Drogoya: Book 3 Circles of Light series (41 page)

‘You have the right of
it, Arryol. There is no excuse for my behaviour other than my being
uprooted at my age and flung into these awful events. I will do
whatever you say and I will try my best to behave as I
should.’

Finn sounded so humble
that Sarryen’s eyes burned with tears which she forced back before
turning to the bed. She found Arryol and Finn staring at each
other, then Arryol nodded and gathered up some of his healer’s
accoutrements.

‘I will send Melena to
you later with some medicines, and I will be back at
suppertime.’

Finn gave him a wan
smile and he quietly departed.

‘Will you try to sleep
for a while Finn, or can I get you anything?’

‘You could get me the
answer to my question,’ Finn smiled wryly. ‘It is really important
to me to know how she could see my mind. Not just my mind, but my
whole self. Seriously, I will sleep if I can. I am sorry I am such
a nuisance when I should be in charge of all this.’

Sarryen stood watching
as the almost transparent lids drooped over the green silvered
eyes. She noted how thin the Offering’s face had suddenly become,
the hectic spots of colour on the cheekbones and the shadows like
bruises beneath the eyes. A moment longer the Kooshak watched the
too quick rise and fall of Finn’s chest, then she went to sit at
the table and began working through the piles of documents and
books.

Melena appeared at
midday and Sarryen slipped out to find herself some food in the
common room. On her way back to Chakar’s sitting room, she looked
into the infirmary. Arryol sat at a table, his head propped on one
hand while he turned the pages of a fat volume. Sarryen hesitated
then closed the door behind her and approached the table. Arryol
glanced up and smiled faintly. Sarryen thought he looked worn
out.

‘It is serious is it
not?’

Arryol leaned back,
stretching his arms above his head until the bones
crackled.

‘I fear so. She put
herself under incredible strain using the old magic to change shape
to get here. Then that cold sapped the little strength she had won
back. And last night’s effort of far seeing drained her utterly.
There is a problem with her chest – without these recent stresses,
there may have been no change for many more years. But
now.’

‘Is there nothing to be
done?’

‘I can alleviate some
of the worst of the symptoms, but I can do nothing to affect or
mend the root of the problem.’

‘Does she
realise?’

‘Oh yes. That is partly
the cause of the fuss this morning – a trivial matter blown out of
all proportion to stop us from talking of the truth of her
condition.’

Sarryen considered
Arryol’s words. ‘How long can she survive?’

‘In calm and normal
circumstances, for a considerable time. If she exerts herself – far
seeing again for example,’ he spread his hands in a helpless
gesture.

‘She will feel that she
must seek the child again,’ Sarryen said anxiously. ‘How can we
stop her?’

Arryol had been
watching Sarryen’s face throughout and now he leaned forward,
putting a hand over hers.

‘I doubt that we could
stop her Sarryen. And I rather wonder if we should. She is the most
powerful far seer for generations, or so I heard, and she is an
Offering, senior to us all. If she deems it useful or necessary to
expend her life in this cause, have we the right to try to forbid
her?’ He squeezed her hand and released it. ‘Think on it Sarryen,
but my opinion, as her healer, is to take such care of her as she
will accept. But the final choice and responsibility must be hers
alone.’

Sarryen walked slowly
through the passages to give herself time to think and to come to
understand and accept Arryol’s view. Melena opened the door as
Sarryen was reaching for the latch. They exchanged smiles and
Melena went on her way. Finn looked a little better in the short
time Sarryen had been absent, the flush high on her cheeks faded to
a more general rosiness.

‘Loathe as I am to
admit it, but Arryol’s medicines seem to be quite effective.’ Finn
spoke in a whisper, fearful of giving the cough an opportunity to
begin tearing her chest again.

Sarryen gave her a
genuine grin.

‘Surely you cannot be
thinking of abandoning healer Volk’s potent cure alls?’

Finn managed a smirk
and lifted a fragile hand to wave at the cupboard by the
bed.

‘He visited while you
were eating,’ she murmured smugly.

Sarryen went to inspect
the squat green glass bottle. She uncapped it and
sniffed.

‘Light above! You could
fell a horse or three with this Finn. Don’t you dare even smell
it.’

Finn dozed the
afternoon away while Sarryen continued to study the selection of
books discovered in one of the sealed chambers in the cave system.
Most of them she had never heard of, nor seen references to them
anywhere. Nearly halfway through the pile, she found a slim volume
which purported to be Myata’s “Last Teachings”. To Sarryen’s
extreme annoyance, Myata seemed to take undue delight in the most
elliptical phrasing and downright riddles. She must have been the
most infuriating woman, Sarryen thought, sitting back for a
moment.

Her gaze rested on the
slight figure lying unmoving on the narrow bed. Just like Finn Rah
in fact. The thought drifted through Sarryen’s mind and she
frowned. She turned a few more pages then set the book aside.
Perhaps it would occupy Finn, although Sarryen could already see it
hurtling across the room, thrown by an Offering irritated out of
all patience. A rap at the door roused both Finn and the Kooshak
and they were astonished to see the bean pole cook standing shyly
outside. He held a tray before him and, after one glance, Sarryen
waved him over to Finn’s bed. She glared at Finn, daring her to be
rude to Povar.

A lace cloth, delicate
as cobwebs, was spread on the tray and a tiny pot held a cluster of
violets. Two small, newly baked soft rolls sat between a bowl of
broth and a dish of stewed fruits.

‘Why, that looks
delicious Povar. How kind you are,’ Finn whispered.

Povar put the tray
carefully across Finn’s lap and twisted his hands
together.

‘Most don’t care about
food. Long as it be hot and plentiful. I like to make it look nice,
but no one notices when I do.’ He gulped another lungful of air as
if unaccustomed speech used up breath far more quickly than just
plain silent breathing.

