Survivors: Book 4 Circles of Light series, page 40
‘It has happened several times before, when I’ve been healing, but never this badly,’ she said. She untied the top of the pouch and lifted the pendant out, letting it swing from its gold chain, winking in the firelight. Flute laughed and took the chain from Tika’s hand holding the pendant in her fingers.
‘These things are still in the world!’ Her eyes sparkled like the gold chain. ‘How came you by this?’
Tika explained about the cave where the Dragons kept their treasures and Flute handed the pendant back to her.
‘Clearly it still has power, especially when attuned to the bearer as it plainly must be with you. But one alone will not defeat the other Children.’
‘But Tika did,’ Navan corrected quietly.
Flute shot a sharp glance at him and nodded. ‘That is true,’ she agreed. ‘They come from the Time Before. We found two or three of them and we knew they were once articles of power but we never divined their use or construction to any degree.’
Tika slipped the chain over her head, letting the pendant lie outside her shirt. She kept her mind tightly screened, keeping her memory of the hidden cave in the Domain of Asat firmly locked away from any other prying mind. There was something about Flute’s casual handling of the pendant, her almost dismissive comments, that sounded a faint warning to Tika. Ren filled the ensuing pause with questions about the Elders’ knowledge of Drogoya and the rest of the evening passed listening to Flute speak of her travels as a very young gijan in the land called Drogoya.
When everyone settled to sleep, Tika lay awake. She trusted Rainbow she thought: he had disclosed much of his nature when he had linked his mind to hers as he used their combined knowledge to heal her hand. That had intrigued her. She had always tried to heal by herself, she had never thought of using another’s awareness of their own body to assist her. She had drawn basic stamina from the great Dragons during healing but that was all.
Flute seemed a different matter. Mostly it was her reaction to the pendant that bothered Tika. Khosa crept beneath the blanker, her whiskers tickling Tika’s chin.
‘You welcomed the Elders more warmly than I have ever seen,’ Tika murmured to Khosa’s mind.
‘I felt I recognised them,’ Khosa replied as carefully. ‘But now I am inclined to a little caution.’
‘Where is Grek?’ asked Tika.
‘I fear something has befallen him.’ Khosa answered, curling into a compact ball. ‘He has been gone too long now.’ She yawned, a gust of fishy breath making Tika wrinkle her nose.
‘Where should we go now Khosa? North again, or to find Namolos?’
‘North. Until we hear from either Grek or Namolos himself we should stay in this land.’
Khosa was snoring in ladylike harmony with Farn long before Tika managed to sleep but she’d slept during the day and woke feeling better than she had since Seela’s death.
‘Khosa,’ she spoke to the Kephi’s mind only, as people began to stir. ‘Khosa,’ she repeated, prodding a finger into the centre of the orange ball of fur. Turquoise eyes glared at her. ‘What do you know of the places Between?’
Khosa’s fur stood on end. ‘What do you know of them?’ she hissed in alarm.
Tika hurriedly outlined her experience after the unmaking of Valesh, keeping a watchful eye on the still sleeping Elders. Khosa began to stalk up and down Tika’s outstretched legs.
‘Nolli might know,’ she said eventually. ‘All I know is they are places to be avoided.’ She calmed enough to crouch, staring up into Tika’s face. ‘I have only heard whispers, and what I heard made me disinclined to hear more.’
‘Where did you hear the whispers?’ Tika was insistent.
Khosa slitted her eyes and thrashed her tail. ‘In Lady Emla’s House of course. No one ever took notice of a Kephi asleep on a windowsill.’
Tika gurgled a laugh and climbed from her blankets. She lifted Khosa in her arms, burying her face against the warm fur. ‘We will discuss this further my friend.’
Khosa wriggled to get free and stalked to the opening of the barn. Akomi lifted his head and trotted after her. Flute left soon after they’d eaten a frugal breakfast, giving no explanation for her departure. Rainbow merely told them that they would no doubt see her again once they had journeyed far enough north.
