Drogoya: Book 3 Circles of Light series (7 page)

‘As you are drawn to
the west, I am not. I sense that I must go to the Stronghold,’
Elyssa said gently. ‘But see, I have drawn a circle and I will show
you how to read the pattern and teach you the words, and how to
identify the different ones. Maressa will go over it all with you
on your travels.’

Farn also could see no
reason why Elyssa should leave and added his arguments to Tika’s.
But Elyssa remained steadfast in her determination to leave with
Lashek. Farn carried his two girls to the circle in silence on the
morning of departure. Elyssa hugged Tika hard.

‘I promise we will soon
meet again Tika, but I must go to the north for now.’

Tika nodded. ‘It is
just that it seems such a short time to have known you.’

Elyssa hugged her again
then turned briskly to the circle. Lashek put his arms round Tika,
resting his chin on the top of her head.

‘Find what you can of
our old world, my child. I long to be with you as you go
searching.’ He held her from him and smiled down at her. ‘You must
promise me to add your thoughts to Maressa’s reports on all that
you discover.’

Tika managed a smile,
then reached into a pocket. ‘A little squashed I’m
afraid.’

Lashek raised the
package to his nose. His eyes rolled in delight. ‘You didn’t manage
to wheedle the recipe from that dear Lady Lallia, did
you?’

Tika handed him a
folded paper. Lashek smacked a kiss onto her brow and joined Elyssa
on the circle clutching parcel and paper to his chest. Elyssa
glanced once across the circle into Tika’s silver eyes then looked
down at the pattern she was about to walk. Seboth, Gan and Tika
heard her low murmur as she began the chant. There was a soft gulp
of air and the circle was empty.

Gathered in Seboth’s
library that night, Tika asked if he had any strong objections to
their searching the salt lands for the lost cities.

‘None at all,’ Seboth
replied promptly. ‘I only wish, like Speaker Lashek, that I could
join you. Unfortunately, the reports from Return make me chary of
leaving Far at the present.’

Gan frowned. ‘Is Hargon
ill – in your honest opinion Lord Seboth? I know he was sorely
disturbed by the recent events concerning his sons.’

‘No.’ Seboth sighed.
‘Since the Ganger Wars ended, cycles past now, most of us Lords
have enjoyed the chance to get on with our lives in our own areas.
We keep a force of armsmen, trained and ready, but we enjoy our
peaceful ways now. Hargon has always been the sole one of us to
fret about keeping our men battle ready. He is also the only one of
us who tries to keep alive the old fear of the power users – as I
am sure you must have noticed.’

‘I have been wondering
about that,’ said Tika. ‘Sket made me think of it the other night.’
Silver eyes gleamed when Tika turned to face Seboth. ‘Do you kill
any of your people who show they have some unexplained way of doing
something? Healing perhaps, or making plants grow?’

Seboth looked shocked.
‘Of course I don’t.’ Understanding dawned. ‘You mean Hargon
does?’

Tika shrugged. ‘I know
one of the old women “died” just before I – left – Return, half a
cycle ago. She taught me to read and write, and she had also
shielded my mind somehow. She tried to protect me
Seboth.’

Seboth scowled and
began to prowl the room. ‘I heard from Hargon this afternoon.’ He
swung away from the window and squatted beside Tika. ‘He summons me
to a great council as he calls it. Summons me – a Lord of the same
standing as him.’ Seboth took Tika’s hands. ‘He ordered me to kill
any Merigs I might see around Far. He has killed several, he
says.’

Breaths were drawn in
all around the fireside. Seboth’s hands tightened on
Tika’s.

‘Lashek has freed the
power within Olam, Lallia and myself. He said you could help us
make progress in understanding just what we might be able to do.
But I went out anyway this afternoon, after I read Hargon’s words,
and I called to a Merig with my mind. He had heard of Hargon’s
killings. I begged him to tell all his kind to beware Return and
any armsmen in Hargon’s colours.’

Tika continued to stare
at the Lord of Far.

‘The Merig was good
enough to accept my word that his kind could find refuge here. I
had thought that he would not listen to me, let alone speak to me
after what has passed at Return.’

