‘I felt deceitful and treacherous as I told Rushton I would do what Maryon had commanded. Later in the day, he came to tell me that he had decided Gevan must take his place as chieftain of Obernewtyn in his absence, for little as he liked it, Maryon had said he must do as he had promised, and travel with the ships to the Red Land. The next day, he rose and came with me to the farms to bid Gavyn, Rasial, Faraf and me a proper farewell. But Alad said the boy and the dog had already left. Neither Rushton nor I knew what to make of this. He said he had explained what Maryon had said, through Alad, to the dog and she had said only that she would go whither the boy went. I said they must have gone ahead because they were on foot. In truth I did not know what to make of their inclusion, for my dream voice had said nothing of them. Yet it had spoken of others who would accompany you.’

The empath paused to drink from the mug of water Analivia gave him, for his voice had begun to crack. ‘Rushton said before we parted in the misty morning that Maryon had told him you would never return to the Land. He confessed that he had offered to go with me or in my place, but that Maryon had refused him, saying he was not needed there, but that he had a vital part to play in freeing the Red Land. Then we embraced and I bade him sail well and he said he would see me again, upon his return and mine. Then he bade me tell you that he loved you more than life and always would, whether you ever saw one another again. He did not say it but there was such deep sorrow in him that I believe Maryon told him he would not see you again.’

Tears welled up in my eyes and I saw Dameon brace himself, but I could not suppress my sorrow to spare him. Suddenly I was sobbing hard, though I had truly thought I had no more tears left in me. It was as if I were letting go of Rushton for a second and final time and the discovery that I had not let go the first time made it all the more devastating, because only now did I see that I had never really believed, until this moment, that I truly would not see him again.