When the tempest passed, I sat on the bench staring into the fire for a long while, half hypnotised by the flickering orange dance of the flames. The thought came to me almost as a strange consolation, that it would have been so much harder to leave Rushton when the time came if he had shown the same extravagant and passionate love as in Sador. Better this way, I told myself, ignoring how the thought of never seeing him again twisted in my gut like a blade.

I would use the journey to school myself to accept our parting so that, when the time came, Rushton would believe my love had waned, too. If only I had not shown my feelings so nakedly in the kitchens, but perhaps if I worked hard enough at seeming indifferent, he might be persuaded to believe he had been mistaken. I could not bear the thought that he might feel guilty or even pity me for loving him, yet the possibility that he might be relieved to think I no longer loved him hurt me, too. I did not resist the pain. I accepted it even as I had once accepted the might and overpowering strength of the great sea, when it had me in its teeth. For if we could not be civil to one another, the long journey to the Red Land would be unendurable.

I cringed at the thought of having to tell Rushton that I would be with him on the journey to the Red Land, but at least I could contrive to travel on a different ship to him. No doubt he would go aboard the vessel that Dardelan had commissioned so I could take Dragon aboard the Norse Stormdancer, or maybe we could travel with Jakoby on the Umborine. Given how she felt about me, Dragon might wish to travel on another ship too, but I could not allow that. I needed to keep her close until I had learned what Cassy had wanted me to know, which Dragon had locked in her memories.

It was almost with relief that I turned my thoughts to the problem of Dragon and how to find her with so little time before we had to board the ships. The only way I could see to manage it was to contact Atthis directly. That meant assuming a spirit-form and facing the dreamtrails. I would ask Gahltha to guard me in the old cat’s absence. I could also ask about the whereabouts of Maruman and Cassandra’s key.