Drogoya: Book 3 Circles of Light series, page 15
Babach had not spoken privately with Mim since the first day of his recovery, but he had thought deeply on the things told to him by the young Dragon Lord. He longed for the great library in the Menedula and the lesser library, now lost, in the Oblaka. He was sure that he had once read of a Dragon Lord, but wrack his memory though he might, he could not recall any of the details.
Chakar knew nothing when he asked her, but admitted that she had read very little outside of her chosen fields of study. Imshish shook his head when he was consulted.
‘Segra Circle hoards many ancient texts, as does Parima. I had never heard of any Dragon Lords until Gremara called to Mim.’
Kera remembered Kemti’s discovery in a book of children’s tales, references to the Delvers and she proposed he enquire in Gaharn.
‘The last scroll told of Emla’s recovery of the Asataria,’ she said. ‘Why do you not travel the circle to Gaharn? The Asataria has an extensive archive and Emla also has a library of some size.’
‘Perhaps I could write a request for someone to spare the time to look for me,’ said Babach. ‘I feel I must stay here for now.’
Kera gave him a quizzical look but Babach merely smiled and she asked no questions.
Baryet had decided to move in with his wife. It would be rather a tight squeeze for two Plavats in Mim’s small chamber, but Baryet announced that it was the correct thing to do. One evening he had stilted into the hall to tell them of his intention.
‘I know you will be bereft of my presence here, but I feel it is the proper thing to do in this sensitive situation.’
Mim buried his face against Ashta’s shoulder, refusing to look round or to reply. Baryet’s neck feathers crested.
‘I knew you would be distressed,’ he said with satisfaction.
Mim’s shoulders shook and Chakar glared at him.
‘We will miss you then Baryet,’ she said. ‘But, as you say, it is for the best I am sure.’
‘There are six eggs now, my Chakar,’ the Plavat said in a whisper heard by everyone.
‘Perhaps that might be sufficient?’ Chakar suggested weakly, aware of the irritation rising in the hall around her.
‘Oh no.’ Baryet’s tone was shocked. ‘As many as possible. There is plenty of food here for many children.’
A yellow rimmed eye settled upon Lula. Lula went into a frenzy of spitting and back arching and neither Lorak or Fenj could calm her.
‘Plenty of food,’ Baryet repeated, stilting from the hall.
‘We will have to keep the gate closed,’ someone called from a group of Guards.
Chakar looked at Mim’s back. ‘I do wish you did not find Baryet quite so amusing,’ she said crossly.
Mim turned, wiping tears of laughter from his scaled cheeks.
‘I apologise Observer Chakar.’ He resumed his seat at the table. ‘That might be a good idea though – keep the gate closed with a Guard to open it for the Dragons?’
Lula was snuggled between Fenj’s upper arm and his chest, her blue eyes still blazing with fury.
‘No one will harm you Lula.’ Mim spoke to the tiny Kephi’s mind.
She blinked but made no reply. Dessi slipped onto the bench between Kera and Nesh.
‘Did I miss something?’ she enquired. Mim chuckled.
‘Do not set him off again,’ Chakar ordered.
Ashta’s eyes whirred. ‘It was a visit from Baryet,’ she told the Delver girl.
‘Aah.’ Dessi nodded solemnly. ‘You need say no more.’
Mim leaned his elbows on the table. ‘Why are there these two Orders in Drogoya?’ He looked from Chakar to Babach. ‘If you follow one, is it permitted to follow the other as well, or are they exclusive?’
Babach’s hand moved to tug at his now vanished beard, then dropped to rest lightly on his egg pendant.
‘The Order of Sedka was the first time a detailed pattern for living was encoded. It worked quite well for a very long time. The Order of his daughter Myata complemented Sedka’s. The difference between them eventually was that Sedka decreed while Myata suggested. If Myata’s suggestions were not taken up, then she wasted no time on argument or recriminations. She taught that each one had to choose for him or her self, the manner of their living. Sedka’s Order became insistent, inflexible. Increasingly, when people were discovered not to be following Sedka’s rules to the letter, they found themselves publicly rebuked, and worse.’
