Tarfel blinked and shook his head. ‘So that’s a yes to suicidal single combat, is it? And I thought you such a sophisticated people.’

‘Hand of my queen holds no axe, but her foes hewn just same.’

Tarfel squinted. ‘Eh?’

Lemon pointedly turned her back to the reaver. ‘Ignore her, princeling, she’s a babbling loon. She’s got no idea what she’s talking about.’

Beside Chel, Sabina shuffled. ‘Didn’t you say that she and her war-band attacked Corvel and his guards at the hunt? Back when everyone still thought he was Mendel.’

Lemon looked at her through narrowed eyes. ‘Aye, and your bro and the boss saw them off. Why?’

‘Well,’ Sab continued, ‘forgive me if I’m speaking out of turn here, but wouldn’t it be accurate to say they’d have killed off our great villain once and for all … if you lot hadn’t intervened and messed … things … up?’

Chel swallowed. Words seemed suddenly hard to come by. He couldn’t bear to think through the implications of his sister’s suggestion.

Lemon half-scoffed, half-shook her head, one dismissive hand waggling. ‘Wha—? Nah, that can’t … That’s bollocks, right, boss?’

Rennic was staring hard at Brecki, whose grin remained, impish and mischievous and rich with malice. ‘Palo said we should have let him die,’ he murmured.

‘You, you …’ Tarfel was still central, waving his finger at Brecki. ‘You were going to kill my brother, at Raven-Hill. Why?’

The smile broadened. ‘My queen commanded. My queen conquers. My queen rules.’

‘And your queen wanted my brother dead?’

‘My queen commanded.’

He blinked, rubbed at his face with a pale hand, leaving soot streaks. ‘Does she still want him dead?’

The reaver shrugged, one-armed. ‘How I discover?’

‘Mm, yes.’ Tarfel’s hand had moved to his chin. ‘How indeed.’

Chel pushed himself to his feet at last, feeling late to contribute. ‘Highness, what are you thinking?’

‘This bears consideration, Vedren,’ the prince said, his gaze distant.

‘What does?’

‘All of it. All of it.’ He wrapped the cloak around himself and retreated to the shadows, far from the firelight. Brecki slumped back against the hillside, no longer animated, and a hush fell.

Sab looked around, upper teeth on her lower lip. ‘Did I say something wrong?’ she whispered to Chel. He shook his head, but couldn’t manage more than that. The quiet was suddenly oppressive.

‘My friends. We’re due a circle.’ Foss addressed the group as a whole, but his gaze was on Eka, who sat with the remains of her people off to one side, keeping well away from the arguing.

Sab nudged her brother.

‘What’s a circle?’

Chel murmured something noncommittal and waited to find out.

‘We have fallen friends to mourn,’ Foss went on, ‘and we may not get a better chance. Eka, would you like to join, to speak for your kin?’