‘I’m sorry, Domi,’ Sparhawk said. ‘Find out how many of your men are injured. We’ll work out some way to have them cared for. How close would you say we are to the lands of your people?’

‘A day and a half of hard riding, friend Sparhawk,’ Kring replied, sadly closing the vacant eyes of the warrior who had just died. ‘A bit less than twenty leagues.’

Sparhawk rode towards the rear where Berit sat on his horse with his axe in his hands guarding Talen and Sephrenia.

‘Is it over?’ Sephrenia asked, her eyes averted.

‘Yes,’ Sparhawk replied, dismounting. ‘What were they, little mother? They looked like Trolls, but Ulath didn’t think they really were.’

‘They were dawn-men, Sparhawk. It’s a very old and very difficult spell. The Gods – and a few of the most powerful magicians of Styricum – can reach back into time and bring things – and creatures and men forward. The dawn-men haven’t walked this earth for countless thousands of years. That’s what we all were once – Elenes, Styrics, even Trolls.’

‘Are you saying that humans and Trolls are related?’ he asked her incredulously.

‘Distantly. We’ve all changed over the eons. Trolls went one way, and we went another.’

‘Ghnomb’s frozen instant doesn’t appear to be as safe as we thought it was.’

‘No. Definitely not.’

‘I think it’s time to set the sun in motion again. We don’t seem to be able to hide from whatever’s chasing us by slipping through the cracks in time, and Styric magic doesn’t work here. We’ll be safer in ordinary time.’

‘I think you’re right, Sparhawk.’

Sparhawk took Bhelliom from its pouch once more and commanded Ghnomb to break the spell.

Kring’s Peloi fashioned litters in which to carry their dead and wounded, and the party moved on, relieved to some degree that the birds actually flew now and that the sun was moving once again.

The next morning a roving Peloi patrol found them, and Kring rode forth to confer with his friends. His face was bleak when he returned. ‘The Zemochs are setting fire to the grass,’ he said angrily. ‘I won’t be able to help you much longer, friend Sparhawk. We have to protect our pastures, and that means we’ll have to spread out all over our lands.’

Bevier looked at him speculatively. ‘Wouldn’t it be easier if the Zemochs all gathered in one place, Domi?’ he asked.

‘It would indeed, friend Bevier, but why would they do that?’

‘To capture something of value, friend Kring.’

Kring looked interested. ‘Such as what?’

‘Gold,’ Bevier shrugged, ‘and women, and your herds.’

Kring looked shocked.