She paced, looked out at the night, paced. “You’re a damned fool,” she told herself for the thousandth time.

Something rattled and clanged outside. She leaned out her window, saw nothing but rain clouds… Wait. That looked like a big fire up on the north end of the island. She ducked back inside, stricken by déjà vu.

Years ago, briefly, her brothers had established her as ruling princess of Iwa Skolovda. There had come a winter night when she had looked out and seen her city burning….

A fat shadow piled through the window. Metal went shang as a sword left its scabbard. A man grabbed her.

She panicked, started to scream. A hand covered her mouth.

“Yah! She bit me!”

“Nepanthe! Settle down!”

Several voices talked all at once. “Find a lamp.”

“Damn!”

“Marshall, I’m going to clout her.”

“Easy, son. Nepanthe, it’s me, Bragi. Behave yourself.”

She went to the floor with the man holding her, spitting and kicking. Someone struck a light. Someone else seized her hair and yanked her head back. Bragi? Here?

“Can you stay quiet now?”

The panic vanished as fast as it had appeared. She knew she was making no sense, but could not stop babbling.

“Take a minute,” Bragi said. “Get yourself together.”

She did get hold of herself, and told her story. She was not gentle with herself for her part. “What are you doing here, anyway?”

“I’m here because you are.” Just like that. And she had been able to believe he was a threat to her husband.

“But… you’re only one man. Three men.” She told Michael Trebilcock, “Thank you. And you. Sorry I bit you. I was scared.”

Aral Dantice sucked his injured hand. “No matter, ma’am.”

Bragi said, “I didn’t come alone. That racket out there is Kavelin’s army kicking ass.”

“Bragi, you’re making a mistake. Argon is too much for you.” But, oh, did she love him for coming. Just as much as she had hated him for doing things just as crazy for other friends.

Kavelin’s Marshall Ragnarson proved her wrong. He hadn’t come without sufficient strength. The army of Necremnos, Argon’s great rival upriver, was on the attack as well. The Argonese couldn’t withstand the twin hammer blows.

She stayed out of the way till she could no longer stand not knowing what was happening. Then she hunted Bragi down. His troops controlled most of the Fadem by then. Only one citadel remained untaken, and he was on the brink of assaulting that. “Have you found out anything?” she asked. “Anything at all?”

“About Ethrian? Some. He’s in there.” He indicated the target tower. “With the Fadema and the Tervola. We should have him for you in a few hours.”

“What if they…” She couldn’t say it. Couldn’t even think it.

“Why should they hurt him? If there’s nothing they can gain?”

She didn’t feel reassured. “Spite.”

“Hmm. The Fadema might be capable of it. But she isn’t in charge. The Tervola has more sense. Why don’t you find yourself a place out of the way and wait? We’re going in in a few minutes.”