Once again the company packed their things and climbed on the Dragons. Farn was glad to carry Sket and Khosa as well as Tika: he regarded Sket as close to Dragon Kin as a human could be. Storm took Navan and Ren with Akomi tucked deep in his carry sack while Brin carried Gan, Maressa and Jakri. Rainbow lifted into the air first, followed by the young gijan flying close behind him.
When Farn rose into the air, he spiralled higher and turned to look westwards. From this height, near the horizon, they could see the black hole scarring the grey landscape. Farn roared out a trumpeting cry and Tika blinked away yet more tears as they paid their last respects to Seela.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Flying over an eerily empty and twisted land, there was little conversation during the morning. When they stopped at midday, near a stream, Tika wandered restlessly. Gan called that tea was made and she joined the others.
‘We go to Harbour City,’ she said, accepting a bowl from Ren.
‘We go north,’ Rainbow contradicted.
Absolute silence brooded over the group. Tika smiled at Rainbow, her eyes chips of green ice.
‘I said we travel to Harbour City,’ she repeated quietly. She shrugged. ‘Where you choose to go is your decision of course.’
Rainbow’s head tilted to one side, his face impassive. ‘The gijan children follow you,’ he said. ‘Therefore I go where you go.’
Tika glanced over at the gijan perched on Brin’s back. They sat perfectly still, obsidian eyes fixed on her. She smiled at Rainbow again and got to her feet. Subdued talk began behind her. She walked round Brin, his huge body blocking her from the sight of the others. The gijan swivelled on Brin’s back and slid down to stand facing her.
Tika studied them: Leaf was the same height as she was now and the male, Willow, was a couple of fingers taller. Tika sighed and held her hands out to Leaf. Leaf took them, her head tilting side to side in query. Tika swung their linked hands then released them, moving closer to put her palms against Leaf’s face. She stared straight into Leaf’s eyes.
‘Your life is your own,’ she said softly and kissed Leaf’s brow and lips.
She repeated her actions with Piper and lastly with Willow and smiled at the three. Their feathers rustled as they extended their wings, enclosing her in a cloud of dusky pink, pale green and brilliant yellow. She thought it was Leaf’s hand that rested on her pendant but it was Piper who spoke.
‘You saved our lives. You brought forth our wings and we gave you our lives.’
‘You have given our lives back to us,’ added Willow. ‘You have not given them to an Elder as you should.’
Before Tika could voice her concern, Piper trilled a laugh.
‘If you relinquish our lives, we are glad to have them for ourselves,’ Leaf whispered. ‘The Elders frighten us. We don’t know why.’
Now Tika was worried and as she pushed herself a little free of the enfolding wings, she saw Brin’s long beautiful face lowering to stare down with equal concern in his prismed eyes.
‘We have found that no one can enter our minds, not even them, if we block our thoughts,’ explained Willow. ‘We think it is a strength gijan learnt in the City of the Domes.’
‘If you truly return our lives to our own keeping, we would like to find somewhere to grow, to know ourselves,’ Piper murmured.
Nolli. The name was in Tika’s mind even as Brin sent the same name to her.
‘North,’ she said. ‘To Gaharn and Lady Emla and Nolli, a Wise One. They will love you and help you learn of yourselves.’
A fleeting memory of Iska touched Tika and she knew she was right to tell these children to go to the Golden Lady. The gijan wings closed round her again and they whispered in their own tongue words she did not understand. But she did understand the love that poured over her from their minds. They loosened their hold, Piper leaning close once more to touch the pendant Tika wore.
‘We gave you our lives. Call us, and we will come if ever you have need.’
Tika caught each triangular face in her hands and kissed the gijan one more time before breaking away from them, her thoughts in turmoil. She knew she’d be unable to hide her disturbed feelings from the others, Rainbow in particular, so she summoned Farn and was in the air with him before anyone had time to realise what she was about.
There was consternation from the Elder but Ren merely shrugged. ‘Tika grieves for Seela.’
Jakri caught his eye and nodded. ‘Grief takes its own time,’ he agreed. ‘And Mistress Tika’s grief is mixed with guilt.’
Rainbow regarded the Wendlan Mage. ‘Why would the Lady want to go to Harbour City?’ he asked.
