The “ladder” was a cunning network of jutting stonework that made use of the shaft’s irregular walls to create an upward path. To her surprise, Xilsi followed right after her, adept at negotiating the climb. Elen did not look down—she wasn’t fond of heights—so when she scrambled over the rim and out onto the flat ground, she was surprised when first Xilsi, then Ipis, and then Kem emerged in quick succession.

“What is this place?” asked Ipis as she looked around with the bright eyes and youthful curiosity of a person who has never before walked in the wide world.

Kem straightened his shoulders, looking a little cocky now that he had information to impart to his trainer. “We have walked through the Moonrise Hills, which now lie south and east of us. This is the tableland north of the hills. And that—see there, that hazy line—that’s the north wall of Grinder’s Cut.”

The shaft was hidden by large boulders, like sentries surrounding it. Beyond the boulders lay a flat plateau that stretched north for many leagues. From here, they could hazily see the rim of the north wall of Grinder’s Cut, although it was difficult to perceive the rim of the closer south wall, which was obscured by the rising slope of the land and straggling lines of pine, juniper, and bitter oak.

The haunt emerged from the shaft. He was sweating, even a little sallow, and he strode away, without speaking, into the shade of a boulder and stood there with his face turned away from them. Fulmo pulled himself up and over, followed by Simo, whose grimace suggested he’d found the ascent difficult.

Xilsi stuck her head over the shaft and shouted down, “You going to stay down there, eh, Jirv?”

Simo wagged a scolding finger at her. “He stayed behind to assist the interlocutor. Let go of this, Xilsi. You know better.”

She flushed. “He knows better too.”

“Are you assuming I haven’t spoken to him as well?”

She stalked off to stand by Kem and Ipis and pretend she was interested in the path ahead.

Elen walked over to Simo, by the shaft. “Is the interlocutor going to be able to make it up?”

From below, Jirvy’s laugh echoed incongruously. He shouted up, “Stand back.”

There came a whooshing sound, almost like the flutter of wings, accompanied by a gust of wind that sparkled as with twinkling embers. Elen skipped back, blinking what felt like ash out of her eyes. Simo cast an arm in front of his face.

There, on the rim of the shaft, stood Luviara, with her scarf and knee-length robes settling around her as if they’d just been whirled in a windstorm.