Ren continued to stare in confusion at the old man.
‘Cho Petak held the opinion – years ago, when he had just been made Offering – that we should do everything possible to reach the Night Lands.’ He sighed again. ‘Then, almost between one day and the next, he held the completely opposite view. As he does today. I suspected there was more, much more, to this change of heart at the time. Now I fear my suspicions are based in truth.’
‘Suspicions? What suspicions could you possibly have of the Sacred One?’ Ren was pale, disturbed to the core of his being by the Observer’s words.
‘I suspect Ren, that somehow, long ago now, Cho Petak found a way into at least one mind in the Night Lands. Cho is a very patient man. He will wait years to achieve his ends. It is what those ends are that we must discover. For I have the strongest foreboding it will not prove to be good for the land, either here or there.’
In Thryssa’s workroom in the Cordiva, a group of people stood like statues. The Lady Emla and her Guard Shan, were still disoriented from their transference from Gaharn to Vagrantia. Lashek, Speaker of the Segran Circle was fascinated by everything that was happening, Thryssa and Kwanzi were just worried by it all.
Maressa the air mage sat rigidly in a chair facing them, her face continuing to reflect the shock she’d received two days earlier when the ancient black Dragon Fenj had intruded on her mind. And now she was fully aware that two minds were present in her head – Fenj, and another of the Gaharnian People, a woman named Kera. She was also mindlinked with Thryssa and Lashek and, it would seem, with this tall thin woman who had appeared in the Chamber of Harmony.
Emla moved shakily to kneel by Maressa’s chair.
‘Is that truly you Kera, and you Fenj? How have you managed to reach so far?’
There was a brief glimpse of the great hall at the Stronghold with five Snow Dragons clustered about Fenj’s enormous bulk. The picture blurred, indication of the increasing difficulty of maintaining a mental contact over such a distance.
Thryssa spoke suddenly. ‘You have a Circle there. I will send a scroll to you through the Circles. Let go of this link before you exhaust yourselves.’
And the other presences blinked out of Maressa’s mind. She slumped back, her head against the cushions, her face pinched with strain. Emla caught her hands, rubbing them gently while Kwanzi stooped over them both and held a tiny bottle beneath Maressa’s nose. Emla smelt the acrid tang of a revivifying herbal essence as Maressa turned her head away.
The air mage stared into Emla’s green eyes. ‘You really have lived with these Dragons like Gremara?’ she asked, still finding that fact almost impossible to take in.
Emla smiled in understanding of Maressa’s feelings: she had felt just so when confronted with Merigs and Delvers.
‘Did you not know that all living creatures on this world are able to communicate in differing degrees?’
Maressa twisted her long brown braid through her fingers. A little colour returned to her face as she shook her head.
‘We have only small birds and animals roaming wild in the Circles of Vagrantia. We have cattle and lumen which we brought here and bred, but we are enclosed, isolated.’ She glanced at Thryssa.
‘Lady Emla,’ Thryssa began. ‘When we found these craters we believed ourselves finally blessed once more by the stars. We sealed ourselves within and, by agreement of us all, we attempted no contact with any beyond this sanctuary.’
Emla sat back on her heels. ‘I have been told, by the Delvers of Asat,’ she paused, noted puzzled expressions around her and hurried on – many explanations would just have to wait. ‘A long time past – but I would guess after you came here – there was a disaster of some kind which devastated the lands between here and the northern High Lands. I suspect that it had something to do with our arrival on this world, but the Dragons say they had to flee this region then, never to venture here since. How could you have survived here?’
Kwanzi bustled back at that moment with a tray laden with tea and steaming pastries. Shan went to help him hand round the welcome refreshments.
It was Lashek who answered Emla’s question. ‘It is recorded that indeed the earth trembled and shook some time after we had settled in this place. It was thought a new volcano might have erupted but there was no dust in the sky such as a volcano might cause. A few of our people still went outside these craters then, and they came back sick, as though poisoned. It was decided then that we would seal ourselves within Vagrantia.’ He pointed out of the window at the clear spring sky. ‘We shielded each crater and the poison never came within.’
