Three days after the attack at Ilkyrie, it was time to report to Elaaron. She waited until Archer left to hunt, knowing the mercenaries would ride on for another hour or so before making camp. This reduced the area she would need to search when she returned. She rose higher into the cooler air until she saw the Lesser Nyall River as it ribboned its way from east to west.
‘Allow two days for us to negotiate the pass and reach the river,’ Elaaron had told her. ‘Search along the southern banks, north of Ilkyrie.’
In less than an hour, Irenya found Elaaron’s party riding at a brisk pace—a far larger party than the one that left Ilkyrie. She lost count at thirty. But there was no mistaking Elaaron’s reddish-gold hair, or the bright red of his squire, Kiel. She circled but could not recognise
