"Many different kinds of heroes, indeed," Cuthbert said with mock-sincerity, and laughed. "I don't believe for a moment that your life's been that dull. Not travelling with Nariko, anyroad, not from what I've seen of her." Shifting his weight, so he was kneeling rather than sitting, he regarded her thoughtfully for a moment.

At last, he looked up at the sky. It was coming on to evening; they'd been outside longer than he'd realised. Not that he was complaining. For all their to-and-fro, and for all that revisited pain, this was the most peaceful afternoon he'd had in ages.

"Tell me about where you're from," he said suddenly, after a minute or so. "I don't even know where that is, but I'm guessing from how you talk it's nowhere I've been. So. Start there?"