Torben winced as he began to ease himself down to the floor. Eleusia appeared at his side to help him down.
‘Easy now, Torben,’ she said. ‘You need to take it slow. You’re out of the woods, but they’re still on the horizon.’
‘Eergh, well, I’ve certainly felt better.’ He turned to look at Egberht, who deposited his heavy bag on the floor and was using his rucksack as a seat. ‘Thank you for your help. By the sounds of it, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.’
‘That’s quite alright,’ the gnome smiled, ‘the manner of asking was a bit more brusque than I am used to, though I’m glad to have been of assistance, nonetheless. I will admit, though, this is not quite what I imagined when I decided to accompany you out of the castle.’
‘Don’t worry,’ Antauros chipped in, ‘it’s not what we imagi
