Soul Bonds Book 1 Circles of Light series (10 page)

Mim sat back against Ashta again as she continued their story. ‘And the next day we began our journey here. Seela warned us to be wary and to keep from towns or two leg tribes. We were surprised one dawn by some herders on the Middle Plains. They made a great noise and threw things at us, but we flew swiftly from that place and took no hurts.’

Ashta’s eyes flared dark red suddenly. ‘Twice, Lady, there was a great coldness, a darkness, that tried to creep into all our minds. Tika found it went away if we sang; while our minds were busy with song, there was no space for the darkness to slip in. But we do not understand what it could be.’ She waited a moment but as Emla remained silent, Ashta concluded, ‘And so we came to you, Lady, to do whatever you bid us do.’

Silence reigned as Ashta’s telling ended. No one moved for several minutes, then Iska shivered. ‘It is nearly dark!’ she exclaimed. ‘Where are Tika and Farn?’

‘Farn has hunted and brought meat for me to the border of your Garden, Lady.’ Ashta moved away from Mim and lifted gracefully into the evening sky, and as she did so, Tika and Gan returned to the company.

‘I had rooms prepared for you within the House, but I think you will prefer to stay in one of the guest pavilions. Shan!’ Emla’s maid appeared at her side. ‘Have you readied the place for my guests? Hot water, night gowns, glow lamps?’

Shan grinned. ‘And hot soup on its way Lady and a few other titbits.’

‘Good.’ Emla returned her maid’s smile. ‘Then I will wish you good night, dear ones. Farn and Ashta will know where you are, of course?’

As Mim and Tika nodded, Emla rose. ‘Go with Shan then and tell her of anything you need. We will meet at breakfast. Sleep well!’

As Shan led the human and Nagum away, all heard her whisper, ‘What’s it like, flying through the air?’

‘We’d better question Shan later, she will probably have found out far more important things than we have done!’ Yash said ruefully.

‘Come,’ Emla entered the House. ‘And you Gan. I told the girls to prepare a meal for us in the library and then to leave us till the morning. We have much to consider.’

They ate in silence for a while. Emla’s tall figure folded onto a stool at one side of the bright fire while equally tall Iska lay back on one of several couches grouped around the hearth. Gan remained standing with Yash, one each side of Kemti’s chair.

‘We learned much, but nothing relevant to the retrieving of the balance weight,’ Yash broke the silence.

‘They – the human and Nagum – have no idea of the perils they face.’ That was Gan. ‘The human has no notion how to use a sword and from what she told me, the Nagum will refuse to use a weapon anyway. Tika seems quick witted, more so than many humans I’ve encountered. I have yet to assess the Nagum, but my feeling is there is a deepness in him. The question is, what does that deepness contain?’

‘Emla, what did you tell the Dragons of us when you first contacted them?’ Kemti leant forward for her reply.

Emla sipped her spiced tea and continued to study the fire flames. ‘I told them we were an ancient people. That our minds used the Power and no other two-legs seemed to do so. That some other creatures did have a small knowledge of the Power. And that,’ she turned to face Kemti, ‘is absolutely all I told them.’

‘And yet,’ said Iska softly.

‘Yes,’ agreed Emla. ‘I too was shocked at the repetition of that phrase – “go safely beyond”. I have never heard it spoken to or by any other creatures than ourselves.’

‘So why do the Dragons use it, and what does it mean to them? Would these young Dragons know?’

‘I do not think so Yash, they do not have the full memories they would have received if they had bonded within the Dragon Kin. And,’ Emla added, ‘what did you think of those two?’

‘They are so beautiful,’ sighed Iska. ‘Such colours, such delicacy in their faces, such eyes!’

Emla laughed and Yash groaned. ‘Obviously Iska is now their devoted champion!’ said Kemti, and even Gan’s stern face twitched with amusement. ‘Seriously, I felt great steadiness and strength in their minds. Their bodies are clearly magnificent. I would suggest that Ashta is the stronger character – she seemed older than Farn at times although they are almost exactly the same age. Also the death of Krea has left a scar in his mind, despite the healing he was given. It is apparent in a certain insecurity he displays, an unsureness.’ Kemti looked to the others for any disagreement so far.

‘Their talk of darkness worries me,’ said Gan. ‘My first instinct says it was the Guardian trying to bespeak or coerce them.’

‘My feeling too,’ Emla agreed.

‘But Tika worked out a way to block him, and very quickly too. That gives me some hope for them.’

