Vagrants: Book 2 Circles of Light series (28 page)

‘Try my mind,’
suggested Kadi, adding quickly, ‘but softly remember!’

Moments passed then
Brin suggested Hargon mind speak him.

Kija asked: ‘Did you
feel we were all the same?’

‘No.’ Hargon frowned.
‘Not the same.’

‘So Hargon, now say
aloud the name of which one of us touches your mind. We will not
speak, merely touch your mind.’

‘Kadi,’ Hargon said and
looked stunned as laughter flooded his mind.

‘Just so,’ said Kadi.
‘You recognised just the touch of my mind. So those of us who use
mind speech recognise each other by the merest touch. Many of us
know the touch of Rhaki’s mind. The Merig searched for that
particular pattern when he went to Rhaki’s tower. And he says he
found it not.’

Hargon raked his hands
through his hair.

There was amusement in
Kadi’s tone as she murmured: ‘Perhaps we have burdened you with too
many new thoughts too quickly. Why do you not go to your cave and
sleep Hargon?’

Hargon realised with
surprise that the sky was already dark, speckled with countless
stars. He glanced about him and saw that most of his people had
stayed, despite his dismissal hours ago. They had sat quietly
watching and listening to all that occurred. He saw Bannor
cross-legged by a pillar, but Bartos was nowhere to be seen. Mena
sat hugging her knees to her chest, much closer to the golden
Dragon than she had seemed to be before. Of the orange Kephi there
was no sign, although a black blob on the balcony railing suggested
the Merig’s position.

Hargon turned back to
the Dragons, suddenly loath to break this strange dream. He saw the
silver blue Dragon who had spat fire at him was asleep, his neck
curved so that his head could rest in the slave’s lap. Hargon
climbed to his feet, the stiffness in his legs and back convincing
him that they had indeed spent half a day sitting here.

‘Hot food!’ he called,
and servants stirred from the shadows as though they all had been
asleep and dreaming.

‘I am known as a teller
of tales,’ Brin announced modestly. ‘I would gladly amuse you until
you feel the need for sleep.’

Kadi groaned and rose
carefully to her feet. ‘I will explore a little.’ She answered
Hargon’s thought: ‘Dragon Kin see as well by starlight as by day. I
will not be too long away.’ She stretched her wings and leaped into
the sky.

‘And you, tiny one, how
are you named?’ Kija bespoke the small female inching
closer.

‘I am Mena, the Lord’s
female child.’

‘You have hurt your
face.’

‘Oh. That’s all right.
May I ask you a question?’

‘Only if you call me
Kija.’

‘Oh. Well. Kija, is the
small blue Dragon called Farn really your son?’

‘He is really my
son.’

‘May I ask another
question Kija?’

The golden face bent
closer to Mena. ‘Ask.’

‘Is Chena, I mean Tika,
really your daughter now?’

‘She is in truth. You
knew her then before she left this place?’

‘Oh yes. She was one of
the pets. She told stories and she could think of the best games.
She stopped him hurting me so much too.’ Mena clamped her hand over
her mouth, even though she had said nothing aloud.

She felt sympathy,
warmth, flowing from the huge creature beside her but before Kija
could say anything, Mena asked: ‘He is very young, your Farn then?
Tika has been gone only half a cycle and you said they became ‘soul
bonds’ when he hatched from his egg?’

Where Mena had felt
warmth, now she was swamped with sorrow as the long beautiful head
swung to look across at Farn.

‘He is indeed but a
hatchling, and yet he has been in such perils already. He was
wounded near to death in battle and his soul bond healed the wound
using power unheard of. Remember, little Mena, he is only a baby
even compared to you.’ Kija’s sorrow folded away again. ‘And how
old are you?’

‘Ten
cycles.’

‘And the one who hurt
you, how old is he?’

‘Six cycles, but I have
never said he hurts me.’

‘It is as Tika told us
then. Females in this land are thought worthless indeed if a male
of six cycles can hurt a female of ten cycles with no fear of
chastisement for the deed.’

