‘Except a few months later, they all came back to life. Part of the magical effects, I suppose. Nobody understood it and they didn’t really want them around, so they were just shut off from the city and ignored. All the stories about ghosts sprang up later. You can understand why: the Cryptwood looks so creepy . . .’

Liska was shaking her head. ‘Wait – they were all dead . . . and then they came back to life?’

‘Yes,’ said Lug. ‘Although not properly alive like you and me. My mother said they were “undead”. They never grew old or even died. That girl had probably been that way for hundreds of years.’

‘So, these half-dead, half-alive people . . . they were the ones you spied on?’

Lug nodded. ‘The story just fascinated me. I wanted to see where they lived . . . I really didn’t mean to snoop. I sent some worms into the soil under the Cryptwood, trying to find their house. It took me weeks and weeks – it’s so old that it’s completely buried – and then when I found it, I just listened in a smidge. Just to hear them talk about their old lives.’

Liska stepped closer. She could smell something interesting . . . the start of an adventure maybe. One that might – this time – be finally enough to earn a stripe.

‘What did they say? What did you find out?’

‘Well,’ said Lug. ‘There seem to be a few of them, but most of them sleep nearly all the time. I heard lots of names mentioned but only two or three voices. One of them was the girl. I think her name was Elowen.

‘Anyway, they were talking about things they’d seen, places they’d been to when they were alive. Cities outside the walls, palaces, rivers, other light trees. And then they mentioned going to see Nammu. The tree in the north, waiting for the glacier to swallow it. The girl, Elowen, even said it was a shame they hadn’t brought its heart back with them when they had the chance. That means it’s really there . . .’

‘. . . and it could be used to kill Bitterblight!’ Liska finished. She rubbed her chin, thinking. ‘If the glacier hasn’t eaten it already. It depends how long ago this Elowen went up there. We need to speak to her properly. And then we need to go and find it for ourselves. Because there’s no way anyone else is going to believe us now. Not after what just happened in the hall. No, we’re going to have to do this on our own. Maybe she would come with us . . . show us the way . . .’

‘Hey!’ Lug waved his hands in Liska’s face. ‘Hey, wait! Nobody said anything about us going up there! The treekeepers need to do it! Have you any idea how dangerous it is? There’s wyverns and Poxpunks and Tree knows what else. Not to mention the rot creatures . . .’