Hag marched down the table again. ‘Bad air. Smells like – like bad eggs.’
‘That’s what it smelled like,’ Essa chimed in. ‘Exactly like that. You are a clever old bird.’
Hag swivelled her head to fix Essa with a hard black eye and decided that Essa was merely being honest. Hag drew herself to her full height.
‘Well, my dears, Hag’s solved that for you. What are you doing next?’
‘We can’t seem to find any hint of the two we thought might be causing the disruption here. And now we have three others to consider as suspects. Why are you here anyway?’
Hag’s huge beak gaped wide again. ‘I wanted to be sure you were well; some of you at least.’
‘Have you encountered Plavats yet?’
Everyone heard Kija’s mind speech but were astonished by Hag’s reaction. Her wings lifted, mantling fiercely, and a venomous hiss came from her.
‘I have indeed. Abominations.’ She bounced furiously on the table top and Tika bit the inside of her cheek to keep her expression blank. A wave of affection came from the gold Dragon, startling Hag to stillness.
‘They are indeed exactly that,’ Kija agreed warmly. ‘I understand they nest, along the coast above the place called Oblaka.’
Tika stared at Kija in horrified disbelief but Hag closed her wings and hopped from the table to advance on Kija.
‘Nests? Eggs? Young?’ she asked eagerly.
Kija lowered her head, eyes whirring brilliant golds and reds. ‘I thought I might see this myself.’
‘Kija!’ Tika remonstrated.
‘It will only be a brief visit,’ Kija replied, without looking away from Hag.
The Dragon rose and paced towards the wall where Volk had revealed a large doorway. Now he hurried to open it again, rather than waiting to risk Hag’s methods of doing so. Kija paused.
‘If you wish to join us, you may,’ she told Storm, who hurried after her at once.
Tika sighed. ‘And you?’ she asked Farn aloud. ‘Do you want to go too?’
‘No. I will stay with you, my Tika. Nasty things, those Plavats.’ He shuddered.
Tika remembered the ghastly Plavat, Baryet, who had decided the Stronghold would make an ideal nesting place. Chakar, poor woman, was the only person Tika knew who could actually stand the giant sea birds. Tika looked round the room. She could see two of the Old Bloods, through in the kitchen, unblocking the chimney and straightening things up.
‘Corim and Geffal, you’d better check on the horses. And if any of you go outside, make sure you don’t go too far yet. If the ground shakes again, hurry back inside.’
Konya and Fedran came from the corridor, Fedran joining his comrades and Konya crossing the hall to Tika.
‘Babach wants to see you,’ she said quietly.
‘Is he worse?’ Tika asked in some alarm.
‘No, but he’s tired. He dream walked again last night.’ The healer looked annoyed. ‘That was not why I insisted he slept in a proper bed, silly old fool.’
‘I’ll go now.’
‘And you’ll have some more medicine when you come back,’ Konya called after her.
Tika wondered how to avoid that order as she made her way along to Babach’s room. She tapped softly on the half open door and peeked in.
‘Come in, child, and close the door.’
Tika did as he asked and perched on the end of the bed.
‘I didn’t understand most of it – that’s often the way when you walk through dreams. This man you seek – Namolos? You told me he was trapped by Cho Petak, or the other way about. Whatever, they were locked together. Cho Petak is no longer held. He is severely weakened but he is free. I could find no trace of the man. But I felt a brief tug of connection.’ Babach frowned. ‘I felt that Khosa was somehow involved. But how can that be?’
Tika grew still. She decided to modify the truth a little; it wasn’t for her to tell Khosa’s secrets.
‘Khosa isn’t quite all she seems,’ she said with care. ‘She knew Namolos, in the distant past. And he communicated with us through her, last summer.’
Babach nodded, satisfied with that explanation.
‘Babach, did the people worship gods here, before Sedka? Ren,’ she watched the pain spasm across the old man’s face at mention of that name, and reached for his hand. ‘Ren said country people left gifts out for a woman in the hopes that their lands and their beasts would be fertile. He also spoke of a warrior or a hunter. Was there a god of death, someone who gathered up the souls? Or a god of learning, or wisdom?’
