Knowing it would please the little mare to be of use, and preferring to stay away from the others and their questions for the time being, I was glad to accept her offer. Faraf found a soft patch of sunlit grass and settled herself as I hung my wet clothes over a bush to dry a little, and then I asked Sendari to let Swallow know that I would return later. Finally I lay down gratefully against Faraf’s warm soft flank. Her sweet scent rose around me, and when Gahltha settled on the other side of me, their combined warmth drove out the last bit of chill from my bones and I relaxed.

Dozing on the edge of sleep, I listened to their conversation for a time, fascinated by the formality of equine beastspeech when no human was involved, but eventually my eyes drooped and I slept. It was a deep, warm, peaceful sleep without dreams, and I woke much refreshed to see that the sun was on the verge of setting. Dismayed that I had slept the whole day away, I roused the horses and gathered my clothes. They were all but dry and my hair had come out of its knot and dried in stiff spikes full of grass seeds and horse hair.

Only when I was about to make my way back to the camp did I realise all of the horses were gazing eastward, ears pricked. I turned and my heart leapt into my throat at the sight of dozens of wolves pouring from what must be a narrow opening partway up the wall of the canyon. Urgently I bade Gahltha lead the horses around the western side of the lake and remain there until I summoned them, then I turned and sprinted back to the campsite. I had been certain that Rheagor would agree to accompany me, until I saw the wolves pouring into the valley. Now it occurred to me that finding so many hated humans where they had expected to find one might provoke the wolves to think they had been tricked, and to attack.

There was no sign of Rasial or Gavyn when I reached the camp, but the others were waiting, standing about a fire built up to a hot brightness that drew the eye even from a distance, for I had farsent to Swallow to say that the wolves were coming. I hurried to join them, praying that the boy and his dog would not suddenly arrive, and that Maruman would go on sleeping. The latter had provoked the wolves already, and while no harm had come of it, we might not be so lucky a second time.

‘What of the fire?’ Analivia asked when I reached her side. ‘Should we extinguish it?’