‘Well?’ Kalten asked Sparhawk as the big Pandion and his squire rejoined the group.

‘Martel went north,’ Sparhawk answered.

‘We’re still right behind him then,’ Tynian said. ‘Did we pick up any more time?’

‘No,’ Kurik replied. ‘He’s still two days ahead of us.’

‘Well,’ Tynian shrugged, ‘since we’re going that way anyhow –’

‘How far is it to Paler?’ Stragen asked.

‘A hundred and fifty leagues,’ Kalten told him. ‘Fifteen days at least.’

‘We’re moving on in the season,’ Kurik said. ‘We’re bound to run into snow in the mountains of Zemoch.’

‘That’s a cheery thought,’ Kalten said.

‘It’s always good to know what to expect.’

The sky continued gloomy, though the air was cool and dry. About midway through their journey, they began to encounter the extensive diggings that had turned the ancient battlefield at Lake Randera into a wasteland. They saw a few of the treasure-hunters, but passed them without incident.

Perhaps something had changed it, or perhaps it was because he was out of doors instead of in some candlelit room, but this time when Sparhawk caught that faint glimmer of darkness and menacing shadow at the very corner of his vision, something was actually there. It was late in the afternoon of a depressing day which they had spent riding through a landscape denuded of all vegetation and littered with great mounds of raw, dug-over earth. When Sparhawk caught that familiar flicker and its accompanying chill, he half-turned in his saddle and looked squarely at the shadow which had haunted him for so long. He reined Faran in. ‘Sephrenia,’ he said quite calmly.

‘Yes?’

‘You wanted to see it. I think that if you turn around rather slowly, you’ll be able to look as much as you want. It’s just beyond that large pond of muddy water.’

She turned to look.

‘Can you see it?’ he asked her.

‘Quite clearly, dear one.’

‘Gentlemen,’ Sparhawk said to the others then, ‘our shadowy friend seems to have come out of hiding. It’s about a hundred and fifty yards behind us.’

They turned to look.

‘It’s almost like a cloud of some kind, isn’t it?’ Kalten noted.

‘I’ve never seen a cloud like that before,’ Talen shuddered. ‘Dark, isn’t it?’

‘Why do you suppose it decided not to hide any more?’ Ulath murmured.

They all turned, looking to Sephrenia for some kind of explanation.

‘Don’t ask me, gentlemen,’ she said helplessly. ‘Something has changed, though.’

‘Well, at least we know that Sparhawk hasn’t just been seeing things for all this time,’ Kalten said. ‘What do we do about it?’

‘What can we do about it?’ Ulath asked him. ‘You don’t have much luck fighting with clouds and shadows with axes or swords.’

‘So? What do you suggest then?’