Drogoya: Book 3 Circles of Light series, page 17
‘I thank you for letting me see this wondrous thing. In small return, I tell you to beware the water Circle. There is a badness growing which will try to join with another, and between them they will seek to destroy all the Circles. I cannot interfere, not yet, but the trouble grows faster than I had believed it would. You will have to act, and act soon High Speaker.’ Gremara flexed her wings in preparation for flight. ‘We would welcome visitors sometimes – I fear Jeela grows bored occasionally.’
Jeela’s eyes whirred, darkening to amber as she protested Gremara’s comment.
‘Again, I thank you for bringing the egg for me to see with my own eyes. You will discover its meaning for yourself: I may not reveal it to you.’ She leaned forward, her brow pressing first Thryssa’s then Pachela’s in the lightest of touches.
‘Know that you both have a part to play in what will come. May the stars guard your hearts.’
They watched the silver Dragon rise, spiralling higher, and higher, until she was the merest speck far above Talvo Circle.
Jeela sighed. ‘She can fly higher than any other Dragon – nearly to the stars themselves I am sure. She will not permit me to try though. I will guide you back to your tunnel, and you did promise you would tell me all about everyone in the Stronghold, High Speaker!’
Re entering Parima Circle, it was but a short walk to the farmhouse where they had stayed the previous night. Twilight was thickening to darkness as they reached the black stone building, its windows spilling welcoming lights onto the path. Again they were treated as honoured guests and well fed before being left in the small bedroom they had shared last night.
Pachela blew out the candle on the tiny dresser between their beds.
‘I can scarcely believe today really happened High Speaker,’ she murmured, pulling the covers over her shoulders.
Thryssa yawned. ‘I promise you it did child. Now sleep, we leave at first light.’
‘Good night High Speaker.’
Thryssa was almost asleep when she heard Pachela turn over and sniff. Could the child have taken a cold?
‘Are you all right Pachela?’ she asked softly.
‘Yes thank you High Speaker. I just thought I could smell mint.’
Thryssa had a day of paperwork with Pajar when she got back to the Corvida and then next day the Segran and Kedaran Speakers and first councillors were arriving for an official meeting. Orsim of Kedara arrived first, with his councillor Dashka, and listened to a general account of the Stronghold and Gaharn from Thryssa. He had been intrigued rather than annoyed that one of his councillors, Maressa, had gone off to Sapphrea, the lands that had once been Valsheba.
‘I would never have thought Maressa would take it into her head to go adventuring so far,’ he said, smiling at Thryssa.
The High Speaker shrugged. ‘Elyssa announced that she felt she had to stay at the Stronghold. Our young women are all becoming adventurous it seems. Your own daughter is quite captivated by the Wise One of the Delvers and a Lady Ryla of the Asatarians. Jilla was adamant that she remain in Gaharn with Bagri. And I must tell you Orsim.’ She drew him towards the window, leaving Pajar talking to Dashka.
‘I understand from Pajar that you helped him through a brief bout of panic soon after I left here?’
Orsim shook his head. ‘I just happened to be here. He would have managed without me. He is very young for first councillor but he has the makings of a very good one.’
‘Well, I thank you anyway.’
Lashek came bustling in with his first councillor Shema, and Thryssa took her place at the head of the table. She immediately raised the subject of Kallema’s activities in Fira Circle.
‘As you probably heard, I visited Gremara four days ago. She explicitly warns us of serious trouble from Fira. But before I left here I asked Kwanzi to investigate the three Firan children whose eyes silvered. You were here of course when I ordered an escort to remove them from Fira, where we found they had been forcibly held, against their wishes, and against all our codes of conduct.’
She looked at the attentive faces turned towards her.
‘I have Kwanzi’s report here. All three Firans resisted investigation by his team. The combined efforts of the healers could not render them unconscious. After four days, Kwanzi stopped the testing. He reports that they are now working to find some way of reading these children’s minds, which they will then use on them. The children showed no distress or discomfort at any of the tests. The boy, Kralo, found them amusing apparently.’
