Vagrants: Book 2 Circles of Light series (30 page)

As Tika tightened the
straps on her pack, she kept an eye on the lodge for any sign of
Mena.

‘She will be here,’
Kija told her quietly.

Drak had already
climbed behind Brin’s massive shoulders but Sket still waited
patiently beside Tika on the grass. Gan appeared round Kadi’s
flank.

‘We will keep our
distance from the tower Tika. The Dragons say it will be a steady
day’s flight until we sight Return.’

He looked down at the
small figure standing against the silver blue Farn. He lowered his
voice. ‘Kemti has no idea how to combat Rhaki. Have
you?’

Green eyes glittered up
at him and Tika managed a lopsided grin. ‘None at all,’ she
answered shortly.

Armsmen were beginning
to emerge from the stable block and Hargon, with his two sons,
strode from the lodge. Koninas were led forward and they mounted
quickly, the two boys moving to join the line of armsmen already
heading down the slope. Hargon reined back a moment, his konina
rolling its eyes nervously at the Dragons.

‘We will be at the
meeting place as swiftly as may be,’ he called. He turned the
konina and sent it running alongside his armsmen.

A small figure appeared
on the lodge steps, watching as the last armsmen trotted out of
sight. Clutching a pack, Mena limped across the grass to where the
Dragons waited. She kept her gaze firmly on the ground, as though
she did not want to see pity on the faces of those
watching.

The sound of the
koninas’ hoof beats fading emphasised the sudden silence as Mena
stopped in front of Tika, finally raising her face. Tika’s own face
was expressionless as she saw the child’s split lip was more
swollen than yesterday and trickling fresh blood. A bloody line was
scratched under her left eye, which was half closed and purpling by
the second.

‘Can you wear the pack
on your shoulders all right?’ Tika asked calmly.

Mena nodded, shrugging
the straps into place. ‘You will begin the journey with Farn and
me, but if he tires, one of the others will take you.
Come.’

Tika lifted the child,
seating her firmly before climbing onto Farn’s back in front of
her. ‘Just hold on to me if you are afraid, but I promise, you will
be quite safe.’

Mena twisted her hands
tightly around Tika’s belt and watched Brin and Kadi rise into the
early morning sky. Kija followed and Mena’s mouth formed an ‘O’ of
astonishment as she realised that Farn had lifted from the ground
at the same moment as his mother.

Near the city of
Gaharn, silence enveloped the hall of the Golden Lady’s house. Two
extraordinarily old ladies, one tiny as a child, the other like a
very tall skeleton, slept in their chairs by the fire. Another
childlike figure lay curled on a heap of pillows beside one of the
chairs.

Shan crept into the
hall with another of Emla’s maids, Bara, and stood looking at the
sleepers. Shan drew Bara back to the doorway.

‘Tell all the others to
be really quiet. Ask cook to have something ready at any time they
wake, but for now, I think we should leave them. Stars know when
they last slept properly. But you must wait here so that when they
stir you can fetch tea at once.’

Bara nodded her
understanding and slipped out to the kitchens. As soon as she
reappeared and perched herself on a bench to watch over the three
sleepers, Shan crept noiselessly up the wide staircase. Carefully
she eased up the latch on the door to Emla’s bedchamber and tiptoed
inside.

The Golden Lady’s black
hair was visible, straggled wildly across the pillows and the
quilts, but that was all Shan could see of her mistress. Still on
tiptoe, Shan went through to the adjoining workroom and lifted a
large covered jar. Glad to find it was still full, she cautiously
poured some of the water into a kettle, which she then swung over
the ashy fire.

A handful of bark from
the fuel box, a few prods at the ashes and flames began to flicker
and flare spasmodically. Shan sat back on her heels feeding larger
sticks to the fire, wincing at the crackles it made.

‘Would it not be easier
to fetch hot water from the kitchens, Shan dear?’

Shan scrambled to her
feet in alarm, glaring at the Lady in the doorway.

‘I was trying to be
quiet to allow you to sleep longer my Lady. The first night for
stars know how long since you all seem to sleep well.’

