Vagrants: Book 2 Circles of Light series (22 page)

‘I’ll go back to work
too Kera. I thought I might go into the Domain tomorrow – I’d like
to sketch a few more details of one of their gardens.’

Kera nodded and smiled
as Nesh’s long strides carried him rapidly from the hall. She
poured more tea into her mug and strolled across to join Lorak by
the fire. Pulling a bench closer to the warmth, she said: ‘Nesh
seems pleased with the progress so far.’

Lorak sat beside her on
the bench and grunted. Kera waited, but no further sound issued
from Lorak. She tried again.

‘Fenj is a changed
Dragon since Lula took charge of him.’

Lorak peered back to
where Fenj’s body was a pool of black shadows against the grey rock
wall. He grunted again and as Kera despaired of finding out what he
wanted her to know, he finally spoke.

‘Worried about old Fenj
I was. Seemed to be spending all his time far away in a dream till
that wicked little Kephi popped up.’ His face twisted into what
Kera hopefully took to be a grin. He glanced furtively over his
shoulder and around the hall as Kera patiently sipped her tea.
‘Told me he heard Mim speak with that there nasty silver Dragon,’
Lorak confided suddenly.

Kera lowered her mug
but continued to watch flames lapping over one of the thick logs on
the fire. ‘He actually heard them speak?’ she asked softly. ‘Ashta
told me that Mim was shielding us all so Gremara could only reach
him.’

Lorak hunched his
shoulders obstinately. ‘Old Fenj said as he heard them. And he said
what he heard worried him a lot. Didn’t tell me of course, but he
said he’d tell you. Said it might be dangerous if he told
me.’

Kera glanced at Lorak,
frowning. ‘But why would it be dangerous for you?’ she asked. She
had to wait another while before Lorak decided to reply.

‘The old fellow thinks
Mim could hurt anyone now.’

Kera choked on her tea.
Lorak pounded her back helpfully until she pushed his hand away.
‘Fenj said that?’ she gasped, her eyes still watering. ‘He actually
said that Mim could hurt us?’

Lorak met her stare,
his expression grim as he nodded. ‘He said he’ll talk to you, but
only when Mim is hunting with Ashta, not when he is anywhere within
the Stronghold.’

Kera felt ice slide
down her spine. ‘Are you telling me that Fenj fears Mim
Lorak?’

Lorak hunched his
shoulders again. ‘He says he’ll tell you but all he told me was
that young Mim has learnt how to twist the threads – that’s just
what he said – twist the threads like the Grey One. And he was told
how by that there silver creature what hurt all they Delver
people.’

Lorak got to his feet
and was halfway back to the small guardroom he had taken over
beside the gateway before Kera realised he was gone. Stars! But she
hadn’t expected this. Mim, that gentle, timid Nagum boy! She had
been glad to see his confidence and assurance grow as he changed.
Ashta was so gentle though and Kera had heard that Hani, who had
guided her daughter and Mim from their bonding, was the most sweet
natured of Dragons.

Was it something to do
with the melding of Nagum and Dragon genes that had forced some
aberrant development of Mim’s character? Genetics was not Kera’s
field of study and Nesh was no more learned in the subject than she
was. She shuddered as she remembered that it was Rhaki’s
passion.

She had neither seen
the battles with the Shardi nor witnessed the fights in the tunnels
below where she now sat. Kera realised that even Lorak’s few words
more than hinted at a possibility of violence from the last person
she could have imagined. She wrapped her long arms around herself,
aware that what had seemed a pleasantly adventurous escape from the
confines of her chambers in the Asataria had now taken on a
terrifying new prospect.

The Speakers of the
Circles of Vagrantia had responded to the summons to meet in
council with unusual haste and were now gathered in private
session. Thryssa explained why she had summoned them, stating the
facts as far as she knew them to be.

‘Now I have to ask you
all this: the first settlers of the Vagrantian Circles decreed
certain practises of the use of power to be forbidden. We are now
aware that at least some of our people have either learned by
themselves or by way of knowledge retained within their families,
some of these forbidden things.

