Perilous Shadows: Book 6 Circles of Light (16 page)

‘I told Hesla to get
Dromi out of the Menedula. He’s been out of his human form too
long.’

Tika frowned. ‘What
does that mean?’

‘If we stay in our
beast form too long, we become the beast in truth. We lose most of
our knowledge of being human. Not completely. But it makes life
even more perilous for us.’

When Tika clearly
didn’t understand he explained further.

‘You know that my beast
form is the bear?’

Tika nodded.

‘Well if I got stuck in
that form, I would perhaps remember you as a friend of my human
form. I might be drawn to seek you out, forgetful that you or
others might see me as simply a wild beast.’ He
shrugged.

Tika finally realised
what he was trying to make her understand.

‘So you could be stuck
as a bear, and yet long for your human friends?’

Volk nodded. ‘Old
Bloods recognise each other in either shape, but to be trapped in
the animal world permanently would be a lonely and terrible
life.’

‘So – Dromi? – has been
in his other form too long?’ Tika was alarmed to think one of these
people could have put themselves in even more danger than she’d
realised.

‘Dromi has been a
spider for five days. He is very strong in his mind, but five days
is long enough.’

Tika gaped at him. A
spider? For five days?

‘Are you sure he’ll be
all right?’

‘I’ve sent a couple out
to where the trail comes out of the woods. They’ll help him back
here, but he will need food and rest.’

Shea had come to the
stable door to listen but now she returned to start grooming the
next horse, making no comment about what she’d just heard. Dog had
repacked her poppers and closed the latches on the satchel. Volk
wandered in to the stable and began talking to Shea about horses in
general and the one she was working on in particular. Tika and Dog
began to make their way round to the front of the
building.

‘Makes you wonder
though,’ Dog observed.

When it became apparent
Dog was not going to say more without encouragement, Tika
sighed.

‘All right. It makes
you wonder what?’

Dog gave her a look of
surprise. ‘Bears and horses. Horses and bears. I reckon Volk loves
those horses like his own children. Why would a bear love
horses?’

Dog shook her head. The
mysteries of this world were beyond her. Following the engineer,
Tika had to admit this mystery was definitely beyond her too.
Rounding the end of the building, they saw Shivan with Rhaki, deep
in conversation. Shivan smiled as Tika and Dog came up.

‘Corman’s no wiser than
us with regard to Babach. Lerran is truly improving but I’d guess
it will take a very long while before she is able to get up. Garrol
is fine. Corman has – problems – in the Palace in the form of
Cyrek.’

Tika bit her lip. She
had been wary of Lord Cyrek but she didn’t underestimate what a
powerful Lord he was. Something else to worry about later. She
quickly recounted what she’d just learnt from Volk and both Shivan
and Rhaki looked concerned.

‘I presume Hesla will
fly back with him in his spider form – it would get him to safety
faster.’

A deep bugling call
stopped further conversation, accompanied as it was by a raucous
cackle. Hag landed first, strutting regally in Tika’s
direction.

‘It was a most
enjoyable trip, my dear,’ she said in her harsh croaking voice. ‘We
destroyed many nests. Many nests,’ she repeated almost
dreamily.

Babach had emerged from
the front door.

‘What nests?’ he asked
innocently.

‘Plavats,’ Hag replied
with the deepest satisfaction.

Kija landed and paced
to Tika, lowering her head to press her brow to Tika’s.

‘You enjoyed yourself,
I gather.’

‘Enormously,’ Kija
agreed.

‘Well just don’t tell
us about it. Please.’

Kija’s eyes flashed and
amusement washed through Tika’s mind.

‘Very well. But I will
tell you that most of the Oblaka is in ruins again.’

‘What!’ Babach stumbled
towards them. ‘What do you mean?’

Kija sent a pulse of
sympathy to the old man. ‘Fire inside. Not natural fire. We could
find no one alive.’

The gold Dragon lowered
her head to Babach. ‘We searched. But we found no one.’

