Soul Bonds Book 1 Circles of Light series (22 page)

The Lady herself enjoyed the walk into the City, although she was usually accompanied by a formal escort of Guards as well as two carts for her maids drawn by pairs of male kalfi. These were as placid as the female kalfi, which were kept for the milk they yielded in plentiful supplies.

It was midmorning on the second day after the Merigs had brought their news, that the fengar-drawn carts crawled through the Upper Pass to the Lady’s House. The snow had continued unabated but Emla had men keeping the main paths clear. As the wounded men were lifted gently to be borne into the House, Emla was appalled at their injuries.

Iska began work at once, assisting the dozen Healers who had hurried from Gaharn to join the Healers already present. Emla insisted the Healers who had travelled with the wounded go immediately to rest – they were swaying on their feet with fatigue. Despite their protests, she told them not to try to use their Powers until a full day’s rest had restored them.

It was late that evening before Shan managed to make Emla go to her private rooms and eat something, and it took a near tantrum to persuade her. ‘A bath is ready my Lady, and I will brush out your hair for you later.’ Shan was peeling the blood smeared top robe from Emla as she spoke. She tutted as she saw blood had soaked through to the Lady’s under robe. ‘You have many willing servants, Lady and all those Healers. Why must you work on those poor men yourself? Just look at you!’

Emla saw tears on Shan’s round cheeks. The girl adored her mistress, and was distressed that Emla had done what Shan saw as menial work in bathing the men and getting them clean. She took Shan’s face between her slender hands and held her still.

‘I know it upsets you dear one, but if one can do something, however small, or dirty, then one must. Think of what those men have done for the rest of that company that left here so short a time ago! Some are sorely hurt Shan. Some will never see, or walk, or have their wits, again. Compared to that, what is a soiled robe or two, when stars know, I have so many?’

As Shan was about to reply, Emla laid her long fingers across the full lips. ‘Hush! I will soak in my bath – it smells wonderful! Then I shall eat a little honeybread and drink some of your splendid tea – truly, no one makes it so well as you! Now, do you promise, no more scolding?’

Shan’s huge blue eyes spilled fresh tears as she nodded. Emla kissed Shan’s brow and went towards the steaming bathtub.

‘Lady?’

Emla slid lower until she was almost submerged, sighing in pleasure. ‘Yes Shan?’

‘Will that little Tika, and Mim, and the Dragons, come safely home?’

Emla kept her eyes closed. ‘Only the stars know the answer to that. All we can do is pray it will be so.’

Seniors of all Disciplines sat in the galleries ringing the Great Chamber of Gathering. Juniors sat on benches around the floor space and many, if not all, of the students of the Asataria thronged the lesser Chambers opening off of the Great Chamber. It was the first time a full Gather had been summoned since Jerak’s disappearance. There was some murmuring – no Justice had been Named to replace Jerak, and it was the Justice who was the leader of such Gathers.

The low hum of many conversations faded into silence as the Golden Lady entered alone. She halted in the middle of the Chamber, standing in the centre of a circular mosaic of crystal, gold and jet. Her simple robe of palest green, threaded with gold and silver, gave a subdued shimmer with each movement she made. Her black hair was unbound, falling straight to her waist, and her green eyes dominated her narrow face. Into the silence she spoke the formal words of welcome, which the Justice would have done. Then she began the whole telling.

When she had finished, she bowed low, turning so she paid respect to all of the Gathered. Then she waited for the questioning to begin. A Junior fetched a stool for her to sit on, and students moved among the Gathered ones, bearing trays of hot spiced tea.

The Discipline Seniors, the colours of their robes indicating their fields of study, nodded to their spokesman. He rose, leaning his tall frame lightly on the gallery railing.

‘The Lady has given us a great deal to think on. We suggest that we Gather again tomorrow morning, to discuss any conclusions we may have reached. Then, perhaps, decisions can be made.’

All the Gathered People stood, their heads tilted back as they looked up to the high dome of the Chamber’s roof. A mosaic circle, mirroring the one set in the floor, glinted down, a blue star pulsing in its centre. Then heads were lowered and the People quietly filed out of the great room, leaving Emla, standing now, in the middle of the floor.

