Dark Realm: Book 5 Circles of Light series (61 page)

Tika gave him a look he
couldn’t decipher. ‘When I need to use it, I seem to
manage.’

In the next few days
Tika’s condition improved greatly. She was still far too thin but
no longer skeletal. The burn had finally formed a scab which had
not broken open for a full day. Farn had stayed within the village
most of this time and between him and Tika, Shivan’s ability to
mind speak advanced rapidly.

After supper one
evening, Tika said she intended to travel on to Karmazen the next
day. She felt the time had come to confer with Corman and Chindar,
and to try to decide their next move. Gossamer Tewk scowled and
Konya didn’t look much happier. Tika quelled the urge to
laugh.

‘If you’re prepared to
risk riding through the sky for two days, you can come with the
Dragons rather than use a gateway,’ she suggested, half in
jest.

Gossamer didn’t stop to
think. Those gateways were the epitome of torture in her opinion.
Konya agreed, nearly as quickly. Dog announced firmly that she
would travel with Tika, and one of the Kelshans, Corim, said that
was his choice also.

‘Shivan can open a
gateway for everyone else then and we’ll meet at the
Palace.’

Shea tugged Tika’s arm
as they headed for their rooms. ‘I’m coming with you of
course.’

‘And
Kerris?’

Shea smiled. She had
begun to get to know her sister these last few days. ‘She’s staying
here.’

After farewells had
been made and thanks given to The Bear and Emas, Gossamer Tewk and
Dog climbed onto Kija’s great back, their faces set in
determination. Shea had already ridden Storm and she scrambled onto
his back with ease. Konya and Corim were to be Brin’s riders and
Farn of course carried Sket and Tika.

Shivan watched, with
all the villagers, as the four Dragons lifted into the early
morning sky, circled once, and then flew steadily to the south.
Shivan sighed, wishing he was with them, and opened a gateway to
take everyone else to the Palace courtyard in Karmazen.

Sergeant Essa,
returning to her duties, soon found accommodation within the town
to suit Snail and Drengle List. Drengle had a tremendous admiration
for the huge woman, until she offered to teach him basic knife
skills. She had been bemused by his horrified reaction and rapid
retreat to his chosen bedroom.

Snail tactfully
explained a few things about Drengle’s timid and sensitive nature
and Essa never mentioned weapons in his hearing again. Drengle was
comforted after this upset by discovering that there were ghosts in
this Realm too. Snail could see them while Essa saw nothing at all.
Snail was delighted with the house and workshop Essa had found.
There was a spacious yard at the rear where she could grow plants
and stand vats for dyes. There were four bedrooms, a large kitchen
and bathing room, and the neighbours were friendly and helpful. She
couldn’t wish for more.

Corman had seemed glad
to welcome them back and they noticed, stepping from the roof
terrace into Lerran’s great chamber, a delicate perfume of flowers.
Tika saw pots, large and small scattered all around the room,
filled with tiny perfect blooms of white, blue and palest lemon,
rising from their beds of dark soil. Maids brought food and drink
and Corman studied Tika carefully. He was more alarmed than he
allowed to show, seeing the obvious punishment her body had endured
during her descent into the Dark.

Shield Master Garrol
was present with Sword Master Favrian; neither seemed surprised by
the presence of the engineer Dog, in her battered helmet, or of the
Kelshan guard still in his green uniform. By the time only Tika and
Sket were left with the Dark Lords, Tika had eaten most of the
pastries on the nearest two plates. Corman thoughtfully passed over
another dish and sat across from her.

‘Daylith reported what
he’d witnessed. Cyrek told us more of course, but you gave us some
concern my dear.’

‘She didn’t concern
us,’ Sket put in. ‘She terrified us.’

Corman met Sket’s
belligerent stare and inclined his head. ‘If it comforts you Sket,
I was terrified for her too,’ he said softly.

Sket subsided although
he remained watchful. Corman returned his attention to
Tika.

‘Have you any
recollection of how you went into the Dark? We deliberately told
you nothing specific of such a descent, and I would never accept
that anyone could descend accidentally.’

