Drogoya: Book 3 Circles of Light series (3 page)

With agonising slowness
the net drew closer around Kadi and then, suddenly, she was clear
of the ground. The four Dragons flew in precise formation, moving
across to the plateau’s edge. Kadi swung as a gust of wind caught
her, then steadied again. Further out they moved. Still so slowly,
they began to drop the two leagues down to the settlement of Arak.
Ashta swooped down, flying below but to the side of Kadi, guiding
the other four.

Delvers craned out of
the enlarged opening as Kadi’s body descended towards them. Willing
hands reached to grab trailing catch ropes to pull the Dragon
inside. This was the moment Mim had been dreading. Fenj and the
Snow Dragons had still to bear Kadi’s weight, but that weight was
now unevenly balanced as she was drawn within the settlement. Fenj
lurched and Mim’s heart pounded in sudden terror, but the old
Dragon righted himself, murmuring reassurances through their
minds.

The Delvers called out
that Kadi was secure, and instantly the riders on the four Dragons
released the harnesses, letting them fall to the waiting Delvers.
Fenj slowly manoeuvred his great bulk through the space beside Kadi
and paced further from the entrance to allow the Snow Dragons
passage. He reclined against a side wall, tremors rippling through
him, his eyes slate grey with weariness. The three Snow Dragons
settled nearby, trembling worse than Fenj. Lorak and the Delver
healers concentrated their attention on these four while Chakar
began organising the removal of the ropes and netting from
Kadi.

Mim came hurrying to
Fenj’s side, the tension easing in his stiff shoulders as he heard
Fenj rumble: ‘Splendid fellow,’ and saw Lorak move on to a Snow
Dragon, flask in hand.

There seemed no change
in Kadi’s condition. Chakar, with many willing helpers, continued
to apply ointments to the multitude of injuries, but although
Kadi’s breathing was regular, her eyes stayed closed and there was
no contact with her mind.

A few days after the
moving of Kadi from the exposed mountain to the settlement, there
came a loud melodious call from outside the opening. Fenj woke with
a start, about to trumpet in reply until he thought better of doing
so inside the confines of the Domain. Chakar looked at Lorak across
Kadi’s outstretched wing. After a glance at Fenj’s sparkling eyes,
he shrugged.

‘Whoever it is, Fenj is
glad they’re here.’

A flurry of wings
outside and a Great Dragon peered within. Lorak grinned. Chakar
could only stare at the huge, beautiful golden Dragon who now paced
towards her. Honey coloured prismed eyes whirred, and Kija lowered
her head to press her brow to Chakar’s.

‘I thank you for your
work on my beloved Kadi. I will help you all I can. I am Kija, of
the Broken Mountain Treasury.’

For the first time for
longer than she could recall, Chakar found herself truly
speechless. Light glimmered and flashed on the gold scales as Kija
turned to press her brow to Lorak’s. Clearly the Dragon spoke to
Lorak’s mind because his gap- toothed smile split his face and he
chuckled softly. Kija studied Kadi for a few moments before moving
to Fenj’s side. Chakar’s breath caught as golden and black faces
touched, then the golden neck twined briefly round the black in
affection.

‘They Dragons be better
than your old feather pillows any day, don’t you think
then?’

Chakar glared at Lorak
and refused to answer, but in truth the beauty and intelligence of
the Great Dragons had completely captured the Observer’s heart and
mind. A whimper, quickly suppressed, came from Kija. Lorak shook
his head when Chakar would have moved.

‘No, no, m’dear. Fenj,
he be a telling Kija about Gremara and Jeela. Did you not know
Jeela is Kija’s baby daughter?’

Later Kija lay beside
Kadi, watching Chakar stretch and massage the shattered
wing.

‘You wear an egg such
as Mim and my daughter Tika wear. I understand from Fenj that it is
– changing?’

Chakar sat back on her
heels, wiping oil from her hands on a piece of cloth. She lifted
the pendant out of her shirt, holding it up for Kija’s inspection.
Kija’s eyes glittered, whirring faster as she focused on the
pulsating oval.

‘Place it beneath
Kadi’s head,’ she said suddenly. ‘I do not know why, but I feel it
may help her.’

