Cuthbert's indrawn breath is like a key turning, unlocking the grief that's never far away. He thinks of the star-girl, Liliandil, smiling and gentle, and of taking her in his arms, knowing he'd never be able to hold her there with him. "It wasn't," he agrees, his voice a little rough.

"And it was especially hard on Rilian. He vowed to find the serpent and have his revenge, and went out riding every day for a month or more searching for it. On one of those days, he simply never returned. We found no trace of him, not horse nor cloak nor trail, nor anything else, that day or any other."