The sun was beginning to rise over the fields and pastures in the Kingdom of Malinas. A soft orange light bathed the tired Elani slaves as they worked at the land under the whips of the slavers. Clouds of dust rose into the air from one of the higher fields as the slaves there ploughed the dry earth and a flock of starlings chattered angrily and took to the sky. Cattle lowed and snorted in the nearest field.

Corrinus had made one of his unusual outings from the castle and he now stood in one of the fields, cloaked in his hooded robe with sceptre in hand, next to Slavemaster Noan.

His pink eyes scoured the land for a few moments before he spoke and when he finally did, the sound caused Noan to shift his weight uncomfortably. "I see no crops," he whispered. He glared out from beneath his hood at the Elani, most of whom had their backs bent to the ground. "There will be crops grown soon, Noan, yes?"

Noan looked sideways at him and then back at the workers. "We will have the beginnings soon, my lord," he replied, keeping his voice level. "We can't rush Mother Nature. It will be a few months before we can harvest."

Corrinus glowered at Noan, who wisely avoided his gaze. He was well aware of how little he knew of farming and it irritated him. He did not like to be reminded of his weaknesses. "The Elani folk are idle," he snarled. "Work them harder."

Noan turned and waved a signal to the Slaver Sundi who nodded in reply and started laying about with his whip, pushing the Elani on to greater efforts.

Corrinus smiled and put a hand to Noan's shoulder. "If your work pleases me, Noan, you will be rewarded, yes?"

Noan looked at him in surprise. "My lord?"

He removed his hand and pulled the hood over his eyes. He sighed and shook his head sadly. "One of my aides met with a, uh, little mishap, shall we say, and I am looking to replace him." His pink eyes glittered wickedly as he watched Noan's face for a reaction.

The Slavemaster remained impassive, though for a moment Corrinus could see the caution in the man's dark eyes. "I appreciate your thought of me, my lord, and you can remain certain my work here will not displease you. But I have no desire to become an aide, great though the honour." Noan turned and looked at Corrinus, careful to keep his tone respectful. "If you wish to reward me for the work I enjoy doing here then I ask only that you replace my sword. It has become old and worn."

Noan unbuckled his weapon and held it out. Corrinus stared at it for a moment and then opened his robe, revealing to his Slavemaster all sorts of deadly blades. He smiled. "I have many blades, Noan, and most are older than both you and your weapon. Do they look worn to you?"

When Noan hesitated, unsure of how to answer, Corrinus pulled his robe together abruptly and turned once more to watch the Elani slaves. "I am the leader of all Lamya and yet I still have the pride to keep my weapons sharp," he said quietly, not looking at Noan. "You should not have allowed your blade to become so worn. It speaks to me of negligence, yes? I wonder, does such carelessness slip into other areas of your life too?"

Noan hastily buckled his belt back on and bowed his head. He stayed like that in silence, seemingly composing what he wanted to say. Then he straightened and a cold smile spread across his face. "You are right of course, my lord, I should not neglect my sword. But it has done an excessive amount of work recently. Taking off heads can damage a blade so."

Corrinus blinked. And then he laughed and patted the Slavemaster's shoulder. "Yes! Yes indeed it's so. Noan, you are my most trusted servant and I know you will not fail me. Forgive me if I insulted you."

He sighed, watched briefly as Sundi raised his cane to the Elani, then turned back at Noan. "If by the end of the week you have produced the start of good crops for me, I will have a brand–new sword to replace your old one. Forged from the finest steel. How does that sound?"

Noan smiled and said with evident relief, "Thank you, sir, you are a just and fair man."

"And never forget it. Never forget it." He pointed a bony finger at one of the Lamya and issued him with a command. "You there! Take me back to the castle at once."

The slaver hurried to get his master's horse. Corrinus dismissed Noan with a gesture and placed his hands on top of his sceptre. He watched the Elani toil the land and smiled in satisfaction.

#

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When Running Bear opened up his home to reveal the morning, Sorrel was not in the best of moods. For a start his home was small and cluttered, which made her feel hemmed in, and then there was a strong smell of herbs which reminded her of her mother and she was not in the mood to cry.

She glared at the old man, sipping at a mug of tea while Cloud sat cross–legged on the floor and chomped silently at his breakfast.

Running Bear smiled at her and asked, affecting an air of innocence, "Is there something you are not happy about?"

She frowned at him over her mug. "You drugged us last night!" she exclaimed. "I felt it - you put something in our drinks."

Running Bear sniffed. "I gave you both a sleeping potion, yes. I did not wish to be badgered with questions by two overexcited youngsters. You both needed to rest, as did I."

Cloud glanced sideways at Sorrel and said, "We did need the sleep."

