Soul Bonds Book 1 Circles of Light series (32 page)

‘No.’ Farn struggled to lift his head and Tika winced as she felt his soreness and weakness within herself. ‘We are soul bonds. I go with you, my Tika.’ His eyes

whirred, a muted sapphire, as he gazed down at her crumpled against his side.

‘You cannot,’ she argued wearily.

‘If we held him with our strength,’ Dessi spoke softly. ‘I mean the other Dragons and I, he could travel with us for a while.’

Tika moved her head as though it weighed an enormous amount too much. ‘It would not harm him to move with us in that way?’

‘I think not – for a short time only,’ the Delver warned, ‘and it will then take longer for him to recover than the few days I spoke of.’

Tika was so tired she could scarcely think. Every part of her being cried out for Farn’s presence with her to do what she must when they found the Balance. A tiny whisper suggested she was selfish to make him struggle yet further, only to witness her destruction. But she needed him so. She pushed herself up and caught the long blue face between her palms.

‘You will try this then Farn?’

‘Of course!’

The prismed eyes whirred ever faster, and Tika burst into tears.

As Mim raced after the man who had fled from the entrance hall, Ashta hurried as best she could behind him. A dozen passages suddenly split off from the one they were using. As Mim stood undecided, three men emerged from one of them, carrying brooms and pails. They gaped at Mim, pails rattling to the floor. He caught the nearest one’s sleeve.

‘Where is the Guardian?’

‘Up in his apartments, Lord. I don’t know for sure. Oh please Sir, don’t do us no harm, we be only workers Sir!’

The man choked as Ashta arrived at Mim’s shoulder. His eyes rolled and he crashed full length at Ashta’s feet.

‘A strange greeting,’ she remarked. She looked at the remaining two men. They fell to their knees before Mim.

‘Rudd spoke true Sir! We don’t go near the Master’s apartments, ‘tisn’t allowed. ‘Tis high up, along that way Sir!’

The one who spoke held a shaking arm out in the direction of one of the further passages. Mim moved quickly where the man indicated, Ashta at his heels.

The two men climbed shakily to their feet and bent to their unconscious fellow. Knife points suddenly pricked the skin at the base of their throats.

‘Where is the Guardian?’ A voice hissed behind them.

‘Oh Sir, don’t hurt us. Dill told the other one – it’s that way!’

The knives moved slightly away from throats. The two men gulped as they turned slowly to find four men and one of the People standing there.

‘Other one?’ Gan, for it was he, glared down at the servant. ‘Well? What other one?’

‘A strange looking one Sir. He had armour growing from his skin and,’ perspiration rolled down the man’s face. ‘There were a Dragon following him Sir.’

‘A pale green Dragon?’

‘Yes Sir. They went that way Sir.’

‘And that is the way to the Guardian’s apartments?’

‘Yes Sir.’

‘Would Bark be there?’

The man shook his already trembling head. ‘I know of no Bark Sir. I only work down here, never up there Sir. Truly Sir.’

‘And do you serve the Guardian willingly and loyally?’

‘Oh Sir.’ Both servants collapsed to their knees again beside the faintly stirring body of their companion. ‘Our fathers’ fathers were brought here Sir. We are bred to work for the Master Sir. We have no choice.’ They showed confusion at the very idea.

‘Very well. Gather all the servants you can find and let them wait here until I return. No weapons.’

‘Sir, we are forbidden weapons. Then you will spare us good Sir?’

Gan studied them. ‘For now at least. Know that there is no escape, there are Guards within this stronghold sent by the Golden Lady herself. The Dragons serve her also.’ He turned on his heel and headed for the passage the servant had pointed out, his men close behind him.

Ignoring the groan from the one lying prone beside them, the two still kneeling servants stared at each other.

The one called Dill whispered: ‘When he said ‘Dragons’ Sim, do you think he meant there be more than that one we just seed?’

‘That’s what I were wondering,’ Sim whispered back. He clutched Dill’s arm. ‘Why don’t we go and fetch the others together Dill?’