‘Yash and I have narrowed the area to search for the Balance Weight, which the Linvaks have hidden. It is still far inside Linvak territory, which, as you are all aware, is a damp, treacherous ground with a jungle type of woodland over much of it. I wonder though if it is a false trail Yar was allowed to glimpse?’ They were all listening intently to Iska now. ‘You said he saw the Weight underground. The Linvak dwell in the Swamp Lands – hardly suitable ground to go digging tunnels in I would suggest.’

Gan began to pace. ‘You are right Iska. It must be a false clue poor Yar was given. But then we are back at the beginning again. You sent me straight in the direction of the Linvaks homeland, quite understandably at the time, Lady.’ He bowed in half apology to Emla. ‘Perhaps that was what whoever planned this theft intended and the Linvaks went – elsewhere. It may not be too late to stir a memory among some of the farmers close by the city or this House, Lady. Linvaks travelling through their fields would not be soon forgotten.’

‘See to it, Gan, at first light.’ Emla’s eyes had a spark of hope in them as she gave the order. ‘One more thing.’ Emla stopped them as they began to move to the door. ‘We have to discuss Jerak.’

Yash raised an eyebrow. ‘Jerak is dead Emla. What is there to discuss?’

‘No,’ said Iska. ‘Jerak is not beyond – surely that is an obvious fact? We would know if he had gone beyond.’

‘Then where is he?’ Yash asked in exasperation born of weariness.

‘Is the Guardian really strong enough to hold such a one as Jerak?’ Kemti sounded doubtful.

‘Wherever Jerak is, he is not beyond. I agree with Iska completely on that point. But he is also not here.’ Emla placed her teacup carefully on a side table. ‘So should we name a new Justice, and if so, who?’

Chapter Ten

Shan tapped the door lightly and entered Emla’s bedchamber. She put a tray bearing herb tea and hot bread rolls beside the bed and stood back. ‘Good morning my Lady. Which robe will you wear today?’

‘Good morning Shan. I think the darker green, with the embroidered sky singers.’ Emla sat against her pillows drinking her tea as her maid went to select the robe from the connecting dressing room. As Shan returned, smoothing the soft fabric as she laid it on a couch, she glanced at Emla through her lashes.

‘What is it Shan?’ Emla smiled. ‘Tell me.’ She patted the side of the bed invitingly.

Shan plumped herself down beside the Lady. ‘Well. Those two guests of yours, not the Dragons.’

‘Go on.’

‘I thought the one called Tika was but a child, maybe nine or ten Cold Seasons old. I could scarce believe it when she said this will be her fifteenth Cold Season!’ Shan drew her legs up on the bed and went on. ‘She is so small Lady, and I do not think she will grow more than another three or four finger at most. Then she said she was human.’ Shan’s eyes were round with the pleasure of gossip. ‘Truly, Lady, I had thought she was a child of your people – she looks so like you, especially. But if she is so small, she cannot be. But I have never met a human like her.’

Emla coughed as tea went down the wrong way.

‘Why, Lady, I was younger than this Tika when you first chose me as your special maid, and I was bigger than her even then. And look how I have grown since.’ Shan leaped from the bed to twirl in front of Emla to underline her point. Her blonde braid swung heavily at her back. It reached to her narrow waist above which swelled a very generous bosom balancing equally generous hips below. Emla knew very well that over the last four or five Cold Seasons, Shan had been happily fending off the attentions of most of the male members of the household staff, probably including old Lorak she thought grimly.

‘Yes indeed Shan, you have certainly grown.’ Emla pushed aside the bedcovers. ‘I will bathe and dress now. Send someone to Lord Kemti please, telling him I will be in the library before breakfast and wish to speak with him there.’

Shortly thereafter, Emla entered the library to find Kemti standing by one of the long windows. He came towards her, asking, ‘What is it Emla? Have you discovered something new?’

‘I do not know,’ she replied. ‘Listen closely.’ Quickly she related Shan’s words. ‘Could it be possible a human has our blood? But it has been forbidden since the beginning. Human females were so damaged if they were bred with us. If they did conceive, most miscarried the offspring and then died themselves, or they bore a weakly child which did not long survive. I have to know if this is a possibility Kemti.’

‘The idea was abandoned so long ago. Who would have considered attempting such crossbreeding again now?’ He frowned, the Guardian uppermost in both his and Emla’s thoughts.

‘I will study the patterns of both young ones. But I will discuss this with no one Emla. I think it best we keep this idea to ourselves until we can be sure, one way or the other.’

Over breakfast, it was agreed that Farn, Ashta and Mim would spend the morning with Gan, as he tried to evaluate their physical strengths and weaknesses. Tika was to go with Iska and Yash, and they would try to discover the extent of her mental differences from humans they had previously examined.