‘Children found the
flowers. Teal made the bread.’

He nodded and marched
from the room, leaving the two women gaping after him. Sarryen
turned to Finn, expecting some comment and saw the jade green eyes
magnified against the silver by huge tears. Sarryen wordlessly
passed her a handkerchief and perched on the end of the
bed.

‘You had best try some
of that broth before it cools.’

Obediently, Finn lifted
the wooden spoon and took a mouthful. Sarryen watched until Finn
had finished every drop and leaned back against her
pillows.

‘As delicious as it
looked,’ she whispered.

Sarryen replaced the
soup with the fruit but Finn shook her head.

‘I’ll eat it later.
Sarryen, I have never been a lovable person. It touches me more
than you could guess that this gesture of affection should be made
to me.’ She touched a fragile violet with the tip of a finger. ‘It
also indicates that those children have been outside,’ she said,
the old glint back in her eyes.

Sarryen laughed then
remembered the book she had found. She retrieved it from the table
and handed it to Finn.

‘I thought you might be
able to understand some of this – Myata had a most devious
mind.’

Finn snorted and tensed
on the brink of a cough.

Soosha arrived before
Finn could make the mistake of arguing further and Sarryen made a
pot of tea.

‘I have spent the day
testing some of the students,’ Soosha announced. ‘Several are very
capable indeed and more than able to at least give their support to
far seers.’

Sarryen bit her lip.
How could he suggest far seeing in front of Finn after her nearly
disastrous experience last night?

‘Not a one of them must
attempt to get inside the Menedula.’ Finn’s words were
flat.

Soosha nodded and
smiled. ‘Most definitely not Finn Rah. But there is no reason why
they should not watch, at a distance of five leagues or so, outside
the Menedula. They could then hopefully spot the two children once
they are out of that place.’

Finn wrinkled her nose.
‘I saw only one – the girl. I wonder where the boy might
be?’

‘I have also pondered
why the girl could see you.’

Finn looked at the
Observer sharply.

‘And have you a
solution?’

‘I think it must be the
obvious one. If she is who we think she is, or under the very
particular protection of the spirit of Myata, then all things must
be possible for her.’

‘That simple?’ Finn
sounded sceptical.

‘Finn, how many times
have you worried at a problem only to discover the simple solution
which you probably first thought of, was in fact the correct
one?’

Mena’s store of food
was lamentably small, but she knew that she had to make her move
very soon. The boy Tyen had told her that the people still within
the town of Syet were fewer in number now than ever since the night
of madness and fire. He shuddered when he spoke of those who
remained though, and Mena guessed they would have to be avoided
rather than asked for help.

She sat in the late
afternoon, drawing as always, and fighting to keep her mind empty
of all but the plants in front of her. She allowed herself to think
of the old lady who had said her name was Finn Rah, only when she
was outside in the garden. Mena had seen a small person, apparently
floating close to the ceiling of her bedchamber. Iron grey braids
were coiled around her head, and her eyes were such as Mena had
never seen before: brilliant jade green surrounded by
silver.

Mena asked Tyen if he
knew the name Finn Rah and he had looked alarmed.

‘She be the most senior
of the Offerings,’ he said. ‘She would’ve got burned up or worse on
that bad night.’

‘She might have
escaped,’ Mena suggested.

‘Nobody escaped,’ said
Tyen bluntly. ‘I ran here when – when my house burnt down, and I
saw such things. One of the Offerings was coming down the outer
walk when one of those mad students got him.’ He swallowed hard.
‘Never seen nothing like it.’

‘Then maybe she was
away somewhere, visiting perhaps?’

‘That one never left
the Menedula, not since afore I were born.’

Mena had let the
subject rest, only asking Tyen to work out the best and quickest
way clear of both the Menedula and the town.

Now she sat patiently,
outlining the whiskery leaves of a nettle while she waited for Cho
Petak’s usual visit. As soon as Finn Rah had disappeared, Mena had
slept and woken again to find Cho standing by her bed, his face
contorted and his eyes red fire. She felt him push into her mind,
and withdraw none the wiser. He had said nothing, just turned away
and left her to sleep again.

The door latch snicked
closed and Mena lifted her gaze from her drawing.

‘Good evening Sir,’ she
said politely.

Cho merely nodded,
giving her current picture only a cursory glance. He went in his
slow way to the window and stared out for a considerable while.
Eventually he crept back down the room to Mena’s table.

‘I have not asked you
anything of the disturbance the other night child. What do you know
of it?’

Mena looked up at him,
violet and silver eyes wide and innocent.

‘I thought I had a bad
dream Sir. Was there really something wrong then?’

Cho stared at her. It
took an enormous effort for Mena to sit still and relaxed under
that relentless gaze. At last Cho looked away, down at Mena’s
drawing.

‘Nothing wrong, no.
Perhaps it was just the ghost of one of the corrupt officials who
dwelt here until lately.’

‘Corrupt officials
Sir?’ Mena managed to sound both confused and shocked.

Cho waved a hand
dismissively.

‘They are all dead. Do
not be alarmed child. You are safe here with me.’

Mena smiled. ‘Of course
I am Sir,’ she agreed.

Cho watched a little
longer while Mena forced her hand not to tremble as she continued
her drawing. Her hands were clammy by the time Cho left in his
silent manner. Carefully, methodically, she cleaned the pens and
brushes and put them away in the box of coloured inks. She
straightened the pile of drawings and the books still on the table.
She had discovered a worn leather satchel in the bottom of a
cupboard in her bedchamber and hidden her cache of food in it. The
map she had so meticulously copied was also there. Mena lay down,
convinced she would never sleep, and promptly did so.