Drogoya: Book 3 Circles of Light series (8 page)

Soran reported that the
City Guards still answered to his authority but the corp of Guards
maintained by the Asataria were within that building under Fayet’s
control. Soran had a plan of the Asataria complex laid out on
Emla’s table. He pointed to various places as he spoke.

‘These seven entrances
are all well guarded,’ he said. ‘All windows at ground level are
heavily shuttered. Lady Ryla says that there are ways in from here,
and here, which she remembers from her student days. I sent men to
check. They found nothing at all here, but there is a door at this
point, half its height buried under soil and shrubs.’

Emla pulled her lower
lip with long fingers. ‘Would it be worth risking entry that way?’
she asked.

Soran sat back in his
chair. ‘Lady I had a thought last night. If I put a squad of men to
gain entry there, as a diversion, how many might we get through on
the circle?’

Emla stared at her
Captain of Guards. Bagri coughed politely.

‘Jilla has told me that
Fayet asked about moving armies through the circles just before he
stormed out of Ryla’s presence. If he is still ignorant of how the
circles may be used, he would surely keep a large force of guards
around the one within the Asataria?’

Soran scowled. ‘You are
quite right of course. Perhaps we could send some men in both ways,
hoping to split Fayet’s forces while we made an assault on the main
doors?’

‘The main doors were
specifically built to withstand any attack Soran.’

Soran sighed. ‘How well
is the Asataria supplied Lady?’

‘Far too well I fear
Soran. They could hold out in there without needing any more
provisions for another half cycle easily. And there are four wells
within too. No Soran, this must end quickly. I will ask Ryla if she
can remember any other possible ways in or out, from her wicked
student days. Come in,’ she called as a knock sounded on the
door.

Shan entered and
saluted smartly.

‘Lady, Elyssa and
Speaker Lashek are in the hall, just come from
Sapphrea.’

Bagri grinned. ‘I am
surprised Lashek has actually returned so promptly. Thryssa must
have threatened him with something truly dire to make sure he would
be here.’

Emla smiled back at the
Vagrantian. ‘What of the Drogoyan Observer, Ren?’

Shan shrugged. ‘He was
not with them Lady, or Maressa.’

‘I will be down
directly Shan. I am sure Speaker Lashek will be in great need of
sustenance.’

‘He brought a recipe
which he has already copied and asked the cooks to make up so we
may all marvel,’ Shan told her mistress as she closed the door
behind her.

Emla rose and went to
one of the windows. Snow still lay in sunless corners but most of
the gardens were clear now. A student dashed across a stretch of
lawn and was knocked to the ground by a mauve blue Dragon. Emla
heard shrieks of mirth in her mind as Nya planted herself firmly
across the student’s back. She turned back to the room.

‘I must welcome Speaker
Lashek and Elyssa. The High Speaker and her husband will also
arrive soon too. Come back here after the noon meal Soran. We must
have a firm plan of action drawn up this day.’

Soran
saluted.

‘I am meeting with my
officers as soon as I leave you, Lady. But it would most certainly
help matters if Lady Ryla could recall anymore ways of sneaking in
or out of the Asataria.’

Emla laughed. ‘I feel
Lady Ryla would most strongly object to your use of the word
“sneaking” Soran, but I will see what she might
remember.’

Emla greeted Lashek and
Elyssa warmly, aware of an air of resolve about Thryssa’s young
aide. Elyssa handed her the letters from Tika and Gan, which Emla
in turn passed to the two ancient ladies enthroned by the
fireside.

‘I am glad that Tika is
going to seek the lost cities,’ Nolli announced. ‘Even if they find
nothing, I believe the child needs some time to accept all that has
befallen her. We are apt to forget that she lived as a slave less
than a cycle past.’

Jilla looked shocked,
as did Lashek.

‘I had not heard that
Nolli. A slave? I did not think slaves were kept here?’ Jilla
sounded perturbed.

