‘And I think we might reach the tree very soon,’ said Liska, trying to sound as chirpy as possible. ‘We could be camping there tomorrow night!’

But then we still have to face Thresher on the way back, she thought to herself. Whatever happens, she is going to catch up to us. We could have the heart in our hands and still lose it unless we can find a way to dodge her.

She threw a lump of dry gorse into the fire, sending up a column of swirling sparks. It just wasn’t fair.

‘Don’t be afraid,’ said Fishbone. ‘There is only three hounds left. Liska and I can fight them off, no problems.’

Liska wasn’t so sure. She gave Elowen a worried glance, but the dead girl was busy watching the spiralling embers as they blinked out in the cold air.

Why am I the only one who’s worried? Am I turning into Lug? Liska nuzzled into her friend’s blankets, curling up on his feet to keep his toes from freezing. The only course of action she could think of was for her to fly the heart home herself, up out of Thresher’s reach. But that would mean leaving her friends to the mercy of the hunter and her seepers. There would be no chance of a rescue this time.

I won’t do that, she told herself. I would rather die first.

A death which would mean the end of Arborven and all her family.

Sleep was a long time coming that night.

*

Liska woke to a potent musky stench that made her want to retch. The whole camp seemed to have been bathed in it.

‘Eww!’ she said. ‘What’s that smell?’

‘I has marked our territory,’ said Fishbone, wandering around from behind the campfire, buttoning up his trousers. ‘You can thank me later.’

‘That’s . . . that’s disgusting.’ Liska sneezed the scent out of her nostrils and stood up to look around. The first thing she checked were the figures closing in behind them. They were still specks, but they were definitely closer. Thresher was gaining on them. She must have marched on through the night, even though it was cold enough to freeze the blood in her veins. Her determination had to be admired, Liska supposed. Although it was a shame she and the hounds hadn’t been turned into icicles.

Turning to the north, Liska judged the distance to Nammu. It looked as though they could make it by nightfall. If they got moving straight away.

‘Come on,’ she said. ‘Let’s make a start. We can eat breakfast on the way.’

Fishbone’s stomach was already full of mouse but he had a pair of cooked groundhogs from the night before ready to share out. Elowen was up and ready to go, too. It was just Lug who was still huddled in his pile of blankets.