‘How long have you been protecting yourselves?’
Lashek chuckled. ‘In my grandfather’s youth the shields were removed, but we can replace them extremely quickly – as we do when Gremara goes into one of her aggressive phases and screams for her Dragon Lord.’
‘And Gremara lives so close to you?’
Thryssa also indicated the window. ‘The distant wall of this Circle of Parima locks with Talvo Circle, which is Gremara’s province.’
Emla got to her feet and stared across the great bowl of Parima, Shan moving to stand beside her.
‘So close Lady!’ Shan shivered and turned her back on the view.
Thryssa sat at her work table. ‘Lady Emla, if you wish to write a message to your friends in the north, perhaps you would do so soon. I have to discuss with the other Speakers exactly what we will say in our message to them.’
Emla turned from the window at once. ‘Of course High Speaker. Come Shan, we will leave our generous hosts to discuss the matter.’
Before they reached the door it was opened from without by Alya who was bringing Speaker Kallema of Fira and Jilla of Kedara. Introductions were made to the Lady of Gaharn then Emla and Shan took their leave.
Kallema drifted to sit in a chair like a piece of waterweed caught by a current.
‘I came as swiftly as I could,’ she murmured, accepting the tea that Kwanzi seemed able to produce in endless supply. 'Are all these strangers as tall as Lady Emla?’
Maressa smiled. ‘I fear so Kallema. The one who mind spoke me is a little taller I would guess.’
‘But who was the smaller one?’
‘Her Guard,’ Lashek told the water mage. ‘I suspect she would be most fierce in defence of her lady.’
Kallema nodded vaguely. ‘I have to tell you at once that a boy in our Circle became quite insane. The Healers say his mind was totally disrupted.’
‘Did his eyes alter?’ Thryssa asked urgently.
Kallema frowned. ‘Yes, they did. They became completely red. At first the Healers thought they were bloodshot but when he died this morning, they discovered it was almost like scaling across his eyeballs. They could not get near him before he died, he resisted any attempts to use power to relax him – not surprising when they found how damaged his mind had become.’ Kallema studied Thryssa carefully. ‘Have you had such a case here in Parima then?’
‘The girl I spoke to you about – Elyssa, who showed unexpectedly strong in testing. She is in one of our guest rooms right now and her eyes are silver except for the pupils which have taken the original colour of her irises. And she is not mad.’
Jilla spoke for the first time since acknowledging Emla’s greeting. ‘We have a boy whose eyes have changed. It happened two days ago. His eyes have silvered and he is undamaged in his mind.’
Lashek glanced across at Thryssa. ‘I have a feeling the cousin I told you of, had eyes of red rather than silver. I cannot be completely sure without checking, but it was a very long time ago, when I was only just beginning school.’
Thryssa rubbed her face. ‘So, based on these few examples, it seems silver eyes mean no brain damage whereas red - ’
Kallema shuddered, her green blonde hair rippling over her arms. ‘I saw the boy in our Circle – he was twelve cycles, yet it took four men to restrain him.’
Thryssa drew a deep breath. ‘You all know Lady Emla used a circle
to get here. She was fortunate indeed that she arrived here rather than Sapphrea or the far South Lands.’
‘Very lucky,’ Lashek corrected her.
‘We now have to decide what to tell her people.’ Thryssa leaned her elbows on the table and cupped her chin in her hands.
There was a considerable silence until Kallema stirred.
‘I have to assume that you retain the knowledge of how the circles function Thryssa. Is that the case?’
Thryssa nodded wearily.
‘Then will you tell Lady Emla and her people how to use them, High Speaker?’
‘I will decide when you tell me your honest opinions but yes, I personally believe they should know – stars alone know what trouble they could find themselves in should they discover a way by chance again – as did Lady Emla.’
‘But Lady Emla said a Great Dragon told her how to walk the circle,’ Lashek interposed.
‘And how would the Dragons have learned about our circles?’ Jilla asked in a bemused tone.