Babach looked intrigued. ‘Yes there were, but I’ll have to think hard. I was interested in such old stories when I was newly apprenticed in the Menedula. And that was very long ago.’
‘It could be important Babach, and a help.’
‘Tell that arrogant woman I am asleep and must, on no account, be disturbed until it’s time for a meal.’
He lay back against his pillows, fingers working through his braided beard, clearly a long established aid to concentrated thought.
‘She isn’t in the least arrogant,’ Tika told him severely, then grimaced. ‘I’m trying to avoid her actually – she thinks I need another potion for my chest.’
‘Hah!’ Babach closed his eyes, a triumphant smirk on his face.
Outside the bedroom door, Tika hesitated. Khosa spoke in her mind.
‘Come this way. There’s a door into the stables and another to the outside.’
Tika hurried further along the corridor, away from the hall, round a corner, and nearly tripped over Khosa. She squatted down in front of the little cat, wondering what she should tell her. But wide turquoise eyes gazed up at her.
‘Namolos is gone. I know. I felt it last night. But I can’t tell if he is really dead.’
‘I am sorry Khosa.’ Tika was lost for words.
‘He was once a good man,’ Khosa whispered in Tika’s mind. ‘A very good man. I don’t think the Splintered Kingdom touched him, but he could have intervened on several occasions. And he didn’t. And he played games with the lives of my sister and myself. I cannot forgive that, just for the sake of his earlier goodness. There can be no excuses.’
Tika lifted Khosa against her shoulder and straightened, rubbing her face against Khosa’s head. Carrying the cat, Tika walked on until she reached a door across the corridor. Opening it carefully, she saw she was in a large stable and the company’s horses seemed more than happy with their accommodation. Still carrying Khosa, Tika let herself out of the stables and drew a cautious breath. The air felt fresh, no throat catching taint to it. She was at the back of the building and cautiously made her way round to the side.
‘Escaping from someone?’
Tika nearly jumped out of her skin and Khosa let out an indignant squeak as she was clutched too tightly. Rhaki and Shivan stood beaming behind her.
‘We heard Konya,’ Shivan explained helpfully. ‘So we guessed you’d find another way out.’
Khosa jumped out of Tika’s arms and stalked away, tail fluffed upright to emphasise her annoyance.
‘Where did Kija go with that wretched Hag?’ Shivan asked when Tika declined to explain her reasons for sneaking out of the building.
‘I have a nasty feeling they are going to do as much damage to any Plavats they find as they possibly can.’
‘What exactly are Plavats?’ Rhaki asked in all innocence.
Tika formed a picture and sent it into his mind.
He paled. ‘They are real?’
Tika ignored the question. ‘I think we should try to find out exactly what’s happening in the Menedula,’ she said. ‘I’m not sure if either Ren or Finn Rah can shield themselves.’ She glanced at Rhaki. ‘Can you shield?’
After a brief thought, Rhaki nodded.
‘The Dragons can; they are probably better at shielding a large area than I am.’
‘I would suggest we keep this place as our base for now.’ Shivan spoke diffidently, still not sure of his position among
Tika’s company. She nodded for him to expand his suggestion.
‘We established, in both Kelshan and Karmazen, that you seem to be the main target for the Crazed One. The further you are physically from him or any fragments of the Kingdom, the better.’
‘But - ’
‘You can far see, Tika, or you could actually over fly the Menedula with Farn, provided you fly high enough.’ Shivan looked thoughtful for a moment. ‘Or you could watch through my eyes if I over flew the place. Yes, that would be safer.’
Tika glared at him and began walking along the side of the building, the two men trailing her.
‘Safer!’ she exploded. ‘There is nothing and nowhere that is particularly safe, haven’t you realised that yet?’
She strode round the corner and came to an abrupt halt.
‘I thought I heard your voice.’ Konya smiled sweetly and held out a bowl.