Tika laughed without
humour. ‘Most of the creatures I have encountered who use the mind
speech, judge each case as it arises. It seems only humans judge
one and condemn all.’

Seboth released her
hands and moved to sit on pillows near his wife.

‘When would you like to
begin your search?’

Tika glanced at Gan for
his suggestion.

‘I think as soon as
possible. I do not think it safe to stay too near Hargon
now.’

Seboth nodded,
scrubbing a hand across his face wearily. ‘I must leave tomorrow.
Olam will go with you, and an armsman as token escort at
least.’

‘For the first day or
so we will far speak you each sunset, Lallia. I would not risk
trying to reach Lord Seboth while he is in Return.’ Tika hugged her
knees to her chest. ‘We will leave the morning after tomorrow. That
gives Gan time to arrange supplies and will allow the three of us
-’ she indicated herself, Maressa and Ren. ‘To begin your
instruction in the use of power. Lord Seboth, if you choose, we
will work with you for a while now, before you must leave for
Return?’

The room emptied of all
but Lord Seboth, looking a trifle apprehensive, Tika, Maressa and
Ren. Ren’s silver eyes regarded the Lord of Far.

‘We think you need to
learn to shield yourself, quickly and thoroughly. That is most
important. And if you can learn that readily, there are a few
smaller things that might be useful in Return.’

Seboth was amazed at
his exhaustion after only a short period of working with the power.
Tika and Maressa threw mind probe after mind probe at him, until
Seboth could slam a shield into place the instant he sensed their
presence approaching. Ren finally smiled.

‘You were right Tika –
he will be strong indeed, given time and training.’

Tika stretched. ‘I will
go to Farn and Brin now.’

‘I will go to bed.’ Ren
stood, bowing to Seboth before leaving in Tika’s wake.

‘And I will begin to
show you how to far speak,’ Maressa told Seboth quietly when they
were alone. ‘Tika is with Farn and they are holding their minds
closed. Now, open your mind to mine and watch closely what I
do.’

Seboth had a mild but
persistent headache by the time he went to bid farewell to his
guests. Farn’s sapphire eyes flashed and sparkled as he bent his
long, beautiful face towards the Lord of Far.

‘May the stars guide
your path Seboth,’ he intoned. His eyes whirred faster. ‘Only
summon me if you believe we should do something interesting with
this Hargon.’

Seboth blinked. Tika
elbowed Farn sharply in the chest.

‘But Tika, this Hargon
is not a pleasant creature – I knew so when I first met him.’ Farn
objected.

‘Be that as it may
Farn, we do not want to encourage trouble where it might not
appear.’

Tika met Seboth’s eyes
and knew they shared the same thought: trouble was already nearby
and Hargon would be at its heart.

The visitors watched as
Seboth, at the head of a full escort of armsmen in their green
uniforms, rode from the outer court of Seboth’s manor. Several
women, including Lallia, also watched, but from half shuttered
windows, as the riders wound out into the town’s narrow
streets.

A flash of silvery blue
and Farn swooped above the contingent when it emerged from the town
gate. He spiralled and pirouetted, then swerved back towards the
manor. Tika muttered under her breath. Ren raised a brow in
question.

‘He is encouraging
Seboth to do something awful to Hargon,’ she explained irritably.
But watching Farn’s graceful flight over the manor roof, she was
unable to restrain a smile of complicity.

A large part of that
day was spent working with Lallia, who showed great promise in the
talent of far speaking and also for far seeing. As with her
husband, Tika and Ren taught her first to shield herself, then
Maressa took over. Maressa was impressed with Lallia’s abilities
and told the others so.

‘She would be an air
mage among my people and a powerful one too. In this short time she
has learned what it takes years for many to comprehend.’

‘Perhaps she just
somehow remembers?’ Tika suggested. ‘I still do not know quite what
I can do or how I do many things.’ She shivered. ‘Farn’s healing
for instance. I have no real idea of what I did then.’