She laid the paper she had been referring to back on the table.
‘I interviewed them myself earlier and felt a great wrongness about all three which is why I asked Kwanzi to arrange for the investigative procedures to be made.’
‘Has Kallema had them blocked, or shielded, in some way?’ asked Orsim.
‘Would it be possible, or likely, that three such young students could know anything of importance about Fira’s assembly or Kallema’s intentions?’ Councillor Shema sounded sceptical.
‘Have you considered that the whole episode could have been arranged? We all know that Thryssa would never stand for a child being incarcerated, let alone three of them.’ Lashek’s left hand rested in the middle of his chest, over the egg pendant, Thryssa realised.
Pajar nodded. ‘So now Kallema has three possible spies or worse, comfortably within our midst perhaps?’
Chapter Fifteen
The distance to the caves of the sea Dragons, referred to by Cloud as being “not far”, took Tika’s party nearly three days to travel. Tika, Gan and Maressa walked most of the way as their route followed the beach rather than the rough ground behind the cliffs. There was much debate about why the water crept slowly up towards them and then crept slowly away again: debate from which Ren Salar remained stubbornly aloof. He agreed with any theory suggested to him until eventually they stopped asking his opinion.
Gan and Sket had commented between themselves, of the gradual change in Tika. For the first time since she had run away from Return, she could relax a little. No messages could reach her here, by way of a circle or by a Merig, and while she occasionally wondered how her friends fared back in the world, she revelled in a sense of freedom. Always at the back of her mind was the thought of the strange creatures who had attacked them on their arrival at the coast. She also wondered why her eyes had changed so strangely, but thoughts of Elyssa’s acceptance of the fact for herself, and of Ren’s considering it a normal part of life, kept any concerns to a minor form.
Seeing Farn’s delight in flying above the sparkling waves gave her great pleasure: he was but a baby, and yet until now, he had missed so much of the fun and freedom Dragon hatchlings usually enjoyed. Storm, one of the younger sea Dragons, accompanied them and Tika smiled, watching Farn chasing after him as he plunged beneath the water. So far, Farn had allowed only his feet to dabble on the surface and his wingtips to brush the waves, but had not been foolhardy enough to follow Storm under the water.
The rest of the party sometimes rode the koninas on their slow amble south but also spent a large part of each day paddling along barefooted at the edge of the water. With the firm exception of Ren Salar, Pallin and Sket, who all regarded the vast expanse of sea with the greatest suspicion.
Towards the middle of the third day, Farn reported that a freshwater stream cascaded from the cliff top a short distance along the beach, and the party rested there. Storm flew on to the south and Brin floated down to land near them. The great crimson Dragon found huge enjoyment in just drifting up and down on the air currents along the line of cliffs.
They began walking again but came to a halt as they rounded a rocky promontory. The sea waters had carved a small cove, half ringed by the grey cliffs. The cliffs were pocked with dark shadowed caves, but in front of many of the caves, the sea Dragons lay along their ledges. One of them slid from the ledge and glided towards them. Tika recognised her as Cloud and bowed politely as the Dragon settled on the sand.
‘There are several empty caves here, along this side. You are welcome to choose whichever you wish.’
‘Thank you for your hospitality. We will see which best suits our needs if we may.’
‘We will wait while you decide and then I will introduce you to our Elders.’ Cloud lifted back towards one of the highest caves.
Ren moved up beside Tika, staring up at the vacant caves with dislike.
‘I knew they would all be far too high,’ he said with disgust.
Khosa poked her head out of her carry sack on Ren’s chest.
‘Not too high,’ she commented. ‘But far too wet.’
‘There is just enough room for us to take the koninas back through these cliffs,’ Pallin reported smugly. ‘And a couple of caves level with the ground.’
Ren brightened. ‘Then I shall assist Pallin to move the koninas to the far more sensible caves out of sight of all that.’ He waved dismissively at the water already rushing in to fill the cove.