‘As High Speaker of all
the Circles, I feel a peril is close to us and thus I would not
condemn any who willingly come forward now with anything they may
have so learned.’ Thryssa smiled briefly at Maressa. ‘Maressa
admits riding the winds and scrying the far northern mountains. She
has told us a little of what she has seen, but much she has seen
she has not understood. I ask that you share whatever you have seen
or heard yourselves that we may struggle to find some meaning in
what is happening now.’

She sat back in her
chair at the head of the table. ‘I repeat, I fear there is danger
drawing ever closer but I do not know from whom or whence it comes.
We must learn this quickly so we may prepare ourselves and all our
people and our lands of Vagrantia. If you wish to discuss this
privately first, let us part now and regather here after
midday.’

The three visiting
Speakers, each with their attendant councillor, glanced at each
other and nodded agreement. They left the council room quietly and
Thryssa closed her eyes as Alya shut the door on the last
councillor. An inner door opened and Kwanzi brought in a tray with
a pot of fresh tea, its steam scenting the room instantly. He
gestured to Alya to pour the tea and went to stand behind Thryssa’s
chair. She groaned as his fingers kneaded the tight muscles of her
neck.

‘You haven’t slept in
days and you refuse the mildest herbs, which would help you rest,’
he scolded gently. ‘How can you make sensible decisions in such a
state?’

‘I want nothing,’
Thryssa said firmly, ‘that could possibly slow my
thinking.’

Kwanzi fetched her tea
and then sat beside Alya. He nodded at the window. Clouds raced
across the blue sky. They were small clouds but the sky was paling
to a more wintry shade than had been usual over the last
days.

‘It would seem the cold
is returning,’ he said.

Alya and Thryssa
exchanged grins. Kwanzi’s attempts to distract Thryssa in times of
stress were blatant, despite his firm conviction that he was being
subtle.

Kwanzi adored Thryssa
and had done since they first learnt to walk. Their families were
long-time friends and Kwanzi had followed Thryssa in everything. He
studied healing as she had, spending much time with his head
between his knees as they reached more advanced levels of study.
Despite constant teasing, Kwanzi had been steadfast, knowing that
all he wished for in his life was to be with Thryssa, to love her
and to care for her in whatever capacity he could.

Now Alya innocently
agreed that the warm spell of weather had been a false promise and
it did indeed look as though the cold would return.

‘Enough,’ said Thryssa.
‘Did you hear anything from our guests Kwanzi?’

‘Nothing worth
repeating. They spoke only of their journeys here and nothing
else.’

‘I expect little of
interest from Kallema of Fira. Her people work with water and no
rivers run the full distance between the northern mountains and us.
I’m sure Orsim knows much more – if I miss my guess, he travels the
winds as much as Maressa.’

Alya nodded agreement.
She had noticed more colour in Orsim of Kedara’s face as Thryssa
spoke of forbidden things. ‘What about Lashek? I know little of the
earth powers that the Segrans study.’

‘I do not know Alya, we
must just wait and hope that they all understand the importance of
their co-operation and the urgency to it all.’

Kwanzi poured more tea
for both Alya and Thryssa. ‘And what of us here in Parima,’ he
asked.

‘I have no idea,’
Thryssa sounded disgusted. ‘We have busied ourselves with recording
events, harmonising the Circles, looking inward rather than out.
Stars alone know if any of our Parimans look beyond Vagrantia.’ She
sighed. ‘Have you come up with anything Alya?’

‘I have had Elyssa and
other assistants making careful enquiries all through the town.
Some have gone out to the further settlements and farms. They have
picked up a few hints that some things occur. I think you will have
to issue a public notice that no one will find themselves in
trouble if they come forward and admit to knowing any of the
supposedly long-lost arts.’

‘And what of Elyssa
herself?’ Thryssa asked. ‘I have often thought that she leaps from
question to answer too rapidly for it to be entirely
natural.’