Thryssa’s hands moved from her chin to clutch her head. ‘Another puzzle Jilla. And now this strange – should we call it “illness”? – that has afflicted three of our young people.’ She raised her face and gave Lashek a grim smile. ‘You remarked on how “interesting” life was becoming Lashek. I could almost believe you have willed us to this pass!’
Lashek beamed at her. ‘You look exhausted my dear. Shall we three work on our letter of introduction to those in the north while you explain the workings of the circles? I do think we should warn them as soon as maybe not to jump on a circle without being sure of their destination. Lady Emla did say that she had hoped to travel from her city of Gaharn to the northern Stronghold, yet she ended up here.’
‘I agree,’ murmured Kallema. ‘They could place themselves in terrible danger using the circles with only partial knowledge.’
‘I am empowered to Speak for my father and I agree,’ said Jilla quietly. ‘I would also suggest that you ask Bagri to arrange a full complement of guards around the Chamber of Harmony – just in case the wrong people appear unexpectedly.’
Thryssa looked alarmed but Lashek nodded.
‘I agree to that,’ he said. ‘Both that you explain the circles and that you set guards in place.’
‘Very well.’ Thryssa rose. ‘I will go to my private study to write the basic instructions for these others. You are welcome to work here on your message for them.’
Kwanzi found Thryssa soon afterwards in their private rooms. She was staring at a blank piece of parchment on the table before her. He put his hands lightly on her shoulders, drawing her back against him. She reached up and caught one of his hands.
‘This is only the beginning Kwanzi of yet another upheaval for us all. Where will it end? Oh dear stars, will we be forced to wander the world again, or will the world try to force its way in here?’
Chapter Twenty-Five
By the time Mim and Ashta came into the great hall, Fenj, the Snow Dragons, Kera and Dessi had recovered somewhat. The strain of linking minds with Maressa of Vagrantia, so far away, had eased, but Mim was immediately aware that something had occurred in his absence. Kera felt that Fenj’s decision to go hunting, leaving her to explain their action to Mim, was a fainthearted one.
As calmly as she was able, she presented Mim with the facts of their discoveries, to which he listened in silence. The scaling on his face made it hard to read his expression these days and Kera had no inkling of how he would react. To her total amazement, he began to smile as she reached the end of her story. He threw his arm around Ashta’s pale green shoulders and shook with laughter.
‘I do not see anything faintly amusing Mim,’ said Kera, rather offended by this reaction.
‘Of course not Kera, do forgive me. But how ever did Emla get to this place across the Wilderness?’
‘It was such a short time of contact Mim, but the woman I think must be in charge there, said she would send a message by way of the circles.’
‘What?’ Mim straightened with alacrity. He glanced quickly around at the few Guardsmen in the hall and called to one. ‘Get a squad of men together, armed, and send them to me in the upper chambers. And find Captain Jal and Motass. They are to come to the Guardian’s quarters as swiftly as they can.’
As he spoke Mim was already moving back towards the ramp leading to the higher floors of the Stronghold. Kera and Dessi were at his heels, hurrying up to the area used by Rhaki and, since his disappearance, left empty by tacit consent.
Mim paused at the door. Guards were pounding along the passageway behind them and finally a white-faced Jal arrived with his brother Motass.
‘You Guards will place yourselves around the circle which is set into the floor within,’ Mim directed them. ‘We think something may be sent, using the magic of the circle. I want to be sure you are ready to deal with anything that might appear.’
Metal rasped as swords were drawn. Mim paused, his hand on the door latch.
‘Whatever you do, do not stand too near the circle’s edge.’
With that, he pushed open the door and walked through. Kera saw him glance at the place where the hidden door was, and she remembered Emla’s story of Bark’s death. The Weights of Balance were in a chamber through that door. She shivered and took a place close to Mim. And then they waited.
It was quite a long wait and then Mim tensed. The Guards came to full alertness again as everyone felt the air within the chamber seem to change. There was a soft explosion of air, enough to make them all rock back slightly on their heels, and then a large leather scroll case was rolling gently in the centre of the mosaic circle.
