I nodded, and forced myself to strip off my nightgown. Shivering a little, I bathed in a bowl of cold water and dried quickly, standing close to the dying fire before pulling on clean underclothes, a thin, long-sleeved knitted shirt with a high collar, and soft thin cotton undertrews. It would be considerably colder in the high mountains than in the valley so I opened my clothes trunk and took out a knitted woollen overshirt with long sleeves and doubled elbows, a woven hemp vest with several waxed pockets and a pair of heavy, supple, patched trews doubled at the knees and laced at the calves.

Pulling these on I thought how strange and yet familiar it felt to put on clothes I had worn on so many farseeker missions to rescue Misfits during the reign of the Council and the Herder Faction. Both organisations were vanquished now, and Misfits were free in the Land, yet I might have been making my last-minute preparations for an expedition as I sat on the bed to tug on my boots.

I laced them to the knee and let the upper edge droop over, pushing my short knife into the holster inside, though I doubted I would have any need of a weapon at the ken.

As I rose, it struck me that Maryon had arranged for the gifts of boots and coat and pack because she had foreseen this journey. It would be just like her not to warn me. I tried not to feel irritated, knowing I ought to be grateful that she had prepared what was needful. I looked at the pack she had sent over and wondered if I ought to take it.

‘Are the fliers waiting just outside Obernewtyn or further up the valley?’ I asked. ‘I need to know whether I should bring a pack with some food.’

‘Bring all that you cherish for you will never return to this barud,’ Maruman sent.

I stared at him. Then I understood. There would not be time enough to return to Obernewtyn between travelling to the mountains and down to Sutrium. Swallowing hard, I looked around the chamber. Knowing that I would never come back made everything suddenly precious. I drew a deep breath and went to lift the pack onto the bed. I would prepare it and leave a note, asking Ceirwan to send it and the bow and quiver of arrows down to the ships. I opened its upper and lower pockets and packed fresh underwear and socks, two spare shirts and a heavy soft woollen tunic in the bottom segment. I added my battered mending and healing kits and a small tinder box with an enamelled lid. When I went to get my comb, my eyes fell on Jacob’s journal.