Asha's Power (Soul Merge Saga Book 4)

by M. P. A. Hanson

  Asha frowned. “I came to seek the advice of others of his kind. And a familiar is so much more than a pet to a wytch.”

  The fey and a few of the gryphons scoffed. The gryphon at the fore, the one the fey had called his “wing sister”, gave her a look more piercing than even Grandma Kate could accomplish.

  “How are they not your pets?” The fey asked after sharing a glance with the gryphon. “You keep them, feed them, and in return they act as your entertainment and battle beasts.”

  “They are revered.” Asha retorted. “As the source of our control over our power they are held sacred.”

  The fey snorted again, but the gryphon behind him flapped her powerful wings once, creating a gust that sent him staggering forwards with a backwards glare at her.

  He sighed. “My wing-sister is insistent that we hear you out.” His tone made it clear that he did not share his gryphon’s assessment. “You and your familiar will follow us. The rest of your party will leave, unless they too have acquired gryphon familiars?”

  “Asha stays with us.” Her aunt’s tone dared the fey to try to argue.

  Instead he shrugged. “Then she is welcome to remain here with you. The decision will not change; you and the others will come no further into our territory.”

  “As Princess of the Elven Forests I believe you will technically discover that this is my territory.” Silver spat.

  “Under our stewardship which, I must remind the princess, can only be revoked by the king.” The fey’s smug glare had Asha instantly whisking towards Silver to stop her aunt from charging him.

  “I wish to proceed alone.” She spoke mentally to both her mother and Silver at the same time. “I recognise that it may be dangerous and you will both disagree vehemently with my decision, however I believe they won’t hurt me as I am bound to Keir.”

  “I trust your assessment.” Romana surprised Asha by agreeing. “This is your familiar, and your judgement is all that matters here.”

  Silver’s glare burned into them both. “This is clearly a trap; however, if you are any niece of mine and you have listened to anything I have taught you this past year then you will spring it and turn it to your advantage.”

  With that Silver opened a portal, and stepped through it. When the way remained open, Masozi quickly followed after a brief fey salute to the others of her kind. Romana also turned to go through only to find that the portal shut quickly in her face.

  “Typical,” Her mother muttered under her breath, ghosting into the air as she said it.

  Alone, Asha turned to face the gryphons and their companions again. Only to find that the fey were climbing onto the backs of the gryphons, grabbing hold of fur that had clearly been grown and braided specially to form hand and foot holds.

  They were riders, she realised.

  The fey man held out a hand, and she eyed it warily before she took it and felt herself hoisted up behind him. Briefly she considered using her own wings, but she quickly dismissed the idea, deeming them a better tactical advantage if kept secret. With deft movements, he unwound the braids around his waist and wrapped them around hers, securing her to him.

  Asha found herself wishing she had just used her own wings as the gryphons took off with a huge surge of wind that had her clinging to the fey man.

  Keir squawked happily behind her as they took off and headed even further south, deeper into the mountains.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  STONE LOTUS

  The wind was whipped around them so harshly that it stung her eyes; the helmets the riders wore had shields that directed the wind away from their faces. They flew through clouds that soaked them, yet the rider’s gauzy clothes repelled the water as if by magic. The cold was biting and yet the other riders did not shiver as she did. Barely half an hour into their journey and Asha felt absolutely miserable.

  At least Keir was enjoying himself, happily nattering away in the gryphon language to the other gryphons and their riders. Asha herself could understand nothing but the occasional word or two in fey language that Masozi had taught her, and that barely gave her a hint as to what the discussion was about.

  Now at least she knew that her gryphon could talk, he just couldn’t speak her language; which was ridiculous considering that the first language any familiar learned was supposed to be the one that they shared with their wytch.

  They flew for another hour, and sometimes the gryphons executed stunning aerial manoeuvres whose purpose could only be to disorient her. Not that it really worked, thanks to Aunt Silver's tedious training Asha doubted there was anywhere in the world they could have taken her without her knowledge.

  It took them an hour of flying to reach their destination, and even then it took Asha a few moments to realise that they'd arrived because the cloud that covered the area was so dense.

  She dismounted with the aid of the fey, nearly falling despite their help. The ground beneath her was just as craggy as it had been in the area she had left and she peered futilely into the gloomy fog.

  The silence was pressing, and it didn’t lift until one of the gryphons let out a long, resonant growl.

  All at once, the silence was replaced by a deep grinding that echoed through the rocks beneath her. Asha took an uncertain step back, her hand winding behind her to seek the reassurance of Keir’s presence.

  The noise stopped scant seconds after it had begun, and all of a sudden, the thick fog that had surrounded her began to move as if being blown away. What was revealed was stunning.

  Before them a ravine stretched for miles, deep enough to make the river at the bottom seem little more than a pearlescent blue ribbon. Three steps forward in that fog and she would have plunged to her death below. The thought was harrowing enough to have her take a step backwards, accidentally almost falling backwards into the fey who she had ridden here with her. After giving him an apologetic glance, she resumed her study of the ravine.

