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‘Maybe tomorrow, then.’ His tone was hopeful. Sereh let the matter drop with her tacit assent hanging in the air. She was far too busy trying to eat her food slowly while wanting to stuff it into her mouth in huge mouthfuls. She didn’t think she’d ever tasted anything so good.

There was silence in the room until Emma straightened up and took her place at the head of the table. Sereh wondered what she’d been doing.

Elen instantly struck up a conversation that answered her queries. ‘The boy’s growing well, isn’t he, Emma? I believe he was maybe older when he was brought here than we at first thought. Either that or he’s quite advanced for his age. Would you agree?’

Sereh wondered what they were talking about, until she heard a gurgling noise from near Emma. She froze, her spoon half to her mouth. She recognised that sound, but surely it couldn’t be? Emma glanced at her appraisingly. Surely not? Sereh gasped, but the accusations in Emma’s eyes were impossible to ignore. Emma knew. What must she think of her?

In an attempt at nonchalance, and to prevent Emma from asking more, Sereh resumed eating. Only then did she ask her burning question. ‘Is that a baby, Emma? Who does he belong to?’ She couldn’t imagine the child belonged to Emma, and yet, Elen seemed too old to have birthed such a small baby. And it didn’t seem as though there was anyone else within the caves. It made her wild supposition seem even more possible.

Sereh tried to match the stare Emma directed her way. ‘He’s another waif and stray the Speaker’s seen fit to bring to our attention. He’s been here for nearly twenty days now. We don’t know where he came from or anything about him. He’s a fine little lad, though. It’s a real pity someone left such a healthy thing to be exposed. We’ve been caring for him, and he’ll stay with us now. The Speaker’s proving to be most unusual.’ Sereh noticed Elen nodding along with Emma’s summary, although her acceptance was far less accusatory than Emma’s.

Emma held her stare for so long Sereh knew her involvement in the baby’s plight was suspected. She tried to calm her breathing and focus on not looking guilty, but it was hard under such scrutiny. Finally, Emma looked away, evidently content with whatever she saw in Sereh’s face. She hoped she’d averted the woman’s suspicions but doubted it. It was bad enough Erann knew what she’d done. She wouldn’t want it to become common knowledge unless it proved absolutely necessary at the Full Council Meeting. She had little enough self-respect as it was for having to fulfil such a despised function for Rankil. Still, her heart filled with joy at the thought the baby had survived. She’d have to take a good look at him, and not be too interested. He was too young to remember her, surely?

As Sereh ate the food, she thought about Emma’s words, and when she’d nothing left to eat, voiced them.

‘What do you mean about Skaldi? Doesn’t he rescue people very often?’ She thought it was a reasonable question but instantly noticed how everyone apart from Emma appeared too engrossed in their food. What had she said? The silence stretched and stretched. She wished she’d not spoken. Eventually, Elen broke the silence.

‘Oh no, the Speakers don’t rescue our kind. Ever. They’re not allowed to do so. But Skaldi’s become Speaker in unusual circumstances. He’s challenging much of what’s gone before.’ Her tone remained ambiguous. Elen glanced at Emma. Sereh suspected she was checking she’d not spoken too freely.

Emma nodded, and Sereh sensed Elen relax. ‘Elen speaks the truth. We’ve not seen outsiders for many a long year. You must excuse us if we seem a little too intrigued by you,’ Emma explained.

Sereh desperately wanted to ask more; to find out where everyone came from and who they were, but her ears had picked up on Emma’s unique word. What was a year?

She opened her mouth to speak again, but Emma forestalled her. ‘And you must excuse us if we don’t or can’t answer your many questions. This is an unusual situation. But that doesn’t mean you’re unwelcome, although I sincerely wish it were under better circumstances.’

Sereh felt herself wince at the reminder Erann wasn’t here with her. She’d momentarily forgotten in the whirl of meeting new people and the mystery they represented. She had so many questions she felt her head pound with the intensity of it all, but undoubtedly it was because it was easier to be distracted from worrying about Erann. Where was he? She hoped he was well, wherever he was. He had to be somewhere close? And yet, they’d searched the glacier, and he’d not fallen into a crevasse, as had happened to her.

