Tika knew another mind had helped her to reshape the distorted web of Power in her own. She did not know whose it was, but she felt it was benign. Therefore it could not have been the Grey Guardian. She also knew that Emla and the Seniors present at this House, had not assisted her, nor had they any awareness that someone had.
Tika was stunned by her enhanced perceptions. Her slave birth and upbringing, where to show any emotion was to invite rebuke at the least, would keep her silent on this matter, for the time being at least.
The Seniors were aware, to a certain degree, of how she was feeling. Among them, children of twenty full Cycles began to experience the growth of the Power within them. But they were taught to expect this transformation, and were helped through each slow stage by those who had experienced it themselves. Tika was young, she had had no teaching, no warning of how this would feel. With her, it had been forced so suddenly, within hours, instead of over many Seasons.
When she first woke under Farn and Khosa’s blue stares, she wished she could stay safely where she was for a while longer, to try to accustom herself to the newness in her mind. But she was aware of Ashta, Mim and Gan in the outer chamber, already on their way to see her.
Tika pushed herself up against the pillows, dislodging Khosa from her chest. The Kephi stalked to the foot of the bed and sat straight, every hair bristling with indignation. Ashta’s head appeared round the door, green eyes pale with concern and affection. Then Gan stood beneath Ashta’s jaw staring at Tika, Mim beside him.
The mental barriers he held firmly in place made no difference. While Gan remained totally unaware of the fact, Tika’s mind slid easily past the shielding. She saw his concern and fear for her safety, and - something else. She did not recognise it, but it made her pull rapidly back and out of his thoughts.
Gan bowed slightly. ‘I am glad to see you well Tika.’
‘It feels as though I’ve slept for ages.’
‘You have,’ said Farn. ‘I have been here all the time.’
Khosa’s cool tone commented in Tika’s mind: ‘So have we all, dear Farn.’
‘Oh. Oh yes,’ Farn amended. ‘Ashta and Mim and Gan. And Khosa.’ His eyes whirred as he glanced quickly at the Kephi’s back, and away again.
Tika swung her legs over the side of the bed, hugging Farn. ‘I must have missed dozens of meals,’ she said. ‘It feels as if I have, anyway.’ She grinned. ‘I am so hungry, I could eat a Dragon!’
Farn’s eyes blazed in horror, until Ashta murmured, ‘She jokes, Farn.’
‘Oh.’ Farn was temporarily abashed, then he suggested eagerly: ‘Fly with me when we go to hunt, Tika. I have missed carrying you these past days.’
Tika looked at him. Innocence radiated from the silver blue Dragon. He obviously assumed that Khosa could not accompany him if he carried Tika. Tika heard the Kephi laugh, and she replied: ‘Yes, I will Farn. And I think I will see how this funny little Kephi thing would like to fly.’
Farn wilted as Khosa spluttered: ‘Funny little Kephi thing?’
Mim reappeared, having momentarily vanished back to the main chamber. He held out a slice of fruit tart to Tika, taking a mouthful himself from a second slice. ‘We ate little last night – it is all still on the table. Come, join this person for food, then we will both go with the Dragons.’
Farn squeezed himself back through the bedchamber door and watched as Tika helped herself to a motley selection of foods.
‘You feel fit enough to fly with Farn this morning?’ Gan asked casually.
‘Oh yes. I think it is a very good idea.’
‘I will tell the Lady Emla what you are doing. I am sure she will wish to speak with you as soon as possible.’
‘I’m sure she will,’ Tika thought, but said aloud: ‘Mim and I will come for breakfast when we return – we are sure to be hungry again by then!’
Mim laughed, following her out of the pavilion. Khosa followed, and as Tika climbed onto Farn’s back, she sprang lightly into Tika’s arms. Farn shuddered, but then gathered himself and lifted easily upwards, Ashta and Mim beside him. Tika glanced back and saw Gan standing unmoving at the door of the pavilion, watching them draw swiftly away.
When they had disappeared beyond the trees, Gan remained a moment longer, then went slowly towards the House. The Seniors were already at breakfast and Emla arrived as Gan sat down.
‘I saw them leave,’ Emla said. ‘Tika woke safely?’
‘Yes,’ replied Gan. ‘She and Mim decided to go with the Dragons – Farn suggested it. They will not be long I think.’
‘Have you noticed any change in her?’ Kemti asked.
Gan did not reply for so long Kemti was about to repeat his question, but finally he said simply: ‘I believe she is stronger now than any I have ever heard of.’
‘Why?’ asked Emla as Iska asked simultaneously: ‘How do you know?’
Gan’s long hands raked through his black hair. ‘Her shielding is beyond my ability to breach. I suspect she could see into any of us and we would be none the wiser of it. Somehow, she is now fully – aware. I can tell you no more, except that both the Dragons, and Mim, were desperately fearful for her last night. Mim slept eventually, but Ashta and Farn were helping her in some way I was unable to understand through the entire night.’