Tika found Favrian
holding yet another plate of fruit covered tarts under her nose and
took the plate with a smile of thanks. She licked her fingers and
contemplated the choice before her.

‘I’ve thought of little
else,’ she admitted. ‘I am sure the Crazed One was within a breath
of dragging me into his Kingdom again, when something else grabbed
me, and pulled me into the Dark. Pulled,’ she emphasised. ‘I was
definitely not pushed.’

Corman steepled his
fingers and tapped his lips.

‘And who, or what,
pulled you?’ He was genuinely puzzled.

Tika swallowed another
mouthful. ‘Lord Dabray,’ she said, a little
indistinctly.

Corman had half risen
from his chair at her words but sank back, his eyes wide with
surprise. Dabray indeed! Now why, why would Lord Dabray have pulled
this girl into the Dark? And what in the name of Mother Dark was
Dabray doing there himself? Oh Chindar, he thought, we have puzzle
mounting upon puzzle.

‘Are you sure it was
Lord Dabray?’ he asked when he was certain his voice would be
steady. ‘There can be much deception in the Dark.’

Tika sat back in her
chair, replete. ‘I’m quite sure,’ she replied. She had to make a
conscious effort to keep her hand away from where the inner pocket
of her shirt held Dabray’s pearly scale resting with
Seela’s.

Shield Master Garrol
felt the pressure of the ensuing silence and got to his
feet.

‘I don’t think you need
me,’ he said. ‘I would like to test out your guards Lady Tika.’ His
blue eyes twinkled in his serious face. ‘And I meant to ask you
about uniforms too – do you want them all in our black?’

‘No,’ Tika said
quickly. ‘Blue, if it is possible.’

‘The
insignia?’

She thought of Gan in
his blue uniform with the golden stylised flower above his
heart.

‘A Dragon,’ she said.
‘A silver Dragon.’

Garrol’s left thumb
touched his brow, his lips, his chest, then his hand swept out
towards her. All merriment had gone from his eyes.

‘As you command, so
shall it be.’

He turned and marched
briskly from the chamber.

Tika missed the
startled exchange of glances between Corman and Favrian. She was
aware of something shifting within her when Garrol had spoken those
last words, of an inevitability about them. She blinked and caught
Corman’s searching stare. She mustered a smile.

‘I’ll go and see my
friends, if you don’t mind. There’ll be time for discussion with
you and Chindar later, I’m sure.’

Corman also got to his
feet. ‘Chindar intended to be here to greet you but he was busy
with Coby.’

Tika started to shrug
then remembered her burnt chest and stopped. ‘I’ll be here after
supper then. I’d like to go down to the sea shore this afternoon.’
She headed for the door, Sket beside her, but paused. ‘Do you mind
if Shivan continues to be a member of my party?’

Both Corman and Favrian
frowned. ‘I see no reason why not,’ Corman replied. ‘But you should
ask his father. Shivan is not yet thirty, he is not an adult in our
terms.’

Tika nodded casually
and walked on. They were on the third wide sweep of stairs before
Sket spoke, and then he did so very quietly.

‘When you mentioned
Dabray,’ he said. ‘Did you notice the hush? Felt as though the
walls were bending in to listen. Creepy.’

Tika flashed a grin up
at him. ‘But they were.’

Sket mulled that over
as they continued downwards. Tika ignored the corridor leading
outside, turning to the right instead. The narrower passage led to
yet more stairs and she trotted down them.

‘We going anywhere in
particular?’

‘To visit Lord
Dabray.’

‘Oh. Right. Silly
question really.’

Sket judged they had
dropped below ground about the same sort of distance as the
Karmazen Palace rose upwards.

‘Always stars cursed
tunnels and caves,’ he muttered.

‘What?’

‘Nothing.’

The passage suddenly
widened ahead of them, light glowing evenly from an unseen source.
At the end of the passage a towering arch loomed over darkness.
When they reached the arch, Tika stopped.

