The Guards had laid Ikram opposite Nya. Kija had followed them and reclined, watching Tika work.
‘She must rest Kija, very little movement of her wing or her back for a few days. The muscles around her spine will be very sore although her wing will just feel weak. But she must stay still to let them heal fully.’
‘Thank you once more small one. I will watch over them. Brin cares for Shar but if she wakes, let him bring her here.’
Tika got to her feet feeling as old as Nolli, and spoke quietly to Shan.
‘Make sure the pavilion stays warm for them, Shan. If you feel any concern, send someone for me. I will see if I can help the old ones.’
Shan nodded. ‘And my Lady Emla?’ she asked anxiously. ‘I think she was in the library but she would have been hurt too wouldn’t she? Will you find her for me please Tika?’
Tika touched Kija’s long beautiful face as she stepped round her and the golden Dragon bent her brow to Tika’s in silent gratitude. Tika was glad to find Gan at the door as she left the pavilion. It had begun to snow yet again and she peered up at him through fat flakes.
‘Are you all right?’ she asked.
He gave a grunt of humourless laughter. ‘After what you’ve been doing, you ask if I am all right?’ he asked in return. ‘I have a headache which is lessening, but you look dreadful.’
‘Thank you so much, kind Sir.’ She grimaced. ‘How are the old ones?’
‘Ryla seems better than Nolli, but both are badly shaken. Emla too. She came downstairs a few moments ago.’
They’d reached the house where Brin sheltered Shar. He regarded them, gold and red colours in his prismed eyes.
‘She should be under cover, Tika.’
She rested a hand on Shar’s neck and slid into her mind again, testing the strength of the small Dragon’s web of power. She withdrew gently.
‘I think you could wake her, enough to make her walk to the pavilion Brin. Once she’s there, make her sleep again. Kija is keeping Nya and Ikram asleep until morning. She will allow them to wake when I am with them then.’
Brin started to uncurl himself from Shar’s body. ‘I would seek Kadi and the Snow Dragons, Tika. I hear nothing from them but pain.’
Tika looked aghast.
‘Where are they? I’ll go with you. Let me look at the old ones while you get Shar to the others and I will come.’
Unaware, she clutched Gan’s hand as she hurried into Emla’s house. Kemti was sprawled on a couch, a pale faced healer working over him. The healer’s assistant replied to Tika’s question.
‘He was far speaking someone in the city Lady, so his mind was open. He will recover though.’
She nodded and went on to the two old ones. Emla slumped on a stool leaning against Ryla’s chair, looking haggard. Nolli was pale but managed a toothless smile when she saw Tika approach. Somehow Ryla appeared almost transparent, her skin tight across the high cheekbones. But her eyes sparkled with rage Tika was relieved to see.
‘It was that cursed scoundrel.’ Ryla exclaimed. ‘Stars know what he’s done now, but he drew enough power to hurt all of us this far away, damn him!’
‘Do you need me to help you?’ Tika interrupted. ‘Kadi, Meppi and Ulla were hunting and I must find them.’
She glanced at Uma, who continued to emit a low wail from where she lay beside Nolli’s chair.
‘Of course,’ Farn agreed. ‘I will take you now my Tika.’
She went to hug him. ‘No dear one. It snows again and I will not let you carry me until it is absolutely necessary. Can you help Uma, while I go with Brin?’
Farn’s eyes whirred the palest blue as he stared at Tika intently. ‘I would carry you. But of course I will help Uma if you think it is best.’
‘I’ll come,’ Emla pushed herself to her feet and grabbed the back of Ryla’s chair. She glared at Tika, suddenly the Golden Lady commanding, and Tika kept her mouth closed. A maid scurried up with cloaks for both Emla and Tika. They went outside as Brin came through the snowy gloom from the pavilion where Kija guarded three of her children.
‘Are you sure you’ll be careful?’ Gan asked as Tika and the Lady climbed onto the great crimson Dragon’s back. ‘Bespeak Kija or Nolli, and let us know if you need help.’
Emla nodded to him, Brin already lifting into the whirling snow. None spoke as Brin’s strong wings sped them four leagues or more from the Lady’s house. Then Tika tapped Emla’s arm, and Emla opened her mind. She shuddered, realising she heard with her mind and her ears, and Brin began to spiral lower.
