Vagrants: Book 2 Circles of Light series (20 page)

As Tika nodded, Gan
sighed.

‘I see the logic in
your suggestion and I’m sure Brin could carry the three of us, but
I still feel that two Guards more are necessary. The southern lords
will surely not be very welcoming to two who are plainly of the
People. They will utterly disregard Tika to begin with as a runaway
slave – and a female. She must have four escorting Guards to
emphasis her rank.’

Tika spread her hands.
‘We can only wait for Kija then.’

‘Do the southerners
know of the Dragons?’ Ryla asked.

Tika frowned. ‘Hunters
said they had seen Dragons occasionally, but there were no stories
I ever heard of Dragons speaking with humans, or carrying them on
their backs.’

‘Is it likely they
would try to kill them?’ Ryla pressed.

‘I don’t think so.
There were no tales of Dragon hunts that I recall. And Kija has
just told me she will come,’ Tika added, frowning again.

‘We will care for Nya,’
Emla said. ‘We will do exactly as Kija instructs us.’

Tika smiled. ‘She
should be Shan’s special charge I think.’

She grinned as Shan’s
mouth hung open in her bright red face.

‘I’ll take the best
care of her Tika,’ Shan stuttered.

Tika laughed. ‘I know
silly! That’s why I ask you. You’ll have your hands full when Ikram
starts causing mischief.’ A thought occurred to her. ‘Perhaps Kadi
will choose to come with us, rather than remain here. I do not
think Kija will let Farn travel without her presence, but I think
Kadi has had enough of fostering.’

‘And would Kadi bear
Guards on her back?’ Gan asked quickly.

Tika shrugged. ‘We can
but ask her.’

Chapter
Fourteen

Lord Seboth had decided
to go back to Far to send scouts north and west. He thought it
advisable to find out just what, if anything, Rhaki’s arrival in
Return might have precipitated. Hargon’s scouts were still seeking
news from the northernmost range of his lands but few traders had
yet begun travelling after the Cold Season. The Lords of Andla and
Tagria lingered in Return, both saying they wished to examine the
first-cycle koninas in Hargon’s breeding herd.

Rhaki no longer
attended meals, nor even bothered to tender any excuse or apology
for his absences. He paced around his tower, urging the builders to
work as fast as they might, and the brickwork now soared four
stories above the massive base blocks of stone. Yesterday, two
floors of thick wooden planks were hastily laid within the upper
part of the tower, left rough and unfinished at Rhaki’s order. Now,
as men worked in the adjoining building, Rhaki lay in his tower
sleeping the sleep of total fatigue. A heap of pillows covered with
quilts was his bed as his exhaustion was such that he could not
wait for any furnishings to be brought. Serim moved from watching
Rhaki’s unconscious form and guarding the tower entrance. He had no
idea how long Lord Rhaki would need to sleep but guessed it might
be days rather than hours. However long, he would watch over
him.

Hargon’s workmen
laboured at the foundations of a long building to be attached to
the tower, which would eventually have two floors, and accessing
Rhaki’s tower from only the upper one. Hargon had sent orders that
his children and their escort were to remain at the lodge in the
foothills of the Ancient Mountains indefinitely.

An arms man was
reporting in Hargon’s workroom that the Lord’s children were
pleased to be told they were to stay on at the lodge. He drew a
small scroll from his jacket and handed it to Hargon. ‘From the
Lord Bannor Sir.’ He saluted and withdrew as Hargon broke the seal
on the scroll. He smiled as he read the message from his eldest
son.

‘Bannor asks of Rhaki,
Navan. The boy is reaching towards manhood in his concern and
understanding for our lands.’ Hargon read on. ‘He says a Merig has
decided to join them, it stays near them most of the time.
Especially to Mena. Probably because she is quieter than those
boys, eh Navan?’

‘Perhaps not,’ Navan
said thoughtfully. ‘A Merig is usually near Rhaki’s tower lately. I
noticed it because it is solitary, not one of a pair.’

Hargon looked sharply
at the Arms Chief.