‘They only keep slaves
still in parts of Sapphrea.’ Elyssa’s tone was matter of fact.
‘More specifically, Return has a high population of slaves and I
gather they are never given their freedom. Lord Seboth of Far still
has “slave families” – descendants of slaves taken during their
Ganger Wars, but they were given their freedom over ten cycles past
when the Wars ended.’

‘From these letters,
the news is not good of Lord Hargon’s attitude to any of us from
outside his lands?’ Emla queried.

Lashek shook his head.
‘Did they tell you that he has ordered any Merigs in his territory
to be killed? Seboth was not pleased to be “summoned” to a council
in Return any more than he was that this Hargon also ordered him to
destroy any Merigs around Far.’

Hani’s head peered
anxiously round the side of Nolli’s chair and the small Kephi on
Nolli’s knees chirruped in distress. Tears shone on Nolli’s cheeks
and Elyssa knelt, putting an arm around the tiny woman’s shoulder
while her friend and maid Lanni clucked and patted.

‘The Merigs are kindly
souls. They have long carried messages willingly between the
creatures of this land. This is a dreadful thing to
hear.’

‘Hush,’ Elyssa tried to
comfort the Delver. ‘Seboth called a Merig to him and warned of the
danger.’

‘Seboth did?’ Emla
asked in astonishment.

‘Yes he did.’ Lashek
tried to look modest. ‘He and his Lady wife and his brother Olam,
are all strong in the power. Or they will be when they are properly
instructed. All three had been shielded.’

‘Shielded?’ Emla felt
she was becoming an echo. ‘But who might have shielded
them?’

Lashek smiled. ‘Who
knows? But they are being taught to guard themselves even now and
will be safe for a while yet.’

Ryla had heard none of
the conversation, her mind had been back in the long distant days
of her studentship.

‘Five more places I can
remember,’ she now said suddenly. ‘Where is the plan
Emla?’

Emla nodded to Shan,
who sped off up the wide staircase to fetch the plan of the
Asataria from Emla’s study. Before Shan reappeared, six Guards
escorted High Speaker Thryssa and Kwanzi into the hall. Emla went
to them, arms outstretched. Thryssa’s gaze went quickly round those
present and she could not hide her relief at seeing Elyssa, still
kneeling by an extremely tiny, extremely old, Delver woman.
Retaining Emla’s hand in hers, Thryssa greeted the other
Vagrantians on her way to the two great chairs by the hearth. She
bowed deeply.

‘I am Thryssa, High
Speaker of Vagrantia,’ she said before Emla could introduce her. ‘I
am greatly honoured to meet the Wise One of the Delvers and you
also, Lady Ryla. May the stars guard your souls.’

Kwanzi, behind her,
bowed even more deeply.

Tears still glittered
on Nolli’s face but she gave her sweet toothless smile and reached
up to Thryssa.

‘Sit with me, child,’
she insisted. ‘Your Elyssa and Jilla have told us much of Vagrantia
but we would always learn more.’ Nolli’s sharp dark eyes caught the
quick exchange of expressions between Jilla and Elyssa and she
crowed with laughter. ‘Very well. No questions – yet. But sit with
me anyway.’

Shan had given the plan
of the Asataria to Ryla and now Ryla’s voice cut across the
greetings and chatter in the hall.

‘These are the places.
I think at least one of them should still be accessible – this one
surely.’

Emla was bending to
look when Soran entered, a black scowl on his face. He saluted
Emla.

‘Seven killed Lady.
Random arrows from high in the Asataria. Seven market people, and
two of those women.’

Emla had explained in
cogent detail, the problem that had arisen among her own People
whilst she was absent in Sapphrea.

‘Your difficulty is
winkling them out of this building then,’ Lashek concluded
helpfully when Emla paused for breath.

‘May I speak with you
privately?’ Elyssa murmured to the High Speaker, the change in her
eyes still causing Thryssa disquiet.

‘Of course child. Would
you excuse us briefly Emla?’

‘Look!’ Lashek
exclaimed. ‘Lallia’s pastries! We must eat them with the reverence
they deserve if only your cooks can match Lallia’s
Emla!’

