Vagrants: Book 2 Circles of Light series (13 page)

His eyes widened as he
realised just what Dessi might be able to do.

‘You must tell me more
of what you have discovered Dessi, but we should be in the hall.
Tika and Farn leave in the morning. Can you make the snow even
slightly less – to give Farn a help to start the journey
south?’

Dessi nodded. ‘I’ve
been trying to work out how I could do that. I think it’s rather
more complicated than it seems, but I’m going to try
it.’

Mim passed Rofu to her
again and he and Ashta went towards the partially exposed chamber
to fly down to the main entrance.

Rofu crooned softly,
watching Mim leave.

‘He is very different
from the other Kephis, is he not Mim?’ Dessi remarked.

Mim laughed over his
shoulder. ‘The only one who is unashamed to admit to total
cowardice, you mean? Yes!’

‘I’m sure he didn’t
mean that Rofu.’ Dessi comforted a silent Rofu as she carried him
down through the several levels of the stronghold.

‘I think he did,’ Rofu
said sadly. ‘And it’s true I fear. It seems a very worrying world
to me.’

Tika was sitting by
Fenj, his self-appointed guardian, Lula, fast asleep between his
folded wings.

‘This small Kephi is a
great responsibility, you know.’

‘I’m sure she is,’ Tika
grinned.

Lorak winked as he went
to his workroom. He had already told Tika he was delighted the tiny
Lula had adopted Fenj so determinedly. He had been worried that the
massive old black Dragon was sinking into dreams of his past and
letting the present slip by unnoticed. The little Kephi fascinated
Fenj. He spent his time playing the silliest games with her, and
became concerned if she was too long absent from him.

‘Fenj, you won’t let
Mim and Ashta go charging off after this silver Dragon you told us
of, will you? He hasn’t spoken of it since, but I know it’s in his
mind.’

‘If he chooses to go,
Tika, I would not be able to stop him. He is a Dragon
Lord.’

‘Perhaps Emla will know
of these Dragons. Mim must learn more before he tries to cross the
Wilderness.’

At that point, Lorak
came back out of his workroom and sat beside Tika. He discreetly
handed her a leather bottle.

‘A little something in
case of emergencies,’ he murmured. ‘But don’t let the high and
mighty Gan know.’

‘Splendid creature,’
rumbled Fenj affectionately.

Tika reached up and
hugged the old Dragon. ‘I’m going to miss you Fenj.’

His eyes whirred the
shadows-on-snow colour. ‘And I you, small one. Brin will protect
you. I know he seems an overgrown hatchling, but he is strong and
brave and loyal.’

Tika saw Motass heading
for the upper levels and ran to catch up with him.

‘Motass. You’ll watch
over Mim and Ashta for me won’t you?’

Motass blushed,
jiggling the tray of food in his hands awkwardly.

‘I feel I should come
too Lady, but what with Lord Mim staying here, and my
brother.’

‘Of course you will
stay. I’m glad to know Mim has a Guardsman such as you to serve
him.’

‘Well, I hope as how
all goes well for you and Farn, indeed I do. My brother’s told Lord
Gan all he remembers of Sapphrea and Return. I hope it
helps.’

‘You’d better take that
tray up to Jal before the food’s cold.’ Tika smiled up at the
Guard.

‘Yes Lady. Stars
protect you always Lady.’

Jeela called her as
Tika turned back to the hall.

‘I know,’ she said
before the small ivory Dragon could speak. ‘Your place is with
Dessi now. But I have been glad of your company this far
Jeela.’

‘I know you will all
take care of Farn,’ Jeela’s eyes whirred. ‘He is not anywhere near
as brave as he pretends.’

‘Brin will be with us.
That will help Farn a lot.’

Jeela sniffed.
‘Brin!’

Tika was amused that
only the single young male Dragon in the company saw Brin as a
hero. Ashta was rarely to be found listening to Brin’s tales, and
Jeela’s sniff indicated she shared Kija’s view of the crimson
Dragon. Tika looked around the hall of the Grey Guardian’s
stronghold. Guards had dismantled one side of the shattered gate
and were still working on the other.