  Along both sides, giant openings were built into the rocks, and as she watched both fey and gryphons emerged and began flying across on their own business. By the river, farmlands had been beautifully cultivated in terraced formations stretching from end to end. Following them she saw two gigantic statues, one at either end of the ravine. Each higher than the ravine itself; the towering statue of a fey stood at the northern end and a gryphon to the south. Both statues had wings spread outwards and flowing down the ravine and in each statue’s open grasp was a stone lotus flower.

  She was still trying to take in everything when a long, wide wooden ramp extended outwards from one of the eyries opposite them and thudded to the ground nearby. Most of the fey had extended their shimmering paper thin wings and taken off for different eyries once the mists had lifted followed by their gryphons. Now the only one who remained was the man who had interrogated her back on the cliff, his expression caught oddly between irritation, disapproval and curiosity.

  With a clipped hand gesture he motioned her forwards and she put her foot down on the ramp, testing the sturdiness just to be safe. To her satisfaction it held firm as she walked across the ravine on the wooden bridge that was suddenly narrower than it had been before, something that wasn’t helped by the lack of handrails.

  She made it to the other side, noticing that the fey – whose name she intended to make it a point to find out – had followed her across rather than flying, probably to make sure she didn’t try to do anything stupid.

  Entering the eyries, she was surprised at how clean and dry they were considering the amount of fog that had covered them moments ago. The sun now beat down upon the rocks and the warmth had her shrugging back her wet cloak. The walls were tiled intricately with patterned mosaics in brilliant colours. Sometimes the tiles were interspersed with gems, shells and shiny pebbles usually framing the small windows cut often into the rock which let in light.

  People, both fey and gryphon alike, stared curiously at her as she walked quickly through the caves, following her mysterious guide.

  “Wher
e are you taking me?” She finally asked. “What is your name? What is a wing-sister and how do your people live in harmony with the gryphons like this?”

  A glance backwards from the fey revealed his smirk. “So many questions for someone so young,” He commented dryly.

  “Are you going to answer them or not?” She had to yell to be heard as they passed through a corridor edged with stalls and merchants loudly selling their wares.

  “In time, all things will be revealed, Princess Asha.”

  Taken aback by his knowledge of her, Asha was silent for the rest of the journey. They quickly left behind the sun warmed tunnels with windows out to the ravine and travelled upwards and northwards. The tunnels became less linear, and soon she realised from the view of the windows that they were climbing the inside of the fey statue.

  When they stopped at last, it was in front of the first door she had seen in the tunnels. It was inlaid with silver and gold filigree that edged the handles and hinges, but otherwise it was bare.

  Her guide stopped and gave a single knock on a doorknocker in the shape of a talon. The answering shriek of a gryphon from inside had him reaching for the handle and following her through into the oddest room she’d ever encountered.

  They were clearly inside the head of the fey statue, and before her four great windows marked what she thought must be the eyes and nostrils. The mosaics continued in here, though they were made of mirrors, leading to the disturbing revelation that she could be seen from every angle. In front of her, fey and gryphons stood in a loose semi-circle, no thrones or chairs in sight. All of them gave her stony stares as she entered, but as she moved slightly to one side she realised it was not her to whom the expressions were aimed, but instead to her guide.

  Head held high, because she was a wytch queen and princess after all, she strode forwards after her guide; meeting every stare she was given evenly and with all the steely determination she could muster. These people must be the ruling body of the gryphons and fey and by Ancient’s they were going to teach her to understand her familiar or she would start taking a leaf out of Aunt Silver’s book and torture them to obtain the information.

  “Peace to your houses.” She greeted them as she arrived, repeating the successful elven greeting from her first meeting.

  The councillors returned the greeting and small bow she had offered them and she felt a small surge of victory.

  “Riven, explain.” One of the women present demanded.

  Asha was still testing out her guides name in her mind when a gryphon flew straight through one of the eyes of the statue and into the room with a squawk. A quick glide around the room had the gryphon landing on Riven’s other side

  “Azusa,” The council member said by way of greeting.

  There was a flurry of communication by the gryphons and then a moment of silence as the fey interpreted their meanings.

  “Princess Asha,” The woman stepped forwards, “We are happy to receive you and your familiar. How fares your uncle, the king?”

  “King Endis is very well indeed, his people prosper and I am pleased to convey his warm wishes to you.” Asha replied.

  “That is glad news, my lady.” A fey man spoke up. “It is not often we hear much of the northern world. Perhaps you might sit with us later and tell us of the current mood from the lands of the north?”

  “I would be happy to.” Asha replied, just as Keir gave a squawk from behind her. As quickly as she could, she undid the cloth binding him to her back and drew him into her arms. “This is my familiar, Keir. I came to you to seek advice for there is little knowledge left in the world about gryphons.”

  “I would imagine that is true. It has been five centuries or longer since they retreated here.” The first lady spoke, then cocked her head to one side, listening to the low chatter of the gryphon she sat next to. “How is it he came into your care?”