Kija lowered her face
close to Mena’s. ‘Go and speak with your friend who is my daughter,
tiny one. But not for too long.’ Her eyes flickered softly in the
light of lanterns brought from the lodge. ‘I suspect that you
should be sleeping, as is my son.’

Mena’s hand lifted and
Kija brushed her cheek lightly against it before rising. ‘I will
fly for a while I think. I have not been to these lands before. But
I will not be long.’

The golden Dragon moved
away to where she had the room to spread her wings safely and rose
gracefully into the night sky.

Tika watched Mena come
slowly across to where she sat cradling Farn’s head in her lap.
Riff and Drak were talking with several of Hargon’s armsmen a
little distance away, helping themselves to the food generously
piled on tables. Nomis had joined Gan and Kemti, perched on the
edge of the balcony with Navan.

Sket reached Tika at
the same moment Mena arrived. He glanced quickly at the small girl
then squatted before Tika. He held a large plateful of food in one
hand and two bowls of steaming spice tea precariously in the other.
He set his offerings down before Tika. His eyes twinkled although
he was straight-faced.

‘Sustenance for two
Ladies,’ he announced. ‘I’ll just get a bite for
myself.’

Tika grinned suddenly,
finally letting the tension of this difficult meeting with her
previous owner drain away.

‘Hello
Mena.’

As Mena smiled
hesitantly back, Tika leaned forward, turning the child’s face to
catch the lantern light.

‘Still hitting you is
he? I’ll stop him for good this time.’

‘No Chena, I mean Tika.
Please – do nothing. It only makes him worse.’

Tika studied the girl
then handed her one of the bowls of tea.

‘Sit with me Mena. Tell
me your news.’

Mena dropped to the
ground, her eyes fixed on the sleeping Dragon resting his head only
a handspan away. Tika caught Mena’s hand, laying it lightly on
Farn’s cheek. Mena gasped.

‘He wouldn’t mind? Will
he spit fire if he wakes?’

Tika laughed. ‘He only
does that if he is upset, and he likes to be made a fuss
of.’

Sket returned again
with food for himself and sat discreetly at Farn’s back. He
understood as perhaps not even Lord Gan did, just how nervous Tika
felt at being once more within Lord Hargon’s reach.

Mena chattered about
the females Tika had known in Hargon’s household and how Rhaki’s
appearance in Return had stirred everyone up.

‘You are even smaller
than my Tika.’

Mena froze. Under her
lightly stroking fingers a faceted eye reflected starlight as Farn
studied her. She snatched her hand back as he uncoiled from around
Tika and stretched his neck carefully. Tika smiled watching Mena’s
face.

Finally Mena said: ‘I
may be smaller than you, but I am older.’

Farn blinked. ‘Bigger
is better than older I think,’ he said solemnly.

‘But I am much older
than you too,’ Tika said mildly.

‘Aah.’ Farn’s eyes
whirred. ‘You are the same age as me in Dragon ways though my
Tika.’

Sket choked on his tea
as Tika laughed aloud, turning to hug Farn’s silver blue shoulders.
Farn leaned over Tika and pushed his snout gently against Mena’s
chest.

‘Perhaps, as you are so
tiny, you might like to fly with me and Tika in tomorrow’s
daylight?’

And Lord Hargon’s
worthless female child stared at Farn, speechless with delight and
wonder.

For three nights now,
Mim had slept in the hall with Ashta curved protectively around
him. Several Delver healers, strong in the power, had come from
Asat to join Kera and Nesh. The Snow Dragons too had joined with
the Great Dragon Fenj, and together all had worked to shield the
stronghold.

The first night the
work had been relatively simple. The second was harder. But last
night they had struggled as Gremara, unable to locate the Dragon
Lord, battered them with her mad screams. At dawn Mim awoke and
instantly poured his strength into the shielding.

Several Delvers slumped
where they sat, utterly drained. Nesh was as white as snow, Kera in
not much better shape. But she was able to totter towards Mim as he
got to his feet and asked him how he fared.

He gave her a bow. ‘I
can manage again now Lady. I may have to beg you to do the same in
the future sometimes though.’