Twenty days they had
been here and the threatening air of the place was gone, dispersed
by the energetic work of Delvers and Guardsmen together. Tika knew
Farn was greatly improved in strength. She also knew how afraid he
was of the prospect before them. Not of facing Rhaki yet, but the
relatively simple first step on the journey back to Gaharn. Kija
would be helping Farn, lending him some of her physical strength
and Tika herself would try to strengthen his mind. Now the time was
so close that Tika wished tomorrow were already here.

In the morning, there
was relieved surprise at the clear skies. Lorak grinned as he
rubbed Farn’s shoulder.

‘A good token, young
Farn, for the first day!’

Farn’s nervousness was
palpable even though Lorak had made him drink a foul potion. ‘To
give you some extra stamina,’ he’d explained, although Kija and
Tika knew it was to soothe Farn’s fears.

Mim hugged Tika as
though he would crush every bone in her body. The strange turquoise
eyes with the vertical pupils glittered in his scaled
face.

‘Come back safe,’ was
all he said.

He laughed then and
tapped Khosa’s nose. She was spitting with indignation from her
carrying bag around Tika’s neck. She had not enjoyed being squeezed
so thoroughly between them.

Gan nodded from where
he sat in front of Sket on Brin’s back. Kran and Drak were perched
nervously on Kija and Ulla stood waiting for Tika. Tika took one
last look round the hall. Kera and Malesh stood by the entrance and
many of the Guards had come to see the party off. Many servants
were there too. Tika squared her shoulders, murmured: ‘Here we go
again Khosa,’ and slid onto Ulla’s white back drawing her cloak
tight about her.

Then Dragon voices
called. Fenj and Brin’s deep bass notes answered by Kija, Jeela and
Ashta. Only Ulla and Farn were silent as they lifted up from the
gateway, spiralled to gain height to round the peak and twisted
right, south towards Gaharn. Tika watched Farn anxiously, aware
that Kija, flying slightly behind Farn’s left, was also keeping a
close eye on him.

Brin kept their pace
slower than he would usually have flown for the first league, then,
as all felt Farn’s relieved confidence build up, Brin steadily
increased their speed. Tika noticed that the air was clear where
they flew but snow swept down only a few lengths further out from
the mountain face. She wondered about it briefly before returning
her attention to Farn.

Tika had just bespoken
Kija, asking if they would halt soon as Farn was faltering very
slightly, when Brin spoke in all their minds.

‘We are close to the
entrance to the settlement of Akan. Their Elder, Monni, begs we
accept their hospitality. I think it a good idea.’

The great crimson
Dragon began to drop lower then swerved up and beneath an
overhanging lip of rock deeply covered with snow. Ulla swept in
behind him, Tika turning to watch Farn. He stumbled as he landed,
staggered, then stood shivering with fatigue. Tika was beside him
even as Kija landed, and she coaxed him further into the
Domain.

A hand touched her
shoulder and she looked up to see Monni watching Farn with
compassion in her eyes as he struggled to keep his head
up.

‘Take him to the warm
pools – it is only a few more steps poor Dragon. He will feel
better then.’

Tika nodded,
remembering how Farn had loved playing in the pools on their
earlier journey through the Domain of Asat. He allowed himself to
be led through a double twisted tunnel and there was the settlement
of Akan with a pool from which curls of steam arose. Kija prodded
Farn on into the water and Ulla stayed close to them
both.

Gan and Sket joined
Tika as she watched Farn’s eyes. They were alarmingly dulled and
faded to the palest blue.

‘He managed far better
than I’d dared to hope,’ Gan said softly.

Tika leaned against him
with a sigh. ‘Yes, but he wouldn’t have got this far if the snow
had been falling on us.’

‘I noticed that. Was it
you keeping us shielded?’

‘No. I think it was
Dessi.’

‘Dessi?’ Gan was
surprised.

‘She’s fascinated with
the weather. Mim told me some time ago. She is very shy of
revealing too much yet, but I suspect she’s made the wind push the
snow back a little. I have no idea if she’ll be able to do that for
us all the way back to Gaharn though.’