Alya put her empty mug
on to the tray. ‘I’ve wondered myself. I truly do not think she is
aware of what she does. I suspect there may be many like her, who
may have been told as small children that what they discovered they
could do was somehow wrong, not to be spoken of. Nearly all our
people have some ability to use mind speech, but I have long
considered some of the better artists and craft workers may use the
power unconsciously in their work.’

‘And such a possibility
has never entered my mind,’ Thryssa admitted. ‘What manner of High
Speaker am I that I have neglected so many such little things which
together could mean a great deal in this present time?’ She shook
her head as Kwanzi began to protest. ‘Anything else
Alya?’

‘Well, I wondered if
you could perhaps send out all the Assessors. If you assigned a
pair to all the schools, they could check the children first, then
their families and work outwards from there.’

Thryssa nodded slowly.
‘That is good thinking Alya. Set that plan in motion at once.’
There was a gentle knock on the main door to the council chamber
and Kwanzi hastily gathered the tea mugs and his tray. He vanished
through the door to the private rooms as Alya welcomed the Speakers
and councillors in at the other.

Lashek of Segra spoke
as soon as he was seated.

‘We all admit to
knowing more than we are supposed to, Thryssa.’ He smiled,
spreading his hands palm upwards. ‘In Segra many of the so-called
forbidden things are now done openly – among ourselves you
understand. We have been cautious before the rest of
you.’

His humour disappeared.
‘Some of us have had presentiments of danger recently. As far as we
can ascertain, the danger has its locus in Talvo Circle. With
Gremara.’

The Speaker for Kedara,
Jilla’s father Orsim, nodded agreement.

‘My people have, as you
guessed Thryssa, retained much lore of farseeing and far
travelling. We will share what we have learnt with all here. We
also think Gremara is one source of approaching peril, but we fear
there is another source, maybe several more.’

Orsim glanced to his
left, at the remaining Speaker, Kallema.

She tilted her head and
the long blonde hair that had shimmering hints of green in its
colour, rippled around her shoulders. ‘We of Fira are aware of
Gremara. Water and Fire are natural foes. Never have we trusted the
Silver Ones who dwell in Talvo. I do not think I can tell you
anything useful of our water lore, but we will do all we can to
help to contain that creature’s power.’

Kallema’s voice was as
soothing as water over pebbles and there was a moment’s silence
when she had stopped speaking.

Thryssa asked: ‘Air and
Fire are not opposed Orsim. Is there any way you could safely get
closer to Gremara?’

Orsim frowned. ‘It may
be possible. I think it unwise to bring ourselves to her notice yet
though. And there is also the fact that she has discovered a Dragon
Lord. We have searched our records and found no evidence at all of
any Dragon Lords.’

Lashek agreed. ‘We have
little dealings with Fire although we have made certain studies in
that area. I would strongly advise against alerting Gremara of our
renewed interest in her. We have found references to a Dragon Lord
but they are in extremely ancient texts – from the time long before
we were forced from our original lands. There are a few ambiguous
statements, some completely contradicting each other. There are a
very few pictograms or drawings which we can make no sense of
whatsoever.’

‘Drawings?’ Maressa
asked quickly. ‘Such as?’

Speaker Lashek waved at
his Councillor Imshish who hurriedly sketched an outline on a scrap
of parchment. He slid the parchment across to Maressa.

‘I’ve seen this,’ she
exclaimed. ‘The one in the north – the new one, not the Grey Master
but the one Gremara names Dragon Lord. He wore such a symbol on a
chain around his neck.’

Heads bent over the
drawing and murmurs arose.

‘But you do not know
what it is or what is might symbolise?’ Lashek asked.

‘No.’ Maressa shook her
head slowly. ‘But when Gremara screamed the first time she found
him, this – thing – glowed on its chain as though it responded to
her in some way.’

‘You cannot be sure of
that,’ Thryssa objected. ‘It may have been a device to help him
shield himself. We know the silver one caused great harm to
unprotected minds, perhaps he has some artefact which would protect
him as soon as it is aware of power being used against
him?’