Leaving their pails and brooms scattered around their workmate, they hurried to obey Gan’s orders.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Gan had not travelled far when he came to a halt so sharply that Sket trod on his heels. As Sket opened his mouth to apologise, he too felt the ringing call in his mind. Gan, as one of the People, absorbed Iska’s cry fully. He looked at the four men and they stepped back a pace at the glittering anger in his eyes. A moment longer he stood, then he began to hurry back the way they had come.

‘The Lady Iska is dead,’ he said tersely. ‘The Golden Lady herself has brought Guards here. Our first duty is to aid her.’

They approached Rudd, who was climbing dizzily to his feet. His eyes widened in alarm as they advanced.

‘Tell me the swiftest way to the lowest levels of this place.’ Gan ordered him.

‘Down there Sir, to the main entrance. Any passage to the left takes you to the barracks but only fighters are allowed there.’

He quailed as Gan stared at him, and groped for the wall to help him stay upright. Gan nodded but as he moved past, Rudd said tentatively, ‘I thought there was a Dragon here just now Sir?’

‘There was, and there will be more.’ Gan flung the reply over his shoulder as they rounded the corner. Rudd sagged and slid back down the wall, clutching his head.

They met no one else as they half ran down the gently sloping passage and turned a final curve. They found Kija towering up so that her head was level with them despite there being a considerable distance for them to reach the floor of the entrance chamber. Her eyes flickered with gold and scarlet lights as she lowered herself again as she recognised Gan and his men.

‘We must find the lower levels,’ said Gan. ‘The Lady Emla is there with more Guards.’

Kija made a growling sound deep in her throat. ‘Tika is there also, and both of my children. The ones in black clothes came from those tunnels which Brin watches.’

Gan glanced towards the smouldering remains of the great gateway and saw Lorak standing by Fenj. Lorak raised his hand.

‘Lord Mim went up where you came from Lord Gan.’

Gan nodded and walked across the hall to Brin.

‘I give you sympathy for your Lady Iska,’ the crimson Dragon murmured.

‘Thank you Brin. The Guardian will pay.’

Gan and his four men passed quickly into a passage leading downward much more steeply. In another open space a dozen fighters were huddled, apparently arguing as Gan appeared. Instantly, Gan launched himself in their midst. Two died before Sket and Trem reached the fighters, Gan’s sword slashing and cutting with no wasted movements. Kran and Motass set upon four fighters who sought to flee, killing them before they had run ten paces.

As the last of the fighters fell to Trem’s sword, they heard a Dragon’s screaming roar, a roar of fury and pain. They stood frozen as Gan tried to focus on the meaning of the sound. The roar came again, and yet again. Gan began to run on down to the lower part of the stronghold.

‘Sir,’ Sket ventured. ‘What was that Dragon cry for?’

‘It was Kija. Farn is badly wounded and Kija cannot reach him. These tunnels are too narrow for the great Dragons. Quickly now!’

His men needed no further urging, especially Sket and Motass who regarded Tika and Mim and the two young Dragons as their special responsibility.

They met more fighters in straggling groups, some helping wounded comrades along. A few of these instantly engaged with Gan’s men, but others wearily threw down their weapons and hunched by the wall. Angry as Gan was, he did not order death for those who capitulated. One fighter, his hands tightly clutching his upper leg where blood pumped through his fingers with each heart beat, looked up at Gan from where he lay propped against a comrade.

‘Not many now Sir,’ he answered in reply to Gan’s question as to the numbers of fighters.

‘Stay here then, until we return. Any of you who are uninjured, see to your fellows who are.’

He turned away and continued along the passage.

‘Stars! What’s that?’ Kran spat as a stink filled their nostrils. He stared with the others in horror at the beast that lay sprawled before them. They moved past, noting that the creature appeared to have dragged itself some distance with mortal wounds, judging by the blood trail beyond. Then they all paused.

The next stretch of well-lit passageway was littered with many more of the monstrous bodies. Men in the Guardian’s black uniforms lay among them. There were also blue uniformed Guards lying motionless. A Snow Dragon confronted them, eyes blazing white ice, but calming to a pale butter colour as she recognised Gan. Gan’s sight was fixed on a group against the rock wall. Kemti stood with his arm across Emla’s shoulders. Jeela’s head hung low over Farn’s silvery blue form, and even from where he stood, Gan could hear Tika’s sobs over the groans of the wounded.

