Telli stood below the high wall for a moment, concentrating hard. Then his feet left the ground and he floated up steadily before gripping its top. He hung there for a few seconds, then kicked against the wall, pulling himself up as quietly as possible to lie along the top where he rested, motionless for two or three minutes. He listened carefully while looking around the enclosure below him. There were no signs of activity except for a light in a third floor window of the mansion. Satisfied that there was no one in the surrounding gardens, at least, on the canal side of the enclosure, he concentrated again, and floated down to the ground inside the wall.

A three-quarter moon in a cloudless sky lit the warm southern night and Telli could see his way well enough. He walked alongside the wall to the large wooden doors opening onto the canal, examining their fastenings when he got there. They were closed by a wooden latch and held secure by two wooden bars. After looking carefully behind him at the house, he removed the bars as silently as possible, lifted the latch and pulled one of the doors open a few inches.

"Rhyll," he whispered, knowing his friend was crouched outside on the steps. Hearing an answering hiss, he opened the door a little wider, and the black clad Mendai slipped in. The pair closed the door and replaced the bars, then crouched for several minutes in the shadows of the wall, making sure that their movements had gone unnoticed in the house. Rhyll then moved to the shelter of a bush a few yards from the door, where he would wait while Telli searched for a way into the house. He had come in ahead of the others so that they would have a good chance of rescuing Telli should he be caught during his investigations. It was only an hour after midnight, and Telli had plenty of time to pursue these.

He crawled towards the house, keeping out of the moonlight wherever possible. He could see that there were a number of windows open on the upper floors of the building, one of them with a balcony below it. This was to be expected in the warm night, but Telli knew that there was a very good chance that there were people sleeping in the rooms beyond them. There was also a good chance of a night watchman being employed on the premises. However, if he was lucky, a watchman in such a place might not be too alert. Old Abhyll had told him that attempts at robbery on these houses of wealthy merchants were virtually unheard of. Thieves considered them too difficult with their high walls and the likely presence of many servants inside. He circled the house slowly and cautiously, looking for any obvious points where he might be able to enter.

The circuit completed, he had seen nowhere on the ground floor that looked likely to him, as all windows and doors were closed on this level. As he reached the side facing the canal once again, he noticed that the upstairs light he had observed had now been extinguished, and the mansion was in total darkness. He decided to try the balcony under the open window. This was well within his flying range, and he pulled himself over its balustrade quietly and without mishap. He crouched below the window, listening for some time. Deciding from the rustling, heavy breathing and soft snores that there were at least two people inside, he ruled this out as his entry point, although he could try and sneak past the sleepers if desperate. Carefully, concentrating hard and taking as much time as he needed, Telli started to fly to each open window he could see, listening outside each as he hung from their sills, and pulling himself up to peer into those from which no sounds came.

The fourth window he tried, in the middle of the second floor, seemed to provide him with the chance he was looking for. No sound came from within, but there was a little light, too faint to have been seen from the ground below. Pulling himself up to look inside, he was pleased to see that this window opened into a corridor rather than a bedchamber. The light came from small candle-lamps attached to its walls. As soon as he was certain that there was no one around, Telli pulled himself through the window and stood silently for a full minute just inside. His target now was the doorway two floors below, straight underneath where he stood. If he could open this from the inside, the raiding party would have the shortest escape route available to them from the house to their canoes.

Telli crept silently along the corridor past several closed doors, until he reached a stairwell. There was no sound of movement in the house as he climbed slowly down two flights of stairs, also lit by candlelight, to the ground floor. Then, with mounting excitement, he crossed part of a huge hall that ran from front to back of the house, reaching the door he knew must open to the grounds on the canal side of the mansion. The candle-lamps had meant that he had not even needed the Khrelling lamp he carried. This time, there was a key required, but it had been left in the lock, hardly surprising, as the occupants would see no need to conceal it from those already inside. Telli smiled as he eased two slightly squeaky bolts very carefully out of their sockets, then turned the key and pulled the door open. He slipped outside and closed the door in case someone should pass through the hallway in his absence, leaving it held by a latch that could be lifted from either side. 'I could be the best burglar in Kellmarsh if I chose', he thought as he hurried over to the bush where Rhyll waited, and crouched beside him. He explained which door was open, and said that he would return to hide outside it, listening for any movement in the hall beyond until the others arrived. This he did, while Rhyll opened the canal door, lit the lamp he carried, and flashed an agreed signal to the other three men waiting in one of the canoes a short distance away.

