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‘Um, do you still need this touchstone?' she asked with innocence in her voice.

‘It has served its purpose in the quorum, yes.'

‘What did it do?'

‘It ensures that we reveal our true feelings, by making our auras clear to all.'

‘Right then, so you don't need it any more?'

‘No.’

‘In that case. I suggest that you retire to, say, that tree over there, while I demonstrate something to you.'

Puzzled, Bat instructed the rest of the Ceffyl to follow her to where Ace had indicated. Ace waited until they were all safe and then pulled the cap off one of her cans. She inserted it into a crack in the rock and then ran as fast as she could towards the herd. She counted under her breath and flung herself to the ground when she reached twenty.

The explosion transformed the rock into flying fragments which rained to the ground all around.

‘Ace, are you all right?' Bat asked, her voice tinged with concern, Ace pushed herself to her feet. 'Yes, I'm fine. What do you think?' She gestured towards what remained of the rock and a broad grin spread across her face.

'I don't understand.'

'Well, do you think I can get us through the walls of Dinorben with this stuff?'

'You intend to breach the wall?'

'No!' Ace shook her head.

'No?'

'No, I'm going to blow it to bits.'

They left at once, churning the thin layer of snow up into a muddy mess with their hooves. The journey would not them long, but they had a slight detour to make.

'We hear Herne calling out. He is in pain. You have met Herne?'

'Yes, but he was weird. He apologized to the Professor for something that he hadn't done. I didn't understand.'

'Herne is strange. He does not perceive events in the same way that we do. This would explain his knowledge of what is to come.'

'But why did he apologize? Why doesn't he just not do what ... ? I've just realized - when the Sidhe camp was attacked. That was Herne. It didn't connect but I saw the light, the same light that surrounds Herne. Was that what he was apologizing for?'

'I do not know, Ace.'

They could see where Herne lay from a great distance away, for he was burning with a light as bright as distant suns. He lay in a circle of brown soil at the centre of a deserted village. The common land was the focal point of village life but now it was untouched by snow or plants and bore no evidence that midsummer celebrations had once been held there. One of the houses, half within Herne's aura of light, had collapsed into shattered ruins and the stones were turning slowly to dust. The herd stopped and tried to call out to Herne.

'Herne! Herne! Answer us!'

Herne did not stir from his prone position, and though he mouthed words none came. The only reply was a loud roaring just as on the night of the attack. Once more, Ace thought she could almost distinguish words amongst the sound, but if they were really words then they were in another language.

Finally, the waiting became too long for Fleet. She dashed forward to rouse Herne.

The effect was instant and horrible With each move forward, Fleet grew smaller. Her limbs became more gangling and her head grew larger in proportion to her body Carried forward by her own momentum she could not stop the changes The legs became less distinct and shrunk up into her body; the head took up more and more of her for. All the time she grew smaller until the onlookers could no longer see her.

‘What’s happened to her’ Ace asked, disgusted.

’Herne is ill … in his mind. I have looked forward and can see only possible futures without him. He must be dying. We should leave him. There is nothing we can do.’

They approached Dinorben cautiously. Ace had no intention of causing widespread slaughter by letting all of the sieging armies into the humans’ refuge at once To this end they came to Dinorben from its western side where the hills surrounding the valley provided most of the protection but were surmounted by sturdy walls that were not as strong as the huge walls that crossed the mouth of the valley and