Mim insisted they wait a further time to be sure that nothing else came through onto the circle. At last he nodded to Kera who stepped quickly onto the patterned floor, picked up the case and returned to Mim’s side.
‘Jal, keep Guards here at all times now – six should be enough in here with two outside the door to call the alarm should the need arise.’
Jal nodded briskly, not yet having devised a way of saluting with his left hand.
Mim looked at the scroll tube Kera held but made no attempt to take it from her.
‘Let’s go down to the hall and you can see what it says.’ He grinned at her and lead the way from Rhaki’s study.
Kera realised, as they reached the hall, that Mim was still struggling to read. One forgot, in the light of his other, burgeoning abilities, that he had been, until only recently, an unschooled Nagum boy.
Fenj reclined in his usual place, Lula crooning on top of his head. His eyes whirred uneasily when Mim marched up to him.
‘You are a wicked old Dragon,’ Mim scolded him. ‘Trying to link minds that far – you could have died.’ Then he reached his hand towards the beautiful long face and scratched his near-taloned finger down the side of Fenj’s jaw. ‘And whatever would we do without you?’
Fenj calmed, realising that Mim was teasing him and thankful not to be facing the Dragon Lord’s wrath. Lorak poked his head out of his tiny workroom.
‘He needed a drop of my beverage afore he were fit to fly off hunting though.’
‘Splendid fellow!’ Fenj gazed fondly at the old gardener.
Kera unlatched the end fastening of the tube and tipped the contents onto a table. There were three scrolls in all. She glanced questioningly at Mim then unrolled the outermost parchment.
‘Greetings to the people of the Stronghold,’ she began.
The message conveyed the friendly intent of the Speakers of Vagrantia and held no trace of threat.
Mim nodded slowly. ‘They seem peaceful words – as though they fear we might offer a threat to them.’
Kera drew the second scroll free and studied it quickly then began to read it again more slowly. ‘Mim,’ she whispered. ‘This woman Thryssa, she is called the High Speaker of Vagrantia, she has given us the instructions on how to use the circles! At least between here and Vagrantia and also here to Gaharn.’
M
im stared at the parchment over Kera’s arm. ‘We will go over these later,’ he said quietly.
Kera reached for the last scroll. ‘From Emla!’ she cried in delight, and began to read.
Fenj sat up so fast that he dislodged Lula, but he ignored her, looking towards the gateway and calling warning to Mim and Kera. They looked across to Fenj even as Snow Dragon voices also cried beware. Ashta reared up at Mim’s side, her eyes whirring green and gold fire.
A harsh shriek and the flurry of wings sounded and then a great bird appeared at the entrance. Fenj reared upright but even then he only just overtopped the bird, which tilted its head to one side and stared at him with one coldly insolent, yellow-rimmed eye. Kera closed her mouth with a snap as a strangely accented voice spoke in all their minds.
‘I believe you are the creatures I was asked to seek. Do you usually welcome guests in this fashion?’ The bird’s head twisted again, noting the Guards who had leaped for weapons moments before.
Kera touched Mim’s arm lightly and moved in front of him, halting several paces from the huge bird.
‘We would welcome any who come peacefully to this Stronghold. I am Kera of Gaharn, and this is Fenj, Elder of the Broken Mountain Treasury.’
The bird stepped further inside the hall, folded its legs and settled for all the world like a roosting hen.
‘I am Baryet, and I come from Drogoya with news for you from Chakar.’
Kera inclined her head politely while her mind raced. Drogoya? Chakar? Before she could think of a reply, the bird – Baryet – spoke again.
‘You of course know nothing of Drogoya.’
Kera swallowed. ‘Well, no, I must admit I have never heard the name.’
She noticed what a fearsome weapon Baryet’s hooked black bill would be as he turned his head again to study Mim. He lifted one of his wings back and revealed a black leather tube – another scroll case, Kera thought wildly. Perhaps she would wake up in a minute and laugh at this perverse dream.
‘I suggest you untie the case and see what Chakar tells you.’ Baryet sounded overly patient, his wing still raised rather awkwardly.
Vagrants: Book 2 Circles of Light series Page 26