‘We have friends there.’ Sket’s tone was flat. ‘People who were kind to us. The City has taken terrible damage so Maressa tells us.’
‘Kind?’ Rainbow was puzzled.
Sket snorted and Maressa answered the Elder in his stead. ‘Kindness is important to us,’ she explained. ‘Life to humans would be unbearable if no one offered kindness.’
Farn landed again and Tika came to claim another bowl of tea. Khosa left Gan for Tika’s lap but made no comment. They were soon ready to travel on, Khosa and Akomi changing places for some reason unclear to Tika or Ren. Instead of continuing north north east, they angled south east, seeing villages and towns crushed below them, some smouldering still, others lifeless heaps of rubble.
They agreed to spend the night some five leagues outside the perimeter of Harbour City: they had all fallen silent at the endless stretch of devastation which was all that remained of the closely packed and thriving City. Maressa would mind speak Sheoma and ask where they should land in the morning. Tika felt Akomi move in his carry sack against her chest.
‘We’ll be stopping soon,’ she soothed him.
‘I’m used to this now,’ he retorted. ‘In fact I quite like it. Do you know how old Khosa is?’
Tika blinked. The question took her by surprise. She stared along Farn’s neck while she thought.
‘No,’ she replied at last. ‘But she has children and grandchildren.’
The odd sound in her mind was, she realised, Akomi chuckling.
‘She doesn’t,’ he said with some glee. ‘And she is far older than I am.’
‘Did you hear that?’ she asked Farn.
‘Yes. And nothing would surprise me at all about that Kephi.’
Gan and Brin chose a field to settle in for the night, half of it raised a man length above the other half in a great step of raw earth. Gan, Sket and Navan went scavenging for food while the Dragons hunted for meat. Ren had pointed out that the food supply was probably a major problem within Harbour City. Remembering the kindness and generosity of the priests of the temple of the Elder Races, they had no wish to impose their appetites on people sorely pressed for food.
Everyone settled for sleep, Tika alone staying by the fire. She looked up at the sky but the dust layer, although thinner, still obscured the stars. She moved to her blankets against Farn’s chest and saw three pairs of gijan eyes staring at her from Brin’s back.
‘May the stars guide your paths and guard your hearts.’
The message pulsed from her in a heartbeat and she settled to sleep. When they woke at first light, the young gijan were gone and Rainbow’s anger was terrifying to behold.
‘You must tell me where you have sent them.’ He towered over Tika, his voice ringing almost painfully in Tika’s ears.
Sket was beside her, his sword half drawn from its scabbard. He glared up at Rainbow, half again as tall as himself.
‘You will speak with respect if you address my Lady,’ he snapped.
For a moment Gan thought Rainbow would attack Sket and he eased the throwing knife strapped to his forearm down to the palm of his hand, ready for action. Tika seemed quite relaxed. Her brows quirked in amusement at Rainbow’s temper.
‘Elder Rainbow,’ her tone was brisk. ‘I gave the children back their lives, to live as they choose. Where they are is their concern: I have no idea of their plans.’
She was lying – Gan knew it, but he prayed Rainbow was really as ignorant of reading human expressions as he appeared to be. Rainbow clenched his taloned hands but kept them at his sides.
‘If you did not want their lives, they should have been given to me.’
Tika’s eyes blazed with a fury to match the Elder’s.
‘No one owns another.’ Her words hissed low. ‘You, me, no one has the right to possess any life other than their own. The children are free to go where they wish and I pray the stars bless them and keep them safe.’
The companions murmured agreement behind her and Storm suddenly pushed between Tika and Rainbow. His eyes flashed and his lips drew back in a snarl, his fangs bared a handspan from the Elder’s face.
‘You offend this Flight.’ Storm’s voice pealed in their minds. ‘You will leave before we are forced to punish your offence.’
Rainbow regarded Storm with contempt and started to raise a hand but Tika intervened.
‘Get you gone for now Elder Rainbow. It seems you have perhaps forgotten your manners in your long sleep. You do not rule this world although, by your actions now, it would appear you believe you do. Tell your Elder brothers and sisters that your help against the Bound Ones would be greatly welcomed despite your failure in the last battle. But your help will not be at the cost of our own independence.’