‘Volk’s daughter, and
his grandchildren,’ Tika murmured, horrified.

‘I heard.’ Volk’s growl
rumbled behind her.

She reached a hand out
but he turned away, his body shivering into the shape of a massive
bear. He disappeared among the trees, leaving Tika watching
helplessly. She ran inside the building to the kitchen where three
Old Bloods were enjoying bowls of tea. She went to Beela, the only
one she really knew.

‘Kija has brought word
that those left in the Oblaka are all dead. Volk’s family were
there. He – erm – changed and went into the woods. Will he be
safe?’

Beela started to rise,
then sat back with a sigh.

‘He will be very angry.
It’s best to leave him be. His daughter meant little to him, I
think. He had two sons killed, years ago in a purge in one of the
midland towns. There were two grandchildren, or was it
three?’

One of the other women
at the table nodded. ‘Three, two boys and a girl.’

Tika’s face showed her
horror. ‘He told me about one of the boys. He said he couldn’t
steal him away when we left, although he believed the child was
near the first changing.’

The faces round the
table grew solemn when a man spoke from the doorway.

‘That would be
Rivan.’

Tika turned,
recognising Sabel behind her. ‘You knew the boy?’

Sabel shook his head.
‘I’ve seen him a few times, when I visited Volk. He isn’t Volk’s
blood. Volk took him in when the boy’s family were killed, along
the coast. I’ll see if I can find any trace of him. If he was near
to the change, he may, just may, have escaped.’

Sabel left the kitchen
before Tika could speak. She looked at Beela in alarm
again.

‘Will it be safe for
him, for Sabel, to fly that far?’

Beela gave a grunt of
amusement. ‘In our beast shapes, we move faster than the ordinary
beasts.’

Really? thought Tika,
her mind beginning to spin. Would there ever be a point in her life
where she would have the time to follow up the strange scraps of
information that were thrown her way?

‘Well, if you’re sure.
Should we wait up for Volk – will he be gone long do you
think?’

Beela exchanged glances
with the other women. ‘Might be back later today,’ she said. ‘May
be a couple of days, but you’ve no need to worry for him.
Truly.’

Tika nodded although
not much reassured, and left the kitchen. Word had spread among the
company and there was a low murmur as people discussed Kija’s news.
Kazmat and Darrick were wandering back from further along the lake
shore, several large fish dangling from their hands. Storm’s laugh
pealed through everyone’s heads.

‘How long did it take
you to catch those sad little fish?’ His eyes flashed with
mischief.

Darrick drew himself up
and peered down his nose at Storm.

‘We enjoyed ourselves
greatly and there are enough here for our supper. It takes skill
you understand, to catch fish this way. Not just luck.’

Storm started to
bristle but saw Kazmat’s grin and realised this was the human idea
of teasing. He stuck his nose in the air.

‘Poor little fish they
are. All bones too, I’m sure.’

Darrick chuckled. ‘You
are the best fisher I’ve ever seen. But we did enjoy
ourselves.’

At twilight, three Old
Blood men came into the hall, carrying a fourth. Instantly Konya
was ordering the three to set their friend down by the fire. Tika
touched Konya’s shoulder before the healer could begin to search
for injuries.

‘This is Dromi. He has
been inside the Menedula. He needs rest and food.’

Konya paused, then
simply took Dromi’s wrist to check his pulse. She
frowned.

‘His heart beats very
slowly.’ She looked at the men beside Dromi. ‘He is quite deeply
unconscious. Is this normal for your people in this
circumstance?’

One man nodded.
‘Because Dromi was so long in his beast shape, he has put a great
strain on his whole system. It will take perhaps a day to return to
normal, but we must try to get liquid into him during this
time.’

Konya stood. ‘I think
it best if he’s taken to one of the bedrooms,’ she said. ‘It will
be quieter. And I have herbs that will stimulate and strengthen his
heart. I am also accustomed to getting liquid into unconscious
patients.’

