‘Gods, but I understand like no one else can. Let me tell you something I’ve not told anyone before.’ He moved to a seated position, his back against a tree. The night was quiet but for the warm breeze rustling the leaves above their heads.

‘My time as a Protector was mercifully short and a brave mage gave his life to free me and return my soul to me. But in the time I was one, I felt a bond the like of which I didn’t think could ever be replaced. It went beyond kinship and love. It was deeper than either though based on both, I suppose. It was something hard to express except to say that it was an utterly binding sense of belonging. No one, I thought, who had not experienced it could understand. And when I was freed, though that was what I wanted desperately, I lost something I assumed was irreplaceable. You might remember how I was in the days after I was released; I don’t know.’

The Unknown stopped to gauge Thraun’s reaction. The shapechanger was staring at him, eyes wide. Whether it was comprehension, remembrance or just plain incredulity that someone was talking to him this way was unfortunately not clear. At least he had Thraun’s attention.

‘The point is that I think you’re in a similar position to me but the effects are keener because you spent five years as a wolf, not just a few days. The wolf pack gave you a similar bond; they laid their trust in you and you in them. You blame yourself for what happened to them both during the hurricane in Thornewood and on the docks in Arlen.

‘And now you’ve reverted to human form you feel like you’re running away. It isn’t so. Like me and the Protectors, part of you will always be with the pack that still runs. Hang on to that, but don’t let it cloud your mind. Remember it and use it.

‘But what I want you to really understand, and I don’t know whether you will, is that there is something that gives what you feel you have lost. It took me an age to realise it but it’s undeniable. The Raven have that bond. Together we are stronger than we could ever be as a mere group of individuals. We make a difference to each other and in whatever we do. And if you look inside yourself, you know that to be true. Do you understand me?’

For a time Thraun did nothing, just continued to stare. There was a single tear on his left cheek and the frown was back, stamped hard on his forehead. But like a trickle of water finding its way gradually down a window, his face cleared and he sat up. He sucked his top lip and breathed in deeply. He made no move to nod or hint that he knew what The Unknown was talking about but it was there in his expression just the same. The Unknown felt he was struggling to communicate in another way.

‘Go on,’ he said. ‘Try to make the words.’

Thraun opened his mouth, his eyes still searching The Unknown’s face, but nothing came save a dry rasp and he snapped his jaws shut angrily.

‘It’s all right. It’ll come. Now listen, because there’s something very important I have to tell you. All right?’

Thraun shrugged and exercised his jaws again.

‘I know you’re frustrated but you’ll get there as long as you have faith. The Raven will be with you. We’re your family always, and we’re your strength any time you need us. And we want you to be with us in whatever comes next, but for that you will have to leave this island.’

Thraun stopped moving.

‘The Raven have to leave here to go back home and help with things there that are badly wrong. We can talk about what’s happening another day, but for now I want you to think about what you’re going to do. To make The Raven complete, we want you to be with us. We are stronger with you and you with us.

‘Do you understand that?’

Thraun was staring at the ground and now drew his legs up to his chest, locking them there with his arms. He rocked backwards and forwards gently.

‘Thraun?’

He didn’t look up but The Unknown thought he saw a fractional nod of the head. It was enough.

‘Good, good. I’ll leave you now to sleep if you want. Think about what I’ve said and let me know in whatever way you can what it is you want to do.’

The Unknown pushed himself to his feet, picked up the lantern and limped back towards the house, suddenly dog-tired and craving the arms of Diera.

Chapter 6

The rainforest was quiet. A sharp downpour had thrashed across the temple an hour before, sending the Al-Arynaar to cover under the broad leaves of a master banyan tree at the southern edge of the temple. Water still fell from the upper canopy to puddle on the ground before soaking away. Rebraal walked across the rain-slick apron with the mage, Erin’heth. It was the night following his time of contemplation in the cell of Shorth and preparations were now complete.

They couldn’t afford to worry about the strangers themselves, who had to be approaching by now. All that really taxed Rebraal was whether their defence would delay the strangers long enough for Mercuun to return. An elf of his ability could make a great deal of difference.

‘We can’t rely on him, Rebraal,’ said Erin’heth. ‘Your plan is sound. We can only do what we can do. If Mercuun arrives, it’s a bonus.’

Rebraal tried to smile but couldn’t help but be irritated that it was Meru that had left them. But then, who else but himself commanded the elves’ respect? He’d really had no choice.

‘Talk me through the grid,’ he said to concentrate his mind.

‘We’ve laid as many wards as we could in the time,’ said Erin. ‘We have to be fresh for the fight and Sheth is already sleeping. There’s no linkage but we’ve positioned the strike zones to herd them to the central position you want. Then it’s up to you and the archers because if they move to leave the apron, the outer ring isn’t going to hold them for ever even though they’re FlameWalls.’

‘And the temple doors?’

‘It’ll be carnage. Sheth spent a lot of energy on that ward. It’s big. If we should die in the fight, don’t touch it until you get a replacement mage.’

‘Didn’t you tune elves out of the triggers?’ Rebraal frowned.

‘In the apron wards yes, but we can’t risk a smart stranger circumventing the ward by forcing an elf to open the temple doors, so anything bigger than a panther will trigger it.’

Rebraal nodded, stopped and turned a slow circle on the slippery stone apron. He could see the archer positions, he knew the ward trigger points. They’d done all they could. Yniss would see them safe or let them die for a greater purpose. He had to believe that, though it sat harsh in his mind.

The Al-Arynaar shouldn’t rely on any God. They were placed here by Yniss to succeed.

‘Come on. You need to get your head down,’ he said, ushering Erin away to the hammocks they’d slung under the archer positions. ‘I need to relieve Rourke on the path.’

But the strangers didn’t delay long enough. Rebraal ran into Rourke, who was chasing back up the path, slightly out of breath and very scared. They were coming slowly, travelling by lantern light in the relative cool of night-time. Their pace would bring them to the temple apron an hour before dawn and well before the elves could expect Mercuun. The nine would take on, according to Rourke’s count as he had watched them pass below him from the sanctuary of a palm tree, one hundred and thirty-two. Mainly warriors but with ten who were obviously mages.

Tension replaced quiet calm as the reality of the attack overtook the hope that somehow the strangers would be deflected, or that perhaps they were not here to find the temple at all. All the Al-Arynaar had had these thoughts but they seemed foolish now. There was nothing else of interest here for hundreds of square miles and Rebraal doubted they had come to map the mangrove swamps, the volcanic region to the south or the course of the three huge, sluggish rivers that wound their way through the vast rainforest from the northern coastal ports to the southern deltas where desert gave way to lush vegetation again after a thousand miles.