As Emla awaited the return of her four guests, eager yet apprehensive to see what changes were apparent in Tika, Kija was searching for Fenj.
Kija had asked Kadi to foster her second son and two of her daughters. Then, with her youngest daughter, Jeela, she had begun hunting Fenj. He had gone to his secret place, a small valley, hidden deep among great peaks, where he had spent the last few Cold Seasons. Increasingly, as he aged, he sought solitude to prepare himself for his journey beyond.
As the soaring mountains shielded this little valley from the worst storms, so Fenj shielded his mind whilst he stayed here. The Golden Lady had bespoken him as he flew to his secret place, telling him the young ones had reached her safely. She had looked gravely at Fenj as she said: ‘Fenj, my dear one, you have waited so patiently. Begin your journey to Skay when you will.’ She smiled at him. ‘I remember you newly hatched, and how much time have we passed through since then? If you must now go beyond Fenj, know you have helped set things in motion for a changed future. The outcome of these changes, be they good or bad, even we cannot foresee yet. But go knowing how hard we will strive to make a good future.’ She lifted a slender hand in farewell and blessing. ‘May the stars see you safely beyond, old one, if that is to be your decision.’
Fenj lay now on the ledge of his cave. So many Cycles to ponder on, and now he was unsure whether he was being selfish in wanting to go beyond. They were so very young, Farn and Tika. Could they find the strength and the wisdom to do whatever lay before them? Fenj knew instinctively that trouble was not far off, for the world, not just these two, but they would certainly be in the midst of it.
At last, Fenj relaxed the mental shields he had established and bespoke Kadi. She sounded irritable.
‘We have all been trying to find you Fenj. How can you advise or help if you block yourself off from your Treasury when they might have urgent need of you?’ She was surprised, and then worried by Fenj’s humble reply.
‘Apologies Kadi. I have concluded I am indeed selfish. Is something amiss then? I was about to ask you if there was more news of the young ones.’
‘Well. Kija is trying to find you, with that young daughter of hers, Jeela. If you are no longer keeping aloof from us all, you can bespeak her yourself. She will tell you of a mad idea she has got into her head. And I always thought she had sense. Really Fenj,’ Kadi sounded more irritated than ever, ‘I have her other three hatchlings in my care, and if there is a whole mind between them, I will be very surprised. I had no idea what mischief was until now. Call Kija, old friend, and do not hide yourself away as you have been doing. There are still things we must do.’
So Fenj stirred himself. He drifted down to the pool below his cave and drank deep
of the icy water. Then he bespoke Kija.
‘Where are you Fenj?’ Kija demanded. ‘I must speak with you face to face.’ After seeing from her mind where she and Jeela were now flying, he gave her a picture of the route to his valley. ‘We will bring food with us Fenj. We will be with you soon.’
Fenj returned to his ledge and rattled his wings vigorously. If you can help in any way, you must, you foolish old Dragon, he adjured himself. He must shake himself free of this lethargy that he had allowed to develop. As the sky darkened and he watched for Kija and her daughter, he constantly lectured himself on his laxity. What would Skay think of his attitude lately? She would be ashamed, and angry with him.
He heard a high call from beyond the northernmost peak and responded with a resonating bass note. The golden She Dragon wheeled overhead, her pale ivory daughter at her wingtip. Kija carried a wapeesh, and Jeela a volu.
‘When did you find this little valley, Fenj? The mountains crowd so close about, I have flown over here many times and yet never even noticed it.’
‘Long in the past Kija, with Skay.’ His eyes glowed the shadows on snow colour. ‘What is it you must speak to me of so urgently?’
‘Eat, Fenj.’ Kija studied him critically. ‘You have not eaten for a while, have you?’
‘Now I come to think of it, perhaps not. But I’ve had much to ponder on.’ Fenj defended himself, sounding almost like Farn. Jeela choked on a piece of volu and apologised hastily as her mother’s eyes turned knowingly in her direction. When they had eaten their fill, Kija sent Jeela to rest. The young Dragon had been trying to hide her yawns for some time, but reluctantly she moved into the cave and was almost instantly asleep.
‘You have flown hard, Kija, and Jeela is small still. What is so urgent? Tell me now.’
Kija reclined opposite Fenj on the ledge and looked up at the night. Starlight flashed in the golden facets of her eyes. ‘It is Farn and his soul bond, Tika.’
‘But Kadi, and the Golden Lady, both say they are safe and well.’
‘They are – at the moment.’ Kija sighed, settling more comfortably. ‘I told you, at the Gather, how strong was my feeling that Farn’s bonding with a two legs was meant to be. That feeling grows in me, but so does a feeling of great peril. Farn was sorely wounded when he witnessed Krea’s death. I fear the scar will not mend easily or soon, and it weakens his courage and strength.’
