Sarn arrived at last, grey-streaked hair tied carelessly back and her arms full of notes. The lines of concentration between her brows were deep as she set down her papers and began without preamble or greeting to explain that she had organised the information collected by the others into two main categories. One concerned the route to the Red Land, and the other was information about the Red Land.

‘I would hear the information you have that concerns the journey to the Red Land first,’ I said.

‘Remember that most of what I will tell you is drawn from dreams,’ she warned me. ‘That means any or all of my conclusions or extrapolations could be wrong or at least distorted. Some comes from gossip, which might also be untrue or exaggerated. The smallest portion comes from stories told by shipfolk, and of course this might also be exaggerated. But I have tried to make sure that all of the information I have incorporated has at least two sources.’

‘Go on,’ I prompted. ‘Start with how long the journey is likely to take.’

‘If all goes smoothly,’ Sarn said in her measured and slightly pedantic way, ‘the journey from the Land to the Red Land should take no more than three moons. It would take less time if the ships were able to cut across the open sea, but without a map to show the route, that is impossible. Our ships will follow the coastline of the vast landmass, of which Sador and our Land are a small part. The weather ought to be relatively mild until the Days of Rain set in, though given the weather of late, they may have come early this year. This is unfortunate because if the ships sustain any damage, the repairs will have to be made at sea, for the land beyond Murmroth goes immediately to black coasts and there is no possibility of landing.

‘There are a few inlets and little harbours where the ships might take refuge from weather, however, and where it would be easier to make repairs, but there can be no foraging on the land. Nor would it be wise to fish in waters so close to tainted land. The plan is to carry everything the ships and their crew need to reach the Spit, but if there is a delay because of the weather or the need for repairs, there will be no way to add to supplies. This means food will have to be rationed right from the start, since three months of food for such numbers will fill every finger of hold space. Incidentally, the weight of the supplies will make the ships more stable, but they will also sit low in the water, which will make them more vulnerable to high seas.