Rheagor yawned, showing me his red throat, and then he told me that the only scent that would draw a rhenling towards the bright place and a fire when they woke was that of blood and to overcome their loathing of the light it would have to be a great deal of blood, and fresh. The wolf broke off to snap ferociously at one of the cubs that had come slinking closer to the food packets, and when it recoiled with a yelp he fell to tearing one of the packets open, his mind now closed to me.

I made my way back to the others. Swallow was brushing the horses down and Ahmedri was mending the used torches while Dameon and Analivia were rummaging through the packs for food. They had mine open too and I ought to have felt indignant, but I was too tired. When I went to tell them they could cook, I noticed that Darga was sprawled by Analivia’s feet. Gavyn and Rasial were stretched out a little distance away beside Dragon’s bier sound asleep. I went to look down at them, wondering if they were together on the dreamtrails, and praying that they were safe.

‘Can you help me feed her?’ Analivia asked, coming to stand beside me with a bowl of gruel.

‘That was quick,’ I said, but when I glanced back to where the packs stood, Ahmedri was only just beginning to make a fire.

‘I used some of the water from the pool,’ Analivia said. ‘Darga said it was clean and I strained it.’

I knelt, took Dragon’s hand and closed my eyes, finding my way into her muscles so that I could force her to open her mouth, and to chew and swallow when Analivia spooned the gruel into her. It did not take long and when Analivia was finished, she rose and urged me to come and eat something myself, for I was white as parchment.

‘I need sleep more than food,’ I mumbled.

‘It is probably the way the taint poisoning is afflicting you,’ Analivia murmured sympathetically, pressing a hand to her stomach. ‘I feel it in my stomach. I suppose it is only to be expected that we would suffer some sickness from crossing tainted ground, but Ahmedri says we will take no permanent harm if the taint was truly slight.’

‘I am just tired,’ I said, and gritting my teeth, I went to get my blanket. Laying it out near the horses, I stretched out on it and slept.

Almost at once it seemed, someone was shaking me. I opened my eyes to find Analivia looking down at me in consternation. ‘You were dreaming,’ she said gently. ‘You cried out.’

‘I was dreaming that I was ill,’ I said. ‘I don’t remember anything but feeling sick and feverish. My bones hurt and my head was aching.’