‘And then the Sacrifice before Cho Petak introduced the idea of taxes and fines, which quickly grew to become imprisonment and death,’ Chakar added. ‘There was little difference in the beginning, when Sedka and Myata still lived. Only later did Sedka’s followers organise into an Order, with Sacrifice and Offerings and so forth. Myata’s followers had a communal system, not a hierarchy, where the lowliest or youngest had as much right to speak their views as any other within the community.’
Babach nodded agreement. ‘My mother told me that is why the Oblaka complex was a collection of separate little houses gathered around the first house. Anybody could build their cottage close by, whereas in the Menedula, rooms are allocated strictly by rank within the Order and so on.’
‘You have told us of a place called Sedka’s Meadow, where he lived with his wife Dalena and their daughter Myata. Did Dalena go to the Oblaka when her daughter moved there?’ asked Dessi.
‘There is no mention of Dalena once Myata left the Meadow.’ Babach frowned. ‘No report was ever discovered as to whether Dalena lived on alone there, with Sedka travelling the lands of Drogoya and Myata far to the west.’
‘Sedka died relatively young, attacked by the great desert cats in the southern hot lands. Shortly afterwards, the Order became much more formal and rigid,’ said Chakar.
Daro raised silver eyes to the two Observers. ‘Is Sedka a common name now in Drogoya?’ he asked curiously. ‘Has it a meaning?’
‘Perhaps strangely, it is never given as a name,’ Babach replied. ‘We do not think it was Sedka’s birth name, but we have no evidence for or against that idea. Sedka is an ordinary word in the old tongue, meaning a plantation. Clearly, he planned for Drogoya to become an orderly plantation and thus took that word as his name.’
‘And Dalena?’ Daro asked.
‘That is quite often used to name girls in the country areas, less so in the cities or towns. It means a valley or a glen,’ Chakar replied promptly.
Babach started suddenly then smiled at those gathered round the table.
‘I wonder if I might have some paper and writing materials? I will send my questions to Vagrantia and Gaharn, and hopefully, some unfortunate student will find references to Dragon Lords in their archives.’
Kera supplied Babach’s requirements and the conversation turned to the completion of the second growing area beneath the hall.
The days passed and Babach’s strength continued to improve although his loss of weight made him appear older and more frail. He received messages from Vagrantia and Gaharn, informing him that several hapless students had been set to searching through antique texts.
Lashek and Elyssa appeared through the circle one afternoon, Lashek still clutching Lady Lallia’s recipe. He and Babach were drawn to each other at once and spent many hours, heads close together by the hearth, a dish of Lallia’s pastries between them. Lashek was fascinated by the account of Babach’s healing. After he had seen images from Chakar’s mind of the terrible wounds burnt through Babach’s torso, he insisted Babach remove his robe there and then so that he could see what had been achieved.
Kera had been talking with Fenj and Kadi before the evening meal and her eye was caught by the old Observer and the Speaker of Segra, chortling together. She shook her head.
‘Have you any idea how many pastries they eat each day? They will become too fat to move.’
‘Nonsense,’ Fenj rumbled. ‘Those pastries melt in the mouth and just vanish, so how can they possibly make you grow fat? They are both splendid fellows.’
Lorak grinned at Kera’s expression. ‘Fond of my restorative too, they are,’ he informed her.
Kera laughed. ‘I heard you have been making much more of your – restorative. Something about needing a bigger room to expand production?’
‘Aah.’ Lorak looked shifty. ‘Well, no one weren’t using that particular chamber see, and now Bikram shares my little place, I needed a bigger workroom, d’you see?’
Kera gave him a look of wide eyed innocence. ‘But of course I see Lorak dear. You must be so dreadfully cramped in that tiny room.’
Lorak’s expression was suspicious but he deemed it safer to drop the subject.
‘Plants are coming up well already, Lady Kera, in that there first area.’
Kera accepted the change of subject with a grin. ‘I know. I had a look at them earlier. You have done extraordinarily well there Lorak.’