When Telli saw the shadows of his four companions hurrying across the mansion's lawn, he reopened the door and stepped inside, listening carefully until they joined him. The plan had worked perfectly so far, but as they stood silently for a moment in the hallway, all five raiders knew that the hardest part was just beginning. As they had no way of knowing in which room Grenwald was to be found, it would be necessary to wake one of the sleeping occupants of the house, gag and bind this person immediately, and force the information out of them. They hoped to achieve this without disturbing the rest of the household. They knew that servants' quarters were most likely to be on the highest floors, and that guest bedchambers were most likely on the floor just above them, saving visitors the inconvenience of climbing too many stairs.

Rhyll led them up the first flight of stairs, and selected a door at random. He turned its handle slowly, finding it unlocked, then pushed the door silently open. At the same time he took out his lamp, still alight, and held it up to show a large bed with two occupants. Keoch and Mhyfait jumped on the bed, holding the cloths they had ready over the faces of the occupants, while Sabhytt leaned over behind them, holding both victims still with a large hand on each and his great weight pressed downwards. Rhyll held his lamp up so the others could see what they were doing, and Telli stood guard on the door, which he had shut quietly immediately all five were in the room. The attack was fast and efficient, the two occupants of the bed gagged with only a few muffled noises after just seconds, and looking up into the scarred face of Rhyll with wide, frightened eyes.

The Mendai made sure he looked and sounded his fiercest as he warned the captives in a whisper that they would die if they attempted to make a noise. He held his sword across both of their throats as he spoke at length, explaining that they would not be harmed if they obeyed his orders. The man must show them to Grenwald's room while the woman must lie quietly on the bed to which Keoch was already tying her. When he was sure he had been understood, he signed to Sabhytt, who lifted the naked man off the bed, tied a rope round his arms, and gripped him by his hair with one hand whilst holding a knife to his throat with the other. The raiders had no intention of harming anyone who might be innocent so must act their most frightening to make sure they were obeyed. Sabhytt managed to look like a bloodthirsty monster in the lamplight.

When all was ready, Telli opened the door and, hearing nothing outside, led the party into the corridor. Their captive had indicated with nods that he knew where Grenwald slept, and he now led them up the next flight of stairs. Then, just as all was going smoothly to plan, they heard a door open on the ground floor below and the sound of voices. Sabhytt whispered to the man he held saying that, if he did not take them to the door of Grenwald's room as quickly as possible, he would have his neck broken slowly before his throat was cut. The gentle giant was a good actor, and they were soon standing outside a door on the floor above the captive's room, the man pointing at it with a trembling finger. Rhyll tried the handle, but the door was locked. Sabhytt handed the prisoner to Mhyfait, and looked at Rhyll, who nodded. The giant aimed a huge kick at the door by its lock, and it burst open, Rhyll rushing in first with his lamp held high.

Knowing that the house would be woken by the noise of the door being broken, speed was now more important than stealth for the raiders.

"Its him," cried Rhyll, triumphantly, as he held his lamp up in one hand, pulling the room's frightened occupant out of bed with the other. Sabhytt grabbed Grenwald by his night-shirt and, with no time for gags and bonds, knocked the man behind his uncle's murder out with a blow from his huge fist. He slung the inert body over his shoulder, and they started down the first flight of stairs with Keoch, his sword now drawn, leading the way. Doors were now opening on all levels of the building, and shouts of alarm rang out around them. Mhyfait threw the bound man he had been holding aside and followed Keoch, with Sabhytt and Telli behind. Rhyll brought up the rear to fight off any who should follow.

