Survivors: Book 4 Circles of Light series (60 page)

Maressa explained to
Jakri as they flew, of the first village they’d encountered after
leaving the desert. He laughed at her description of Storm’s
inquisitiveness towards donkeys. The buildings were badly fire
damaged they saw as they flew lower, but then Farn trumpeted.
People were working around the buildings and they stared up as Farn
called again. By the time all three Dragons had landed, villagers
were running towards them. Best of all, Tika saw two young boys
supporting the frail figure of Zeminth.

The village had
withstood several assaults on it, the companions learned, and
Zenidor led them to a huge stone lined cellar beneath the
ramshackle ruins of the barn. He grinned at them.

‘Big enough for all our
people and our animals. We can get everyone hidden very quickly –
we practise quite often. So when the raiders get here, they think
the place is abandoned.’

Gan was impressed, both
by the ingenuity of the scheme and the discipline needed to make
sure everyone knew what to do and did it as fast as possible. The
villagers were disturbed to hear of the devastation in Harbour City
– there had been no tremors this far away. Tika and her companions
did not tell these people a great deal of what had befallen them
since they’d last met, but they did warn them of the gijan Elders.
Old Zeminth was much shaken by the mental picture Brin gave him of
Rainbow’s fierce anger.

Food was still
plentiful under Zeminth’s careful management and the companions
enjoyed the best meal they’d had since they could remember. They
were given generous supplies when they set off the next morning.
Towards afternoon they were following the thin silver thread of the
river leading to a long lake beside which they’d camped while Tika
freed the gijan’s wings. In the place where they’d camped for
several days was now another camp neatly laid out in regular rows
of tents.

Brin guided Farn and
Storm lower and the purple plumes of Imperial Blossoms became
clearer. Tavri was hurrying towards them when the Dragons landed at
a little distance from the nearest tents. When the riders had
dismounted, Brin lifted into the air again followed by Storm and
Farn on a quest for fresh meat. After the first introductions, Tika
wandered away from the large encampment, Sket trailing her as
always, and Akomi winding himself round her ankles.

‘It was somewhere about
here, wasn’t it?’ Tika asked.

Sket came closer
peering at the ground. He toed at a small pile of stones. As they
toppled, black marks of fire showed on many of them.

‘Exactly here,
Lady.’

Tika sat down, gazing
out over the lake. ‘I was so very afraid Sket. I thought I might
kill Leaf, and even when she survived, the idea of having to do the
same for the other two scared me witless.’

Sket hunkered down
beside her and poked at the stones of their old campfire. Tika
noticed the bandage round his left hand was grubby and she touched
it lightly. Before she could speak, Sket glared at her.

‘How many times must I
tell you it doesn’t matter? And it doesn’t hurt no more, a bit sore
is all. I can leave all this bandage off in a day or so. Jakri said
so.’ He forestalled any argument.

‘It seems I’m scared
most of the time these days.’

Sket nodded. ‘I know my
Lady, but it doesn’t show.’

Tika’s laugh rang
across the water and she punched Sket’s knee. Akomi sat in front of
them staring from one to the other with huge golden eyes. Tika
scratched behind his ears and he collapsed in blissful
delight.

‘Lady Emla will watch
for our gijan. Farn’s brother and sisters are still at her House,
and Hani and her daughters. She said they follow Lorak’s
replacement everywhere.’ Tika met Sket’s gaze and they both
chuckled.

‘Who’s taken old
Lorak’s place then?’ he asked.

‘Someone called Grib –
I don’t know him – do you?’

Sket’s grin broadened.
‘Lorak’s cousin, or nephew – a relative of some sort. Very like him
too.’

‘Six Dragons and three
gijan should keep them all busy.’ Tika stood up: Gan had called
from the main camp and she waved acknowledgement.

They walked slowly
back, Akomi buzzing happily in the crook of Tika’s arm.

‘Zerran thinks the
smell of mint means something helpful,’ she said quietly. ‘But he
could tell me nothing more.’

