When I came through the last trees and saw the whole of the Skylake spread out before me, I stood mesmerised by its beauty, somehow all the more potent because of what it had once been. It took me some time to notice a pale pebble beach jutting out into the water further around, which I had not noticed from above. I was startled to see a grey horse standing on it half hidden by the drifting scarves of mist, dipping its head to drink. Then something bright caught my eye on the shore just beyond the pebble beach and I was utterly astounded to see the orange flicker of a campfire.

As I stood there gaping in disbelief, a man came striding out of the trees to the fire with an armful of wood. He turned to call something over his shoulder and a smaller man emerged. The two spoke and then the larger knelt to poke at the fire while the smaller went out to meet the horse, who was now coming towards them.

I had no idea what to make of what I was seeing, for I had never in my wildest imaginings thought to find any people in the high mountains. Whoever they were, I would need to coerce them to get them out of the valley before the wolves arrived.

The man squatting beside the fire threw on a piece of what must have been pitchwood, for it gave off a sudden fierce flame, and by its light I saw the lean, handsome face of the leader of the Twentyfamilies, Swallow.

I drew in a shuddering breath and began to make my way around the lake towards him, noticing now that his companion was not a man but a woman with pale, short-cropped hair. Neither of them had seen me yet, but the horse walking back with the woman scented me and lifted its head to neigh. I knew him. It was Sendari, whom Swallow had ridden the first time I had seen him.

The woman was looking about her now in a way that suggested that Sendari had communicated his awareness of me to her, and I saw Swallow rise slowly. At that moment another man emerged from the trees further around the lake, his hand resting between the ears of a pony.

Dameon and Faraf, and Gahltha was walking with them. I saw his ears prick as he scented me and then he broke into a trot, neighing his own greeting.

‘It is good to see you,’ he beastspoke me, and I was glad of his mental strength and the closeness between us that made it possible for him to communicate with me. I turned my gaze back to Swallow, who was striding towards me, his teeth very white in a wide smile.

‘Greetings Elspeth! We have been waiting for you!’ he said.

Chapter 21

21