'No, we can't.' Catillum straightened his shoulders. 'I had hoped it would not come to this.' He saw Fyn did not understand. 'I can test for poison. But first I'll have my most trusted assistants kidnap Springmelt until we need him. If I can prove it was poison and that they stooped to poisoning a master, I'll discredit Firefox before all the other masters. Some will change sides, weakening him. But I'll need your help to prove it was poison.'
'Anything.'
'Be careful what you promise.' He smiled sadly. 'It will take three days to prepare the body. They must do it correctly or that would raise suspicion. I must test Master Wintertide's heart. We won't be able to go near him until he is safely in Halcyon's care in her Sacred Heart…' His black eyes held Fyn. 'Only the abbot has the key. When we all go down there to commend Wintertide's soul into the goddess's care, I'll leave something wedged in the doorway so you can follow us. '
'But it is forbidden for anyone except masters to enter.' Fyn came to his feet. 'If I am caught, I'll face death.'
Catillum nodded. 'And I can't save you. I can only move against Firefox once I have proof.'
Fyn sank onto a stool.
'If you don't wish to do this, I'll understand.'
'No.' Fyn looked up, meeting the master's eyes. 'I'll do it.'
'Good. I can draw you a plan of the passages. You have three days to memorise it.'
Three days to regret he had volunteered for this. Three days to wish he'd run away before Wintertide's death.
Chapter Twenty-Four
By mid-afternoon Piro's strength had failed. Only determination kept her going. She wished she had taken after her father. Then she'd be at least as tall as Orrade. She had seen the armour her namesake, Queen Pirola the Fierce, had worn into battle. Now there was a woman, able to hold her own.
Exhausted, Piro caught herself slipping into a sleepwalking state and experienced a kind of double vision, as the last night's dreams came back to her. With a jolt she realised she had dreamed this right now… dreamed of stumbling through a snow-shrouded forest trying to escape manticores, with Byren bringing up the rear. She almost tripped.
'Do you need a break, Piro?' Garzik helped her up, too tired to tease.
'No.' She made herself go even faster. In her dream it had seemed they ran for ever but soon they would reach the lake, and then they would have to go either left or right and hope to find a tradepost before nightfall.
The fight with Elina had driven the dream from her thoughts but now it was clear, the dream had been a true foretelling. Did that mean that her recurring dream of wyverns stalking through Rolenhold was likely to come true? Hadn't the mystics mistress said that seers saw many possible futures, which made interpreting them difficult?
'There's one good thing about the manticore pride,' Byren muttered.
'What's that?' Orrade asked over his shoulder.
'Scare off the ulfr pack!'
'Ulfrs?' Piro echoed, happy to be distracted.
Byren nodded. 'Saw old signs of them yesterday. Probably the same pack we had a run-in with.'
'Pity,' Garzik panted. Piro was pleased to see that talking and walking at this pace was almost too much for him. 'I would have liked to get that leader's pelt!'
'Nah, that one was mine,' Byren insisted.
They laughed and Piro laughed along with them, but she did not understand how they could boast when their lives hung in the balance.
Orrade trudged on. At the top of the very next rise he stopped. 'Eh, Byren, you were right. We're just where I thought we'd be!'
Piro stopped focusing on her feet and lifted her weary head. They were high enough to see the lake, its icy surface gleaming through the tree trunks.
Byren pointed. 'And, if I'm not mistaken, Narrowneck tradepost is just around that bend.'
Now Piro knew where she was. Narrowneck was built on a finger of land that projected into Lake Sapphire. True to its name, it was narrow where it joined the land and bounded by cliffs. At one point, ladders could be lowered down to a small beach on the lake. A solid, three-storey tradepost was built there. Busy in peak times, it would be nearly empty now.
'Keeper Narrows will open his doors for us,' Byren declared. 'Though he won't be happy to hear we've drawn a pride of manticores down on him and his family!'
Narrowneck tradepost. Piro fixed this goal in her mind and kept moving, but distances were deceptive and the day dragged on.
Byren increased his pace. It was almost dusk. A steady wind blew into their faces, driving their scent towards the manticores. The pride could travel far in one day and were sure to be close on their trail now. He didn't want to be torn to shreds only a few bow shots from safety.
'At last!' Garzik muttered.
Byren looked up. There was the wooden palisade. Thirty years ago it had kept Narrowneck safe from the Merofynians. Now it wasn't even enough to keep the manticores out. Rolencia had grown complacent.
'We can shut the gate,' Piro said as they stepped through the opening. 'Keep them out.'
Byren reached over, grabbed a strip of wood and pulled on it. It splintered in his hand. 'Not going to keep anything out.'
'Close it anyway,' Orrade said, dragging the gate shut. It had come off one hinge; snow fell off the top and dusted his shoulders.
Byren turned to face the path up through the trees. 'Come on. Not far now.'
Piro's face was pinched with exhaustion, but she did not complain as she struggled to keep up with him. He'd do anything to keep her safe.
The thud of an axe reverberated through the woods. Byren made for it. There was safety in numbers and he had to warn the axe man about the manticores.
'This way.' He broke into a run, hearing the others puff along behind him. A deep bark was followed by more. Their approach had been detected.
Thud… thud.
The axe stopped. Suddenly, he'd arrived in a clearing on the spine of Narrowneck. Three huge wolfhounds stood in front of a boy of about nine summers and the tall youth who had been swinging the axe.
The dogs growled a warning, the noise reverberating in their deep chests.
'Get behind me, Leif,' the youth said. No, it was a girl, a handsome, very tall girl. No wonder she swung the axe like a man. Then he remembered hearing traders talk of Old Man Narrow's daughter, who believed she was any man's equal.
'You can stay right there,' she told Byren, while the boy scurried behind her.
The growling rose another pitch.
'Manticores,' Byren panted. 'A whole pride on our trail.'
'Manticores this far into the valley? Are you sure?' She sounded doubtful, almost scornful. The three wolfhounds went quiet, but remained wary.
'Took one of our horses and frightened the others off.' Byren indicated the rest of his party, who were bent double behind him, catching their breath. 'We've had to do a forced march to get here. Must warn Old Man Narrows.'
'Da's gone to see — '
'Hush, Leif.' The girl's cheeks flamed because, with that one slip, he'd revealed their vulnerability.
Byren understood her problem. It seemed she was alone with her younger brother and three wolfhounds, and his party composed of three men and Piro, who could be mistaken for a boy in her thick travelling gear.
'Then it is just the six of us to hold off the manticores,' Byren said. 'We've got to get inside and make the tradepost secure.' But he did not move, waiting for her to call off the dogs.
A thudding echoed through the trunks, followed by the splintering of wood. The boy reached for his sister's hand. 'What — '
'It's the manticores breaking down the palisade gate,' Orrade said. 'They're only a few minutes behind us.'
'This way, quickly.' The girl turned, grabbed her brother's arm and made off briskly.
Byren hurried to catch up. He could just see the tradepost's top floor peeping above the tree canopy. She easily matched his long loping stride, axe casually slung over her shoulder. 'You think they'll approach the house? Manticores usually — '