Tika and Mim had slept soundly in the pavilion to which Shan had led them the previous evening. A fire burned cheerfully in a large hearth and glow lamps made the main room bright. There were four sleeping chambers and two washing chambers, with great tubs already filled with hot water, curving behind the main room.

Two very young maids were to attend Tika and two young boys attended Mim, all under Shan’s expert eye. The baths had been a revelation to Tika and Mim. After an initial reluctance to immerse themselves, they had wallowed luxuriously until the water grew cool. They found their clothes had vanished when they emerged from their tubs but were each wrapped in thick woollen robes and taken to the fireside. There they ate a warming supper and then found their heads nodding and their eyes closing. Farn and Ashta already slept on the open sided veranda encircling the pavilion as Mim and Tika sank into comfortable beds. New clothes awaited them when they woke, obviously copied from their old travel worn ones, by someone during the night. Now, breakfast finished, the two Dragons and Mim left with Gan, and Tika looked a little nervous.

‘Why do we not walk a little, so you too can admire Lorak’s work?’ Iska smiled.

‘I know little of plants, Lady Iska,’ replied Tika. ‘I would like to walk though.’

‘You do not have to call us Lord or Lady,’ Yash told her, as he and Iska walked one each side of her. ‘It is a formality but not always necessary.’

They were some distance from the main House by now and Tika suddenly exclaimed at the path they walked on. ‘How are these patterns made? It must have taken a great time to find so many pebbles just the same colour and size.’ Iska and Yash watched as Tika stepped along a line of grey blue stones. She turned with the design, and came back to where she’d started. Then she followed a line of black stones. ‘It’s a spiral, isn’t it?’ she asked. ‘It looks so simple, but how hard it must have been to make it just so.’

The three strolled on, Tika delighting to find various stone patterns set into the broad paths everywhere two or more paths joined each other. They spoke easily of many things, Iska and Yash changing topics seemingly at random. They reached a meeting place of five paths, in the centre of which was set a low walled, star shaped pool. Tika admired the glazed tiles picking out yet another spiral pattern around the walls before she glanced at the pool itself.

‘Whatever are those?’ She was looking at several very large golden swimmers, lazily finning through the clear water. Iska sat on the wall and dabbled her fingers in the water. The swimmers drifted towards her, gently nibbling her fingers.

‘We call them sunfish. They just seem to float about, eat, and look beautiful. Quite a good life I suppose, but a little boring after a while I would imagine!’

Tika laughed as the sunfish came hopefully to her fingers. Yash joined them on the wall. ‘I was just thinking how nice a cup of tea and a little something to nibble would be, myself.’ He looked questioningly at Tika.

‘Sounds a good thought to me,’ she agreed.

Retracing their steps, Tika stopped suddenly on the middle of one of the stone patterns. ‘That’s what it was,’ she exclaimed. Iska and Yash awaited enlightenment. ‘As we flew in towards the House, it all made a pattern. From higher, you can see the House, and the pavilions set around, and lines of tapisi, and curves of lawn, and clumps of small fruit trees, then single bell trees marking points in the pattern.’

Tika looked at the two Seniors. ‘Of course, you would know all that, knowing this House as you must.’

‘I think I read something about it.’ Yash answered, adding casually. ‘Can you read Tika? Did you have books in the town you lived in – Return, I think you called it?’

Tika seemed uncomfortable with the question. ‘A few people could read. It was said to be a strong magic, too strong for most of us, especially for slaves and women of any class.’

‘But,’ Yash prompted her gently.

‘There was one old woman I had to do certain tasks for quite often. She was a relation of the Lord’s so she was of some rank. She was always reading when I was in her rooms. Sometimes she talked to me, quite kindly, sometimes she read little pieces out loud from her book. She made me stand by her and she would point to the marks as she said the words. One day, I had been cleaning her rooms, and she pointed at some marks and asked if I knew what they meant – and I did! There were several clumps of marks that I had got to recognise.

‘The old woman was very sick though, and the last time I saw her she lay in her bed. She told me to fetch her a book and then to find some of the marks I knew. When I did she took the book away again.’

They had reached the veranda now and Yash and Iska sat on the first step while they waited for Tika to finish. Her voice was low and she looked out over the gardens rather than at the Seniors as she said: ‘The old one said I would be killed as a magic maker if any discovered I could read the marks. I must never let anyone know of it. Then she sent me from her and the overseer came to me later and said she had ordered that I be beaten.’ She drew a shaky breath. ‘When I woke after the beating, I heard someone say the old one had died. I have tried to forget the marks in the books since that time.’

Yash rose to his feet, holding a hand out to pull Iska up. He put his other hand lightly on Tika’s shoulder. ‘Let us find some tea, child, and something to eat.’