‘You think Rhaki could
use Merigs as spies?’

Navan hitched a
shoulder in uncertainty. ‘We do not know enough of his powers
generally, Sir. It is possible though.’

Hargon went back to the
letter from Bannor. ‘Stars! His spelling is dire! He says a great
Dragon has flown high above them the two days before he wrote this
– so at least they will have something to occupy them. The stories
I’ll have to endure when they come home should be wild
indeed!’

He looked to Navan to
share his amusement but saw only a frown. ‘A Dragon under Rhaki’s
control as well? Surely not Navan. Bad as things may be, let’s not
lose all common sense!’

‘No Sir, but I think we
should take note of everything out of the ordinary now, even if to
dismiss it later.’

Hargon raked his
fingers through his hair, tugging abstractedly at one lock. He
looked at the papers still on his desk and groaned.

‘Frinkel can deal with
these, I’m sure. Tell him to work here Navan. I need some peace for
a while.’

He opened a door
revealing a narrow flight of stairs – his shortcut to the rooftop
where he retreated for solitude on difficult occasions. Once
outside, Hargon leaned on the parapet enclosing this small private
space, looking over his town and towards Rhaki’s building. All
seemed normal: men and women worked steadily in the fields, a
constant rumble of sound indicated business as usual in the narrow
lanes and the market area. He breathed deeply for a few moments
then strolled to the opposite parapet gazing north where the
foothills of the Ancient Mountains rose rapidly into the
sky.

‘I bring a message from
Gaharn.’

Hargon swung round. He
was still alone, but he could have sworn someone had
spoken.

‘Well of course I did.
In your mind.’ The voice added wearily.

Hargon turned slowly
back and his hands gripped the warm stone capping the
parapet.

The Merig rattled his
feathers into a semblance of sleekness and blinked slowly at him.
Hargon heard his own voice say, rather more nervously than he would
have liked: ‘Did you speak to me?’

The Merig tilted his
head slightly. ‘I speak in your mind. A message from Gaharn. Your
children must stay in your mountain lodge until the Dragons and
their riders arrive. You must not allow the girl child in
particular anywhere near the Grey One.’ The Merig relaxed, his
message seemingly complete.

Hargon wondered rather
wildly if he might be ill, but found himself saying aloud: ‘Dragons
and riders? From Gaharn? Can they destroy Rhaki? Who are
you?’

The Merig shifted from
foot to foot, his heavy beak snapping briskly.

‘I told them it would
take ages to explain it all to you, wasting my time. I do have
other messages to carry but would they listen?’ He glared at
Hargon, drew a deep breath and began to explain.

A considerable time
passed until the Merig’s patience finally reached its
limit.

‘I have told you all
that is necessary.’ The Merig gave Hargon a flat stare. ‘You must
now think about what I have told you.’ He snapped his beak
irritably. ‘No good can come of trying to communicate with such as
your race, we’ve always known that.’

Hargon watched as the
Merig tipped himself off the parapet, swooped up to circle the
small tower, then flew towards the distant mountains. The Lord of
Return leaned his arms on the stone, resting his head on them. The
Merig had been emphatic that mind speech was not a use of the power
but merely a means of communicating used by many races of beings.
Through his numbness, Hargon had received the distinct impression
that the Merig felt that human races were far inferior to most
others. His mind churned with these new ideas, ideas that turned
many of his lifelong beliefs upside down.

Hargon straightened,
gazing unseeing over his town. First, he would explain what he
could to Navan, then the Arms Chief would share this perplexing
information. He felt his head would burst if he tried to keep it
all to himself anyway. He made his way down the narrow stairs back
to his workroom. The room was empty but several parchments lay
neatly stacked where Frinkel had left them ready for Hargon’s
signature and seal.

Hargon called the door
guard and when a head poked around the door edge, he asked that the
Arms Chief be summoned at once. The head withdrew and Hargon
slumped into his chair with a groan. Would Navan think his Lord had
taken leave of his wits? Perhaps not, he thought more hopefully.
After all, Navan had been talking about Merigs and Dragons earlier,
hadn’t he?