Tika grinned. ‘We will climb up to look in these, then we’ll see how our comfort compares with yours.’
Ren snorted and turned to help Pallin and Riff with the koninas. ‘There will be no comparison dear lady.’
The rest of the group stared up at the caves offered by Cloud. Navan moved forward onto the rocks and began to pick a path up to the first one.
‘Well, we might as well all go and look,’ said Maressa and followed Navan up the side of the cliff.
It proved to be less difficult than it had appeared. After peering into five caves, all far deeper than expected, they decided on two next to each other. Gan poked around at the rear of one cave and discovered it bore down the further back he went. He returned to the main part of the cave without reaching the end of the passage.
‘This one for sure Tika,’ he told her. ‘I cannot see without a lamp, but I suspect this one may well exit behind the cliffs.’
Tika nodded. ‘Let’s go and fetch some of the packs and something to make a fire up here.’
Olam had taken a liking to the cave slightly above the one Gan had chosen and now joined them on their climb down to find Pallin.
‘It must have been a tight squeeze getting the animals through here,’ Maressa remarked.
Olam grinned. ‘No problem at all, if Pallin was determined to get them through.’
It was as if a giant had hit the cliff with a might hammer and caused an uneven crack to split it apart. The narrow path turned left after only three paces, then right again almost immediately, then left and finally right. Gan looked to his right as he emerged from the gap and nodded with satisfaction.
‘I am fairly sure that the cave I have chosen ends down in one of these.’
‘Always useful to have a back door,’ Olam agreed.
Pallin had the koninas beside a wide faced but shallow cave. It looked large enough to offer protection for the animals should the weather change. Riff came out of another cave which opened about waist high, a few paces further along. Pallin’s scowl had disappeared and he was very nearly cheerful as he and Ren unloaded packs and saddles.
‘Fresh water pool down there,’ he told Olam. ‘And this grass is not bad, a great improvement on what we’ve seen so far at any rate. If we are stopping here a while, it will save on grain for the beasts.’ He slapped his hand on a flank as he moved round one konina to begin unloading the next.
Navan bent to pluck a blade of grass. ‘The fresh water must be seeping through the ground all around here, or just beneath.’ He bent down again. ‘Tubers there, look.’ He straightened and climbed onto a boulder. ‘Quite an area of better vegetation.’
Khosa stepped daintily from the second cave and surveyed the scene. ‘There are squeakers here,’ she announced. Turquoise eyes glittered. ‘Soon there will be less.’
Gan had vanished into the shallow cave and now came out frowning. His gaze landed on the orange Kephi.
‘Khosa, is there a space from either cave, that might lead to one above?’
‘Possibly. I may investigate for you, after I have eaten a squeaker or two.’
‘That would be most kind of you,’ Gan agreed.
‘Where will the meeting with the Elder Dragons be held do you suppose?’ asked Maressa.
‘If it is on one of those ledges, I am afraid I am indisposed,’ Ren told her.
‘I thought you were an Offering in Drogoya. Isn’t that a high and responsible rank?’ Tika snapped at him.
‘There is nothing in the rules as I recall them which states that I am expected to perch at ridiculous heights. My presence would merely be an embarrassment.’
‘Why?’
‘I would be sick.’ Ren’s reply was succinct.
Somewhat discomfited, Tika turned to sort through the piles of saddles and retrieved her own pack and rolled cloak.
‘We will take some of our gear up to our cave and enquire about this meeting,’ she told the Offering.
‘I will be delighted to attend at ground level.’ He inclined his head.
She glanced sharply at him but could find no sign of sarcasm or amusement. Tika sighed. ‘You do not like heights, or the sea. What else makes you ill?’
‘Certain foods in Drogoya,’ he shrugged. ‘I truly cannot help it Lady Tika.’
Tika glimpsed Sket’s grin and reluctantly smiled herself. She headed back through the narrow gap and climbed up to the cave Gan had picked out. She put her pack some way back from the entrance then stood on the ledge, looking up to where Cloud reclined watching them.