Brin’s eyes whirred rose and scarlet, threaded with gold. Tika realised he’d slammed a shield between the Elder and the companions and she saw Rainbow knew of it too. His smile was chilling. He turned without another word and rose into the sky, flying north with powerful beats of his wings. Gan gave a gusty sigh of relief and Farn twined his neck with Storm’s, his eyes glowing with admiration at the sea Dragon’s behaviour. Sket was glowering after the disappearing Elder, muttering under his breath. Jakri arrived beside Tika with a huge smile on his face.
‘Where have they gone Mistress? They certainly didn’t belong with those Elders.’
Tika grinned back at him. ‘Just pray they can fly fast enough and undetected Jakri,’ she told him.
The atmosphere was far lighter as they ate cold meat for breakfast before moving into Harbour City. They were to go to the Xantip palace Maressa had told them after mind speaking Sheoma last night. They were quickly off on the short flight, a rising stench filling them with dread. It was while they were aloft that Sket, behind Tika, cleared his throat.
‘What is it Sket?’ Tika recognised Sket’s hint that something troubled him.
‘I guessed you were telling those youngsters to go off. You sent them home didn’t you?’ He didn’t wait for an answer. ‘I gave that Leaf one of Seela’s scales.’
Tika twisted to look up into Sket’s face. ‘Why did you do that?’
‘Don’t know. Just felt she should have it.’
Brin was circling to land, giving no time for Tika to pursue the subject. Sheoma was waiting for them with the Administrator Zerran, Grand Harbour Master Chevra and many others unknown to the companions. They were in a high walled garden, undamaged by earthquake or the fires which had swept through parts of the City. Dersu, head of the College of Mages who had not been present at the temple days ago, was introduced.
Looking round the many people gathered in the garden, Gan smiled at the sight of the purple plumes of two Imperial Blossoms. Jakri went at once to the group of Wendlan Mages who stood slightly apart from the Maleshans, and was greeted with delight. The two Imperial Blossoms surveyed the Dragons impassively although Gan’s sharp eyes saw the faint shine of perspiration on their foreheads.
Maressa noticed, firstly, the fragrance. Roses climbed the walls, spilled over wooden frames and peeped shyly from dark green foliage. After the smell of rotting bodies it was a most welcome relief. Then she saw the priest Taza, standing well back behind the dignitaries and she hurried to embrace him. Heads turned and Taza blushed that he might be thought to be pushing himself forward among his betters.
Maressa understood at once and linking her arm firmly through his, turned her dazzling smile upon their audience. She led him through the crowd around Tika and Sket to greet Ren, before Sheoma pounced on her.
‘I do hope some of them will go away soon,’ Sheoma commented. ‘We have much to talk of.’
Maressa’s eye was caught by Administrator Zerran. He stood a little apart, watching Tika closely. While Maressa stared, she saw a look of relief cross his face and he advanced to speak to Tika. She remembered Tika sitting in the temple garden with Zerran the evening before she flew with Seela and Sket to confront Valesh. In the same moment, it dawned on the air mage that Tika must have feared that, should she survive, she might be infected by some of Valesh’s malignancy.
She must have shared that fear with only the Administrator Maressa now realised and he had been studying Tika so carefully in case such an evil had come to pass. Tika had still spoken only to Navan in detail of what happened at Vorna’s estates, unknown as that conversation was to Maressa. She wondered now whether they had been right to leave Tika alone with her thoughts rather than encouraging her to speak freely of what had happened.
The Grand Harbour Master gestured to one of the several armsmen standing by the door into the palace and the men moved forward, gently but firmly ushering many mages from the garden. The wind gusted and bent the heavy headed roses, even in this sheltered spot, but it also brought the taint of corruption from beyond the palace walls. The Wendlan Mages came forward to greet Tika and her friends and then they sat together on one side of the large paved space, the Blossoms standing rigidly behind them.
‘We can offer tea to drink, or wine, but we have little food I’m afraid,’ Chevra apologised. ‘We had good stocks in the warehouses but they were among the first buildings to fall.’