Dragon song swelled around them and through them, Brin’s bass chiming with two others through the concealing snow. A few trees below a line of misshapen boulders deflected the driving snow. Tika and Emla slid from Brin’s back, blinking their eyes clear, already knowing what they would see.
Kadi stood erect, her head tilted up to the invisible sky, opposite Meppi who stood likewise. And between them lay the shattered remains of Uma’s sister, the Snow Dragon Ulla.
Chapter Twelve
The sun’s position indicated it was nearing midday and Rhaki was recovering from raising the last huge base blocks of his tower. He sensed someone approaching from the direction of Return. There was no stealth in their advance; the sound of boots scuffing along the dusty trail was quite regular and clear. Rhaki turned on the rock on which he’d seated himself and waited.
A short man came into sight, not much taller than Hargon’s eldest son. He paused and bowed to Rhaki then resumed walking towards him. The man was clean-shaven. His hair was darker than usual for humans with threads of grey in it. A few paces from Rhaki he bowed again.
‘I am Serim, Lord. I was the Elder of the settlement of Amud in the Domain of Asat until I decided to offer what service I can to yourself Lord.’ He bowed a third time.
Rhaki studied him. He sensed a subtle difference between this man and the humans he’d encountered in Gaharn or here. There was a small ability to use power, insignificant really. But there was no fear or deceit in this man – he genuinely believed he was called to serve Rhaki and he saw only good in this Lord. Rhaki smiled. It was an unusual sensation, a human meeting his eyes with no trace of doubt or fear.
‘Serim’ he said at last. ‘I think we will work well together.’
He indicated an adjacent rock. ‘You walked from the north to find me?’
Serim eased his pack from his shoulders and perched on the rock.
‘Yes Lord. There was a wrongness about the Wise One’s decisions I felt. So I left.’
He could learn some interesting things from this strange little man, Rhaki thought, then he nodded at the tower.
‘You see I am building a place of strength and safety.’
‘You use power mightily, Lord. I have little ability but you are strong indeed.’
Before Rhaki could reply, he convulsed, his body crashing to the ground. Serim grabbed his own head in both hands as a searing pain shot like a hot knife through his brain. The agony subsided to a dull but bearable throbbing within seconds and Serim rushed to Rhaki.
Lord Rhaki’s body jerked and twisted, his jaws locked and his eyes rolled back in their sockets. Blood flowed from his knuckles where he’d thrashed his arms on the rock strewn ground, and from his mouth, where he’d bitten his tongue. It seemed an age to Serim until at last Rhaki lay still, the tension slowly seeping from his stiff body. Serim pushed his pack under Rhaki’s head and watched him a few moments longer.
Then he untied his flask from his belt and dribbled a few drops of water against Rhaki’s lips. Rhaki’s eyelids fluttered slightly and his mouth caught at the flask, greedily sucking all of the water it held. Not sure whether the Lord was conscious, Serim said:
‘I will fetch more water, Lord. I will not be long.’
Rhaki gave no sign that he’d heard so Serim hurried back to where he’d seen a spring at the side of the trail. He was quickly back, holding the flask to Rhaki’s lips once more. He sat patiently beside him, not knowing w
hat else he could do, until eventually a groan warned him the Lord was rousing. Serim helped the tall skeletal figure to a sitting position, his back resting against the boulder from which he’d fallen. Twice more, he fetched water for Rhaki, apologising that he had nothing when Rhaki asked if he had any food.
‘What happened Lord? Do you know?’
Rhaki shook his head, and winced. ‘A mighty surge of power, but from where I do not know.’ He scowled. ‘I am the strongest of any I know, yet this was far beyond my power.’
He leaned heavily on Serim as he tried to get to his feet. ‘Have your people – Delvers – have they any of such power?’
Serim tilted his head far back to look straight up into Rhaki’s face. ‘No Lord. None of us could match your power. The Dragons use power but not often. There was the strange human girl and the Nagum boy. But I sensed no greatness in them.’