Lorak blushed. ‘Well, Bikram, he helped a lot. And so did the Delvers and the Guards of course,’ he mumbled.
Fenj’s eyes whirred the shadows on snow colour.
‘Splendid fellow,’ he murmured fondly.
Thryssa and Kwanzi were the next arrivals and were glad to meet Babach and Voron. They were delighted also to see Kadi, not yet fit to hunt for herself but flying more strongly each day.
Thryssa spent the first evening of her return to the Stronghold telling of the rebellion of Discipline Senior Fayet in the Asataria to everyone in the hall. The Guards listened, avid for details of the fighting and then going over it all amongst themselves. Then, more quietly, Thryssa related the final events in the Asataria, her awareness of a being which radiated malevolence. It had fled just as she was preparing to use a great magic against it, but she had a deep foreboding as to whether that was the last they might see of it. She also told them the old story of Cheok and of her instinctive feeling that the story was in fact a true one.
‘Obviously, I have no proof, but I feel in my very bones that being in the Asataria was a creature from the Void. No other solution strikes me so positively. But whether it is alone or others have escaped too, I could not guess.’
‘Others are freed,’ said Babach heavily. ‘I sense that is what has descended on poor Drogoya. A few may have come to this land for who knows what reasons, but many more would have been drawn to Cho Petak.’ He sighed, looking across the table at Thryssa. ‘I did not miss the fact that Petak was the name of the maggot in your tale, but I am interested that you described him as “coming to” Nachalo rather than arising there. I know of no comparable tale in my land.’
‘Nor I,’ Chakar agreed.
The silence threatened to become gloom, and Mim decided to lighten the atmosphere. So he related Baryet’s recent decision, announced so portentously in this hall a few days past. His telling brought laughter and did indeed lift spirits again.
‘I must return to Vagrantia almost at once,’ said Thryssa when they rose to seek their beds. ‘Jilla and Bagri remain in Gaharn with Emla. Imshish must return with us.’ She rested her hand lightly on Elyssa’s shoulder. ‘Elyssa says that she must be here at your Stronghold, Dragon Lord. I accept her intuition in this – may she stay?’
‘She is welcome,’ said Mim instantly. ‘But before you leave, I would show you something, High Speaker. It will take up much of the day tomorrow, but it is of great import.’
Thryssa nodded. ‘Very well.’
The residents of the Stronghold were astir early as usual and Mim announced that he and Dessi would be taking Thryssa, Lashek and Babach into the Domain of Asat. As Delvers reckoned distance it was half a “walk”, so by mid morning, they had reached a narrow side tunnel. It was a mere slit in the mountain wall rather than a tunnel and Mim cast an amused glance over Lashek’s portly person.
‘We will not leave you stuck, Speaker Lashek.’
He lifted a glow lamp from a hook, handing it to Dessi and took another for himself, leading them into the narrow space. Within moments Thryssa and Lashek lost all sense of direction as the passage twisted back on itself then turned yet again. Even Babach confessed to being completely disorientated by the time they reached what seemed to be a dead end of seamless rock.
Dessi squeezed past Lashek, placing her lamp on the floor beside Mim’s. The Dragon Lord faced the wall of rock and lifted a taloned finger. The wall slid silently aside and light blazed out from the chamber thus revealed. Mim stood aside, letting the three visitors move closer. They stared in awe at the small round chamber, its floor completely filled with a mosaic circle set with crystal, gold and jet. But the light came from hundreds upon hundreds of small niches set all around the chamber. In nearly every niche sat an oval shape and each oval pulsed with light.
In silence, Mim moved onto the circle, paused a moment and then went without hesitation to one of the niches. The oval felt warm when he placed it gently in Thryssa’s hand. Twice more he went unerringly to a particular niche and returned with an oval, first for Lashek, and lastly for an astonished Dessi. Still in silence, they stared a little while longer into the chamber. Then Mim stepped back and the rock slid across the entrance. Mim slipped a pack off his shoulder and sat down on the floor.