Sket, standing on her
other side, nudged her. ‘Look Lady, his eyes are
brightening.’

The Snow Dragons of
Akan hunted for the visiting Dragons and by the time Farn emerged
from the pool, ate some meat at Kija’s firm insistence, he was
falling asleep.

The same pattern was
repeated the next day. Except that towards the end of it, just
before they approached the settlement of Arak, the snow gusted
against them, blinding them briefly, before clearing again. Tika
guessed Dessi was either tiring or finding it harder to help them
the further away they were. Farn was tired but not so desperately
as on the first day, which raised Tika’s spirits
considerably.

Elder Torim was as
fussy as before, insisting they receive anything they
wished.

‘I hope to go up to the
stronghold again soon myself. Oh dear me yes. The gardens of Arak
are the most productive in the Domain you know. The Wise One
suggested I spend a while there, advising Lorak. Dear me, I look
forward to it greatly.’

Sket rolled his eyes at
Tika at the thought of the garrulous Torim working with the
taciturn Lorak, and she struggled to keep her face
straight.

The third evening saw
them at Amud where Serim had been replaced as Elder by Falim the
healer. To their astonishment, Nolli was there with Meppi and Uma.
A strange device stood by her chair and her pink gums gleamed in a
huge beam of welcome. There was an air of excitement about the
ancient Delver but she said nothing until they had eaten their
meal. Only then did she lean forward in her chair, twisted hands
resting on the top of her stick.

‘I’ll be coming with
you tomorrow.’

Silence met her
announcement.

‘But – how?’ Tika
finally managed to ask. ‘We will have one stop in open country
Nolli. It is very cold.’

She stopped as Nolli’s
grin became even pinker.

‘This seat,’ she nodded
at the contraption beside her. ‘It will be strapped to a Dragon and
I will be strapped inside it.’ Her eyes shone with triumph. ‘Meppi
asked Brin to carry me and Lanni. He says he can also carry Gan,
and Uma will take Sket. It’s all arranged. Old and crippled I might
be, but I will see Gaharn.’

‘A brilliant notion,’
Khosa agreed regally, being the only one of the company who seemed
capable of saying anything at all.

Many leagues westward,
in the lands of Vagrantia, Jilla of Kedara Circle was speaking
urgently with Thryssa, the High Speaker, in the Corvida
building.

‘Someone is working
with the weather systems I tell you.’

‘We have known for a
long time that one who lives far to the north has warded their land
with the cold snow laden winds.’

‘This is different,’
Jilla insisted. ‘It feels different. The one who used cold to ward
themselves, was rough, simply twisting the air currents, keeping
them always to one direction. This is softer, more tentative, as
though whoever does it, is an apprentice, just learning the
art.’

Thryssa still looked
unworried. ‘Surely a beginner cannot do much harm. They will be
supervised by their teacher.’

Jilla jumped up from
her chair and began to pace Thryssa’s room.

‘Thryssa, this one is
alone. There is no teacher to apply any restraints.’

Thryssa frowned,
beginning to see Jilla’s cause for concern. ‘How long has this been
happening?’

‘Not long. We noticed
only a few days ago, but then there was a sustained period of air
manipulation over four days. We felt a great tiredness but also
relief, as though this one had a definite reason to control the air
for that time. I was instructed to bring this information to you
just as your messenger arrived to ask for my presence here.’ Jilla
sat down again. ‘We also know that the Chimes of Harmony rang in
discord some time ago. We tried to find the cause. Everything
points to the circles which we abandoned in the west being in use
again.’

Thryssa sighed. ‘That
was my first thought, and so it seems to be. Why any were left
intact, I cannot understand. But even more unbelievable is how any
of the races out in the world now, learnt how to use them. And
having learnt, dared to use them.’

‘We detect a
considerable difference in the minds working the air. The first
mind, who used weather for warding, was strange, alien,
unsympathetic. This new one is nearly the same as us. Whoever it
is, uses power in a distinctively different way, but a way we can
recognise.’