Iska’s arm went round Emla’s shoulders. ‘You spoke well Emla. Now we can only wait.’

‘That is all I seem to do!’ Emla cried out suddenly. She clenched her fists. ‘Surely – surely – there is something I can do – other than just wait?’

Chapter Twenty-Two

The appearance of the Snow Dragons had greatly heartened the company high in the mountains. ‘So far, so good,’ the Guards agreed. They had been aware of the doubts about the crimson Dragon’s story of Dragons and a human type race living here, but at least the Dragon part seemed to be true. Tika also had harboured doubts, mainly because Brin’s adventures here had been so very long ago – she knew only too well how situations could change at great speed.

Farn was the only one who had expected the arrival of Snow Dragons. Brin was a marvel to Farn’s eyes; brave, much travelled, mightily strong. When Kija overheard Farn extolling Brin’s virtues to Ashta and Jeela, she had said: ‘Brave and fearless can quite easily be another aspect of stupid and careless, Farn.’

Poor Farn had tried to work out whether she had been approving of Brin, or critical. He still was not entirely sure, but sadly suspected Kija did not see Brin as the heroic creature he himself did.

What the company had first assumed was snow encrusting the newly arrived Dragons’ faces, hands and feet, was in fact a very fine covering of hair – obviously a useful development in this environment. The larger of the two, Meppi, had begun a rather formal speech, which promised to be somewhat prolonged, when Ulla interrupted:

‘We have food for you, in our tunnels. We will have to stay here tonight, but early in the morning you will have fresh meat.’

The Dragons were relieved. They had not eaten for two days. They would waste too much energy flying back to the lower slopes to hunt, and then battling the snow and wind to return. Gan had offered them the dried meat the Guards carried, but after a taste, they had politely declined. A sip of one of Lorak’s “concoctions”, at Fenj’s suggestion, had been a little help to them.

All were somewhat surprised by the fact that both Meppi and Ulla were very aged Dragons, not the hatchlings their size suggested. Brin had found Kija’s apology most amusing when she realised she had addressed Meppi as if he were a child. She rewarded him with a withering glare from eyes sparking red glints, which, to Farn’s worshipful astonishment, merely made Brin chuckle aloud.

The cooks had managed to make a hot broth for the men, who then curled up in what shelter there was and slept in exhaustion. With great effort four windbreaks had been wrestled into place, tents were beyond their weary muscles. Two fengars had been lost on the climb, and Tika remarked quietly to Mim that perhaps the other six would be a nice present to the Snow Dragons.

Mim grinned. ‘This person too, saw the Snow Dragons look at the fengars with a certain interest! Did you see Kran and another Guard were gashed by the bad tempered creatures, just as they reached here?’

‘Yes. They seem very ill natured all the time. Stars know how they will behave if we start travelling underground. I am sure Gan only insisted on bringing them as an emergency food supply.’

‘What will it be like do you think – underground? This one does not like the idea of being beneath all these great mountains.’

‘At least it won’t be snowing in there, or windy. If Dragons have lived here all this time, it must be safe enough Mim.’

‘But does anything grow here? This one has seen nothing, not even lichen or moss. Surely there must be something?’

Tika shrugged and pushed Khosa across to Mim. ‘Perhaps the race who live with these Dragons will tell you. No Khosa, I am warm, you sleep with Mim.’

Khosa hissed softly. ‘It is very cold. I did not expect to spend this adventure stuck in a sack and freezing near to death.’

‘Do not exaggerate. You are getting the easiest journey of all Kephi! Perhaps we should let you walk tomorrow, like the rest of us?’ Khosa’s eyes nearly crossed in fury, but she said nothing, simply burrowed under Mim’s shirt for the night.

The Dragons were able to eat next morning – one of the fengars died in the night, its body stiffly frozen under the snow. Kija belched fire lightly over the corpse, enough to make it pliant enough to eat. If anything, the snow was even thicker.

Gan and Soran had the men roped securely together in groups of five, in the hope that they could save any from falling. Trem commented cheerfully that perhaps the heavy snowfall was an advantage – at least you couldn’t see the sheer drops alongside their narrow path. Men who led fengars were ordered to release them the instant the fengars balked at the path or began to slide. Soran told them he did not wish any men to be dragged over the cliff edges by difficult fengars.

