Drogoya: Book 3 Circles of Light series (55 page)

So saying, Emla first
bent over Ryla herself and kissed the cooling forehead, whispering
a private goodbye. She reached for Khalim’s hand and tugged him
gently with her out of the chamber.

Funerals were rare
occurrences in Gaharn, at least among the long lived Asatarian
People, and crowds thronged the roads and market squares as the
Discipline Senior Ryla’s body was carried on an open litter back to
the Asataria buildings. She was formally received by a full
Gathering of Seniors, Juniors and students. Then she was taken to
an open square in the centre of the complex called the Courtyard of
the Future. All who had accompanied her now left her with the
Discipline Seniors and Lady Emla. But those barred from the final
Rites of Fire, could hear the singing of the last chants rising
over the rooftops as smoke rose, carrying Ryla’s essence
Beyond.

Once all the ceremonies
were concluded, the outer gates of the Asataria were thrown open
and all welcomed in for a great feast of celebration. Asatarians
mingled with the humans of Gaharn and many high ranking Discipline
Seniors were persuaded to perform small magics for the crowd’s
entertainment. The festivities would continue until dawn but Emla
gathered her retainers and slipped away. She knew Nolli would be
waiting to hear of all that had taken place to venerate Ryla this
day. Jilla and Bagri, Shan, Captain Soran and the maids Lanni and
Bara had all chosen to keep Nolli company on this occasion for
which Emla was grateful. Despite Nolli’s brave words at Ryla’s
deathbed, Emla knew how sorely the ancient Delver missed her
friend.

Grib amazed everyone
with a surprise for Nolli. He thoroughly irritated Shan by coming
into the hall of the House and insisting on speaking to the Golden
Lady in person. Emla, mystified, went down to speak with him but
then found she had to go out to his workshop. Remembering Lorak’s
notorious workshop, Emla braced herself to refuse any sort of
beverage Grib might offer her. But no. He suggested she sat on a
stool some distance from the workshop while he produced “something
he’d happened to think of.”

Lilla and Shar emerged
from some dense shrubbery and sat beside Emla, their eyes flashing
with glee. The door of the workshop was flung open and Grib
appeared, pushing an odd looking barrow. Utterly confused, Emla
nodded encouragingly as Grib approached. The barrow had two wooden
wheels at the front, which was broader across than a usual barrow.
And it had the usual two legs at the back to rest upon. But the
body of the barrow was a chair, unmistakeably a chair. Grib came to
a stop beside Emla and flourished a grimy hand in the
air.

‘I thought someone
could fetch that little ole thing out for some good fresh air,’ he
explained earnestly. ‘Do she more good to be out ’ere than stuck in
that stuffy ole ’ouse all day. An’ now ’er friend be gone like,
nothin’ like lookin’ at bright new flowers for cheerin’ a soul. My
ole grandfer used to say that, and ’e be more right than many a
cleverer person, I do say.’

Emla had raised a brow
slightly at mention of her stuffy old House but let it pass in the
delight she felt for Grib’s invention. She got up from the stool
and examined the chair-in-a-barrow. It was sturdily made with no
pretensions to comfort or beauty, but a heap of pillows and quilts
would solve both those difficulties. She beamed at Grib.

‘Well! I think it is
the most brilliant invention I’ve ever seen. I’m sure Lady Nolli
will love it.’

Grib’s face turned
purple with embarrassed pride. ‘They Dragons be tellin’ I ’ow
lonely she be these last days. Said they thought she needed a
adventure like.’

‘Oh absolutely!’ Emla
turned to hug first Lilla then Shar, their mind voices chiming
together.

‘Do you really think
Nolli will like it?’

‘We thought we might
carry her, but someone would be bound to tell us off!’

‘I really like it,’
Emla assured them. ‘A chair-in-a-barrow is a perfect solution for
getting her outside.’

Grib scowled. Emla
paused. ‘Did I say something amiss?’ she asked.

‘T’aint no
chair-in-a-barrow Lady. This be a chariot. Like in they ole
stories.’ He looked at the Golden Lady pityingly, doubting that
she’d ever heard any such old stories.

‘A chariot!’ Emla
breathed in delight. ‘Of course it is! Nolli’s chariot!’

