Vagrants: Book 2 Circles of Light series (24 page)

A clatter of black
feathers and the Merig scrabbled on the window ledge. The Merig’s
horny beak was uncomfortably large when seen at quite such close
quarters Hargon thought distractedly, but it – he – was speaking in
their minds:

‘They will be here in
moments. I told them there is room for them all to land in front of
this place.’ His eyes glittered. ‘And I told them where you have
hidden your bowmen.’

The Merig squawked as
Hargon glared and Mena grabbed him. She wriggled from Hargon’s
grasp and with the Merig tucked under one arm like a hen, she
caught Hargon’s hand.

‘Quick!’ She towed him
to the door. ‘They’re nearly here, quick!’

Servants gasped as Mena
rushed down the stairs and through the communal main room,
clutching the Lord of Return with one hand and an obviously annoyed
Merig with the other. She stopped at the top of the balcony steps,
apologetically placing the Merig on the railing. He shuffled
disarranged feathers and clattered his beak vigorously. Bannor
joined them, staring at Mena’s hand still fast in her father’s, but
neither Hargon nor Mena noticed. Hargon barked orders to Navan and
armsmen swiftly formed an honour guard before the lodge. All eyes
were on the sky as the four dark shapes grew rapidly
larger.

The Merig glanced at
Mena, then at the sky. He side stepped along the railing and leaned
forward, his heavy beak gently taking hold of a piece of short
blonde hair. Mena’s eyes left the approaching Dragons for a moment
to stare at the Merig.

‘You can pick me up
again if you like. I quite enjoyed it.’

Mena swept him off the
rail and tucked him back under her arm and, with everyone else,
watched the great Dragons fly a final circle over the lodge and
prepare to land.

And in a tower,
power-wrought, on the outskirts of the town of Return, Lord Rhaki
stirred in his sleep.

In the Golden Lady’s
House, the great entrance chamber appeared to have been transformed
into a library. Scrolls, books, and boxes holding yet more of both,
spread out from where the two old ones sat near the hearth. Nolli’s
friend and body servant Lanni, was picking her way cautiously
through the muddle to bring hot soup to both her mistress and to
Senior Ryla.

Shan stood at the edge
of the chaos, hands on hips. Ryla looked up from a scroll she held
close to her nose.

‘And what annoys you
now Shan dear?’ she asked caustically.

Shan’s cheeks coloured
but she stood firm. ‘Can we not at least move the papers you have
looked at Lady? It becomes harder to put more logs on the fire or
to bring you food and drink every day.’

At that moment, Emla
came down the gracefully curving staircase, her chin steadying
books piled high in her arms. Shan glared at her.

‘I was just asking, my
Lady, if some of this -.’ she waved her hand at the clutter –
‘could not be moved if it is finished with.’

‘Well of course it is
not finished with child,’ Ryla snapped. ‘We may need to look in
some of them again.’

Shan rolled her eyes
and muttered: ‘May?’

Emla lowered her burden
to the groaning table beside Nolli and straightened. She smiled
brightly at Shan.

‘Why don’t you go and
do some extra arms training dear? While we are all so busy with
this, there is little for you to do here.’

Shan would far prefer
training to worrying about the confusion multiplying in the usually
immaculate entrance chamber, so she turned her back on the mess and
fled.

‘Perhaps SOME of these
could be tidied away?’ Emla suggested mildly.

‘Nonsense. You know we
have to go back and forth, checking again and again, one reference
against another.’ Ryla passed the scroll she had been scrutinising
across to Nolli and picked up another.

Emla sighed. ‘Why is it
so difficult to track any of what we need to know?’

‘For stars sake child –
Golden Lady indeed! If someone has hidden information in any of
these reports, they will have done so efficiently. That is the
whole point of hiding something.’

Nolli intervened
gently. ‘We are trying to discover a key of some kind. We have
found – oddities shall we call them? Repetitions that are just
slightly different. But so far we cannot uncover anything like a
definite pattern, that might allow us to take the first step to
unravelling the rest.’

‘Drink your soup while
it is at least still warm.’ Lanni interrupted.

Both Nolli and Ryla
glared at the tiny Delver woman but she stood unconcerned between
them, holding the tray until they took the proffered bowls. Lanni
nodded in satisfaction.