‘You can wait here if
you’d rather.’

‘Nah. I’m with
you.’

Tika led the way into
the gloom, one hand on the curving wall. After twenty paces or so
the darkness began to brighten to a pale grey luminescence. She
stopped again, Sket slightly behind her. She heard his indrawn hiss
of breath when he saw the enormous Dragon embedded in the rock
wall. She reached back to press her hand against his chest,
indicating he should stay still, just as the great eye flickered
open. Tika went closer.

‘I thank you for saving
me in the Dark, Lord Dabray.’ Her voice was clear in the muffling
emptiness of the huge cavern. ‘I am in your debt, as I am in your
wife’s.’

A sigh gusted through
the air. ‘There is no debt child.’

Tika waited but
apparently Dabray had nothing further to say on that
subject.

‘Why were you there, at
that time?’

Another sigh. ‘I seek
my wife.’

Tika bit her lip,
realising she should have guessed that was the likely
reason.

The eyelid drooped then
lifted again. ‘Both Lerran and I have worried that our people have
drifted into a state of – stillness. Not quite the stagnation you
spoke of. They all seem to be merely enduring, existing, but not
living now.’

Tika settled cross
legged on the floor in front of Dabray as he continued.

‘They drift through
their days. They research the past more than speculate on the
future. They endure.’

‘Shivan has a great
curiosity.’ Tika felt interest welling in the atmosphere around
Dabray’s frozen form.

‘I’ve been aware of
that since his birth. Lerran had great hopes for Shivan. But of
late, the constant reprimands of his elders has shadowed the boy’s
spirit.’

‘He’s asked to travel
with us,’ said Tika. ‘And he can use mind speech. He has yet to
fully trust me I think, but I do believe he knows more than any
such as Corman. I promised not to tell – about the mind
speech.’

A dry rasping laugh
came from Dabray. ‘You’ve just told me. I could inform every Dark
One in the Realm.’

‘But you won’t.’ Tika
said with conviction.

‘No, I won’t. And he
will travel with you.’ There was a long pause. ‘I will beg Mother
Dark to encourage Shivan to return to us one day, and reignite the
curiosity of his people.’

‘Have you any
suggestion about what I should do now? Where I should
go?’

‘You have spoken of the
Drogoyan lands. I believe you should follow your instinct. Beyond
that, I can offer no help.’

Tika climbed to her
feet. ‘Why do you not speak to others – Corman or Favrian? You must
be so lonely. I know you can see and hear everything that goes on
in this Palace, but it isn’t the same as talking face to face with
someone, is it?’

Dabray’s reply was the
sound of dry leaves stirred by a faint wind. ‘I wish only to speak
with Lerran.’

Impulsively, Tika moved
closer, her hand stretching up to touch the half exposed face above
her.

‘You found me in the
Dark. How can you not find her?’

Did the stone move
beneath her hand, as if a breath had expanded the cheek?

‘She is too deep. Far
too deep.’

The eyelid fluttered
closed and Tika knew that Dabray would not speak more, at the
moment at least. She leaned against the Dragon in the wall, feeling
a chill strike through from the stone as the grey light began to
fade. Sket touched her arm, and they left, making their way round
the curved entrance to the archway. The yellow glow of the corridor
stretched ahead. Their footfalls were muted and they walked to the
stairs unspeaking. It was Sket who spoke first.

‘How long has the poor
beast been like that Tika?’

Her eyes were green
pools of grief when she turned her face up to him. ‘I don’t know
Sket, but for hundreds of years I fear.’

Sket nodded, slipping a
hand under her elbow to help her up the steps. ‘It felt like that
to me,’ he agreed. ‘It’s a wonder he’s not mad. Stuck in the stone
like that. I couldn’t have borne such a fate.’

They climbed on until
they reached the hall they recognised and turned to the corridor
which would take them towards the barracks.

‘I believe Shivan
should speak with Dabray,’ Tika said, lifting her face to the sun
as they stepped outside. ‘I will take him with me, next time I
visit.’