‘I am glad to see you got here safely,’ Swallow said. He nodded to Gahltha, who was nuzzling my shoulder, now that Maruman had leapt down from it in disgust at having to endure our emotions. Swallow took my arm through his and led me towards the fire. ‘Your pack and the other things Gahltha carried are by the camp. You know Analivia?’ He gestured to the yellow-haired woman waiting by the fire.

I nodded, too astonished for speech.

‘And Dameon, of course.’ Swallow pointed to the empath. ‘Gavyn is here too, but he is off foraging with Rasial. Despite his lack of sparkling conversation, the lad has proven adept at it, which is fortunate since these mountains offer little bounty.’

‘Gavyn and Rasial are here, too?’ I asked. I was beginning to feel numb.

‘Them and that mad owl that sits and sleeps on the boy’s shoulder when it is day,’ Swallow continued, ‘though it seems to like this place well enough for it has not bothered to use the lad as a perch since they arrived.’

‘It is good to see you again, Guildmistress,’ Analivia said as we reached the fire.

I looked from her to Swallow and made an effort to pull my scattered wits together. ‘What are all of you doing here?’

‘Waiting for you,’ Swallow said with a mischievous grin that reminded me uncomfortably of the time he had kissed me to silence me when soldierguards were hunting us. He had given me that same wicked smile afterwards.

‘Why?’ I asked.

‘It has been too long,’ said Dameon. I turned to the empath, and his arms and affection enfolded me like a warmed blanket. He held me for a long moment and then stepped back. He looked as fit and strong as he had in Rushton’s memory-dream.

‘I didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye,’ I said.

‘I know,’ he replied, smiling down at me. ‘I know it all.’

Again I had the feeling of the solid ground under my feet turning to mist. ‘You know … what?’

‘I know that you go to tryst with a Beforetime computermachine called Sentinel, which controls some terrible weapons. We are to go with you and help you to destroy it before it destroys everything.’

‘I … don’t understand,’ I stammered, looking in bewilderment from him to the others. ‘Who told you about Sentinel?’

‘I did, for I dreamed about Sentinel once I came here,’ Analivia said gravely.