‘Help me back to Return,’ Rhaki ordered. ‘I must be able to join Hargon and the other fools for the meal tonight. A few more days and the upper part of my building will be complete. I will finish the inside myself and then I must rest. But only once I am behind my own walls will I feel safe enough to rest as I must.’
Serim had been supporting most of Rhaki’s weight thus far but now he felt Rhaki walking more easily rather than staggering beside him.
‘I need strength for only a few more days Serim, and I will sleep in my stronghold and you will guard me. Then I can consider what this – event – portends, and hear all you have to tell me of your people.’
Return was in sight now and Rhaki let go of Serim’s shoulder and walked unaided. The gate guards made to stop Serim but Rhaki remarked in a tone of mild reproof:
‘He is my guest.’ And the guards stepped aside.
Hargon’s seneschal Traff bowed as Rhaki led Serim into the manor.
‘Prepare a room adjacent to mine for my assistant,’ Rhaki said without pausing.
‘As you command Sir Lord.’
Somehow a servant must have raced up other stairs used only by such menials and now stood bowing at a door beyond Rhaki’s own chamber.
‘Bring food for my assistant. You will join me shortly before dawn,’ he added to Serim, already closing the door to his own chamber as he spoke.
Sometime later, Hargon, Zalom and their Arms Chiefs noted once again Rhaki’s obvious physical deterioration. Hargon asked almost immediately:
‘Did anything go amiss today Sir Lord as you worked on your building?’
‘Why do you ask such a question Hargon? I raised the last blocks as planned.’ Rhaki stared at the Lord of Return.
‘I ask because several deaths occurred among my people Sir Lord. All reports say they fell where they stood and were dead when others went to their assistance. Several survived. They described a dreadful pain throughout their bodies. Those survivors are now as if nothing had happened. My healers could find nothing to cause such pain and, as I said, death in over a score. Men and females alike,’ he added.
Rhaki chewed a mouthful of pastry to allow himself time to think.
‘I admit there was an unexpected flux of power Hargon. I also admit I have no idea whence it came. It afflicted me too – briefly. Those who were affected here would be those with weaker minds perhaps. I was slightly weakened, having just completed my work with the power.’ He shrugged. ‘I will look into it once I am installed in my building.’
‘Could there remain any of the practitioners of the dark powers in the cities by the Salt Sea?’ Zalom asked casually.
Rhaki smiled although, as this was the first he’d heard of any such cities in the distant west of Sapphrea, he was more than a little alarmed.
‘Which cities exactly?’
‘The cities sacked and abandoned a thousand or more cycles past.’ Hargon said gravely.
Rhaki gave a snort of amusement. ‘Abandoned cities Hargon? Then who is left to use such power? Spirits of the long dead?’
Hargon shuddered involuntarily as Rhaki continued:
‘I do not believe in spirits who linger in empty cities nor do I think, if such beings exist, they could be capable of anything at all, let alone use power!’
‘What about the People of Gaharn or the Great Dragons?’ Zalom persisted.
‘There is no one in Gaharn with even half my strength,’ Rhaki snapped. ‘And as for Dragons – I hope you jest Zalom.’ He pushed his chair back from the table. ‘I must rest. The masons will be available tomorrow I trust?’
‘Of course Sir Lord. And I hope there will not be another – incident – such as the one today.’
‘I too, but who can say?’ Rhaki smiled at the four men and went to bed.
‘He looks gravely ill,’ Arms Chief Niram commented.
‘Would that he had died, as did my people today,’ Hargon replied.
‘Surely he could be killed, in the state he is in now?’
‘Who shall I order to the task? Word has spread of how three of my men have died. I’d guess any I ordered would vanish to the Gangers. My men are brave enough, but not against this Lord of the People and his accursed power.’
Navan asked hesitantly: ‘What did you think of his reason why some of the townspeople died today Sir?’
‘I cannot see how any today could have inherited the blood of the outcasts. All were exiled or killed, down to the most distant blood kin.’
‘You told us in Tagria Hargon, that a female in your household claimed that blood. She also said that a cave existed close by Return which held great magic?’
‘She was half crazed with age,’ Hargon began, then caught Navan’s expression. ‘Well?’