As everyone finished eating, Elen passed around a bowl of sweetened peat cakes. Finn helped himself to two. Confident no one was looking at him, and before Sereh could protest, placed one in the ever-waiting mouth of Arrow. She suppressed a groan. The wolf-dog wouldn’t look kindly on her when they left this place of abundant food! She hoped it would be soon. She took one of the peat cakes and was amazed at the explosion of spices in her mouth when she hesitantly took a bite. She’d expected the cake to be sweet, but it wasn’t. It was warm with spice, and she moaned in pleasure. Elen smiled on realising how much she was enjoying them.

‘I’m afraid you’ll only find those here. The spices don’t grow anywhere else upon our land, only within the Hunting Grounds. It’s a secret which I won’t be able to share with you.’

Sereh smiled around the huge second mouthful she’d taken, and had to wait some time before she could reply. ‘These are so good. I’ll have to get my fill for the brief period I’m here.’

Her stomach well and truly full she turned towards Emma.

‘Would I be able to see Skaldi now? I’d like to know if he’s managed to find Erann.’ Once more, her question was met with a wall of silence more impenetrable than the shield she’d seen on Vatna Jokull. This time the silence was so deep she found it disconcerting. Now what had she said wrong? She observed the strangers. They all avoided her eyes, even Finn and Elen, who she’d already decided were the most friendly. Finally, Emma broke the silence.

‘It’s not our place to seek out the Speaker, Skaldi as you name him. We must wait to be summoned. We’ve not been. We leave him alone until he asks for either you or me. It’s not for us to go and ask impertinent questions. He is the Speaker, after all.’

Sereh was shocked by Emma’s annoyed and reverential tone. She was confused to realise the relationship between these people and Skaldi wasn’t the one of the equals which Erann seemed to share with him.

‘But I must see Skaldi. He brought me here. He insisted upon it through Arrow. If I’d realised I wouldn’t be able to seek him out when I wanted to, I’d have stayed on the glacier. I’d have been much closer to finding Erann, then. He might be in danger or hurt, or anything. I need to get back there, with or without the aid of Skaldi.’ Anger made her words sharp, and she winced at Finn’s confused expression.

‘We must wait, Sereh. That’s all I can tell you. The Speaker will summon you when he’s ready, and there’s no way for you to leave alone. You must recover as best you can until the Speaker’s available. I’m sorry you didn’t understand that when you agreed to come. It’s astonishing you understood anything when you can’t communicate with him.’ Emma’s words struck a deep chord of dread. What had she done in coming here? Had it all been a terrible mistake?

Sereh’s thoughts ran wild as she considered the implications of Skaldi marooning her in another type of prison, different and yet similar to that she’d endured at Rankil’s. Hurt and anger coursed through her, blazing white hot. Her hands gripped the table as she tried to order her thoughts. She was utterly bereft. The one thing she’d thought to be acting in her best interests was blatantly not. Her hearty meal of only moments ago turned to a solid lump of dread in her stomach. Despair threatened to overwhelm her afresh.

Only then she heard a gentle gurgle. The sound made her consider the baby’s miraculous survival, and hers, and Erann’s. It was all down to Skaldi. He’d saved them from near death. What his motivations were, completely eluded her. From Emma’s words, it seemed Skaldi was a different creature to the one she’d assumed. He wasn’t the mighty rescuer of the lost and frightened. Here he was revered, even by people like her.

Questions burned her lips about where Skaldi’s kind lived, how they lived and why they were never seen. Looking at the faces before her, she knew there’d be no answers. Elen and Finn were especially welcoming to her but weren’t forthcoming with information. They were as guarded as Emma. What by the Gods was going on?

The other occupants of the common room busied themselves tidying away the meal and preparing to seek their beds. Sereh sat still, unsure of her place, trying to reason through her tangled thoughts. Emma had already wandered off with the baby, thankfully without him seeing her. That would only have added to her feelings of being off-balance and out of place. Arrow had followed Emma some of the way but had quickly returned to sit next to Sereh. Sereh reached out to touch her inclined head as Finn bounded up before skidding to a halt.

‘Emma says you’re to share my chamber. Come on. I’ll show you the way.’

When Sereh didn’t instantly move at his eager words, Finn spoke directly to Arrow. ‘Come on, girl. Follow me. I’ll make you a nice warm bed.’

Sereh noticed his arms were overflowing with furs.