Sket grunted. ‘Then
let’s hope we smell it all the way home.’

Tika was still laughing
when they reached Gan and it gladdened his heart to hear it. Sket
joined Navan who was squatting by one of the tents talking to
Wendlan warriors.

‘We leave tomorrow Gan,
no matter what the news. There is an urgency in finding
Orla.’

Gan nodded. ‘Why hasn’t
Grek been around?’

‘Khosa thinks
something’s happened to him but stars know what. He can find us if
he’s able to, but we can’t count on him suddenly reappearing any
time soon.’

They ate their evening
meal in company with several Wendlan Mages and Imperial Blossoms as
well as with Tavri and his two colleagues. Conversation was
general; Gan encouraging the Blossoms to relax enough to comment on
their and their warriors reactions to the very different terrain
here. It transpired that the Blossoms were much worried by the
prospect of entering the desert. They had scouted a very few
leagues in from the cliffs glowering behind the camp and were not
happy at the thought of an eleven day march despite the
considerable help offered by their own Mages.

Tika found her eye
caught by one of the Wendlan Mages. He offered her a shy smile and
left his place to bow before her.

‘You were in the
Audience Chamber with – with House Amethyst!’ She was glad to
remember correctly when she saw the surprise on the Mage’s
face.

‘You have an excellent
memory Mistress,’ he said. ‘I am Siko, of that House. My sister is
with the advance party – she says they are within the City of the
Domes.’

Tika sat up straighter.
‘Did they meet any desert fighters?’

The group round the
fire had fallen silent to listen to Siko. ‘They met some alarm in
the Valley at first but when it was clear they intended no harm
they were made welcome. They were guided to the City. My sister has
spoken with the Vintavoy woman, Hezwa, who seems to have taken
charge of the place.’

Tika mind spoke Brin
who, with the two young Dragons, was dozing, replete, a small
distance away. ‘How long will it take us to get to the Valley
Brin?’

‘Two days small one,
three at most.’

A helmetless Imperial
Blossom, his shaved head making him seem strangely vulnerable and
diminished, now told Gan that another squad of warriors was to be
deployed forward tomorrow afternoon. Although their Mages were able
to shield the warriors from the worst of the heat, travel by night
was deemed safest.

‘How long did the first
squad take on the journey?’ asked Navan.

‘Eight days,’ Siko
replied, watching Khosa washing her whiskers with great
thoroughness.

Gan nodded. ‘They made
good time. Are they intending to go north, as we are? Your Emperor
ordered his warriors to Malesh to assist in repelling the desert
tribes – they have done so.’

‘Three quarters of this
force still here,’ an Imperial Blossom waved towards the rows of
tents, ‘are to rejoin their ships. We sail for Harbour City to be
of whatever help we can to the civilian population. His
Gloriousness so commanded through far speakers two days
ago.’

‘About five hundred
warriors will be in the City of the Domes within ten days,’ another
Blossom clarified.

‘Ten of us will
accompany them,’ Siko added. ‘As well as ten Imperial
Blossoms.’

‘I think you will find
the Valley people harmless enough,’ Maressa said thoughtfully.
‘Hezwa made it clear I think, in one of your reports that the
people native to the Valley itself, are not of the same race as the
desert tribes?’

The Mages
nodded.

‘We know of two
entrances to the Valley – it would be wise to check for all others
in case the tribesmen decide to enter. There must be more than
those two ways in and out.’

‘We had thought of that
Mistress. We inflicted heavy losses on the tribes. Their wounded,
needing a place to recover, could well be a threat to the peaceful
farmers we understand occupy the Valley.’ The Blossom who spoke
rose as a single drum beat a rapid volley, paused and then
repeated.

Sket and Navan reached
for their swords but Tavri stayed their hands.

‘The drum tells the
warriors it is time for sleep,’ he explained.

The companions
discovered the drum also told the warriors to rise, long before
dawn. They were grateful to be given extra water skins, filled from
the lake, and bade fare well to the Emperor’s men. They flew high
and fast, Brin’s memory sure and certain of the route, although
he’d only flown it once before.

