If I was honest with myself, a part of me had been terribly distracted by the possibility that Rushton might come to me. In the wake of our early morning conversation and what I had so boldly invited, the prospect of a visit from the master of Obernewtyn was as disturbing as it was thrilling, and thinking of it had caused me to lie tossing and turning like a fool for a good hour after the Norselanders had left.

I sighed again, wishing I had simply asked Rushton outright if he would come to me that night, but when the others crowded around him I had restrained myself.

‘And why?’ I muttered restlessly. ‘Why am I always so careful?’

I had no sensation of falling asleep, but suddenly Gahltha was in my mind urging me to wake, telling me he was waiting outside the front entrance to Obernewtyn to carry me down to the watchhut.

Seeing that the sky was already the starless deep blue of predawn I muttered a curse and leapt up to splash my face with water and clean my teeth then I dressed and tied my hair back into a rough tail. I shivered as I stepped into the chill air of the unheated stairwell, despite wearing a thick, quilted vest, a warm woollen scarf and gloves and the new coat Maryon had gifted me, still pungent with the oil that had been rubbed into it to prevent the fabric from taking in water. Most of the candles had burned out in their sconces but there was light enough for me not to break my neck hurrying down the steps and across the Farseekers hall, and some restless and zealous futureteller had lit fresh candles along the halls to the main entrance.

‘I asked Alad to send Zade,’ I sent mildly to Gahltha, after I told him I was on my way.

Most beastspeakers were unable to communicate with beasts unless they were close to them, but my farseeking and coercive Talents enabled me to beastspeak at a distance. I would not have done so if Gahltha had been on the farms, since it would have woken every other beast between us, unless I had expended considerable effort to shield it, but it was unlikely that there would be any beast within the house that I would disturb.

‘I am not the only one who will guard you this day,’ Gahltha sent.

I was about to ask if Zade had come with him when I reached the front entrance hall and noticed a small bulging pack standing neatly on a table that had been set by the front door. A brief examination revealed that, as I had guessed, it was the food Ceirwan had promised. I hefted it onto my shoulders before pushing wide the great door that had been built to replace the two heavily carved doors that had contained both Cassy’s instructions and Marisa’s secrets.