She rolled her eyes at him, put her mug down on the small wooden table in front of her and sat back in the chair. She folded her arms. "I don't appreciate being drugged. You can't do that to people," she said. "Don't do it again. Old Synan sent us. The Lamya came into our Vale and destroyed everything, they took our families and--"

Running Bear nodded and raised his hand to quieten her. "I know. I've dreamt of the same thing happening for weeks now." He sighed deeply and shook his head. "I had hoped it wouldn't come true."

"You knew?" She sat forwards, face flushed. "And you didn't come to warn us? People died!"

Running Bear dipped his head. "I'm an old man," he said, his voice soft. "I can't travel far. I—"

Sorrel scoffed and crossed her arms. People died! She had to bite her tongue.

Little Cloud cleared his throat. "You're psychic?" he asked. "Like... you see things before they happen?"

Running Bear turned his gaze to Cloud and smiled fondly. "I only see things in my dreams," he said. "I have had visions of you many a time."

Cloud shifted about uncomfortably and fell silent. Sorrel knew he was thinking about the strange experiences he had been having lately.

She thought better of mentioning anything, and instead turned back to the old man. "Synan told us you would know who could help?" she prompted. "We would be grateful if you could give us as many names as possible, and a map too. My knowledge of the rest of Aldenland is limited, I'm afraid. I've heard that Lorvon has a great host of warriors—"

Running Bear laughed. "There are not many places left in Aldenland willing to fight for the Kingdom of Malinas. It means nothing to them. Once it may have been great but it isolated itself. The Lamya care not for the worries of Elani and the Elani will not stir themselves unless their own homes are threatened."

Sorrel gaped. They'd travelled all this way for nothing! She looked from Cloud to Running Bear, then back to Cloud again. "But Synan... he said—"

"I will send a message to some dear friends of mine," Running Bear said. "But I cannot guarantee they'll come."

Before she could protest, Running Bear got up and headed towards the old stone staircase. "Come with me, you two. Quickly."

She threw her arms in the air and looked at Cloud, who shrugged. "How any of this is going to help us I don't know. Come on, Cloud."

#

Up on the surface in the clearing the sunlight filtered through the moss–covered trees and dappled down onto the leafy undergrowth, catching the dewdrops and turning them into sparkling jewels. Running Bear had stopped and sat up on a huge slab of flat rock. He had his eyes closed and seemed half-asleep. Perched nearby on a tree stump was the raven, which blinked at them once and then ignored them.

"He's nodded off," Sorrel whispered. "I can't believe it."

"Shh," said Cloud. "He's not sleeping, listen!"

They crept closer to the old man and Sorrel leaned forwards to try to make out what he was saying. Running Bear's lips were moving but she could hear no words.

She stepped back, hands on hips and declared, "Well that's very helpful!"

Running Bear's eyes opened and he smiled benignly at them both. "You must first help yourselves."

Little Cloud frowned and asked, "But how, sir? We are but two."

Running Bear got up and went over to the raven. He stroked the bird as he spoke, "Sorrel, daughter of Cal and Helena, you are a warrior born. The blood of warriors' runs in your veins, I have nothing to teach you on this, you can only learn for yourself. I will say this, you are… different. Special. But you are not invincible." Running Bear smiled and turned to Cloud. "Little Cloud, son of White Cloud and Rebecca, you are a seer. You know things before they happen, as I do in my dreams. It is my gift from me to you, the gift of foresight."

Cloud seemed surprised. "You helped me know where the Lamya man was?"

"You have always had the ability, I have just woken it. You can do it without my help now, Little Cloud." Running Bear lifted his arm and allowed the raven to step onto it. He turned to Sorrel. "And this will be my gift to you. My raven Bartram. He will lead you to Winter."

Sorrel stroked the raven's blue–black feathers. "Winter?" She frowned; impatience niggled at her, she just wanted to get home and save her mum. If she couldn't get an army she'd do it by herself, no matter what Leif said.

Running Bear nodded. "Winter will give you better help than I have." He looked over Sorrel's shoulder as a black horse breasted the hill. The animal stood next to Cloud with its head bowed.

"This is the Lamya man's horse," Cloud said, scratching the horse's thick neck. "You were calling to him when you were on the rock weren't you, Running Bear?"

The old man nodded and clasped his hands together joyfully. "He learns fast! Yes. This horse once worked for the Lamya but he is a good beast. He'll be your ride to Winter."

Sorrel wasted no time in mounting the horse and pulling Cloud up next to her. Her grandfather had kept a horse and she knew how to ride though she hadn't for some time. She smiled down at Running Bear. "You have our thanks." Let's hope this Winter can help.

Running Bear smiled, took a step back and launched his raven into the air. "Follow Bartram to Winter!" he cried, watching the bird soar into the sky. "And may the fates be with you, youngsters."

Sorrel put her heels to the horse's flanks and they galloped away.