Everyone obediently
took one of the great pile of pastries and they were all suitably
appreciative. Lashek picked up one of the heaped dishes and moved
to sit beside Nolli. He had seen her look of true bliss when she
took her first taste. Thryssa and Elyssa returned from the doorway
whence they had moved for some privacy. Kwanzi saw his wife was
troubled and was immediately watchful, unable to rid his mind of
the memory of her recent despair.

‘Elyssa and I would go
to your circle here Emla. I will be able to tell if the circle
within your City has been used.’ She paused. ‘I agree with Bagri
that it seems obvious your rebels would set a guard about that
circle, whether they are able to use it or no. I think Elyssa has
already mentioned that we are able to travel without using the
mosaic circles?’

‘But it is extremely
dangerous!’ Kwanzi expostulated, and Lashek nodded, his face
serious for once.

Thryssa flicked a hand
in dismissal of Kwanzi’s objection.

‘It can be dangerous,
yes. But for this short distance, and using one circle at least,
the danger is lessened.’

Emla, Soran and the two
old ladies listened closely. Thryssa sat down on the cushions,
drawing Elyssa down with her.

‘The point is, one must
know exactly – and I mean exactly – the place one wishes to reach.
A slight error and one could find oneself within the stone of a
wall for example.’

Shan was not the only
listener to swallow hard. Thryssa frowned, trying to find a way of
making herself fully understood.

‘Without a circle, I
must hold two images, crystal clear in my mind: of the place I am
at present, and of the place I wish to transfer to. Absolutely
clear – every small detail of both places, whilst saying a chant
and moving round as though I stood on a real circle.’

Lashek was leaning
forward: he had known nothing of this.

‘It is less dangerous,’
Thryssa sent a brief smile towards Kwanzi. ‘If one of the locations
is a real circle, as is the one here Emla.’

There was a silence
while Thryssa’s words sank into her audience.

‘But neither you nor
Elyssa knows the Asataria building,’ Kwanzi said
finally.

‘No, but Emla does. An
image from her mind to mine, would work satisfactorily.’

‘How many could you
move in this manner Lady Thryssa?’ enquired Soran.

Thryssa shrugged.
‘Probably twenty five at most. If I took one group through, Elyssa
could follow with the same number. But I think twenty five would be
the maximum at one time.’

‘If I had even just
twenty men and we could reach Lady Kera’s rooms, we would have a
good advantage, even over the sixty Guards Fayet now commands.’
Soran looked to the Golden Lady for her opinion.

‘Sixteen Guards on the
first transfer and sixteen on the second then,’ Emla decided
firmly, giving herself no chance to have second
thoughts.

‘When?’ Thryssa
asked,

‘During the night.’
Soran’s reply was crisp. ‘Lady Kera’s rooms are near the top of the
Asataria. We will be going down – it is much more difficult to
fight trying to climb up stairs. Many if not most will be asleep –
they believe they are unassailable. All points are in our
favour.’

Bagri nodded, his face
alight. ‘I shall accompany Elyssa,’ he said. It was half statement,
half question as he turned to Thryssa.

A slight smile tugged
at her mouth. ‘I suspected you might,’ she agreed
mildly.

‘Shan and I will travel
with you first Thryssa. Soran, begin selecting the Guards and tell
them what you think they need to know of this plan.’

Soran hurried from the
hall, his thoughts busy running over each of his Guards’ merits
among those he would pick for this action.

‘As soon as we reach
the room you select Emla, all of us must stand against its walls,
leaving as much space as possible for Elyssa to envisage her circle
therein.’

Emla nodded her
understanding. ‘You and Elyssa must come back here at once after
the transfer,’ she said.

‘I think not,’ Thryssa
replied. ‘If the Lady of the Asatarians is fighting there, then the
High Speaker of Vagrantia, new allies though we may be, will remain
in the room chosen as the transfer point.’ She raised a hand to
prevent argument from both Lashek and Kwanzi. ‘If wounded are
brought there, it will be much easier to bring them through with a
proper circle at this end to focus on.’