Arven exchanged a smile with Roslyn, then proceeded graciously to the dinner table. He was probably as hungry as a wolf this evening, but would dine with rather more elegance.

”I’d never been before”, he replied, which he realised was a vague, useless, rather arrogant answer — but it was also true.

"But also because I'd seen paintings of the Altai mountain range — a whole café full of such paintings, in fact — and couldn't resist experiencing it for myself. Have you ever been tempted by a flight of fancy, uncle?"