As Keoch reached the flight of stairs to the ground floor, there were three men coming up it.

"Back, or you die," he shouted, swinging his sword round his head. They retreated before him, until a voice screamed from above.

"Stop them, guards, or the leader will have your heads. Stop them, they must not get away!" Telli looked up to see a red-robed priest above them, with several others behind him.

Keoch now had to fight, and showed just what a Treoch warrior was worth as he drove the guards down before him, knocking weapons from their hands, and sending them tumbling over each other to the floor below. The raiders could not have guessed how full of people the house would be. Priests were streaming out of rooms everywhere, many chambers obviously serving as dormitories. They were pulling on their robes, and most carried weapons. Rhyll was coming down the stairs backwards, fighting off pursuers. Keoch and Mhyfait reached the ground floor, and entered into a pitched battle with several men there. The others joined them, and Rhyll was just backing down off the last step, fending off two swordsmen above him, when tragedy struck. A well aimed vase, thrown from above, shattered on his head, and while he reeled under the blow, one of his opponents drove a sword into the Mendai's stomach. Rhyll let out a bellow of rage rather than pain, and his own sword point flashed up into the other's throat, bringing the first death of the encounter.

Sabhytt reacted with amazing speed as he saw Rhyll stagger to the floor, eyes glazed. Shouting at Telli to duck, he took Grenwald by the ankles and swung him round in circles, scattering all the enemies for some distance while standing over Rhyll's body. He then slung Rhyll over one shoulder, Grenwald over the other, and charged across the hall towards the door by which they had entered the mansion. Mhyfait cleared the way in front of him, downing two men with his sword, and Telli darted ahead at the last second to open the door. Sabhytt was first out into the night, Mhyfait shouting that Telli should follow as he turned to help Keoch, now fighting like fury in the rear, using his sword to wound and kill since his friend's fall, rather than merely disarm his opponents. The men in the hall hung back from their skilled and furious opponents. When Keoch and Mhyfait backed out of the door, Telli slammed it behind them, and all three leant on it for a few seconds, panting and watching Sabhytt as he galloped towards the canal gate at astonishing speed considering he carried two men on his shoulders.

"That's a gorilla, not a man," gasped Keoch, in admiration at the sight. "Let's go, before the scum swarm out of the windows." They raced across after Sabhytt, who was through the gate when they reached it, and was laying Rhyll carefully in the canoe having slung Grenwald in first.

"Get in and go," the giant shouted as they arrived. He picked up one of the wooden bars that had held the doors from inside, and then pulled the doors shut. Placing the bar between the two handles, he braced himself on the steps with his hands on it.

"Jump in," Keoch cried, as they prepared to move away.

"I shall swim to the other side when you are away, then run down the bank to where my cousin waits. Go, don't worry!" The others pushed off, and heard a hammering on the doors, accompanied by Sabhytt's deep laughter and shouts of defiance as he held them shut against the pursuers. When they were well away, Telli saw the figure of the giant take a huge dive into the canal, and the doors burst open behind him. The canoe reached the canal junction where Setisia, Abhyll and his friend were waiting with the other two craft.

"Put Rhyll in the same boat as Setisia," cried Telli. "She is a doctor." The raiders arranged themselves between the three boats quickly, tying Grenwald up in case he regained consciousness. Just as they were ready, pounding footsteps on the bank told them that Sabhytt was arriving, and he climbed, dripping wet, into the canoe with the least weight. They set off at speed, going to a Dullai house where a cellar had been prepared for their prisoner.

The raid would have been a complete success had it not been for the large numbers of armed men in the mansion, and their willingness to fight. As it was, concern for Rhyll overshadowed any sense of triumph amongst the eight conspirators. Setisia had bound Rhyll's wound in one of the canoes as they raced through the city, but when Telli saw her pale face as the Mendai was carried to a bed in Abhyll's house, he feared the worst. Sabhytt and Abhyll were left to deal with Grenwald, the others all being close to Rhyll, and too concerned with him to occupy themselves with the prisoner.