Tika took the bowl without a word, hearing a low chuckle behind her. She drank the potion down in one go and managed not to gag. She threw a withering glance over her shoulder and marched on to join Sergeant Essa who was standing by the edge of the lake. Essa smiled, her purple teeth reminding Tika, as always, of Seela. The huge woman stretched, then rolled her shoulders. Tika suddenly laughed.
‘I thought Hag would get really annoyed when you said she was a clever old bird.’
Essa frowned, her thick dark brows meeting to form one line above her eyes.
‘Why would she? I meant it.’
Tika stared. Essa’s lip twitched.
‘You nearly believed me as well, didn’t you?’
A bugling bass call rang down and they looked up to see Brin spiralling down to land close by. Tika put her fists on her hips and glared at him.
‘How could you go off like that?’ she demanded. ‘Have you any idea how I’ve worried?’
Brin actually managed to look abashed. ‘I assure you, there was no danger,’ he said.
Essa rolled her eyes. ‘No danger?’ she repeated. ‘Didn’t you notice the air turned bad?’
‘I flew very high Tika, I found no problem with the air.’ He hurried on before he could be scolded any more. ‘There is definitely something very wrong in that black building. I felt minds trying to reach mine several times, although no one could have seen me then – it was the darkest part of the night.’
Brin’s words were heard among Tika’s people, his mind voice open to all. Shivan approached with Rhaki.
‘Who has powers strong enough to act as a seeker?’ he asked.
Tika shook her head. What did she really know of Ren’s strengths? She remembered he had once said he was strongest in manipulating the powers of earth and fire. And what had he said of Finn Rah? Earth and air, that was it. So, two of them, both strong in earth powers. Could they have caused the ground to tremble yesterday? Her thoughts were interrupted as Volk and six of her companions, including Shea, rode from the trees. She hid a smile when Shea dismounted, very awkwardly.
‘Volk said the horses should be exercised,’ Sket murmured behind her. ‘Shea thought it might be fun to try to ride a horse.’
Sergeant Essa chuckled. ‘I’ll wager she eats the noon meal standing up.’
They watched Shea limp after the other riders, leading her horse to the stables. Brin waited patiently for further questions. Tika found it impossible to stay cross with the great Dragon. Nearly as old as Kija, son of one of the wisest creatures she had met, Brin was still as impulsive and eager for adventure as Storm or Farn. She reached to hug him.
‘Did you feel any suggestion that the seeking mind could be Ren?’
Brin considered her question. ‘There was more than one mind Tika, and I felt no familiarity.’
‘How many more than one?’
‘I cannot say – it may have been four, but it could well be only two.’ His prismed eyes whirred a rosy pink. ‘Where are Kija and Storm?’
‘They’ve gone with Hag to look for Plavats,’ Farn told him.
‘Really? Where?’
‘Back to the Oblaka.’
Brin was already in the air and heading west. Tika groaned and turned to Farn.
‘Are you sure you don’t want to go with him?’
‘Of course I’m sure. I will stay to protect you and all our friends.’
Tika looked at him, a smile spreading across her face. Those last words had an echo of the old, over confident Farn. He ducked his head to press his face against her shoulder affectionately.
‘I don’t understand the different way power is used here,’ Rhaki spoke slowly. ‘Things you’ve spoken of – shielding, mind speech, far seeing, and to a certain extent, Babach’s dream walking – I am familiar with. But I get the feeling this man Ren uses power differently.’
Tika nodded. ‘The Drogoyans define their mage talents in connection with one or more of the elements. You should talk to Babach; so should I really, as I only know what Ren told me and I have to doubt the full truth of that now. Ren’s connection was with earth and with fire.’
She watched Rhaki absorb that small piece of information and was not surprised when she saw him nod.
‘Earth,’ he said.
‘And I think Finn Rah is also strong in earth powers but I’ll have to check with Babach.’
‘What of this child you’ve mentioned?’
Tika shrugged. ‘I felt nothing in her. But her eyes have silvered. It happens when mage talents develop here, but only here. I’ve never come across it elsewhere.’
‘But yours have silvered, and you are from Sapphrea,’ Rhaki pointed out.