‘We have settled on one
thing though Emla,’ Ryla remarked in a milder tone. ‘We are looking
only for references to the circles and those egg-like objects that
both Tika and Mim wear. You still have no idea how you knew such
things would be found in the Dragons’ treasure hoard?’

Emla shook her head. ‘I
have wracked my brain to no avail, except to give myself headaches.
The sword that Tika wears and Mim’s knife were just there, clear in
my mind one day. And a sense of urgency and importance about them.
A few days later, I dreamed of the pendants and when I awoke they
too were so clear in my mind. I was convinced that those two
children had to retrieve them.

‘Could it be Jerak’s
doing do you think? I have to confess I find it worrying that
anyone could plant any thoughts they choose so firmly in my
mind.’

‘It is possible this
Jerak you have told me of could be involved,’ Nolli said slowly. ‘I
feel it is unlikely though. So,’ she gave her wide, toothless grin,
‘we are no nearer the truth in that regard either.’

Emla’s tall figure was
folded elegantly on her usual stool beside the fire, one hand
stretched out, warming at the blaze, the other cupping her long
face.

‘Why can we find no
record of those who made the circles in this place, and the ones
elsewhere Ryla? I cannot believe you were not curious about any
such things in this new land. Did no one ask the humans who lived
nearby? Would it be worth asking their leaders now?’ She looked
across hopefully at the aged Senior. Ryla’s chin was sunk on her
chest and with a pang of sadness, Emla thought perhaps she had
fallen suddenly asleep in the habit of the very old. But then Ryla
lifted her white head.

‘You may have an idea
there Emla. The humans lived somewhat further away when first we
came. There was no city of Gaharn, but a chamber was built over the
place where lies the circle.’ Ryla’s brows drew together as she
concentrated on a far distant past. ‘We incorporated that chamber
within the construction of the Asataria. There was contact with the
humans from the earliest days of our arrival, but no dissension as
far as I know.

‘Perhaps we should ask
among the students as well as the Elders if they have ever heard
even a whisper of human legends or tales dealing with the circle
here.’

‘Would it be best if
you asked the human leaders – Guild Masters are they named – to
visit us here?’ Nolli grinned wickedly at Ryla. ‘If you keep hold
of your temper, they should feel comfortable enough.’

Ryla’s mouth twitched
as she retorted: ‘There is nothing amiss with my temper Ancient
One.’

‘I think the Great
Dragons may also know more than they have so far admitted. Hani is
the only adult here now and I think she may not have been
interested to learn such old stories. Kija said Hani was ever
solitary, even as a hatchling.’ Emla had turned on her stool to
face the old ones. ‘Shan reports each day that Nya strengthens from
her injuries. Ikram is deeply shocked still.’

‘I am glad that Shar
feels able to visit us,’ Ryla nodded. ‘But when Ikram came with her
yesterday, I was surprised how changed he was.’

‘Well,’ Emla climbed to
her feet. ‘I will enquire at the Asataria and see to inviting the
Guild Masters here.’ She smiled innocently. ‘Are you sure you have
enough documents now to occupy you?’

As neither Ryla nor
Nolli deigned to reply, Emla picked her way from the
chamber.

A considerable time
later, Lanni, seated sewing at Nolli’s feet, bumped her elbow
against the Old One’s legs. Nolli glanced up at once and saw a long
greeny blue face peeping round the edge of the main door. She
reached to touch Ryla’s arm gently in warning as she called in her
clear voice: ‘Welcome Shar. Are you come to speak with
us?’

Dark blue eyes whirred
and Farn’s sister paced into the chamber, snow on her back melting
in the warmth. Lanni tutted and trotted to the young Dragon,
briskly mopping the moisture from the gleaming scales.

‘Hani would visit you,’
Shar said in their minds.

Ryla sat up straighter
as a pale green adult Dragon suddenly appeared behind Shar. Nolli
and Ryla felt a faint brushing in their minds before Hani’s voice
murmured: ‘I am Hani of the Sun Mountain Treasury. I am glad to
meet you now. May the stars guide your paths.’ Hani moved forward
to the edge of the sea of papers and settled herself
there.