‘Well, I am awake now
and I will wash and dress whilst you make me some tea.’ Emla looked
doubtfully at the fire. ‘Perhaps you should start again with that,’
she suggested as she returned to her bedchamber.

Shan gritted her teeth,
pushed a few thicker pieces of wood onto the sulky fire and hurried
to fetch food and drink from downstairs.

By the time Emla had
dressed, drunk three bowls of tea and eaten her hot honey rolls,
Shan reported that the old ones were also awake.

‘Did that sweet Hani
tell you important things last night my Lady?’

Shan was trying hard to
learn the discipline incumbent on one being trained in weaponry,
but her basic curiosity was just too strong a part of her character
for her to keep suitably silent now. Emla quirked an eyebrow at her
maid, then she laughed.

‘Indeed yes. And she is
the only one of the Great Dragons who could possibly have known
quite so much.’ Emla’s green eyes shone with excitement. ‘Hani’s
mother’s sister was of the same brood as the present Silver
Dragon!’

Shan gaped at the Lady.
‘You mean Gremara is Hani’s aunt? Or is it uncle?’ Shan frowned in
confusion. ‘Isn’t Gremara both male and female or something? I
really do not understand about that too well my Lady.’

‘I don’t either, but
Hani referred to her as ‘she’ so I think we will stay with that.’
Emla rose from her breakfast table and fastened her sword belt
around her narrow waist. ‘I will be travelling into the city later
Shan. You will accompany me – as my Guard rather than as my
maid.’

‘Yes my Lady.’ Shan
stiffened her shoulders proudly.

When Emla reached the
hall, Nolli was talking rapidly to Ryla. Senior Ryla was writing
notes and nodding as Nolli spoke. They looked up as Emla joined
them by the hearth.

‘It still feels cold
but I do believe the snow has finally abandoned us,’ Emla said
cheerfully.

‘About time too,’ Ryla
agreed. ‘We are putting down all we remember of Hani’s information.
We will check it with her later. Perhaps she would not mind if
Khalim were allowed to sit in a corner. He is excellent at note
taking.’

‘I have to go to the
Asataria this day,’ Emla said casually. ‘I will tell Khalim to come
here as soon as possible.’

‘Good!’ Ryla continued
to write but Nolli gave Emla a piercing stare.

Just then, Commanding
Officer Soran came through the main door. He saluted the Lady
Emla.

‘You have orders for me
Lady?’

‘Ah yes Soran. I will
be going to the Asataria in a short while. Shan will be my personal
Guard today.’

Soran nodded. ‘I will
arrange the escort Lady, which I will lead myself.’

Emla frowned faintly
but before she could say anything, Soran took a step closer and
murmured: ‘Two of the little Dragons are outside Lady. I think they
wish to come in, but are not sure if they should.’

Emla returned his smile
then crossed quickly to the main door. She stepped outside,
shivering as a gust of still icy wind tugged at her clothes. A
silver blue Dragon stood shoulder to shoulder with a slightly
smaller mauve blue Dragon. Emla held out her hands with a cry of
delight.

‘Ikram! Nya! Oh my
dears, come in, come in!’

Nya moved stiffly Emla
noted, still wary of the injuries she’d suffered when Gremara’s mad
screams caused such panic. As her brother Ikram followed Emla saw
his sparkling eyes and guessed mischief was reawakening.

Nolli and Ryla were
delighted to see the pair after the long days spent in quiet
seclusion as Nya’s torn wing and twisted spine slowly healed.
Farn’s brother and sister made their way towards the old ladies’
chairs. Nolli gestured impatiently to Lanni and Shan to scoop piles
of books, papers and scrolls out of the way. Lanni grinned at
Shan’s mutterings as they grabbed the precious documents from the
floor. Ryla had been insistent that all should be left scattered
around them – ‘in case’ they were needed again. Now, Shan and Lanni
dumped armfuls onto a table in a jumbled, teetering heap. Nya and
Ikram made their greetings a little shyly but Nolli’s loving tones
soon put them at ease.

Shan brought Emla’s
cloak while Soran gathered the escort.