Setisia and a Mendai medicine man worked intensely for an hour, doing everything they could for Rhyll, but in vain. He drifted in and out of consciousness, recognising all those around him, and saying goodbye, knowing that his wound was mortal. A few minutes before the end, he took Setisia's hand, saying he loved her.

"Take the black Goddess from my bag in Keoch's house, princess, and remember me," he said. He spoke a few more words in his own tongue after this to Mhyfait, before dying in his brother's arms.

The four friends sat in the room for some time, speechless with grief. It was Keoch who moved first, embracing Mhyfait for a moment, before saying that he must go to his wife and tell her she had lost one of her dearest friends. He turned to Telli and Setisia, saying that they should come with him, that they must sleep, and that there was nothing more for them to do that night. The three left for his house, paddling his canoe in silence.

Helli was awake when they arrived, and guessed something of what had happened by their faces, and by Rhyll's absence.

"Rhyll?" She asked. Keoch took her in his arms and spoke in his own language for a moment. Setisia and Telli knew that the couple had been close to their Mendai friend for years, and said good night quietly, before going up to their attic room. They prepared the mattresses they slept on in silence. Setisia pushed hers next to Telli's, and put an arm round him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Don't you ever leave me like that, goblin," she said, through tears. Telli hugged her to him, unable to speak, and the grief stricken pair slept in each other's arms for the first time that night.

It was nearly midday when Telli and Setisia came down from their attic the next day to find Keoch and Helli waiting for them.

"We are all going to the Dullai house when you have eaten something," Keoch said. "Helli must pay her respects to our lost friend, and we shall take the babes with us." Helli kissed them both, and showed them the meal waiting for them, then Tseochy insisted on kissing them as well, bringing the first wan smiles to their faces after the events of the night.

Old Abhyll welcomed them into the house when they arrived there, making a great fuss of the babes, and volunteering to help Telli and Setisia look after them while their parents went up to the room where Rhyll's body lay. He led them to a room where there were some playthings to amuse Tseochy, and told them of the news his people had gathered that morning.

"There was much movement between the two mansions we had been watching after our efforts last night. As far as we know, no complaints have been made to the city authorities about our illegal activities, and as there may have been three or four deaths in the house, this seems enough proof that its occupants have much to hide in itself. Our prisoner is badly bruised, but will survive. Sabhytt told me that he used the man as a weapon at one point, so at least he has been of some use for once in his sorry life. He is securely held, and we shall start questioning him when Sabhytt wakes. You two must feel free to come and go from this house as you please, as if you were Dullai. We keep such houses for the use of all the clan, having them in a number of different towns around the Kingdom." Abhyll kept away from the subject of Rhyll, knowing that they would be suffering as much as Mhyfait and Keoch from his loss. Telli was happy to talk on other subjects as well.

"What has Grenwald said of his capture so far?" he asked.

"He is very confused, and can remember nothing of it. He said to me he woke up with the door of his room crashing in, a man rushed in and grabbed him, then all went black 'til he woke up here. This was when I was pretending to be a friend, holding him for his own protection as we had found him being dragged through the street by villains and had rescued him. He did not believe that for long, but it kept him quiet for a while."

The door opened and Sabhytt came in, rubbing his eyes. He hugged his 'new cousin' with one great arm around her shoulders.

"May I borrow your friend, my fellow raider, for a quiet word, man to man?"

"Of course," Setisia replied, surprised at the request. Telli followed Sabhytt to another room, and they sat opposite each other at a small table, Sabhytt starting to speak of the night's adventure.

"First, I must thank you for the great work you did last night, which was carried out to perfection, especially as you were obliged to reveal secrets you would otherwise have chosen to keep between yourself and Setisia. This I wish to speak of in a moment." He paused, and Telli remembered him saying that he might know someone who could tell him something about his 'flying'. Sabhytt continued.