Chakar did not
hesitate, slipping the chain of obsidian links over her head and
gently lifting Kadi’s face to place the pendant near her throat.
Kija’s mind tone was a little embarrassed.

‘I do not know what it
might accomplish. I just thought it might help her a
little.’

Chakar came awake,
thinking someone had called her. She crawled up from the pallet the
Delvers had put for her near her patient and froze. It was just
before dawn and she saw Lorak, Kija and Fenj all awake, all looking
at Kadi. The midnight blue Dragon’s body seemed to be drawing the
pale outside light into herself. There were not enough lamps in the
cavern to account for the flicker and shine that danced over her
great back. Chakar forced herself to her feet and took a step
towards Kadi. For an instant she imagined she heard singing but the
sound was gone at once. And so was the light. Again, there was only
the murkiness of pre dawn and Kadi’s body a dark silhouette against
the sky.

Chakar shivered,
reached back to her pallet and wrapped a quilt round her shoulders.
She crossed to Kadi and knelt, feeling the breath steady against
her hands when she held them to Kadi’s nose.

‘I know not your name,
but I thank you for your great care of me.’

The voice was a whisper
in Chakar’s mind which she almost disregarded. Then, with a surge
of excitement, she crouched lower over the Dragon’s beautiful
face.

‘Kadi? Kadi? Have you
come back?’

She sent the thought
carefully to the Dragon mind. She was aware of Lorak’s hand
gripping her shoulder as he peered down at Kadi, and of Kija and
Fenj pressing close to the blue Dragon’s body. Chakar heard Fenj’s
voice.

‘Her name is Chakar my
dear one. You have been so ill, yet this Chakar would not give up
tending you.’

‘Thank you Chakar.’ The
faint whisper came again.

Then Chakar’s mind
reeled when Fenj’s bass voice pealed out in joyous relief, Kija’s
harmonising as they sang health and strength into their friend.
Lorak’s arm went round the Observer’s shoulders and she realised
with surprise that she was crying. Lorak drew her away and sat her
on her pallet, producing the inevitable leather flask while Snow
Dragon voices joined Kija and Fenj, their song filling minds
throughout the Domain.

Whether it was the
effects of Lorak’s restorative before breakfast, or the cumulative
effects of so many days and nights of constant nursing, but Chakar
fell sound asleep, waking to find Mim squatting by her
bed.

‘You have missed the
midday meal,’ he grinned at her.

She saw just how very
young this Dragon Lord was in his exuberant relief at Kadi’s
recovery. Remembering, she sat bolt upright, looking to Kadi. The
Dragon’s head had been raised on a great heap of pillows and her
eyes were closed. Chakar began to climb out of her covers in alarm
but Mim’s scaled hand pressed her back.

‘She sleeps, my friend.
She will heal now. No one can tell me what you did to restore her,
but I bring you this in thanks and replacement.’

He held out his other
hand to the Observer and she saw an oval shape filling his palm.
Mim’s head touched Chakar’s as they both bent over the
egg.

‘Gremara spoke to me
and said that she knew you had given yours to Kadi, which was the
right thing to do.’

Chakar looked across at
Kadi again and saw that someone had slid the obsidian chain over
Kadi’s head, allowing the egg to rest high at her
throat.

Mim laughed. ‘Lorak did
it earlier when we raised her head a little. Anyway, Gremara told
me to go to the Delvers’ egg cave and when I unsealed the door they
were all shining, brighter than before. Gremara said I would know
which one was to be yours and I went straight to this one.’ he
frowned. 'I keep thinking I can hear singing – but it must be my
imagination. This is to be yours.’

Chakar accepted the
egg, cupping it between her palms. The back of the oval was a deep
amethyst and within the transparent, faintly gold front a tiny
shape twisted and glimmered. A chain of silver was attached to the
egg and Chakar glanced questioningly at Mim. He shrugged
again.

‘The chain was there
when I picked it up,’ he said. ‘Although I had not noticed it when
I reached for it.’

