‘Ilkar, Hirad, feel uncomfortable?’ he asked. The two nodded, expressions stark in the firelight, eyes hidden by shadow.

‘Why just them?’ asked Will.

‘Because it’s only the three of us who have been in potential large-scale battle situations before, and there’s a lot wrong with this one.’

‘Not so far as I can see,’ said Erienne. ‘We just have to reach the Colleges quickly and safely and this is surely the best way.’

‘No,’ said The Unknown. ‘Because we don’t want to invite battle and this troop is doing just that, or it will be when we reach the vicinity of the Blackthornes.’

‘So what do you suggest?’ asked Thraun.

‘We have to split from them. Our course lies in a different direction.’

‘How do you work that out?’ Thraun frowned, his gruff low voice grumbling across the stove.

‘The situation is going to be very difficult when we reach Triverne Inlet, which is, I suspect, the favoured destination. We can assume the Wesmen will be supplying their armies across the water so there’ll be a relatively heavy presence.

‘If we stride up with Darrick and Styliann there’ll be a battle. If we go through on our own, with Thraun’s eyes and ears, we can take a boat and get across unseen.’

‘And what happens to Darrick?’

‘We have to persuade him to go south to the Bay of Gyernath, maybe creating a diversion for us along the way. Either way, we have to go alone.’

‘The point is,’ said Hirad, ‘that we’re being run as an addition to the cavalry. That isn’t how The Raven operates. Not now.’

‘So just how do we operate?’ asked Denser.

‘You should know,’ said Hirad, frowning at Denser’s flat tone. ‘We go into a situation, assess, make decisions and recommendations and don’t expect to be questioned.’

‘You don’t consider that a little high-handed?’ ventured Will. Hirad merely shrugged.

‘Just ask yourself why we’re still alive after ten years’ fighting. And why, particularly, we’re alive when the Wytch Lords are dead. It isn’t high-anything, it’s The Raven’s way.’

Ilkar smiled. ‘Only you could be so cocky with fifty thousand Wesmen between you and your next port of call.’

‘It’s not that, it’s—’

‘We know,’ said Ilkar. ‘If we do things how we think they should be done, we’ll stay alive.’ He mimed a yawn. Will and Thraun laughed. Hirad scowled slightly. The Unknown cleared his throat.

‘I’m glad we’ve cleared that up,’ he said. ‘Now listen. While Darrick will almost certainly see sense, Styliann almost certainly will not.’

‘Why not?’ asked Will.

‘Because Triverne Inlet represents his quickest route to Xetesk, barring Understone Pass. If he won’t see sense, we’ll have to leave by the back door in a couple of nights. I just hope it doesn’t come to that. Styliann could still be a powerful ally and his sway will definitely help us gain access to the College libraries.’

‘I don’t trust him,’ said Ilkar.

‘Now there’s a surprise,’ muttered Denser.

‘No, it’s more than inter-College mistrust. He tried to kill us at the Wrethsires’ Temple and let’s not forget why. He wanted Dawnthief so he could use it to assume power over the Colleges, and as a threat to the Wytch Lords and Wesmen. He wanted to rule Balaia and I’m sure he still does. God knows what this pooling of knowledge will reveal but I don’t think Styliann should have any part in it.’

‘What, just cut Xetesk out, is that it?’ asked Denser sharply. Ilkar sighed.

‘You’re here, aren’t you?’

‘You made your choice at the Temple,’ added Hirad. ‘You’re Raven.’

‘There’s something more,’ said Erienne. ‘The dividing of Septern’s works between the Colleges was no freak or accident. Septern was very careful to ensure no one College had enough knowledge to be dominant.’

‘Was he really that good?’ asked Will.

‘It was the potential of his magic that he recognised as so dangerous, ’ said Erienne. ‘I suspect he could see the way his research might be taken. And he was right, as Xetesk proved with their DimensionConnect. Just think of the danger when they can stabilise the gateway.’

‘I’m hearing everything you’re saying,’ said Thraun. ‘And there’s one thing badly astray in our assumptions. We’re banking on Styliann’s influence opening the doors to the College libraries. I mean, let’s face it, if you were a senior mage and you got a request from him to sift all of Septern’s work and put it together for the Lord of the Mount to examine, would you just roll over?’

‘Exactly,’ said Erienne.

‘No,’ said Ilkar. ‘No you wouldn’t. And Styliann must know that.’

‘If he knows that, why was he so confident back in Parve?’ asked Hirad.

‘Well, his network is wide, isn’t it?’ replied Denser with a sniff. ‘He’ll pull strings rather than make a direct approach, certainly to Julatsa and Lystern. The Dordovans might respond well to a personal request, though.’

‘But if he is planning to commune directly with senior mages in other Colleges, we need to stop him taking the short cut to Xetesk and from calling ahead to speed up the research process,’ said Hirad. ‘Fat chance.’

‘So where does that leave us?’ asked Will.

‘Out in the cold, I expect,’ said The Unknown. ‘Look, assume for a moment that Styliann determines to cross at Triverne Inlet and that he rubs the Colleges up the wrong way with his demands. We need to know exactly what action we intend to take.’ He looked around the fire. The faces of The Raven were expectant. He nodded, smiling slightly.

‘Right. Here’s what I think we should do. First, we approach Darrick. We need him on our side. He might be able to give Styliann a tactical reason to cross south of the mountains that Styliann will swallow. If not, in two days’ time, when we are close to Leionu, we do as we are doing now, camp as far from Styliann as we can. Only that night, we’ll leave four hours before dawn. Darrick will help us, maybe fake an attack by a Wesmen patrol or something to cover the noise.

‘Until that time, if we are speaking with Styliann, we must try to persuade him to take the right course of action but it’s imperative he doesn’t tumble to the fact that we have ulterior motives. If we are respectful of his authority, he won’t suspect us, Denser?’

The mage sat up to drink his coffee, shrugging. ‘I’m not sure about the diversion thing but pandering to Styliann’s ego is definitely the right idea. What worries me is the Protectors.’

‘Let me handle them,’ said The Unknown. ‘There are ways to obstruct without disobeying.’

‘How do you mean?’ Hirad massaged his chin.

‘You wouldn’t understand,’ replied The Unknown, and Hirad knew enough not to question him further.

‘When do we talk to Darrick?’ asked Will.

‘Now would be a good time,’ said The Unknown.

‘His mages are in Communion,’ said Ilkar. ‘It may pay to wait.’

The big man nodded. ‘How long will they be under?’

‘An hour or so. It really depends on whether they can find a contact quickly or not.’

‘Very well,’ said The Unknown. ‘We wait.’

Later, Erienne took Denser away from the fire, he going a little reluctantly.

‘Are you going to tell me what’s up with you?’

‘Nothing’s up,’ replied Denser. ‘I’m just tired and I can’t believe that casting Dawnthief has left us in this state.’

‘But no one blames you, Denser,’ she said, her eyes looking deep into his and her hand caressing his hair.

‘It’s not a question of blame,’ said Denser. ‘It’s here, inside me. I can’t explain it to you. It’s just . . .’ He trailed away, hands waving vaguely.

‘I can help you. Don’t cut yourself off from me.’

‘I’m not,’ he said sharply.

‘No? You’re so quiet and withdrawn from me. From all of us.’

‘I’m not withdrawn,’ he snapped suddenly, his voice overloud. Erienne recoiled. Denser tried to smile. ‘I just don’t want to talk about it.’