‘Things about how Arborven works,’ said her father. ‘About why you should act with respect when you go down to the city.’

‘But I was being respectful!’ Liska jumped up from the balcony and faced everyone, fists on her hips. ‘I didn’t mean to crash into the treekeeper! I didn’t do it on purpose!’

‘It doesn’t matter.’ Her mother raised a hand to silence her. Her stern expression melted, just a fraction. ‘I know you didn’t mean to do it, child. But you know full well what the mages think of us. How they judge us every time we venture into Arborven. There’s already been gossip about us because of what happened. And the manticores . . . they aren’t happy. They take these things very seriously. Too seriously, perhaps. But it’s been decided. You shall go down to the city tomorrow to learn about its history and customs along with the mages’ children.’

Liska couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

‘They’re sending you to tree-wizard school!’ Her sister spoke through gusts of laughter and had to stagger from the room bent double. Liska glared as she left.

Young shapewalkers began training in combat and flight as soon as they were old enough to wear their second skins. Survival, first aid, tactics . . . every day they had drills out on the mountainside, or even in the Blasted Waste. They never learnt from books and scrolls like the mage children. They had no use for spells and sagas – only battle moves, flight formations and which bits of an enemy were easiest to bite off.

‘This kind of learning is usually only for mages,’ her father began. ‘If you think about it, it’s actually an honour to attend such a place . . .’

‘No, it isn’t!’

‘You will learn many things about how the city was made . . .’

‘No, I won’t!’

‘You’ll meet lots of other children your age . . . you might make a friend . . .’

‘The mages hate us shapewalkers! And I hate them!’

‘Enough!’ Her mother’s shout was filled with the snarl of a fierce vixen. Both Liska and her father closed their mouths instantly and looked sheepish.

‘I know you don’t like it, Liska. But you’re not supposed to. It’s a punishment, remember?’ Liska looked away, hot tears burning the corners of her eyes. The shameful sense of being a disappointment to her family, her clan.

Her mother sighed, then strode across and pulled her into a tight hug. The fur of her cloak tickled Liska’s nose as she tried not to sob into it.

‘Darling, I understand. You’ve probably already learned your lesson and it was an accident after all. But the elders have decided. They wouldn’t change their minds, no matter how much I argued.’

‘And she did argue,’ added her father.