Somehow he found himself next to Emla. She turned to him smiling, despite tears gleaming on her dirty face.

‘Tika healed him Gan, but he was sorely wounded.’

Gan saw the long line of naked hide curving down Farn’s neck and could imagine

all too well how near to death the young Dragon had come. He touched Jeela lightly.

‘Your mother knew Farn was hurt. Does she know he is well again?’

‘Yes.’ Jeela’s eyes were bright faceted diamonds. ‘She said she has never heard of such a great healing Gan.’ Her tone in his mind was filled with awe.

Farn lifted his head carefully, and sapphire eyes met Gan’s dark stare. Gan nodded and stooped, lifting Tika easily from Farn’s side. He carried her to a clearer space and looked down at her. She was covered in blood, most of it Farn’s but he guessed quite a bit was from the bodies scattered around the passage. Sket leaned over his shoulder.

‘Looks like you remembered your sword lessons, Lady!’ he said softly.

‘Looks like,’ she agreed.

Sket nodded and turned away to help with the wounded Guards. Tika looked at Gan. ‘Sorry,’ she said, rubbing at her teary cheeks and making an even worse mess with her bloody fingers.

Gan grunted and used his cuff to wipe some of the worst of the grime away. She seemed quite contented, lying against his shoulder, but he was aware it was her utter exhaustion – physical and mental – that kept her there.

Mim had met no resistance, only servants who flattened themselves to the wall – or the floor – at sight of Ashta trailing a few paces behind him. Most of the servants were struck dumb, quite unable to answer Mim’s question as to the Guardian’s whereabouts.

He staggered back against Ashta as Iska’s final cry flooded through them. Ashta moaned in distress and Mim turned to comfort her. She finally calmed.

‘She was nearby when she called,’ she told Mim. ‘Very near.’

Mim drew his knife and proceeded along the passage. A door ahead opened and an elderly female servant came out. She was weeping and did not notice Mim and

Ashta’s approach.

‘Where is the Lady Iska?’ Mim asked quietly.

The servant sniffled her tears back and then stared in shock at the pair who stood beside her.

‘We wish you no harm,’ Mim said hastily. ‘We seek the Guardian also.’

‘And Bark,’ Ashta added in his mind.

‘And Bark,’ Mim repeated aloud.

‘Bark is inside. He weeps for the Lady.’ The servant shuddered. ‘The Master said he was going to his study and none must enter until he summoned them.’

This female was the first to retain some semblance of normality in the presence of Ashta and Mim. Her eyes strayed from Mim’s face to Ashta’s, then settled on an orange head poking from a bag hanging from Mim’s neck. She bobbed a curtsey and put her hand to the door latch.

‘Bark will be glad to see friends I am sure. I’ve always thought he seemed so sad and lonely. Though the People are so different from us, Bark has always been kind. My old mother used to say: “You can take any troubles to Lord Bark and never hear a cross word.”’

As she pushed open the door her hand fluttered toward Ashta then hesitated. Ashta’s eyes whirred and she moved her head to bump gently against the woman’s hand as she passed through the doorway. The door closed and the servant stood staring at her hand.

‘I touched a Dragon! Stars, but I touched a Dragon!’

In the chamber, two servants stood frozen, one stooped by the fire, the other in midstep towards the great bed. Khosa wiggled free of her travelling bag and leaped upon the bed. Bark sat beside the head of the bed leaning forward with both his hands enclosing one of Iska’s and his head sunk onto his chest. Khosa walked daintily along the side of Iska’s body then sat neatly, her tail wrapped across her front feet, and gazed from Iska up to Bark. She gave an odd little chirruping noise and then began her buzzing croon.

Bark raised his gaunt face and the corner of his mouth twitched a fraction.

‘You visit me again, little Kephi.’ As the croon paused, Bark amended: ‘Your majesty.’ A skeletal finger touched Khosa’s head and the croon continued. ‘You choose a sorrowful time to visit, Khosa. This beautiful Lady is dead and I wish it were I in her place.’

