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castle's feet had not even been imagined。 Not all the forest growth had been cleared。 Vines still clung to the pillars of the shattered gatehouse； rooted in the cracks of the odd； shiny stone which was all that remained of the original gateway； hanging in great braids across the opening to make a tangled； living arbour。
'Do you see？' Lord Sulis spread his strong arms as if he had designed and crafted the wilderness himself。 'We will make our home in the greatest and oldest of all houses。'
As he led her across that threshold and into the ruins of the ancient castle； my mother made the sign of the Tree upon her breast。
I know many things now that I did not know on the first day we came to the High Keep。 Of all the many tales about the place； some I now can say are false； but others I am now certain are true。 For one thing； there is no question that the Northmen lived here。 Over the years I have found many of their coins； struck with the crude 'F' rune of their King Fingil； and they also left the rotted remains of their wooden longhouses in the Outer Bailey； which my stepfather's workmen found during the course of other diggings。 So I came to realize that if the story of the Northmen living here was a true one； it stood to reason that the legend of the dragon might also be true； as well as the terrible tale of how the Northmen slaughtered the castle's immortal inhabitants。
But I did not need such workaday proofs as coins or ruins to show me that our home was full of unquiet ghosts。 That I learned for myself beyond all dispute； on the night I saw the burning man。
Perhaps someone who had grown up in Nabban or one of the other large cities of the south would not have been so astonished by their first sight of the High Keep； but I was a child of the Lake People。 Before that day； the largest building I had ever approached was the great hall of our town where the thanes met every spring … a building that could easily have been hidden in any of several parts of the High Keep and then never discovered again。 On that first day； it was clear to me that the mighty castle could only have been built by giants。
The curtain wall was impressive enough to a small girl … ten times my own height and made of huge； rough stones that I could not imagine being hauled into place by anything smaller than the grandest of ogres … but the inner walls； in the places where they still stood； were not just vast but also beautiful。 They were shaped of shining white stone which had been polished like jewellery； the blocks of equal size to those of the outer wall but with every join so seamless that from a distance each wall appeared to be a single thing； a curving piece of ivory or bone erupting from the hillside。
Many of the keep's original buildings had been burned or torn down； some so that the men from Rimmersgard could pillage the stones to build their own tower； squat as a barrel but very tall。 In any other place the Northmen's huge construction would have loomed over the whole landscape and would certainly have been the focus of my amazement。 But in any other place； there would not have been the Angel Tower。
I did not know its name then … in fact； it had no name； since the shape at its very peak could scarcely be seen … but the moment I saw it I knew there could be nothing else like it on earth； and for once childish exaggeration was correct。 Its entrance was blocked by piles of rubble the Northmen had never finished clearing； and much of the lower part of its facade had cracked and fallen away in some unimaginable cataclysm； so that its base was raw stone； but it still thrust into the sky like a great white fang； taller than any tree； taller than anything mortals have ever built。
Excited but also frightened； I asked my mother whether the tower might not fall down on us。 She tried to reassure me； saying it had stood for a longer time than I could imagine； perhaps since before there had even been people living beside the Kingslake； but that only made me feel other； stranger things。
The last words my mother ever spoke to me were； 'Bring me a dragon's claw。'
I thought at first that in the final hours of her illness she was wandering in her thoughts back to our early days at the castle。
The story of the High Keep's dragon； the creature who had driven out the last of the Northmen； was so old it had lost much of its power to frighten； but it was still potent to a little girl。 The men of my stepfather's pany used to bring me bits of polished stone … I learned after a while that they were shards of crumbled wall…carvings from the oldest parts of the castle … and tell me； 'See； here is a broken piece of the great red dragon's claw。 He lives down in the caves below the castle； but sometimes at night he es up to sniff around。 He is sniffing for little girls to eat！'
The first few times； I believed them。 Then； as I grew older and less susceptible； I learned to scorn the very idea of the dragon。 Now that 1 am an old woman； I am plagued by dreams of it again。 Sometimes even when I am awake； I think I can sense it down in the darkness below the castle； feel the moments of restlessness that trouble its long； deep sleep。
So on that night long ago； when my dying mother told me to bring her a dragon's claw； I thought she was remembering something from our first year in the castle。 I was about to go look for one of the old stones； but her bondwoman Ulca … what the Nabbanai called her handmaiden or body servant … told me that was not what my mother wanted。 A dragon's claw； she explained to me； was a charm to help those who suffered find the ease of a swift death。 Ulca had tears in her eyes； and I think she was Aedonite enough to be troubled by the idea； but she was a sensible young woman and did not waste time arguing the right or wrong of it。 She told me that the only way I could get such a thing swiftly would be from a woman named Xanippa who lived in the settlement that had sprung up just outside the High Keep's walls。
I was barely into womanhood； but I felt very much a child。 The idea of even such a short journey outside the walls after dark frightened me； but my mother had asked； and to refuse a deathbed request was a sin long before Mother Church arrived to parcel up and name the rights and wrongs of life。 I left Ulca at my mother's side and hurried across the rainy； nightbound castle。
The woman Xanippa had once been a whore； but as she had bee older and fatter she had decided she needed another profession； and had developed a name as a herbwife。 Her tumbledown hut； which stood against the keep's southeast curtain wall； overlooking the Kingswood； was full of smoke and bad smells。 Xanippa had hair like a bird's nest； tied with what had once been a pretty ribbon。 Her face might have been round and ely once； but years and fat had turned it into something that looked as though it had been brought up in a fishing net。 She was also so large she did not move from her stool by the fire during the time I was there … or on most other occasions； I guessed。
Xanippa was very suspicious of me at first； but when she found out who I was and what I wanted； and saw my face as proof； she accepted the three small coins I gave her and gestured for me to fetch her splintered wooden chest from the fireplace corner。 Like its mistress； the chest had clearly once been in better condition and more prettily painted。 She set it on the curve of her belly and began to search through it with a painstaking care that seemed at odds with everything else about her。
'Ah； here；' she said at last。 'Dragon's claw。' She held out her hand to show me the curved； black thing。 It was certainly a claw； but far too small to belong to any dragon I could imagine。 Xanippa saw my hesitation。 'It is an owl's toe； you silly girl。 〃Dragon's claw〃 is just a name。' She pointed to a tiny ball of glass over the talon's tip。 'Do not pull that off or break it。 In fact； do not touch it at all。 Do you have a purse？'
I showed her the small bag that hung always on a cord around my neck。 Xanippa frowned。 'The cloth is very thin。' She found some rags in one of the pockets of her shapeless robe and wrapped the claw； then dropped it into my purse and tucked it back in my bodice。 As she did so； she squeezed my breast so hard that I murmured in pain； then patted my head。 'Merciful Rhiap；' she growled； 'was I ever so young as this？ In any case； be careful； my little sweetmeat。 This is heartsbane on the tip of this claw； from the marshes of the Wran。 If you are careless； this is one prick that will make sure you die a virgin。' She laughed。 'You don't want that； do you？'
I backed to the door。 Xanippa grinned to see my fright。 'And you had better give your stepfather a message from me。 He will not find what he seeks among the womenfolk here or among the herbwives of the Lake People。 Tell him he can believe me； because if I could solve his riddle； I would … and； oh； but I would make him pay dearly for it！ No； he will have to find the Witch of the Forest and put his questions to her。'
She was laughing again as I got the door open at last and escaped。 The rain was e