Chapter
Thirty-Four

It was early on the
third day after leaving the Wendlans’ camp that Brin, Storm and
Farn drifted slowly down to the circular courtyard known as the
Sanctuary. They had rested during the hottest part of the two days
and had not suffered anything like as badly as during their
previous experiences of the desert. Two Imperial Blossoms came from
the Ring Complex with several Wendlan Mages and two Keepers, one of
whom Tika recognised as the Keeper of Lore, Hezwa. She seemed to
carry herself more confidently Tika thought. She realised that
Hezwa and her people had probably felt as oppressed as the gijan,
albeit in very different ways.

Hezwa was introducing
the Keeper with her: Shiro, the highest Keeper of Healing in the
Valley. The company were offered the same rooms as they’d used
before but all noticed the changed atmosphere at once. Students sat
under the verandahs, their occasional laughter sounding across the
Sanctuary, and people wandered across the open
courtyard.

Tika studied the four
Wendlan Mages and suspected one of the two women was Siko’s sister:
she had the same rather square jaw as he. Tika sat down in the
shade and smiled at the woman.

‘I’m sure you are
Siko’s sister – am I right?’

The woman returned the
smile as well as a formal bow. ‘You are indeed Mistress. I am Edo,
Siko’s older and far wiser sister.’

Tika laughed, liking
the woman immediately. Two young students brought in trays of a
cold fruit drink and the company were briefly reminded of the gijan
who’d served them before. Gan stood near the door while they
quenched their thirst.

‘We would like to see
the Survivors’ quarters Keeper Hezwa,’ he said. ‘It is of concern
to us that Survivor Kertiss has not been seen.’

Hezwa frowned. ‘We have
been all through the complex beneath the Great Dome,’ she said,
unable to hide her shudder. ‘We found many animals and birds in one
room. We had to kill them – they had suffered in unbelievable ways
and could not be healed. But of Survivor Kertiss we found no
sign.’

Tika drained her mug of
fruit juice and stood up. ‘I saw some of those poor creatures,’ she
said. ‘I am glad to know they suffer no longer.’

They went from the cool
dark of the Ring Complex into the blazing white heat of the
Sanctuary, between the Dome of Assembly and the Dome of Knowledge,
to the entrance of the Great Dome. The space inside seemed even
more vast with only the low plinths to mark where the statues of
the Elders had stood for more than a thousand years. They walked
across the Dome, dust motes dancing in the beam of light from the
transparent capping.

‘It feels different in
here,’ Ren murmured beside Tika. ‘Is that because the statues are
gone, or the Survivors?’

‘Perhaps it is a
mixture of both,’ Navan spoke from behind them. ‘The Elders weren’t
the most cheerful of beings and the Survivors were definitely
unpleasant.’

They reached the
opposite side of the Dome and the plinth upon which, Tika realised,
Flute had stood. The ramp was open and they turned down it without
pause. The chamber in which Star Singer had rested seemed
surprisingly large in its emptiness but they didn’t linger. Tika
found herself walking more stiffly and forced herself to relax. But
she kept her hand on her sword hilt and noticed Sket and Navan did
too.

The door was open,
gouges in the front panels testifying to the violence with which it
had been forced. There was no chattering now as they walked more
slowly, peering into room after room, each of which revealed broken
pieces of metal and wires scattered across the floors. They
eventually reached the furthest end of the Survivors’ quarters
leading up to the Ring Complex and Tika stopped. Hezwa regarded her
anxiously.

‘That is all there is
Lady.’

‘No.’ Tika turned back
and strode along the strangely lit passage. She halted at a doorway
as if reluctant to go in.

The others had followed
and now clustered round Tika. She moved slowly into the room,
stepping over thick ropes of metal and crunching switches and
buttons underfoot. She placed one hand on the nearest box and
shivered. Before, it had felt unlike stone, warm to the touch: now
it was icy. She traced a line near the top of the box and drew a
deep breath.