The Arms Chief came
into Hargon’s workroom and, at Hargon’s nod, seated himself across
the table from his Lord. Hargon scrubbed his hands over his face
and stared hard at Navan.

‘I’ve been on the
roof,’ he began, and stopped.

Navan waited then
nodded encouragingly.

‘Hmm.’ Hargon drummed
his fingers on the table continuing to stare into his Arms Chief’s
eyes.

‘A Merig gave me a
message.’

Navan’s eyes widened.
He opened his mouth, then shut it.

Hargon leaned forward.
‘I am not ill. I have no fever Navan. I admit I thought at first I
was having some sort of brain attack. But I was convinced by the
end. The Merig brought news from Gaharn.’

Navan’s mouth opened
and closed once more.

Hargon relaxed slightly
as he continued. ‘The Merig said that many races communicate with
just their minds – that is how it spoke to me – inside my
head.’

‘You heard a voice in
your head Sir?’ Navan asked carefully.

‘Exactly,’ agreed
Hargon. He studied Navan’s expression more closely. ‘Not just a
voice Navan, the Merig sitting on the parapet spoke in my mind. It
said Dragons and riders were coming from Gaharn. Meanwhile, my
children are to remain in the lodge, far from Rhaki. He didn’t say
who the riders were.’ He frowned. ‘Not more of the People I hope.
But perhaps if the riders are of the People, they will be able to
restrain or subdue Rhaki’s power.’

‘And this voice – er
Merig,’ Navan corrected himself quickly. ‘This Merig suggested we
do – what, Sir?’

‘I told him the Border
Lords were readying themselves for trouble, although if that
trouble involves Rhaki’s power, stars know what defences we could
employ. The Merig said we should continue to behave as we have been
doing towards Rhaki, allow him no suspicions.’

Hargon watched Navan
drawing a finger back and forth along the edge of the table for a
few moments before asking casually: ‘Your opinion Arms Chief? Your
truthful opinion.’

Navan met his gaze. ‘I
believe you Sir. A few ten-days ago I might have thought you ill,
but now -.’ He lifted a shoulder. ‘I think we must hope the Merig
spoke of allies coming from Gaharn Sir. I fear we will have need of
them.’

Hargon was much
relieved that Navan appeared to have taken this information
seriously. He had feared that his Arms Chief might truly have
considered the Lord of Return deranged in his wits. Although he WAS
the Lord and could thus command his men to do, and to believe,
whatsoever he chose, he found it was a great comfort not to have to
resort to commanding Navan’s acceptance of this strange
development.

The Lord of Return rose
to his feet. ‘We will leave for the mountains tomorrow at first
light. Arrange that a dozen of the best bowmen are included in the
escort. We will take all precautions in welcoming these Dragon
riders from Gaharn.’

Kija had surprised the
company at Emla’s House by announcing that she had contacted Seela,
the great purple Elder of the Sun Mountain Treasury. Seela in turn
had called to the solitary Hani, and Hani was already on her way to
Gaharn with her two daughters.

Nolli looked pensive
when Tika relayed this news.

‘So Kadi will travel
with Kija and the rest of you?’ she asked.

‘Kija feels Hani will
guard the young ones here very well. She would not be happy to join
our journey south, where we will have to be in contact with perhaps
many others. Hani knows of the Golden Lady and she is willing to
come here.’ Tika thought for a while. ‘I think she will probably
speak with you and Ryla, but she is very shy. Ashta is bolder than
her mother only because she was bonded with Mim.’

Ryla sniffed. ‘Will one
shy and retiring Dragon be sufficient to control five young
Dragons, and two of those with natures such as Nya and
Ikram?’

Tika grinned. ‘I
suspect Kija will deliver a mighty talking-to before we leave and
those two are still very shocked by what has just befallen
them.’

Ryla nodded slowly.
‘They are already so large, it is only when one sees them hurt as
Nya is that one realises what babies in fact, they are.’