‘Sea Mother, some of our party do not enjoy being above the ground too far. Where will we meet your Elders?’
Cloud’s eyes whirred and Tika knew there was discussion between her and several other Dragons. But before Cloud could give a reply, a Dragon came from the shadows of another cave. This one was much larger than Cloud, of a dark slate grey, and Tika knew beyond doubt that it was the most important of the Elders by the sheer power it radiated. The watching Dragons became alert, their wings shivering in anticipation of the Elder’s flight.
A body slimmer than Brin’s but nearly as large, slid smoothly into the air above the cove and drifted over Tika’s head to settle on the beach beyond the promontory. Farn and Brin were already raised in greeting to the sea Dragon who responded in like fashion. Ren, Sket and Olam came through the gap and joined the others facing the new Dragon.
With screams and high calls, the rest of the sea Dragons landed around the Elder. One of them was also clearly an Elder.
‘My name is Salt, Eldest of this Flight,’ a low musical voice said in their minds. ‘You are welcome guests within our caves.’
The dark grey male lowered himself to the dry sand and reclined opposite Tika. She bowed then sat cross legged, the others following suit.
‘Is it polite to call you Sea Father, or Elder Salt?’ she asked.
Salt rumbled with amusement, the sound reminding Tika with a sudden pang of old Fenj.
‘We have no Sea Fathers, only Sea Mothers. Call me Salt, as I am known to all.’
‘This is Ice, second Eldest of this Flight, and my sister.’
Salt’s head dipped towards the much paler grey Dragon beside him. ‘You have come in search of ancient places, I believe you told Cloud?’
‘Yes,’ Tika took a deep breath. ‘Long ages past, a great catastrophe overtook these lands. The people who caused it, lived in cities hereabouts. We seek for any signs of those long lost places.’
‘Your words are difficult to follow,’ Salt remarked. ‘We do not know cities.’
Tika formed a picture of Gaharn in her mind and there was much murmuring among the Dragons.
‘Do these things grow from the land?’ Ice asked curiously.
‘No, people build them, from stone or wood.’ Tika picked up a handful of pebbles and stacked them one on top of another.
Dragons watched intently. ‘Are there no caves for them?’
Tika was not sure who had asked the question but realised she was in serious danger of being side-tracked.
‘There are many people but few caves,’ Ren intervened smoothly. ‘We will tell you all you wish to know of cities – later.’
Eyes whirred and flashed and Tika shot a grateful smile at the Offering.
‘Do you have no memories of such a place as we have just shown you?’ Ren continued.
Salt considered the question. ‘We know of the catastrophe of which you speak. Our Flights lived further to both north and south long ago: we had no dealings with the two legged ones.’ His eyes flashed like an angry sea. ‘Even so, many of us died. There were great waves, greater than ever seen before or since. And the earth moved as easily as if it too was water. The sea poured over the land from whence you have come, and all the trees were gone. Fires burned, even from the water itself, and left the land as you see it now.’
‘And you have no idea where the cities might have stood?’ Ren pressed.
There was a silence before Ice replied. ‘One such place may have stood here. When the great winds blow, the sands move. We see rocks that are not as these rocks.’
She envisioned large, tumbled blocks of dressed stone. ‘Mostly, they are in the sands beyond our caves.’
‘Will it inconvenience you if we search in that area Salt?’ asked Maressa.
‘It is of no matter to us. We hunt the sea and have little interest in the land. It provides us only with caves in which to rest and to hatch our children.’ Salt lowered his head to study Tika, then looked towards Farn. ‘Cloud told of this soul bonding. I have never heard of a hatchling bonding with another kind.’
‘No,’ Tika agreed. ‘Nor had the great Dragons. I was bonded to Farn, and a Nagum boy bonded with a female hatchling at near the same time.’ She held Salt’s gaze steadily. ‘The boy, Mim, is called Dragon Lord now by order of the silver one, Gremara.’