Khosa glanced at Mim and he took a step forward, Ashta keeping close. It was Ashta who spoke in the mind speech Bark had used to Khosa.

‘We knew Lady Iska. We grieve for her also.’

Bark stared at Ashta, his finger still resting on Khosa. Then his sunken eyes moved to Mim. He rose from the chair, a frail ghostly giant, and went to stand before Mim. He placed his hands on Mim’s shoulders and stared at the strange eyes with their vertical pupils, and at the scales now plain across Mim’s cheeks and brow. Bark sank to his knees, his head level with Mim’s.

‘A Dragon Lord,’ he whispered aloud. ‘I have read of such things but I believed them only to be children’s tales unfounded in truth.’

Ashta hung her head over Mim’s shoulder and said proudly: ‘I am Ashta, his soul bond.’

Bark studied her for a moment then he put one of his hands to the side of her face.

‘So beautiful Ashta, and so young!’ He stood again, extending his hand towards the bed. ‘Speak your farewells to Iska and then you must tell what your arrival here means.’

Bark went to the fireside and asked the servant crouched motionless there, for a warming drink.

‘Will they harm us Bark?’

‘No, no, Galt. They are friends.’

As Mim lifted Khosa to his shoulder and crossed the room to join Bark, the cry came. Ashta’s prismed eyes flashed wildly from pale green to dark green with red and gold sparks, and she shifted from side to side, clearly in anguish. Bark felt it too, the pain searing through his damaged mind.

‘What is it Bark?’ Galt caught Bark’s arm tightly. ‘What’s wrong Bark?’

Bark opened his eyes. ‘One of the Dragons is dreadfully wounded.’ He looked at Mim. Mim leaned against Ashta’s shoulder, his lower lids brimming with tears.

‘Tika is attempting to heal Farn,’ he whispered.

‘Tika? Farn?’ Bark asked.

‘Another soul bonded pair,’ Khosa said in an unusually subdued tone.

Bark shook his head. ‘Another pair,’ he echoed.

Ashta said: ‘Emla is there. She fears that Farn will die.’ She became greatly agitated, insisting that she and Mim should go to the lower levels were Farn lay so hurt. Mim held her tight, asking her to wait, to see if Tika was able to heal Farn. It seemed an endless time. Ashta grew quiet, clearly watching through Jeela’s mind, what was happening to Farn.

Galt had made some hot tea, moving soundlessly by the hearth. Now he put a cup into Bark’s hand and raised an eyebrow towards Mim questioningly.

‘Not yet,” Bark whispered. “But thank you for the thought.’

Suddenly Khosa did her hind-end-up, front-end-down stretch, then began to give her ears a thorough wash. Bark watched Ashta and the boy holding her. He could feel their communication with others but he was incapable of intercepting it himself. But seconds after Khosa’s stretch, Bark saw relief and tears on both the boy’s face, and amazingly, on the Dragon’s. Khosa crooned as she continued her washing.

‘Farn will live Bark,’ she announced. ‘I expect Mim could drink some of that dreadful hot stuff now.’

Ashta reclined and Mim sat resting against her chest. His tears shimmered on the tiny gold scales edging his cheekbones.

‘The Delvers and the Snow Dragons told us of your presence here Bark. They could not get close enough to really help you though, but they hoped their singing gave you some comfort.’

‘I did not know who they were, but yes, they felt kindly to me. But why are you here now – Dragons, and a Dragon Lord – I do not understand.’

‘There are Guards -’

‘And the Lady Emla herself,’ added Ashta.

‘-In the lowest part of this place. I came with the great Dragons to the main entrance – they are too big for the last tunnels.’

Mim handed his cup back to Galt and smiled. ‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘Will you stay with Lady Iska?’ Galt nodded wordlessly. Mim stood. ‘Then come, Bark. I think we should return to the entrance chamber. The Guards are coming up and will be there soon. Then we can begin the search for the Guardian.’

‘He went to his study but he will have warded the door, I’m sure.’

Bark opened the door for Ashta and Mim and the three went down the curving passages until once more Kija’s golden head confronted them. Bark stared in amazement then he bowed deeply.