnail tapped her front tooth. ‘Is that so?’

‘Aye, boss-man and your wee bear took this one prisoner.’