‘A cave near Return. Those armsmen said there was a cave they were going to check on. If they were near this cave when Rhaki killed them, perhaps that’s why. I mean, suppose there is a cave and it does contain something of great power. That may be why Rhaki chose to build his tower there. We agreed there are many and better places he could have built.’
Zalom nodded. ‘That would make sense Hargon. Also, you know I believe the old histories as fully as you although Seboth derides them as make believe. I think it is possible that blood of the ancient ones survived and has now strengthened within the bodies of our people today.’
‘There would be no way of telling if that were so, Zalom.’ Hargon looked even more alarmed. ‘You are suggesting then that there could be an enemy within ourselves as fatal as I fear Rhaki is?’
A mild shudder quivered over Parima, Segra, Fira and Kedara Circles, making most people pause for a moment before carrying on with whatever they were doing. In the Corvida, Jilla tensed, her eyes unfocused. Thryssa waited, knowing Jilla’s senses were in the air, tracking the blazing line of power that had burst from Talvo Circle.
Jilla gasped and sat down with a bump.
‘She has reached a mind that she knows!’
Thryssa frowned. A silver Dragon had always lived in Talvo Circle and at varying intervals sent out a shrieking pulse of power. The first time it happened after the wanderers had settled in the Circles, it had caused many deaths, mental crippling and general suffering. Consequently, the air adepts of Kedara wove a shield above the four populated Circles and subsequent outbursts from the silver Dragon’s insane mind had done no harm to Vagrantians.
‘What do you mean? Is there another silver Dragon coming to Talvo?’ Thryssa asked.
‘No.’ Jilla shook her head. ‘It was not a Dragon mind, nor was it fully human. I did not feel it long enough to understand. There was a cry from Gremara but the one she sought put shields against her, although I believe that mind recognised her.’
A soft rap sounded on the door and Alya entered at Thryssa’s call.
‘Maressa was working with me when Gremara cried out. She says the cry focused in the far north. Her mind was caught when shields were raised against Gremara, but she glimpsed the one who Gremara sought.’
Jilla was on her feet and following Thryssa as the Chief Speaker went quickly down to Alya’s study.
&nbs
p; ‘You say Maressa’s mind was caught?’ Jilla asked. ‘Is she safe?’
‘Exhausted, but she said the power was wielded by one with little or no experience in its use.’ Alya caught up with Thryssa before they reached the study door. ‘From Maressa’s words, and how she dealt with the constriction of a shield against her, it seems obvious that she has far sensed many times before.’
Thryssa looked at her, then at Jilla. She smiled wryly.
‘I had managed to reach that conclusion myself, but thank you anyway.’
Alya blushed furiously, raising her eyebrows at Jilla’s smile.
In Alya’s study Elyssa was sitting beside Maressa, helping her drink from a mug of tea. Maressa’s face was pale but composed as she watched Thryssa come in.
‘Where is the one Gremara has sought for so long?’ Thryssa asked quietly.
‘In the far north.’
‘Where one lives who, for many cycles has changed the weather patterns there?’
Maressa smiled. ‘Yes that is the place, but it was not that one whom she sought for.’
Thryssa took a seat at the worktable.
‘Another, untrained, mind has worked the air in recent days – so Jilla advises me.’
Maressa shook her head slightly. ‘Not that one either. I saw him fully although only for a brief moment. A youth, not of the usual human type originally, I would guess, but -.’ She paused, sipping her tea. ‘He was scaled. His face is golden scaled like a Dragon. His eyes are blue, unlike ours in form, his hair a reddish gold. I think this may well be the Dragon Lord Gremara has cried for through these many cycles. He is named ‘Mim’’
‘In the earliest reports of our people here, the silver Dragon always called for a Dragon Lord,’ Alya said into the silence. ‘The few who spoke to the Dragon and survived, said always the Dragon asked where this Lord was to be found.’
‘This silver Dragon is near to total insanity. The previous Dragons all ended lost in madness. There was one other thing,’ Maressa said thoughtfully. She reached for a scrap of paper and a writing stick, drawing quickly. She held the paper out to Thryssa. ‘This seemed to be alight, glowing, on his chest.’
Vagrants: Book 2 Circles of Light series Page 12