Nolli’s chariot was a
huge success. Piled with bright cushions and quilts, and propelled
by an amiable Guardsman, Nolli took a vast delight in exploring the
Golden Lady’s extensive gardens. She blithely ignored the
disapproval which greeted her instant affection for Grib. Emla
noticed the lightening of the atmosphere from the moment Nolli made
her first spectacular excursion. But watching Nolli’s retinue of
Jilla, Bagri, Shan, Lanni and six Dragons made her weep for lost
Ryla again.

The weather remained
clear, the sun warmer each day, and there was no keeping Nolli
within doors. Thus Emla was working alone when a Guard brought a
scroll tube just arrived through the Pavilion Circle. Emla saw from
the seal that it came from Vagrantia and she opened it with some
trepidation. She’d had no word from Thryssa since the High Speaker
had returned home to face a similar problem to the one she had
dealt with in the Asataria. Emla flattened the rolled paper with
her long hands and began to read.

Thryssa wrote in
considerable detail and Emla was horrified, imagining the terror
caused by the steadily rising waters within the Circles of
Vagrantia. She reread Thryssa’s description of the being called
Zloy, and the detailed account of how her mages had unmade him. She
finished reading the first page and sat back, glancing once more
into the gardens. Thank the stars that the Vagrantians were safe!
Thryssa told of exhaustion but no deaths among her
people.

Emla turned the large
sheet of paper over and began to read again. Her relief turned
rapidly to anguish as she learnt of Gremara’s fate. A section on
this page was written in a different hand and after a moment she
recognised it as Pajar’s script. She quickly realised that he had
written this as an eye witness report from what he’d seen in Talvo
Circle. He had returned to Parima, leaving Lashek, Pachela and
Lorak with Fenj. Lorak had not stirred from his place beside
Gremara. Neither Fenj nor Jeela would open their minds to Speaker
Lashek or to Pachela.

Thryssa was now on her
way to Talvo, greatly disturbed by Pachela’s distressed state of
mind. More than that Pajar could not tell the Golden Lady. The
message ended with the usual formal courtesies and enquiries as to
her health and the welfare of her People. Emla read the whole paper
again and then started to pace her study. It would soon be time for
the midday meal when Nolli would come back to the House. Should she
discuss this with Nolli first, or with the two Vagrantians? She had
no idea how the news of Gremara’s death would affect any of the
three, but coming so soon after the loss of Ryla she feared it
might hit them hard.

She did not understand
what connection Gremara had with Mim, although she surmised it was
of considerable importance. Which reminded her – what could be
wrong with Mim? She shuffled through the papers on her desk and
retrieved Kera’s last communication. Then she checked the paper
from Vagrantia. It looked likely that Mim had secluded himself at
the same time as Gremara’s hideous death took place. Had Mim known?
Had they had a powerful enough link over such a great distance?
Emla groaned.

She rerolled both
messages and crossed to the window. Yes, Nolli and her entourage
were heading back to the House. She stood undecided. Doochay was
still staying here, working on new lectures in Emla’s library. She
would help Emla decide when to broach this new information and
exactly to whom.

Acting on Doochay’s
advice, Emla waited until the evening when Nolli was settled beside
the fire, the young Dragons were – hopefully – safely asleep in the
guest Pavilion and the House was quietening for the night. Ryla’s
great chair had gone from beside Nolli’s and Hani now reclined in
its place. Doochay lay on one of the several couches arranged among
the heaps of floor pillows upon which the others sat.

It was Nolli for whom
Emla feared: the Delvers had some connection with the Dragons, so
far unexplained fully. Now, Emla quietly told the company of
Thryssa’s news. When she described Gremara’s final return to Talvo
in Pajar’s words, she watched for Nolli’s reaction closely. There
were murmurs of shocked disbelief from Jilla and Shan but Emla kept
her gaze on the ancient Wise One.

Nolli’s chin sank to
her chest, her hands resting on Resh’s back, but then she lifted
her head, leaning back against her cushions. She smiled. There were
tears on her cheeks but astonishingly, Nolli smiled. And Hani was
utterly silent, no change in the soft green flickering of her
prismed eyes. Well, Emla thought privately, exactly what is going
on? Was it the news of Mim that caused Nolli’s tears, or Gremara’s
death – and why should either piece of information make her
smile?