"You are very clever, and I think the things I am about to say about last night will have already occurred to you, and will perhaps seem obvious. The people in the house will have seen five black clad and hooded intruders in the candlelight. Two of these will have been noticed for their unusual size, you and I. There are, of course, many boys your size in the city and, indeed, quite a number of small men. But men of my size are so rare that there is a very good chance that, making inquiries around the city, they may hear of a giant Mendai who could be one of the raiders. So, it is very important that you are not seen with me in the streets or any public places until the conspiracy has been broken. Also, because I knew that I might be easily recognised if we were interrupted before spiriting our captive away, arrangements have already been made to transfer Grenwald to a safe house with no Mendai connections, and all Mendai in town will be on alert for spies around their residences. If our enemies suspect that I was their giant raider, they will not be happy. Apart from the Treochim, who are far more numerous, the Mendai are the group that they would least like to have sniffing around their affairs. We are many, and spread all over the Kingdom. It is impossible for them to find spies or traitors from amongst our people, so they cannot find out what we know of them, or what our interest is. You are not of the Kingdom, so may not know, but there is a saying here that if you make an enemy of the Mendai, you are cursed, and may as well cut your own throat." Sabhytt smiled as he said this.

"We are very nice people, but have learnt to look after ourselves since arriving as newcomers more than six centuries ago. We charm others with our entertaining, and make a great contribution to what is good in the Kingdom, so our strength is in making friends, not enemies. But we can defend ourselves if necessary."

"Could not Keoch's features have been recognised as Treoch?" Telli asked.

"Yes, that is quite possible even though all happened so fast and in dim light. Even more distinctive to those who know it is his style of fighting. Formidable, don't you think?"

"I feel very safe staying in his house, and can understand how Tellimakis the First conquered all opposition to his united Kingdom," Telli said, smiling.

"If they come to the conclusion that both tribes are interested in their plots, it may lead them into rash and hasty action, which would be a good thing," Sabhytt said, then changed the subject.

"Have you heard of an order of priests called the Meldrith, Tellimakis?"

Telli had not forgotten the woman they had first met at Mother Raidy's and her invitation to Setisia, and told Sabhytt of the encounter. The giant appeared to find it very interesting

"I think you should take up the invitation, both of you. She may be able to tell you something about your unusual talents. I learned last night that my cousin is a medicine woman of great talent. The man she worked with last night said that her knowledge was extraordinary. The Meldrith run the best healing house in Kellmarsh, and Setisia may find that she has much in common with them. Perhaps it would distract her from the tragedy of last night if you were to search out the priestess today. Shall we rejoin the others?"

Sabhytt talked with Abhyll for a while, then the pair went off to question Grenwald, leaving Telli and Setisia to take care of Tseochy and her tiny sister. Telli mentioned the Meldrith priestess, saying that Sabhytt thought they had much to gain from a visit to her, and they agreed to go that afternoon.

"She may be able to tell us something of the red-robed order," said Setisia. "But if there is any connection between the two, we must be careful what we say to her."

Keoch and Helli returned to the room, subdued after their visit, saying that Mhyfait was bearing up well, but needed to be left alone to sleep for a while as he had been awake all night. Setisia asked Telli if he would come with her to their boat, as she wished to collect something, and they set off, having been warned by Keoch to keep a watch at all times to make sure that they were not followed.

Setisia was silent on the way to the boat. Indeed, she had hardly spoken all day. Telli guessed that she blamed herself in some way for Rhyll's death, knowing as she did that he would still be alive had he never met her. Telli himself was feeling great loss at their friend's death, and was also in a slight state of shock as he had never witnessed men fighting other men to the death before. He decided that the best thing for both of them was to keep as active as possible over the next few days so as not to dwell too much on the events of the previous night.

