‘Tell them you’re watching out for their wellbeing during Lord Rochant’s absence. Or tell them you’re here to see Lord Arkav Tanzanite. Or tell them nothing. After all, the Sapphire are known for keeping their own counsel.’

He turned away from her. ‘Were we always like this, Lady Pari? I’m sure things used to be better. Less … broken.’

‘Please,’ she said, holding up a hand. ‘I would usually relish a discussion on the flaws of House Sapphire, but now really isn’t the time.’

He gave one nod, abrupt, and strode off into Sagan.

Varg and Glider watched him go, one pulling at his beard, the other whining softly.

‘What?’ snapped Pari.

‘Nothing.’ At her glare he added: ‘Glider doesn’t like it when people are sad.’

‘We’re all sad, Varg. Some of us are just better at hiding it. Now, if you want to have some quality time with a certain Honoured Mother, you’d better get moving.’

The way his face lit up was sickening. ‘Right. Good luck with your … with everything.’

She pulled her hood further forward and jumped off the wagon. ‘Go on, before I change my mind.’

Was it her imagination or did Glider move off with much greater speed than before? If she didn’t know better she’d say that the Dogkin was as excited as Varg. Nonsense. The beast is probably just picking up on Varg’s energy. It wasn’t that she didn’t want Varg to be happy, but she had a gut feeling that his infatuation was only going to lead to trouble further down the road.

Since her last visit, sixteen years ago, Sagan had grown considerably. Stretching out long and thin on either side of the Godroad in order to enjoy some measure of protection. The refugees from Sorn had been fully absorbed into the settlement, swelling the population towards five figures. In order to accommodate this, the forest had been pushed back, and new buildings jammed into the space. Given the risks inherent in cutting down trees, she wasn’t surprised to see how cramped everything had become. Some of Sorn’s aesthetic had crept in as well; much higher fences now surrounded the settlement, forming a half circle each side of the Godroad. There were gates leading out to the Wild, which were shut, funnelling all travellers to one of the natural gaps. It occurred to her that this would also make it easier for the Sapphire to control the human traffic …

Another gloomy thought to add to my collection.

A large crowd had gathered to greet Lord Vasin. He stood in the middle of them, a softly glowing giant of blue crystal. The mood was jubilant. A Deathless rarely came unless there was a hunt. This visit would add to Sagan’s legend, drawing Story-singers, traders and profit for some time to come.