  “I was caught in a rockslide during my wytch training.” Asha began carefully. “His egg was in the rubble near to me and I took him back to the Dark Coven. My powers resurrected him from dormancy once I realised he was my familiar.” She left out the part about the death of the dragon.

  “Intriguing,” Another woman spoke up. “In what way do you believe we can help you?”

  Asha considered her answer carefully. “I wish most of all to be able to communicate with him. A wytch and her familiar usually have their own shared language before the familiar learns to speak anything else. Yet Keir is silent to me, but talks to others of his kind. You seem to be in possession of some understanding of the gryphon language, I sincerely hope you would consider teaching me. I also must ask that you instruct me on the proper way to care for him till he is grown and can do it for himself.”

  There were shared glances around the council.

  “You have given us much to think on, Princess Asha.” One man spoke slowly. “Would you consider allowing Riven to escort you to a guest suite while we discuss amongst ourselves? We shall endeavour to have answers for you by dawn tomorrow.”

  “Certainly.” Asha replied. “Am I free to explore this great city in the meantime?”

  “Of course,” A woman said smoothly, “You are an honoured guest, not a prisoner. Riven and Azusa shall act as your guides.” She gave a guarded look to the fey and his gryphon. “Make sure the princess receives anything she needs.”

  Riven’s look showed he was anything but pleased.

  “Till dawn tomorrow then, your highness,” One of the fey effectively dismissed her.

  With a graceful bow, Asha left the room, followed by her stony guide.

  “What did you do to them?” She asked casually.

  Her guide arched a single quizzical eyebrow. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.” He replied, waving his arm out, “This way, please.”

  Asha shrugged his response off, she was here for one reason only, and it wasn’t to get to know the locals. Keir needed her to learn to communicate with him, getting involved with anything else was folly.

  Riven showed her quickly to a room that was simple, yet elegant in its own way. Though it lacked lavish adornments, she doubted many rooms in this eyrie on the ravine had better.

  Keir followed her in, and her guide gave them both an almost bored look before abandoning them.

  “If that is his interpretation of making sure we receive whatever we need,” Asha began looking at her familiar, “I think we may have to complain.” She sat down on the single bed with a small sigh.

  One look at the closed door and she knew she would never actually do something like that. Her guide appeared to have his own problems with the loose group of fey and gryphons who had bid her welcome to their city. It was none of her business.

  Part of her (the part which was still thinking ‘what would Aunt Silver do?’) piped up to say that gathering whatever blackmail she could in her time here was the best strategy. Still, something about Riven broached no discussion.

  “He’s very moody, don’t you think?” She asked her familiar, still faintly sad that she never received an answer.

  Somewhere along their bond, Keir picked up on her sadness and stopped his playful exploration of the room to flutter onto her lap, nuzzling at her belly.

  “We’ll make them teach us.” She continued. “There’s nothing that will stop me from learning our language. Nothing.”

  That same determination steeled her spine as the sunlight began to grace the cliff face the next morning. Riven had come for her a few moments before dawn and he hadn’t said a word when he noticed she’d foregone the clothes left in her room for her dirty armour. If anything, amusement had flickered in his eyes for a brief second before he silently gestured her out of the room and back towards that door edged in silver and gold.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  DEFECTIVE

  When she stood before the council a second time, it wasn’t hard to miss the slight narrowing of several pairs of eyes at her state of dress. No comment was made, it wasn’t in the nature of the
council to acknowledge faults, but a glance thrown in Riven’s direction made it clear the blame fell on him.

  “I wish they wouldn’t do that.” Azusa squawked softly, “You’d almost think we chose to be defective.”

  “Not defective, just aberrations,” Riven reminded her humourlessly, aware that this conversation would soon be judged rude by the council once the rebellious princess stopped making small talk with them.

  “You like her.” Azusa noted casually, and he groaned inwardly. There was a reason the bond between rider and gryphon was referred to as wing-siblingship; mostly because your gryphon could be a total pain when they wanted to.

  “I have no time for a spoilt brat like that, even a beautiful one.” Riven countered smoothly, “What do you make of the youngling that smells of an elder?”

  “Keir is no youngling.” She retorted, “Anyone with a nose can smell it. Mayhap the princess cast an illusion over him.”

  “And that illusion lets her carry him around like a toy doll?” He asked sarcastically, watching the councillors’ faces to check their conversation was continuing unnoticed. “I doubt it. But there is more to her story, you can tell it in her eyes.”

  “We wouldn’t have to speculate if they would just let us run patrols beyond the mountains!” Azusa’s voice raised a tiny amount and he shifted his hand to her feathered neck to caution her. “You can’t say it’s not ridiculous, Riven.”

  “We would gain nothing from pointing it out.” Riven replied, “Our station wouldn’t allow us to, even if we could.”

  Azusa was only getting more agitated from this conversation, and he gave her a silencing look as Councilwoman Frey gave us a glance. Any further talk would get us in trouble, and so he tuned into the northern princess’ words.

  “Have you come to a decision?” She asked, and Riven knew she wasn’t going to like the council’s answer.