The Old Bloods lifted
Dromi again and carried him after Konya. Tika watched them go.
Sergeant Essa sat down on the nearest bench.

‘I would never have
guessed he’d change to a spider. Volk already looks like a
bear.’

Tika smiled. ‘Just what
I was thinking.’

Dromi was fairly young
she guessed, but his head was already bereft of all hair. His face
was round and as hairless as his head. He was plump in the body,
and from the brief sight of him prone, she didn’t think he was very
tall. She found Essa still watching her so she joined the Sergeant
on the bench. No one else was particularly nearby but Essa spoke
very quietly.

‘You can look inside
people’s heads without them knowing, can’t you?’

Tika was startled by
the question. She tried to study Essa’s profile but all she could
see was the underside of the huge woman’s jaw. Essa glanced down
briefly, then continued to watch the other people in the hall. Tika
rested an ankle on the opposite knee, and considered her
reply.

‘Yes,’ she agreed
finally. ‘But among those who use mind speech, it is considered
rude to do so without permission. Among friends that
is.’

‘But you didn’t check
Ren out.’ Essa’s tone was flat.

Tika was silent. Essa
spoke the truth. Why had she not tested Ren’s thoughts? Because she
doubted him? Tika sighed and stretched her legs out beside Essa’s,
noticing with resignation that her feet reached to Essa’s knees.
Nearly.

‘Being honest, I think
Ren worried me from near the beginning. He admitted his was a
fearful, timid nature, but I wondered if he said that because he
knew we would always keep him in a comparatively safe place, never
in the front, if you see what I mean.’

She waited for Essa’s
nod.

‘Jakri, the Wendlan
mage who travelled with us later, he usually kept his distance from
Ren, and now that I think on it, the gijan were not close to him.
So I suppose the clues were all there Essa, but I refused to read
them right.’

‘And is everyone here
trustworthy?’ Essa’s light blue eyes stared down into Tika’s. ‘I do
not believe you have touched my mind.’

Tika held Essa’s gaze
and let a tendril of power slip inside Essa’s head. She kept her
expression neutral but she was amazed at what she saw. Essa’s mind
was a dazzling network of threads and bright points. In other
words, this woman from the Bear tribe should be a mage of
considerable strength. Why was she not?

Essa smiled faintly.
‘I’ve been practising with Kija. I can mind speak now – without
needing her to start the process. And other things are happening. I
think it must be this bloody pendant.’

‘What other things?’
Tika somehow managed to keep her voice steady.

Essa sighed. ‘I see
pictures, without warning. I’m looking at someone and then there’s
a sort of blink, and I see them in a different place.’ She shook
her head in frustration that she couldn’t explain clearly enough.
‘For instance. Volk. I was watching him talking to Shea and then
there he was as a younger, thinner man, carrying a baby. Then he
was Volk again, talking to Shea. That sort of thing.’

‘Do you see only the
past?’

Essa didn’t answer at
once. ‘No. I think I see the future too.’

And some of the futures
she had seen had proved unpleasant, Tika realised.

‘Anything
else?’

Essa drew her feet back
and leaned her elbows on her knees, clutching her head. ‘When I’m
nearly asleep, or just waking up, I can hear everyone’s dreams, or
thoughts. It’s driving me mad.’

Tika put her hand on
Essa’s powerful shoulder. ‘I can show you how to block that. Let’s
go outside, somewhere a bit quieter and I’ll show you
now.’

Without a word, Essa
got up and made for the door. Both Sket and Shivan glanced towards
her but Tika shook her head quickly and went after Essa.

Rhaki had spent these
few days listening to all the talk. He was still surprised every
now and then, to realise how comfortable he felt in this body, and
among these people. He still shied away from the memories Kija had
restored to him. Although he accepted them, he was not ready to
face them fully. He had soon discovered why this small group of
fourteen people followed Tika.