Kera nodded. The
thought of another night like the one just endured was too
appalling to even consider at that moment. She put one hand to the
wall beside Fenj to keep herself upright and managed to focus on
the ancient Dragon. His eyes were dulled slate and Lula paced back
and forth across his broad shoulders wailing anxiously.

Lorak and Bikram
emerged from Lorak’s workroom, carrying a supply of leather flasks.
Lorak came straight to Fenj as Bikram hurried over to Nesh and the
Delver healers.

‘Come my old friend,
let Lorak give you some of his special potion – the beverage you
like.’ Lorak slipped the top of a flask between the Dragon’s lips.
‘Come now my old dear, drink it down for Lula – she be feared you
know.’

Lula jumped to Lorak’s
shoulder and peered worriedly into Fenj’s face. A slight sparkle
glinted in his dimmed eyes and Lula jumped from Lorak back to
Fenj’s forearm. She pressed close to the black scales, buzzing
furiously. Lorak turned to Kera, handing her another
flask.

‘Drink, Lady. Won’t do
you no hurt and might do you some good.’

Kera’s eyes watered as
the potion seared her throat, but after the second gulp she thought
she might actually be able to walk back to Nesh without falling
over.

A firm hand took the
flask from her. ‘Enough for now. You should sleep. All of you
should sleep. The boy’s all right for now, so you be seeing after
yourselves.’

It was midday when Kera
woke. She had no recollection of how she had reached her chambers
but she was in her own bed anyway.

‘Are you well Kera?’
Dessi bent over the Senior, her face puckered with concern. Rofu
clung to Dessi’s shirtfront, his furry face as upset as
Dessi’s.

‘I think so,’ Kera
groaned as she pushed herself up on the pillows. ‘And what are you
doing here – there is no trouble with Mim is there?’ she asked in
sudden alarm.

‘No, no.’ The worry
smoothed away from Dessi’s expression. ‘He is much improved. I
should have guessed his weariness far sooner Kera.’

‘No more than I
should.’ Kera patted the Delver’s hand. ‘Last night though,’ she
closed her eyes briefly at the memory. ‘The Silver One loosed such
rage against us, yet she professes to adore and serve
him.’

‘It is her madness
twisting her,’ Dessi said sadly. ‘I believe we may be able to help
her only a little – she will never regain her sanity completely.
Mim said to tell you we should gather soon – the Silver One is
usually quiet around the middle of the day – and he will tell us
what he can.’

‘Then I must get up.’
Kera swung her long legs over the edge of the bed and reached for
the trousers folded on a stool. ‘Where is Nesh?’

‘He suffered greatly
Kera. I think he had not fully realised the viciousness of the
Silver One’s mind. He is in the hall – some of my people’s healers
had kept their minds free of the conflict last night, knowing they
would be needed today. They watch over the worst afflicted ones
together below.’

Kera went to the
washstand and splashed barely warm water over her face. ‘And Fenj
and the other Dragons, how are they?’ Kera’s voice was muffled in
the drying cloth.

Rofu wailed and Dessi
cuddled the Kephi closer, his white tipped tail twitching against
her side. ‘All were exhausted Kera, but the Snow Dragons recovered
quite fast.’

‘And Fenj?’

Dessi bit her lip. ‘He
is so old. Each time he is asked to use great power, there is the
temptation for him to let go of this world and to travel beyond.
Lula and Lorak are pulling him back but I dare not think how many
more times he can withstand the temptation.’

Kera stooped to hug the
tiny Delver and together they went down to the great entrance hall.
Kera paused to speak to the healers who were sitting beside Nesh
and two Delvers. The three patients looked to be asleep, but marks
of strain showed on their faces. Mim sat near the hearth with Ashta
and Jeela but Kera went to Fenj before joining the Dragon
Lord.

At first she thought
Fenj slept but as she approached, he looked up at her. She was
relieved to see his eyes were less dull, but she felt a terrible
weariness in the old Dragon. Lula nestled close under his chin and
Lorak sat on the floor leaning against Fenj’s shoulder.