“And this is the incident—the loss of contact with the Far Boundary Vigil warden—that caused the prince to leave in haste for the north?”

“So it seems. But it’s difficult to understand what the prince thinks is going on, since nothing lies north of Far Boundary Vigil except what is apparently named Far Boundary Pall. No road. No imperial lands. Perhaps no habitable land at all.”

Elen rubbed her arm.

The haunt’s gaze dropped to the gesture. “You have something else you might say, do you not? What are you clutching so tightly in your other hand? Wait, here comes Xilsi.”

The warden strode up, cheeks chafed by the wind. “Your Highness! It’s quite a view!”

He said, “Xilsi, are those cloudberry bushes over there? The archon told me all about her special cloudberry brew and wished me to try some to refresh my palate. Yet I had barely taken a tiny sip when Fulmo gave a hand signal, and at once, Luviara insisted loudly that cloudberries are best when eaten fresh from the vine. It was a curious interaction. But regardless, now I wonder, since I set down the cup without drinking further, in order to come on this expedition.”

“Shall I pick some, Your Highness? I hear that upland cloudberries plucked in autumn are the sweetest.”

“I saw ripe berries over the ridge, near where Jirvy is keeping watch,” said Elen helpfully.

“No doubt he’s eaten all for himself by now.” Xilsi flapped a dismissive hand, but she obediently walked off out of sight in pursuit of cloudberries.

“Why do those two squabble all the time?” Elen murmured.

She hadn’t meant it as a real question, but he answered, “I’ve discovered they were lovers and had an unpleasant dissolution of love and trust just before the prince took up the position of all-seeing eye, or maybe just after, or maybe because of it.” He waggled a hand back and forth. “I’m not sure. What I haven’t figured out is who thought it would be a good idea to bring them on this mission together.”

“Maybe someone did it on purpose to create strife within your party.”

“An interesting proposal. But Simo may finish his sketch at any time so we can’t discuss it now. Why did you want us to come up here?”

Shockingly, she’d briefly forgotten she’d engineered this expedition to the ridge. After a last look around to make sure no one was within hearing, she spoke in an undertone.

“I am going to walk ahead and drop a brass ornament on the ground. You are going to discover it and share it with Simo. Let it draw your attention to the unusual tuft of what looks like a thick growth of feather-grass. Down there. Do you see it? Yes. Go yourself or send Simo, but you or another warden need to discover the corpses of a griffin and its scout.”