‘Gentlemen,’ Sephrenia said, ‘push this kind of thinking from your minds. I’ve told you before that if we grow melancholy or fall into despair, we’ll be falling right into the hands of our enemies. One dark cloud hanging over our heads is enough. Let’s not add clouds of our own making. When the light falters, the darkness wins.’

‘If you’re trying to cheer us up, you’re going at it in a strange way, Sephrenia,’ Talen told her.

She smiled faintly. ‘Perhaps that was a bit dramatic, wasn’t it? The point, my dear ones, is that we all have to be very alert. We must be wary of depression, dejection and above all, melancholy. Melancholy’s a form of madness, you know.’

‘What are we supposed to do?’ Kalten asked her.

‘It’s really quite simple, Kalten,’ Ulath said. ‘You watch Tynian very closely. As soon as he begins behaving like a butterfly, tell Sparhawk about it. I’ll watch you for signs of frogishness. Just as soon as you start trying to catch flies with your tongue, I’ll know that you’re starting to lose your grip on things.’

Chapter 24

There were snowflakes the size of half-crowns mixed with the drizzle that swirled down into the narrow pass. Sooty ravens hunched on tree-limbs, their feathers wet and their eyes angry. It was the kind of morning that cried out for stout walls, a sturdy roof and a cheery fire, but those amenities were not available, so Sparhawk and Kurik wormed their way deeper into the juniper thicket and waited.

‘Are you sure?’ Sparhawk whispered to his squire.

Kurik nodded. ‘It was definitely smoke, Sparhawk,’ he replied in a low voice, ‘and somebody was doing a very bad job of frying bacon.’

‘There isn’t much we can do but wait,’ Sparhawk said sourly. ‘I don’t want to blunder into anybody.’ He tried to shift his position, but he was wedged in between the trunks of two scrubby trees.

‘What’s the matter?’ Kurik whispered.

‘There’s water dripping off a limb just over me. It’s running down the back of my neck.’

Kurik gave him a long, speculative look. ‘How are you feeling, My Lord?’ he asked.

‘Wet. Thanks for asking, though.’

‘You know what I mean. I’m supposed to keep an eye on you. You’re the key to this whole business. It doesn’t really matter if the rest of us start feeling sorry for ourselves, but if you start having doubts and fears, we’re all in trouble.’

‘Sephrenia’s like a mother hen sometimes.’

‘She loves you, Sparhawk. It’s only natural for her to be concerned.’

‘I’m a big boy now, Kurik. I’m even married.’

‘Why, I do believe you’re right. How strange that I missed that.’

‘Very funny.’

They waited, straining their ears, but all they could hear was the sound of water dripping from tree-limbs.

‘Sparhawk,’ Kurik said finally.

‘Yes?’