Jilla was immediately
aware of Emla’s gentle probe in her thoughts.

‘I am relieved to know
that my people have survived,’ she told them all. She glanced at
Emla and gave a rueful shrug. ‘I did not know Gremara – only to be
wary of her bouts of madness and the days of her screaming
rages.’

Bagri nodded agreement.
‘I do not know what may be wrong with the Dragon Lord,’ he said.
‘You know him and we do not, anymore than we knew
Gremara.’

‘What about Fenj and
Jeela?’ Shan asked.

‘And old Lorak?’ Soran
added.

‘I’ve told you all I
know.’ Emla produced the rolls of paper. ‘Read for yourselves –
perhaps you may find something I failed to grasp
properly.’

‘And what do you know
Nolli?’ Doochay asked quietly.

Nolli sighed. ‘I know
now that there may be hope for this world, after all.’ She turned
her head slightly to look into Hani’s face, then looked back at
Doochay and Emla. She waved a twisted hand at the papers being
pored over by Soran and Jilla.

‘Pajar reports no death
song from Fenj or Jeela for Lorak, and Fenj would surely grieve
most parlously for his beloved companion. So I think Lorak must
live. Mim is keeping hidden but he is not alone. Kera says that
Chakar, Dessi and Daro at least are with him. Thus I believe there
is no cause to worry for Mim.’

Doochay listened
attentively to Nolli’s words and, like Emla, knew at once that
Nolli had spoken with care, concealing more than she’d revealed.
But they had to accept the small comfort Nolli seemed to offer –
were they to interrogate the old lady, press her for more
information? Of course not.

When the company parted
for the night, Doochay and Emla went up to the Golden Lady’s
study.

‘I suggest you send to
Kera,’ Doochay said, leaning against Emla’s desk. ‘The boy can
surely not be kept hidden indefinitely.’ A thought occurred to her.
‘Could he have the affliction do you think?’

Emla shook her head
slowly. ‘The affliction seems never to last more than two days –
Kera says it is now over three days since Mim has been seen. And
if, stars forfend, he had died, there would no reason to keep the
fact secret.’

‘The young Dragon –
Hani’s daughter?’

‘Ashta.’ Emla supplied
the name.

‘Yes, Ashta. Kera says
she has slept all this time. Would this mean the boy also
sleeps?’

‘Doochay, I have no
idea. Perhaps they both sleep, but I have a strong feeling Ashta is
being deliberately kept unconscious. They would do that to spare
her any suffering. If for instance Mim was hurt and in pain, she,
as his linked soul bond would share every twinge.’ Emla shuddered,
remembering Tika’s agonised battle with herself as she healed
Farn.

‘And did Kera say what
happened immediately prior to Mim’s seclusion?’

Emla frowned. ‘You read
the message too – I think she said only that Mim and Ashta had been
gone from the Stronghold for nearly a whole day, and Ashta was
close to total exhaustion on their return.’

Doochay pushed herself
away from the edge of the desk and headed for the door.

‘Should one of us go
through the circles do you think? But to which troubled place
should we go?’

‘I think it unwise for
me to leave here at present.’ Emla rubbed her forehead wearily.
‘But if you would truly travel the circles, I would suggest you go
north. Thryssa should be in Talvo Circle by now, but you are the
eldest Discipline Senior since Ryla passed on. You could insist on
knowing what’s happening – your rank is far higher than
Kera’s.’

Doochay grinned,
looking centuries younger. ‘I’ll leave in the morning then. It’s
been far too long since I did any real fieldwork.’

Emla sat at her desk
and drew a sheet of paper towards her. She would write to Kera
before she slept, but dear stars, she was so tired.

Many leagues to the
east, a million stars glittered above the Vagrantian Circles.
Thryssa and Kwanzi had arrived as the moon set and now Thryssa sat
by Pachela’s sleeping form. Kwanzi was worried by the disruption
apparent in the web of power in Pachela’s brain and felt a deep
sleep might restore a balance to her mind.