They were gathered in
Seboth’s library with a new face among them: Olam introduced
Pallin, a grizzled man who reminded Tika strongly of Lorak. It was
made plain that both Olam and Lallia had a fondness for the elderly
man. Gan later explained that Pallin had played the part of father
to Seboth and Olam when their true father was killed in the Ganger
Wars. He had devoted his life to serving Seboth and Seboth’s family
but had reached an age when he should be retired from strenuous
duty.

‘Where do you hear all
this gossip?’ Maressa asked Gan with admiration.

Gan laughed. ‘Armsmen
are the worst of all for gossiping. Seboth has tried to give Pallin
lighter duties but the arguments have been heard halfway into the
town apparently. And he never won any of them.’

Next morning, the party
assembled in the inner court. The three armsmen, with Olam and Ren,
were mounted on koninas, and all except Ren led a spare animal
which carried supplies. Maressa and Gan climbed onto Brin’s crimson
back while Tika bade a last goodbye to Lallia within the
manor.

‘We will make no
attempt to contact Seboth,’ Tika told her. ‘And nor must you. But
once he is home again, it will be safe to do so.’

‘I wish I could come,’
Lallia said wistfully.

Tika grinned. ‘Would
you bring the baby, and a couple of nursemaids too?’

Lallia laughed. ‘I
know, I know. But one day, I swear I will leave this town and see
something else of this world.’

She spoke so
forcefully, Tika could only hug her in delight. Running out to the
court where Farn waited impatiently, Tika chuckled to herself. She
had a feeling Lady Lallia would achieve her ambition.

Chapter
Five

In Gaharn, Emla found
Ryla icy with rage. The very idea that two Discipline Seniors
should attempt a virtual coup within the Asataria seemed
preposterous and infuriating. Secretly, she was also upset and
worried that these two had been joined by roughly one hundred other
Discipline Seniors and Seniors. A mere handful of students remained
in the building – those who excelled at fawning and toadying. The
vast majority had been ordered to leave. Some of these had returned
to their homes laden with books in the hopes of continuing their
studies unsupervised, while others had made for the Golden Lady���s
great House.

And fortunate it was
that the House was so large with so many students moving in to it.
The great hall was put out of bounds, the students relegated to the
fractionally smaller chamber in a distant wing of the House. All
three Pavilions were also forbidden to them, although one was at
present unused – Ryla deemed it best to forbid entry to any. Many
Discipline Seniors and Seniors decided to move out to Emla’s House
too during this emergency, abandoning their own, perfectly pleasant
houses in Gaharn City, as Ryla acidly remarked.

One good thing about
this influx of students was that they relieved Hani of much of the
arduous duties of keeping her two eyes on five young Dragons. Ikram
and Nya, Farn’s brother and sister, had fully recovered from both
shock and injuries caused by Gremara’s mad screams. Mischief was
their lifeblood and they had inveigled Hani’s daughter Deeba into
becoming part of their many plots.

Hani’s other daughter
Lilla was as shy as her mother and, with Shar, preferred to learn
than to play constant pranks. Farn’s sister Shar was also glad to
know the students were willing playmates of the three youngest
Dragons. She was very like her mother Kija, by far the most
responsible and serious of this brood.

Emla, Bagri and Soran
closeted themselves in Emla’s study to determine the best and
speediest way of evicting Fayet and his followers from the
Asataria. Various Discipline Seniors had already been reprimanded
for leaving the City and promptly sent back to their own homes.
They were instructed to move among the local people, assuring them
that the Golden Lady would bring this unprecedented situation to a
rapid close.

Generations of humans
had lived and worked in Gaharn with never a hint of any sort of
trouble among them or the People of the Asataria who governed them
with such a light hand. Tension had grown during the cold season
with unconfirmed rumours spreading through the City of monsters,
created and loosed into the world by the Grey Guardian of the
North. No monsters had been seen in Gaharn City, but many families
had leaned of their menfolk’s deaths in a great battle with the
forces of the Grey One. Many more now had crippled husbands,
brothers and sons to support, albeit a task made financially easier
with the generous pensions paid by the Asatarians.