‘I have been
ill-mannered to seclude myself,’ her soft voice flowed through
their thoughts. ‘Forgive me if you will. I rarely meet strangers. I
like the mountain where I live, and I feel no need of society.’
There was a chuckle underlying her tone. ‘Kija and Seela and others
always urge me to be social, but many voices always tire me
so.’

‘Nya and Ikram – they
are improving I trust?’ Ryla asked.

Hani’s face dipped.
‘They sleep now. My daughters watch over them. Another day and I
believe Nya may exercise a little. The Golden Lady is not here
now?’

‘She will return
shortly, I’m sure,’ Nolli replied, staring intently at Hani. ‘She
has gone to the city to enquire among the recorders of the humans
there if they have any stories or knowledge of the patterned
circles.’

Ryla glanced at the old
Delver in surprise. Hani settled more comfortably.

‘They may know a
little, but not all.’ Ryla’s mouth dropped open. ‘The ones who
dwell beyond the Wilderness know more than I, but I know far more
than the humans of course.’

Chapter
Seventeen

Several days had passed
since Lorak had warned Kera of Mim, and no opportunity had arisen
for her to speak to Fenj on the matter. She sealed off the subject
in a corner of her mind, away from any who might try to pry into
her thoughts. It was easily done; she was adept at such a sneaky
manoeuvre herself and had found it very useful too in dealing with
some of the machinations of Asatarians.

But today she felt
hopeful. Fenj had hunted and fed well yesterday, and would thus be
unlikely to hunt again today. Mim and Ashta could well be gone
longer than usual though, as work on the growing areas in the lower
levels was delayed – workers kicked their heels as they awaited
soil from Asat.

Kera and Nesh had been
working at the long table in the hall – preferring to work there
than shut away in the chamber they had at first selected. A few
Guardsmen played dice near the hearth, others sat talking with
Delvers at another table. Lorak and Bikram were closeted in Lorak’s
workroom, concocting stars knew what potions, with the door firmly
closed.

Kera walked casually to
the gateway, half of which was now boarded across after a
particularly vicious blizzard hurled snow and ice shards far into
the hall. She peered out and up. No snow today but a wicked wind
that took her breath away and sent her retreating, shivering, to
Fenj. He reclined in his usual place, his tail curved around his
body. Lula snored squeakily where she slept wedged between the
Dragon’s tail and belly.

Kera smiled, sliding
down the wall to sit near Fenj’s head. ‘That Kephi really believes
she looks after you, doesn’t she?’

Fenj’s eyes whirred the
shadows-on-snow colour and he rumbled, but very softly. ‘She is so
tiny and yet so fearless.’

Kera waited, knowing
Fenj would speak when he chose.

‘I know not how Kera,
but Mim somehow has learned of the powers that the Grey One
discovered. I believe when Lady Iska – stars guard her spirit – and
Lord Yash worked with Tika at the Golden Lady’s House, they found
she too used the power differently from how you, or we Dragons, use
it. That would not matter so much if Mim were not also in
communication with the Silver One.

‘Mim is unaware – so
far – that I too can hear the talk between the two of them. Mention
not her name Lady Writing Stick, she is alert to any now who might
unwittingly attract her attention.’

‘You said when first
she screamed, that she was insane. How can Mim hold her in check
over such a distance? Even if his power has grown greatly, is he
that strong already? Is that what you fear?’

Fenj sighed heavily
then peered in alarm lest Lula had been disturbed. The Kephi yawned
hugely, licked her nose, then curled tighter once more.

‘His power has grown
beyond your imagining, but the Silver One poured great blocks of
knowledge into Mim’s mind in that first contact. Knowledge
accumulated from the beginnings of this world and the very first
Silver One. Know you Kera, that each Silver One flies to the rising
sun and when she meets the old dying Dragon, they do battle.’ Fenj
shuddered. ‘Even old and mad, and they all end mad, the fight is
bitter and dreadful. When a Silver leaves our Treasuries as this
one did when Brin was new hatched, and kills her predecessor,
absorbing her mind as she eats her flesh, all of us feel it. It is
never spoken of as the Silvers are an anomaly we do not comprehend
even now.’