A small furry creature
crept onto Chakar’s lap, nosing at the egg, making a pleased
buzzing sound. It was black, except for splashes of white on each
paw and tail tip. He squeezed between Chakar’s hands and her chest
and stared pleadingly up at Mim. The Dragon Lord reached out with
one taloned finger and touched the Kephi’s head.

‘Would you be prepared
to care for Rofu?’ Mim asked softly. ‘He came first to me. He has a
loving but timid heart and would be far happier with you, as he is
showing now.’

Startled, Chakar looked
down into bright blue eyes.

‘May I stay?’ Rofu
asked her wistfully.

‘Of course you may, if
you are sure that is what you want.’

Rofu nearly choked
himself as his buzzing intensified.

‘You are acclaimed
throughout the Domain Observer!’ said a voice above them. Imshish,
Nesh and Daro stood beaming at Chakar. ‘We have come to carry on
your work if you trust us to do so properly,’ Nesh explained. ‘The
Lady Thryssa wishes to visit Gaharn before returning to Vagrantia
but would like to speak with you before she leaves. And your friend
Ren Salar has disappeared with Speaker Lashek.’

They laughed at
Chakar’s horrified expression.

‘I’m sorry, we only
tease you,’ Imshish apologised. ‘Lashek and Ren have travelled
through the circles to Sapphrea.’

Kija insisted on
carrying Chakar to the Stronghold. Rofu travelled inside Chakar’s
shirt, nestled close to the amethyst egg and refusing to open his
eyes. Mim and Ashta flew with them. Chakar slipped from Kija’s
back, thanking the Dragon for the ride. Again Kija touched her brow
to the Observer’s.

‘You have my gratitude
Lady Chakar. You have but to summon me and I will answer your
call.’

Kija moved into the
Stronghold’s great hall and reared erect, giving formal greeting to
the two strangers sitting with Kera, Dessi and Jal at a table.
Thryssa and Kwanzi stood and bowed deeply to the magnificent golden
creature before them.

‘I am so glad your
friend Kadi is beginning to recover at last,’ Thryssa said at once.
‘We were much distressed at the terrible state we saw her in on the
mountainside.’

Kija’s eyes whirred
softly, appreciating the true feeling behind Thryssa’s words.
Before more could be said, Mim came sprinting down from the upper
levels, his expression outraged. He glared at Chakar.

‘One of those great
birds is in the room I chose for myself,’ he said
furiously.

Chakar was taken aback.
‘Baryet? In your room?’ she repeated helplessly.

‘I don’t know which one
it is, but it hissed at us and it tried to peck my
Ashta!’

As he spoke, Baryet
himself stilted into the hall, settled in his usual spot and
waggled his head.

‘You disturbed my
wife,’ he accused Mim coldly.

Mim gaped but Chakar
caught his sleeve.

‘Baryet, the room
Syecha is occupying is the private – nest – of the Dragon Lord. It
is a great rudeness to move in there in such a manner. Why is
Syecha there anyway?’

Baryet tilted his head,
one gold rimmed eye glaring over the black hooked bill.

‘My wife is with egg,’
he said.

Mim caught Chakar’s eye
and spun away, his shoulders shaking. For some reason, the five at
the table all had their hands over their mouths and their eyes
appeared to be watering. Mim kept his back turned. His voice
sounded strangled.

‘She may remain there
for now in those circumstances, but it would have been more polite
if you had asked permission first.’

Baryet stuck his head
under his wing in an offended manner. Kera put both hands over her
face, trying to keep from laughing aloud. Chakar joined them at the
table, glancing anxiously at Mim.

‘I do apologise. I am
not sure that we could actually get Syecha out now that she has
apparently made up her mind to nest there.’

Mim shook his head. ‘It
is not really that important,’ he said. ‘Especially if she is –
with egg.’

Dessi snorted and that
sent everyone into gales of laughter.

‘I do believe he has
more conceit and far less humour even than Brin,’ Kija’s voice
commented in their minds. The golden Dragon reclined near the table
and was regarding the pile of dishevelled feathers with
disbelief.

Kera sobered. ‘Chakar,
will Baryet leave Syecha to fly to Drogoya again? Clearly, Syecha
will not travel so far in her present state.’