‘I know. There was an illness that began in Vagrantia – a place far south west of Gaharn,’ she explained in response to Rhaki’s blank face. ‘Most people went mad and died, but those who survived found their eyes had changed. There was no change to the power in me though.’
‘So when did it happen to the child?’
Tika frowned. ‘Kadi said it was after she was taken to the Menedula.’
‘So it could be a trick of the Crazed One,’ Shivan put in.
‘It always comes back to that,’ Tika sighed.
It was sometime after the midday meal when Volk sought out Tika.
‘Hesla says there is a lot of activity started around the Menedula,’ he told her.
Well now, Tika thought, she hadn’t noticed a small hawk around, but obviously Hesla was working hard to keep her people informed.
‘What sort of activity?’
‘She said there are many more people there. She has gone to see if she and several of her cousins can work out where the people are coming from. As far as she could estimate she watched about five or six hundred come in through the town of Syet, and go straight in to the Menedula.’
Tika stared at him.
‘That’s why she summoned cousins. These people are arriving in groups of at least a hundred together.’
‘Do all of her – erm - cousins take hawk form?’
Volk laughed. ‘No. Small songbirds, field birds. They can get closer to people and listen to their talk without anyone taking notice. But everyone notices if a hawk comes unusually near.’
Tika could see what an efficient spy system the Old Bloods could maintain.
‘It would be very useful to hear what those people believe they’re doing.’
Volk laughed again. ‘Others are already inside, but obviously they need to be very cautious. Hesla hopes to have first reports from them on her next trip.’
‘Inside?’ Tika asked in disbelief.
Volk regarded her quizzically. ‘What creatures might creep within a house and you be none the wiser?’ he asked, then answered his own question. ‘Spiders, mice, beetles.’
Tika could only gape at him.
‘We do not remember why our people can take other forms, but nearly all the animals of these lands are represented among Old Bloods. And that means beetles as well as bears.’
Tika’s mind whirled with the implications this could hold. Was it some bizarre link t
o the idea of gods, an idea she was getting more intrigued by? Clearly the Old Bloods kept no records, living in constant fear of discovery and persecution as they did. But perhaps they did have records, hidden far away, where only a handful of those such as Volk might know the location. Tika guessed that Volk at least, and probably most of his people, would die before they allowed themselves to be taken for questioning.
‘It will be dusk before Hesla returns and then it may be another who comes. Hesla needs rest.’
Tika tried to work out distances. It had taken five days steady pace for the horses to travel from the Menedula to the Blue Mirror lake. It was an insignificant distance for the Dragons, but for a bird as small as Hesla’s hawk form, it must be an exhausting journey.
Tika watched her three ex Kelshan guards trying to teach the Dark guards the basics of clan wrestling. She sat by the door of the building, wiping tears of laughter from her face, as Essa took on all three Kelshans. Whenever they got within arms length of Essa, they somehow found themselves either flying over her head or flat on their backs on the grass. And Essa wasn’t even out of breath. Someone sat next to her and glancing round, she saw it was Babach. He looked far more rested, so hopefully he had slept most of the morning. He watched Essa for a while as the Kelshans grew slower and slower returning to the fray.
‘There was definitely a god of wisdom,’ he said eventually. ‘I just can’t remember the name. And it was possibly female rather than male. Sorry. I’ll keep trying. But,’ he gave Tika a look of modest triumph. ‘I have remembered the god of death. Simert.’ He beamed and then became alarmed as Tika paled.
‘Is something wrong, child?’
‘Are you sure, absolutely positive, that is his name?’ she managed to ask.
‘Well yes, totally. Once it popped into my head I remembered it clearly, and a couple of stories about him. Would you like to hear the stories?’
Tika shook her head vigorously. Several of her company had noticed her agitation, including Farn who surged through the people towards her, eyes whirring sapphire and pearl in consternation.
Sket was the first to reach her. ‘What is it? What’s wrong now?’
She gave a shaky laugh and looked round for Shivan.
‘Guess who used to be the god of death here in Drogoya?’ she asked generally.
Perilous Shadows: Book 6 Circles of Light Page 9