‘Beyond it all did be darkness,’ said the wolf flatly, and then he turned his head and gave a huffing bark that brought all of the pack to its feet, save Descantra. ‘The pack do go to hunt now. Be tha ready to leave when the moon do rise. The Brildane do have little tolerance for bright light so tha must travel at night and rest by day.’

‘I thank you, both for this and for coming when you did,’ I sent courteously, then I added, ‘There are horses by the lake, as well as a boy and a dog who …’

‘I have seen tha pack, seliga, and they do be safe from this one’s pack until our ways do part,’ he sent. Then he withdrew his mind from mine and turned to look down at Descantra. She rose slowly and they regarded one another. After a long moment, she dropped her eyes and he loped away. The wolves streamed after him, the she-wolf following alone, tail low.

Maruman leapt down and I realised I was free to move again.

I turned to the others.

‘I couldn’t move a muscle,’ Analivia said. She was very pale, as was Dameon, and I realised it must have been terrifying for the blind man, given that he would have felt all of our emotions without having any idea of what was going on, for of course none of them had been able to hear my exchange with the wolves.

‘It was the wolves’ musk,’ Ahmedri said, surprisingly. ‘Some beasts have the power to use their scent as a weapon. Silksnakes in the desert use their scent to make their enemies feel fear.’

‘Was it like that when you met with them before?’ Swallow asked me, a hint of accusation in his tone.

I met his eyes coolly. ‘There was no time to warn you.’

‘What happened?’ Dameon asked. ‘I do not feel the emotions of beasts as clearly as humans, but it seemed to me there was anger between them and great sorrow.’

‘You are right, and I will tell you all else that transpired, but for now, it is enough that you know they have agreed to go with us. The wolves will return when the moon rises, for we are to travel at night and rest by day.’

‘They will lead us?’ Analivia asked.

‘Yes,’ I said, though in fact Rheagor had said nothing of leading. I wondered if the others realised that this meant we were to go down from the mountains and cross Blacklands where the ground was so poisonous that it would glow in the dark, though presumably the graag was some less poisoned way else how would Rheagor’s ancestor have crossed it? I seemed to hear the pack leader’s harsh voice again, saying that many would die on the journey, ere the end.