Gan had a brisk disagreement with Mim and Tika. They both announced that they would walk for what Meppi promised was but two or three more leagues to the entry to the Snow Dragons’ domain.

Jeela was fascinated to meet Dragons so small. She had grown a little after she had hatched, but not a fraction since. Ulla had been equally intrigued with Jeela – so small and pale! So like a Snow Dragon in fact! Ashta and Farn were also excited by this encounter. But Tika knew that Fenj and Kija were reserving judgement, that they were both very worried as to where and how this journey would end.

Old Lorak seemed to distract Fenj, and to cheer the ancient black Dragon considerably. But Fenj had grown more slow to speak in the last days, while Kija snapped at everyone. As Tika muffled herself in her cloak, her eyes met Kija’s.

‘I am sorry, small one. My fear makes me angry. I would fight any visible foe for you all, but this not-knowing drives me to distraction.’

Tika waded through the snow to the great gold Dragon’s side, looking up at the beautiful long face, snowflakes clinging to the long eyelashes. Kija lowered her head, her brow pressing Tika’s.

‘I know,’ said Tika. ‘And I want you to know now, I will do all in my Power’ - she emphasised the word, ‘to keep Farn safe.’ She felt warm affection pour through her mind, then Sket was stamping his feet at her side, only his brown eyes showing over a scarf wrapped round his head and face.

‘It’d take so long to unwrap ourselves if we was attacked now, we’d be dead on the spot!’ he said brightly.

Mim and Motass joined them and they filed behind the first of the Guards. The wind hit them with renewed force as they left the relative shelter of their overnight stopping place. Mim gasped as the cold knife of air thrust him almost to a halt. He pulled his scarf across his face more securely, ducked his head and kept his eyes on Motass’s heels as they began trudging through the snow.

The Dragons had flown on only minutes before the company began to march. All of them struggled to get aloft and then, beating hard to make headway, immediately disappeared from sight behind the wall of unceasing snow.

It was, truly, no more than three leagues to the Snow Dragons’ tunnels, but it took the marchers a long morning to get there. Motass yelled something incomprehensible back to Mim, who was quite beyond trying to understand. Then suddenly the ground under their feet was grey rock, scoured by ice particles, not deep, slippery, hard-packed snow. A low cave opening was directly before them. As their eyes stopped watering, they saw Ashta and Farn waiting, and a pale light creeping out from deeper in the cave.

Ashta’s eyes whirred in concern for Mim’s shivering and she urged him inside with her, nudging him round a sharp-angled, narrow curve. As Tika followed with Farn, she wondered how Fenj and Brin, and even Kija, had squeezed their great selves through the tight corner.

She heard Gan behind them, checking the Guards as they all arrived. She heard the beginning of trouble with screams from the fengars, wondering briefly how they had any energy left to be so belligerent, then she was round another tight corner and stopped in disbelief.

In front of her was a large cavern, so large as to still seem spacious even with the six Dragons of the company there. One of the Snow Dragons, Tika thought it was Meppi, was speaking with Fenj. Ulla appeared from a tunnel at the far side of the cavern and Tika stared again.

Two human-like creatures were with Ulla, but unlike any other humans Tika had ever seen. They were small, as small as she herself, and one had black hair and the other tawny brown.

The Guards were pressing in behind Tika and she moved forward with Farn and Sket beside her. Ulla bespoke Tika and Mim as they drew close.

‘These are our life-friends. Serim,’ the male bowed low. ‘And Berri,’ the female bowed also.

“I am Tika and this is Mim. The very tall one yonder is a man of the People and is called Gan.”

Mim bowed as Tika introduced him. ‘This person is honoured to greet you,’ he said aloud in his lightly fluting tones. ‘This one is Nagum, from far distant woodlands. May he ask of what race you are?’

Berri reached her hands up to Mim’s face. ‘Our common name is merely Delvers, our proper name you will learn in time. But you are so cold – come, warm yourselves.’ She indicated they move closer to a nearby brazier and it was only then that Tika and Mim saw there were several such spaced round the cavern. Guards stood quietly round each one, thawing themselves, but still watchful of everything.