‘There are papers I
must return to the Asataria,’ Emla said, hurrying back upstairs,
her cloak loose on her shoulders. ‘I will be only a
moment.’

The main door was
pushed open again and Shar peered in at her brother and
sister.

‘Come Shar,’ called
Nolli. ‘We are glad to see Nya so greatly improved!’

Shar glanced behind her
and then advanced into the hall. Two smaller Dragons hesitantly
followed. They were both a dappled shimmering green. Hani’s
daughters.

‘Oh welcome to you.’
Ryla’s mind voice was softly reassuring and the newest visitors
followed Shar more confidently.

As the five young
Dragons settled by the hearth, Emla came lightly down the stairs,
her cloak fastened at her throat and the deep hood drawn over her
head. She smiled at Ryla – the old Senior’s expression was
ecstatic. Five Dragons at her very feet! Nolli opened her mouth but
Emla was already stooping to press her cheek against the ancient
Delver’s face, then moving to kiss Ryla.

‘I will ask Khalim to
come here Ryla. I may stay tonight in the Halls of Learning – I
have questions to ask of several Seniors which may take more time
than I’d hope.’

Her thick blue cloak
swirled around her as she headed for the door, Shan, also well
wrapped in a cloak at her heels.

‘The Lady is very
excited.’ One of Hani’s daughters sent the thought drifting into
the hall. Nolli sucked her cheeks over her toothless gums. ‘Indeed
she was little one. And I wonder why?’

Emla and her escort
travelled fast, Shan proud of the fact that she could now maintain
the half-running pace of the Lady’s Guards without losing her
breath. It was just midday when they reached the outskirts of the
city. Shoppers and tradesmen alike called cheerful greetings as
their Golden Lady strode passed surrounded by her uniformed Guards.
She replied to all, greeted many by name but never slowed her rapid
pace. Finally they reached the huge Asataria building, its back
pressed against the mountain and its front colonnades filled with
eddying Students.

Inside, Emla dismissed
the Guards to the food halls, and with only Soran and Shan, climbed
up to Senior Kera’s temporarily vacated rooms.

‘I need to find some
notes of Kera’s. I will not be long.’ And Emla went alone into
Kera’s study.

She saw no one had
entered, even to dust, since Kera had gone north. She tapped a
writing stick against her knuckles for a moment, shrugged and sat
at the desk. Emla wrote rapidly for several minutes and then folded
the paper briskly. She looked for a means of sealing it but of
course no lamps or fires were lit. She poked among the clutter on
the mantel and found a striker, which she quickly used to heat
Kera's stick of green wax. Removing the single ring she wore, she
pressed it into the blob of softened wax. One final glance round
the room as she tucked the paper inside her cloak and she reopened
the door.

‘Soran, I have to go to
the Assembly Chamber. I will keep Shan by me, but could you find
Senior Khalim and tell him the Senior Ryla has need of him as soon
as possible?’

Soran inclined his head
and turned off down another corridor as Emla swept Shan deeper into
the Asataria. There were few people about – most would be in the
several food halls for their midday meals. Emla stopped beside a
huge pair of plain polished wooden doors, glanced quickly up and
down the corridor and whisked Shan inside.

‘My Lady?’ Shan asked
tentatively.

Then she saw the
vastness of the chamber wherein they stood. A few lamps reflected
onto a great mosaic circle laid in the floor of the chamber: white
marble, crystal that flashed light back at the lamps, and black jet
that seemed to absorb the light completely.

‘I thought that I am
not permitted here – Lady, what are we doing here?’

Emla moved one of the
many chairs from beside the wall and placed it directly in line
with the doors. On the chair she laid the folded parchment she’d
taken from under her cloak.

‘You may stay Shan if
you wish. I have said in my letter that I ordered you to remain, so
there will be no reprimands.’

‘No! I go with you my
Lady! But where are we going?’ Shan pivoted, staring up at the
dimness far above.

‘I intend to walk the
circle, as Hani told last night.’

‘Walk the –?’ Shan went
closer to the inlaid circle. ‘It’s just squares and zigzags. How do
you ‘walk’ it?’