On reaching the boat, Setisia searched through their cabin, and came out holding the board painted with the death's head skull, which had been left outside her house on the night of the arson attack. She explained that she had brought it with her to frighten Grenwald if they found him.

"I want Abhyll to fix it quietly to the wall of the room where they hold Grenwald when he is asleep. Then he must tell him later, when he asks about it, that the girl whose house he attacked is a powerful witch, and can find him anywhere in the Kingdom, that this is how Abhyll's men found him. He must say that I shall only leave him alone if he turns King's evidence and tells all he knows of the plot against the King. Grenwald is mad, and may be frightened into confession in such a way."

Telli thought about this, and had a better idea.

"If the door to his room flew open having been pushed by an unseen hand, then a demon, robed in black like the figures he saw enter his room last night, was to fly in, feet clearly not touching the ground, and carrying the skull picture, would that not convince him of your formidable powers, witch? Remember how you felt when you first saw me in the forest."

"Yes," said Setisia with a thoughtful smile, "that would surely work."

They hurried back to the Dullai house to find Sabhytt in the room with the Treoch family. He told them that Grenwald had had his situation explained to him. He had been told that he would be killed if he did not agree to betray the others involved in the conspiracy. Abhyll was now with him, plying him with a tasty wine, and behaving in a friendly and persuasive manner. Sabhytt had played the nasty captor, telling Grenwald that he would be happy to kill him slowly with his bare hands, and it was only the information he had that was holding him back from doing this. The youngsters explained their plan, and Sabhytt laughed, saying there was no harm in trying it. When Abhyll arrived they worked out the details of the ruse, and the old man produced paints that the Mendai used in their performances. Setisia set about making up Telli's face as that of a convincing demon, showing some of her humour again, which she had not done since Rhyll's death.

"Now we see you in your true colours, demonic goblin, and all can see what a little horror you are." She painted his face as white as a Khrelling's, his lips bright red, and skilfully outlined a third eye on his forehead. Keoch and Helli lost some of their gloom, and laughed at the effect, though Tseochy was confused and a little frightened by the transformation of her new friend. Sabhytt left to tell Grenwald of the powers of the witch girl of the Bhuin forest whom he had been so rash as to attack, saying that he himself was under her control, and several other giants like him, along with other creatures even more dangerous.

Half an hour later, Grenwald was lying on the bed he was chained to when the door to the cellar room burst open, letting in bright flickering light from the room next to it. After a few seconds, a black clad figure floated into the room, lying horizontally several feet off the ground. It swung its feet suddenly down to the floor, and pulled something from its cloak, placing it on the ground against the wall opposite where he lay. Then the hooded head turned towards him, and seemed to look at him for a moment from three eyes in a monstrous white face. The apparition then turned towards the door, lifted off its feet, and floated back out of the room as it had entered. The light faded outside, and the door slammed shut suddenly with tremendous force. Grenwald lay trembling on his bed, and felt a warm trickle of fluid running down his leg. In the dim light of the candle lamp that lit his room, he recognised the object against the far wall as the painting he had made himself to terrorise the young girl from West Hartlet. The creature had been flying. The girl must be a witch.

Abhyll entered the room fifteen minutes later to find the captive gibbering to himself. He looked at the painted board against the wall, and pretended surprise.

"Did the giant bring this?"

"N-no," stammered the wreck on the bed.

"Then who did?"

"Some flying devil sent by a witch who persecutes me and torments my very soul. I shall do all you ask if you can protect me from her."

"Wait, I must search the house," said the old man, and left, bolting the door behind him.

Telli was washing the paint off his face when Abhyll rejoined the party upstairs.

"It worked, he will tell me all I wish to know. He has even wet his breeches from fear. You are a terrible devil to him now, Tellimakis." The old Mendai chuckled with pleasure.

Telli and Setisia had no further part to play in the questioning of Grenwald, so arranged to return later to find out what his story was. When all the paint was cleaned off Telli's face, they set off to find the house of the Meldrith priestess.