So they rode on for the best part of the morning. Johanna had thought that the ice cellar had to be close to a house, and that the wide forest lanes with straight rows of trees on both sides indicated the same, but she had clearly been wrong, or this was a very large estate. Whatever the soldier was doing with the group, and when he had turned up, was a mystery to her, but he rode with Sylvan, constantly talking and joking. Whenever Ludo’s horse came close enough for Johanna to hear their conversation, they discussed things that she wouldn’t consider bandits’ business: trade, a musical performance.
Sigvald glared at the pair of them.
He rode at the head of the main group, Sylvan at the other. Occasionally, the bears crossed the distance between the groups, but always ran back when Sylvan
