Elaq was pensive, but he nodded again. ‘You are quick,’ he said approvingly. ‘I should have expected it if Pilos trusts you. What I don’t know is what she intends to do with that knowledge – if whether the breaking of the song’ – she saw him wince in remembrance – ‘had anything to do with it. Her survival indicates it did, but then she wasn’t seen in public for two weeks after it happened. At first, I thought she’d died too. You can’t imagine how fucking upset I was when I heard she was reaching out to nobles to join the new council.’

Ilandeh stood and smoothed her kilt and then removed the eagle feather from her hair. ‘Would you be so kind as to hold this for me?’ she asked. He took it and nodded. She breathed deep. ‘Show him in.’

A boy went to fetch him, and moments later Dakto entered; his gaze was clear and his features composed, like any good Whisper who’d been trained to give away nothing. It was so good to see him – and so bad.

‘Second Flight Dakto, it has been some time. You look well – and have been missed.’

‘Flight Ilandeh, you have seen some action since last we met, I’d say,’ he replied with an easy casualness that was new and unpleasant. ‘You have the look of battle still in your eye.’ He stretched onto his toes. ‘No feather, though. Working?’

Ilandeh shrugged. ‘You, on the other hand, have neither seen battle nor appear to be working. I am curious as to why you decided to ignore your standing orders and escort captives here instead of waiting for me at the Neck.’

‘It is a good thing I did, considering you shattered the illusion of our life in Tokoban. Did you think of that before going on a killing spree? Did you think what might happen to me?’

‘And how would you know what I did in Tokoban?’ she asked quietly and he flinched. ‘But yes. We did, after all, stand and watch the sacrifice of the Coyote Aez to the false goddess Malel. Of course I wondered what would happen to you. And yet we are Whispers. It is what we do.’

‘A year, Flight. A year we were there, living with them, eating and hunting with them. Laughing and watching the ejab kill your gods—’

‘Your gods?’ Elaq said sharply.

Ilandeh grabbed Dakto’s wrist and twisted, shoving him down, tightening the lock on his arm. His free hand hit the mat and a yell burst from behind clenched teeth as she increased the pressure on the back of his elbow.