Serim walked across the cavern, bowing to left and right, and vanished around the corner leading back to the entrance cave. Another of the Delvers arrived, this one wearing a blue leather band round his brow. Berri introduced him as Falim, one of their Healers.

‘We know you have Healers of your own in your company, but they may be unaccustomed to treating the hurts the cold can inflict.’ Falim said. ‘These men should not be warming frozen hands as they are. May I speak with your Healers?’

‘I would welcome your advice as I am sure they will also.’ Gan had joined them, and now led Falim to meet the company’s Healers. He rejoined Mim and Tika, his height emphasised even more as he stood beside Berri.

Berri chuckled. ‘You will have to sit when you speak with us, Gan, or we will all end with twisted necks!’

‘The difference in our sizes is indeed somewhat great,’ Gan agreed with a smile. ‘We have no knowledge of your race living here though, Berri.’

‘We will speak later of these things.’

There was a grating, rumbling roar, then fengar shrieks of anger. The Guards looked towards the entrance, still nearly numb hands trying to grasp their swords.

‘You have sealed the entrance, I presume?’ Gan asked calmly.

Berri inclined her head. ‘This entrance has not been used in any of our memories. We had nearly forgotten that it existed.’

‘Fortunate for us that you did not forget.’

‘If you will follow us now? As I said, we have not been in these tunnels for a long, long time. We have quite a distance to go to reach the outermost edge of the areas we now use.’ Serim turned towards the tunnel from which he, Berri and Falim had emerged, but he hesitated. ‘Your animals, Gan? I can have food brought for them here if you wish to maintain them?’ He looked searchingly up at their faces. ‘We would use such creatures for food – they are not suited to our way of life.’

Gan gestured to Soran and Nomis. ‘If they will contribute to your food supplies, then they are yours. We have provisions in our packs.’ Soran explained. ‘We do not wish to take your food and leave your supplies low.’

For the first time Serim grinned. ‘Have no fear. We are well maintained. Hunger is not acceptable among us, and we have long forgotten such a hardship!’

The Guards, hearing these comments, glanced at each other. No hunger? Living under these great cold and barren mountains? Perhaps the Delvers used magic. The thought occurred simultaneously to several Guards and their faces reflected a slight apprehension. Serim observed their expressions and grinned again, but all he said was: ‘Bring the fengars as far as they will willingly come.’ He turned and led the way into the mountain.

Berri waited until all had left, then she doused the embers in all the braziers and trotted to catch up with the company. The tunnel was lit as by pale moonlight. Small lamps, with only a single glower within each one, were hung every fifty paces. As Berri reached the first lamp, she unhooked it and carried it with her. At the next lamp, she opened the front of it, removed the glower and popped it into the lamp she carried. When that lamp was packed full of glowers, she took the next lamp with her and began to fill that one too.

Kran glanced back from his place at the rear of the company and slowed until Berri came up with him. ‘I will carry the lamps for you Lady.’

Berri laughed. ‘They are certainly not too heavy,’ she said. ‘But it is kind in you to offer assistance.’ She passed him the lamps full of glowers. ‘And I am Berri, not Lady.’

‘And I am Kran.’

‘Are you wed?’

Kran looked startled. ‘Erm, no Lady – Berri.’

‘A fine man like you? Not wed? We could use a fine fellow such as you,’ Berri said, her eyes sparkling with mischief if Kran had but realised it. His startled look changed to one of intense worry.

‘Guards do not usually marry until they are near the end of their term of service to the Golden Lady. We are very likely to be hurt, or killed, you see. How could we leave wives and families unprotected?’ He glanced at her, hoping his explanation deterred her from pursuing this unwelcome topic.

Berri handed him another lamp full of glowers. ‘Ah, but here you would not be a Guard so it would be unlikely for you to be “hurt or killed you see.”’ Then she took pity on the poor creature and changed the subject. Stars but he was so agitated he could easily drop the poor glowers! Wouldn’t this tale make the others laugh later though, she thought, and then politely asked him to tell her something of Gaharn.