Vagrants: Book 2 Circles of Light series
Page 40
‘A day’s flight from here.’ He glanced at Ashta. She was already sending the picture and its possible site to the Snow Dragons further south in the Domain. Fenj was on his way out of the door, Lorak on his back.
‘Fenj, wait!’ Kera cried. ‘Please – will you take another rider, or even two? We must help somehow.’
Chakar hurried to the Plavats and urged them to their feet, talking firmly to Baryet’s obstinate mind.
‘Two can come with us,’ she called.
Ren sighed, glancing at Imshish. ‘It isn’t too bad, if you keep your eyes closed.’
In moments, Kera had grabbed a cloak and pulled Lashek towards Fenj. Daro joined Chakar on Baryet as Imshish sat behind Ren on Syecha. Ashta accepted Dessi, and three Snow Dragons took Kwanzi, Thryssa and Nesh. There was no time for apprehension: the Dragons and the Plavats were lifting into the cold air as soon as the riders were on their backs.
Word quickly spread and many people ran to the Domain, hurrying through the broad tunnels in the vague hope that they might be of use if they could just reach Arak as quickly as possible.
It was the early dusk of the end of the cold season when the group of riders heard Fenj’s scream of distress and knew that he had found Kadi. When Fenj circled to land, Kera saw Delvers climbing a winding trail a league or so below where Kadi lay. Fenj moved straight to the midnight blue Dragon’s crumpled form, laying himself against her side.
‘She is too cold, too cold,’ his thought sobbed in their minds.
Mim ran across the thin layer of snow to reach for Kadi’s face. He wept, brushing ice from her eyelids and sending his strength into her.
‘Light help us,’ Chakar whispered. The Observer knelt at the Great Dragon’s side, looking helplessly at the burns and holes in her wing. Lorak gently pushed Mim aside, tipping an inevitable flask to the inner corner of Kadi’s mouth. Mim began to remonstrate but ceased as a huge sigh shuddered through the massive body. Chakar took command.
‘Cloaks, blankets, anything to help her warm up a little. I will need help with these wounds too.’
She pulled off her pack and began unloading small pots and bottles, needles and thread. Lorak joined her and the two began to work. When the Delvers of Arak reached them, they all set to building small fires in braziers, placing them around the motionless shape in the snow. Thryssa, Kwanzi and Lashek worked alongside Chakar and Lorak, using supplies brought by the Delvers.
Dawn was turning the sky pale pink when Chakar stood up, her hands pressed to her aching back. It had been a dreadful job to turn the great body to allow them to work on yet more injuries, but now Chakar was satisfied that she had tended every one of them. Another line of Delvers was making its way across the small plateau towards them, bringing more fuel, blankets and food.
Thryssa stood looking round at the jagged peaks above them, her hands clasped round a mug of tea for warmth. She stared harder.
‘Look!’ she called urgently. ‘It is Gremara I am sure! She must have flown faster than the day itself!’
People turned to look where Thryssa pointed and gradually the two specks resolved into two Dragon shapes. Fenj eased himself from Kadi’s side and reared erect beside Ashta and Mim, the Snow Dragons following suit. The Plavats refused to remove their heads from beneath their wings.
‘Jeela,’ Dessi whispered, her hand slipping into Kera’s even colder one.
Farn’s sister, the ivory cream Dragon Jeela, spiralled down first, her eyes whirring in distress at sight of Kadi. But all eyes were focused on Gremara, the Silver Dragon of Talvo Circle.
She twisted through the air, more swimming than flying, and landed softly, staying down rather than rising in the traditional greeting.
‘I was afraid the poor one would not last until I could find her. I am so glad that you reached her.’
She was staring at Mim as her voice rang in all their minds. He took a step towards her, then another, until only an arm length separated them. Gremara’s head snaked down, her brow gently resting against Mim’s.
‘My Lord, do you know me?’
‘Yes Gremara.’ Mim spoke aloud, his voice husky with tears. ‘I know you now.’
‘Heal our friend,’ Fenj asked simply.
Gremara’s head swung to face the old black Dragon, her eyes flashing rainbow hues.
‘Move aside,’ she said softly.
She lifted only man height from the ground, her sinuous body twisting and weaving around Kadi’s battered body. The onlookers thought they could hear a faint singing but it was gone before they could be sure.
Jeela suddenly trumpeted a warning and Gremara snapped away from Kadi and surged into the sky.
A dark green Dragon, scarred and far too thin, stormed down towards Gremara, fire spilling from her jaws.
‘Nula!’ Kera heard Fenj gasp as Gremara spun like liquid, spitting fire in turn.
Gremara turned on her tail and seemed to drop, the green Dragon screaming triumphantly straight after her. Then Jeela was above and to one side, pouring torrents of flame onto the green Dragon’s wings as Gremara swerved up and spat fire at her belly. The green Dragon fell, her red eyes still blazing with mad rage. Gremara and Jeela stood beside her, relentlessly sending streams of fire into the body until it was a smouldering heap of ash.
Gremara floated slowly back to Kadi, her exhaustion apparent in the dullness of her eyes.
‘Hold tight to the eggs,’ she murmured, looking directly at Mim and then at Chakar.
Once more Gremara danced above Kadi, the egg pendants pulsing like heartbeats as the sun crept over the mountains. Kadi stirred, groaned, her eyelids flickered and opened. Gremara settled beside Mim.
‘She will need much rest and care, but she lives.’ She pressed her brow to his again. ‘Visit me soon. I should like visitors.’ Then she rose to where Jeela waited on a higher crag.
Kera looked back at Kadi. Light seemed to coalesce above and around the midnight blue Dragon. Kera glanced at Gremara and then followed the silver Dragon’s gaze up to the clear sky. Shadows seemed to dance across her vision, but there were no clouds.
Kera shook her head. Just a trick of the light.
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Now read 'Drogoya', the third book in the 'Circles Of Light' series.
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Circles Of Light series
1 Soul Bonds
2 Vagrants
3 Drogoya
4 Survivors
5 Dark Realm
6 Perilous Shadows
Coming Soon - ‘Tilliat’ - 1000 years after the events in ‘Circles Of Light’.
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