‘We can rest here for a while before we start back. I did not think you would be much inclined to be sociable right now, but we can walk on a little further and ask hospitality from the Delvers if you wish?’
‘No,’ Thryssa replied at once. ‘You are quite right. I would far sooner rest here, just us, and consider these marvellous gifts you have given to us.’ She sat cross legged next to Mim.
Their eyes took time to adjust to the dimness of the glow lamps after the radiance of the chamber but they all sat patiently, Mim handing round dried fruit and cheese.
Lashek turned the egg in his hands, bending towards the lamps. It was backed in dark garnet and filled with a smoky topaz. A tiny shape flickered within, light softly pulsing from it. Lashek placed the silver chain around his neck and stared at Mim.
‘Why did you give these to us Mim?’
Mim smiled. ‘Gremara told me that you would have need of them,’ he said simply.
Dessi had already looped the gold chain over her head and was gazing at the pendant in her hand. Hers had turquoise backing and a pale honey front. Dessi could only stare at it wordlessly.
Thryssa suddenly leaned sideways and kissed Mim’s cheek.
‘Gremara suggested we have these, but you are the one who gave them to us. It is something I shall never forget.’ In an odd gesture, she handed the oval back to the Dragon Lord. He took it, studying the jade shelling and olive filled front as though he had not really seen it before. Then, with his sweet smile, he lifted the silver chain over Thryssa’s head and kissed her cheek in turn.
‘I wonder what your Gremara means when she says that we will have need of these?’ Lashek sounded thoughtful.
Mim shrugged. ‘When Kadi and you Babach, were so badly hurt, one of these eggs was placed nearby. Tika wears one, she was wearing hers when she healed Farn. Clearly there must be a link – they help the healing, or help focus the healer? But I believe they are much more than aids to healing. Gremara knows, I think, but has not seen fit to tell me more yet.’
Mim regarded Dessi with affection. ‘Have you nothing to say Dessi?’
The tiny Delver tore her gaze from her pendant to look at the others sitting on the floor of the narrow passage. She shook her head and went back to staring at the oval in her hands.
‘I know how she feels,’ Babach murmured, lifting his own pendant from his chest. ‘We believe we have been given treasures beyond price.’
‘Again, I thank you Mim.’ Thryssa slipped her pendant inside her shirt and climbed to her feet.
Mim heaved Lashek upright and Thryssa gave her hand to Observer Babach. His silvered eyes glittered in the faint light of the glow lamps.
‘I believe you have the right of it, Lashek,’ he said. ‘Let us pray that we prove worthy of our treasures.’
Mim noticed that all the pendants, including his own, had vanished beneath clothing, yet there had been no charge of secrecy put on them. Gremara had never suggested that they were to be kept hidden, but it appeared almost instinctive that the wearers of the strange oval pendants keep them hidden. Or keep them directly in contact with the skin? Mim pondered the question as an unusually quiet group retraced their steps back to the Stronghold.
The chamberlain Yoral had surpassed himself in galvanising the cooks into preparing a magnificent feast for the High Speaker of Vagrantia’s farewell meal in the Dragon Lord’s Stronghold.
‘Where he has found eggs, I just dare not imagine,’ Kera whispered to Thryssa.
The High Speaker swallowed the wrong way and was pounded vigorously on the back by Lorak. He had just offered her a new flask of his restorative, as a parting gift, so he was best placed to offer his assistance. Several Guards rose to toast their Vagrantian allies and friends, and Kera promised herself she would make a definite point of investigating the exact extent of Lorak’s increased brewing activities.
At last Thryssa stood up. Cheers rang round the hall and Lorak avoided meeting Kera’s eyes by the simple expedient of retreating to sit with Fenj.
‘I thank you all for your good wishes. I and my companions have been truly touched by your kind treatment of us on this, our first visit to a world that we forsook over fifteen hundred cycles past. I am sure you all understand there are dark troubles not too far away from us. Know that you can call upon Vagrantia for whatever aid we may be able to supply.’
She bowed to rapturous applause, whistles and booted feet stamping on the stone floor.
