I hoped and prayed that Malcolm understood enough of the instructions I quickly whispered to him.

We could not linger. Ai! I could not even kiss him. I had to walk among the other villagers, and many of them would bring their horses lest the herd take fright and try to run. Bolting horses suffer injuries, and that we could not risk.

I had only seen the horsebane once, knowing it from the description that Healer-That-Was had given me, and even then I had paused before I picked it. It was not a plant that had any use that I knew of, but I have always been eager to experiment, and so I broke off a couple of fronds and tucked them into my collecting-pouch.

I learned the error of my ways when I tried to mount Arach. Although she was young then, and hardly broken to bridle, she was always the sweetest-natured of beasts. But even before I had set my hand to her withers she was laying back her ears and rolling her eyes, and as soon as I tried to vault to her back she almost leaped sideways, jumping off all four feet together like a cat so that I tumbled to the ground, more astonished than hurt. Over and over again I caught her and tried to mount, and each time she tried to endure my presence but at the last minute shied away. In the end, I walked back to camp, with her trailing shamefaced at the knotted end of her reins.

Garv, seeing us come home so, had run out to meet us and see that Arach had sustained no injury. Reaching me, he had put his head close to me and sniffed.

Even now I remembered the wry smile that had split his weathered face under its mop of fair hair. "Horsebane," he had said, shaking his head. "Not a plant little maids should carry if they wish to ride home. Take my counsel, Jessa: throw it away. And then wash yourself three times in the river and come to beg pardon of this poor mare of yours."

I had taken some of his counsel. I had washed myself three times and come to beg Arach's pardon, with a wizened apple in my pocket for a make-peace. Even then she had sniffed me nervously before she would be consoled and accept the apple, and after that we were friends again…

But I had not thrown away the horsebane. Instead I had wrapped it up as tightly as might be and stowed it among my medicines, thinking that one day I might find a use for it.

I did not know why I had done so; usually I was a biddable enough maid, and Garv never gave bad advice. But I was in that time of life when one mistakes foolishness for independence, and so I had decided I would keep the horsebane, no matter what Garv said. And there it had stayed all these years, safely wrapped up out of harm's way, until I had all but forgotten that I had it…

Until now.

There was only one more thing that I could do.

Keeping my distance as best I could from the aroma now emanating from his chest, I reached and cupped his face between my hands. "Say these words after me."

He hesitated, his eyes searching mine. But when I spoke, he repeated the words.

I saw from the change in his expression when he realised what he was saying. But he did not hesitate, simply went on in that low voice that resonated in my heart like that of Bracu's Wolf across the plains.

When he had done, I released him.

How much I longed to kiss him. But I could not. I only had time to repeat the few words that would tell him what to do. Then I ducked out of the tent, leaving him alone.

The number of men who were waiting outside for us to re-emerge was a tribute to Malcolm, though I doubted he would think of it in that way.

"The LefTenAnt has made preparation after the way of his own people," I said loudly, into the quiet. "He has invoked Lord Bracu's protection. He must walk alone to his trial, and after his vindication he must undergo ritual cleansing after his people's customs. Alone."

This was perfectly reasonable. All tribes have their own holy rites for special occasions, and there was nothing in the least unusual about any of these.

Solemn-faced, they all gave back a little, creating the space into which Malcolm emerged. I think they, like me, had forgotten somewhat that he was LefTenAnt, and the sight of him once more in his blue gear and carrying himself like a king laid awe on them.

He did not speak. His face was composed and still, as befitted one who walked beneath Bracu's mighty hand, and he turned without hesitation and began the walk towards the herd. He looked to neither right nor left, not even at me or at Atreh, who fell back to walk beside me with a grave face but no words.

None wanted to intrude upon one who had invoked such a tremendous protector, or who might be under the guardianship of his own mysterious gods. I myself prayed silently and desperately to Bracu that He would forgive my small and necessary deceit, and rein in Syach's proud watchfulness, in which they were brothers.

The presence of so many watchers, even at a distance, had aroused the stallion's suspicions. Instead of grazing peacefully among his mares, he was circling them, surveying the unaccustomed numbers of humans standing at a respectful distance. He grew more and more nervous, laying back his ears and snaking his head at anyone who was too slow to step back or rein their mount further away.

We came to the edge of the waiting crowd, and paused for Briai to give the signal.

Syach was just passing in front of us, and it seemed to me that he had grown twice as large as he had been the last time I saw him. His forefeet slammed into the ground as though he would trample Earth Mother herself, and his eyes were gleaming with challenge. As I watched him, the full enormity of what I was asking for became clear and sickening. Against all that royal wrath, how could a few ancient fronds of fern possibly prevail?

The wording of the test was clear: Malcolm must walk through the herd, making his way from one side to the other. At no time would anyone do so without being observed by its lord and master; even Shonn would not walk among the mares without his presence being noted, and he alone would do so without fear. Now, with the stallion in this mood, it was clear that anyone at all who approached them would do so at the risk of his skin.

Another knot of onlookers further on attracted Syach's hostile notice. At once he set off to warn them back, his crest and tail high in warning, and his hooves crashing threat.

As the stallion vanished momentarily beyond the nearest little group of mares, Briai looked at Malcolm and nodded.

The crowd was so silent I thought all could have heard my beloved's indrawn breath. Then he was walking, steadily and without haste, towards the mares. He could not run; that would have panicked them and drawn Syach down on him at once. As long as he remained calm they should not react any more strongly than to give him room, as they would any member of the tribe. He already knew that he must not come close to any of them, or the stuff I had smeared on him would do to them what it had done to poor Arach, and that Syach would certainly not ignore.

Beside me, Atreh whispered something. I think Bihiv was too frightened even to breathe. As for me, my heart was kicking in my chest like a trapped hare, and I prayed to Bracu and to Syach until the one of them was indistinguishable from the other in my mind.

Malcolm reached the mares. They watched him, and one or two of them walked away, but there was no panic, simply a quiet eddy to give him space. He already knew that a good horseman does not stare predator-wise at any beast, and he moved easily but without stealth. I dared to draw a breath.

And then I saw Arach's head come up from grazing. She knew him; she had taken many twists of grass and crusts of bread from his hands when he accompanied me to greet her and see how the coming foal grew. Sweet and confident, she knew of no reason why she should not come to him…

He tried to fend her off without panicking the other mares around him, but his quick movement and her shy away startled another of the mares nearby. This one's sudden prance scared others, and there was a moment of snorting and a few kicks; nothing in itself, but more than enough to draw Syach's attention that way.

There was a concerted indrawn breath from the crowd as the stallion's head went up and his gaze raked the herd to pin down the source of the disturbance.

Having identified it, he charged.