Farn and Ashta were demonstrating the strength of their fire to Gan, trying to focus the gout of flame that emerged when they belched. Mim met Tika and the two Seniors as they crossed the entrance hall of the House.

‘The Lord Kemti asks will you go to the library for a few minutes Tika. This one has just come from there now.’ In a tight beam of mind speech directed to Tika alone, he added, ‘He stared at this one for a while and made marks on some parchment. Then he stared some more, then he said this one could go.’

When Tika rejoined the others, the conversation dwelled only on mundane matters – the weather, the gathered crops, the standard of wool from the Lady’s herds of lumen, and the sudden departure of travelling sky singers.

‘Do as you will for a while, young ones. We have tasks we must busy ourselves with. If you need anything at all, do not hesitate to ask any of the house people.’ Iska was following Yash to the door as she spoke.

A great crack, then a crash, shook the room at that moment, and the Seniors were not far behind Tika and Mim as they raced out of the building. ‘Farn!’ screamed Tika’s mind as Mim’s was calling for Ashta.

They found a fair crowd with the two Dragons in an area behind the House – obviously a stable yard. Fengars were shrieking, eyes rolling as they put their heads over half doors. Their fangs were bared and the doors shook as hooves thrashed in frenzied attempts to get out and do battle.

Gan was sitting on the ground before Farn and Ashta and looked dazed. Mim felt Ashta’s guilt at perhaps hurting this two-legs, while Tika was swamped by Farn’s embarrassment. ‘I did not wish to damage anything Tika, really!’ Farn said in a rush, eyes whirring frantically. ‘This Gan asked if we could burn stone such as the piece on top of the roof. I said “of course” and I thought he intended me to do so! So I did, and I could, and it fell just beside him. I meant no hurt Tika!’

Tika stroked Farn’s face soothingly. ‘No harm was done – I don’t think.’ She looked at Gan. Several people were assisting him to his feet. He looked at the sculptured figure shattered beside him for a few moments, various expressions chasing across his face. Then he looked at Farn. All shades of blue were whirring in the Dragon’s eyes and he moaned sadly in Tika’s mind. As she continued to calm him, she realised Gan was now staring at her. Eyes as sapphire as Farn’s glared at her furiously.

Tika appealed urgently to Mim and he helped her to repress a terrible urge to shriek with laughter. Then Iska’s head blocked Gan’s stare as she patted dust from the Chief of Guards and asked if he was injured. Voices calling explanations to new arrivals on the scene and the fengars’ continuing cacophony deafened and pained Mim’s sensitive ears badly. He turned away with Ashta’s head at his shoulder and moved towards the gardens. Tika and Farn followed them closely. Tika then led them to the star shaped pool beyond the sight of the House.

She and Mim sat on the wall, mutually agreeing it might be best, given the circumstances, to give Gan adequate time to calm himself somewhat. Farn recovered quickly from his agitation, finally remarking, ‘Of course I knew I was able to knock down stone,’ with his usual innocent self-confidence. Then he went to see what was fascinating Ashta in the pool. He lounged beside her, their chins resting on the wall, as they stared enchanted at the sparkling sunfish.

‘Do humans always talk so loudly?’ Mim asked Tika. ‘This person has only seen a few human hunters passing through the Nagum woodlands, and they were not loud.’ His ears had folded over themselves tightly to protect his highly sensitive hearing. Tika averted her gaze as Mim’s ears slowly and cautiously uncurled and moved, quivering, in different directions. She had seen his strange ears in action before but still found it rather disconcerting.

Tika showed Mim the patterns in the stone paths. Mim was interested, his three long delicate fingers tracing along the patterns. ‘This person thinks they must mean something quite special, so much work to make them. But it is too hard for this one to understand the meanings.’ Tika agreed but then suggested they get the Dragons away from the pool. She had the definite feeling that the sunfish were fascinating them as thoroughly as the sparkling jewels had done in the Treasury collections.

She was right. Neither she nor Mim could distract them through mind speech, resorting eventually to physically pulling and pushing them to get their eyes turned from the swimmers. Some time had passed since the mishap in the stable yard by the time Farn and Ashta were persuaded to move back along the path to the House. Once they were on the lawns, Mim advised the pair to hunt together and then to return quietly to the pavilion where they had spent the night.

Blue and green eyes flashed questioningly. Mim and Tika exchanged glances, then Mim sighed as he explained, ‘When there has been trouble, it is sensible to keep out of the way for a while. If you are seen, it seems to remind the annoyed one to immediately recall the trouble, and to start the scolding all over again.’ Tika nodded in firm agreement. Both Dragons pressed their brows against their riders’ brows, then lifted gracefully from the grass.