‘But it cannot be more than mid afternoon,’ I protested, wondering why Rheagor had not simply farsought me. Perhaps he feared to alert the rhenlings.

‘I do not understand,’ Darga sent. ‘Surely if it has taken such a short time to reach the bright place, we can get to the other end of the graag by dusk.’

After a pause, Darga went on, ‘The wolf says the end of the graag is much farther past the safe place than the distance from the start of the graag to the bright place. He says that if we tried to go to the end now, the rhenlings would catch us in the graag.’

‘What if we just lie down and wait till they have gone before continuing?’ I asked.

Another silence then Darga said, ‘The rhenlings use calls to see so their ears would tell them there was something in the graag. When they flew to investigate, they would hear your breathing and even the thump of your heart. Also they can smell you, and would know you for meat.’

I shuddered and told him soberly to tell the wolf that we would rest a little and then continue on to the bright place, where we would spend the night even as Rheagor bade us do. I told the others what he had said, adding, ‘We will have to move faster tomorrow. I wish we knew exactly how long the pipe was.’

‘Since we do not,’ Swallow said, hunkering down against the wall of the pipe, ‘I suggest we ride tomorrow, for if we get to the end of the pipe on sunset, by my reckoning the moon will not have risen. That means the rhenlings can come out after us. So we will need time to get well away unless there is another bright pool handily placed to repel them.’

‘He is right,’ Ahmedri said, sitting down and clamping his knees around the torch he had lit, so that he could get out his water bottle. ‘At least we need to arrive early enough to find shelter.’

‘A fire at the mouth of a cave would be best, for even if they would endure the light, the rhenlings will not want to be burnt,’ Analivia said. She sat cross-legged too. I lowered myself wearily to sit beside Dameon and Darga flopped down next to Analivia, who began to pet him absently.

‘If we can find a cave,’ Swallow said.

‘If not we must dig a trench and use the torches to defend ourselves,’ Ahmedri declared.

‘We could ride if we lay down over the horses’ necks,’ Analivia suggested.