13
The next morning, while Sheldrake and Maud slept on, the High Lord broke with his usual practice and rose with the dawn. He dressed quickly, then wrote a note which he slipped under the door of his aide-de-camp before making his way downstairs and across to the practice yard behind the stables.
Stefan came out of the shed bearing an armful of wooden swords in preparation for the morning’s practice. He stopped in surprise as he saw a tall stranger leaning with his elbows on the top rail of the newly constructed post and rail fence that surrounded their little arena. The stranger was watching him intently.
“Hello,” said Stefan cheerily. “You’re new. I haven’t seen you before.” He put down the wooden swords in a pile just outside the arena, but when he straightened, he was frowning. “No