Kija turned her head, her starfilled eyes glittering. ‘I must go, with Jeela, to join my son and Tika. Jeela will never grow as large as you or I, but her courage is large. In the brief time in the nesting cave and again at the Gather, she felt a strong affinity to both her brother and to the two legs. If I had left her with Kadi, she would simply have tried to follow me anyway.’
‘And what is it you wish of me?’
‘Fenj, I do not know where the Golden Lady dwells, nor how to get there. You must tell me this.’
Fenj rustled his wings, then he said: ‘She lives in the High Lands beyond the Spine Mountains towards the rising sun. But until Farn and Tika went to her, none of the Dragon Kin have ventured that way since the days of my mother’s mother.’ His eyes whirred in distress. ‘The Spine Mountains were originally our territories, you know that. And you know why we left, putting them many leagues behind us.’
‘Do you mean the Shardi?’ Kija asked.
Fenj hissed, his head moving from side to side. ‘The Shardi. They suddenly appeared in our mountains. They killed some of the Kin, destroyed many broods.’ He closed his eyes. ‘They ate those they killed. The Lady told us to seek the further places, saying the Shardi would only live along the range of the Spine Mountains, right to the Realm of Ice. They would not cross the flat lands, nor do they like warm places. That is why the Lady, and, I believe, some of her People, helped shield Farn and the other bonded Dragon, on their journey to her.’
‘I will think on all this Fenj, and decide what I must do, in the morning.’
The two great Dragons remained quietly on the cave ledge, watching the sky fill with stars, while both their minds filled with plans and schemes.
The last few days had been busy at the Golden Lady’s House. Emla and the Seniors had worked with both Tika and Mim. Mim’s reluctance eventually responded to Iska’s gentle reasoning. He found himself doing small things, such as moving a chair with the Power, something he would have regarded fearfully as a wicked magic, only a short time before.
The work with Tika was different. Emla and Yash were instructing her in control. It was now so easy for Tika to draw Power to herself, but she was told that too frequent or trivial usage of the Power would diminish her control. She would find herself needing to use the Power more and more until she was controlled by it, rather than the other way about.
At the same time Tika was hiding. Yash and Emla were fully aware that Tika’s strength was beyond any they had experienced. They also knew that she was allowing them to see only a tiny fraction of her altered mind. They agreed to accept the situation; if they tried to force her, the damage she could now inflict on their minds, chilled them to think of.
They were fascinated by how Tika actually manipulated the Power. They would lift an item in the room, and send it here or there; Tika would do the same, but she held the Power differently. She wove many, scarcely visible threads, to form one greatly strengthened line, whereas the People rarely used more than the one line of Power.
Mim and Tika spent their mornings with Gan, becoming slightly more adept with weaponry. Mim had asked why they had to continue these lessons after he discovered he could use the Power to freeze his opponent in his tracks. He was persuaded it was a necessary skill and he agreed not to use the Power against the long-suffering Sket and Motass again.
Several times Gan noticed a strange look in Tika’s eyes – they seemed to become unfocused, as if she was day dreaming. He eventually told Emla and Kemti, telling them he believed she was far speaking someone. Kemti was for confronting Tika, asking her outright if she was far speaking, and if so, to whom. Gan and Emla disagreed. They felt they could trust her judgement. They saw no reason to suspect the Guardian was trying to influence her. It did not occur to any of them, that Tika could be far speaking Dragons.
After days of rain, at last they woke to a clear bright day, albeit frosty cold. Mim was entranced with the white hoar coating each smallest piece of plant. He went off in search of Lorak, even before breakfast, wanting to know how the plants dealt with this weather, the Nagum woodlands rarely enduring such cold. Ashta said she would accompany him.
Tika decided that she and Farn would have a morning off from weapon practise, too. She sent one of the pavilion maids with a message to the Lady, saying she would be flying with Farn this morning. Farn was not thrilled to hear Khosa agree that a flight seemed a splendid idea.
In the House, Gan said: ‘They cannot delay much more. The snows will close the mountain ways soon now. Have you decided if they are to seek the Balance Weight or will you send them straight to face the Guardian, Lady?’
‘We know the Weight is hidden. We know Rhaki has not gained possession of it. Jerak’s writings say that two pure souls can confront the Guardian, with a higher chance of living to tell the tale than either you or I.’
Yash said: ‘If he refuses to reply to our messages, why should we assume he would agree to meet Tika and Mim? He has no idea of their Powers as yet. If he did, he may see all the more reason not to let them near him.’
‘We have to try,’ said Emla quietly. ‘Discussion has always been our way, and even now, with the Guardian setting himself so apart from the People, we must continue to try.’
‘We are aware he is your brother, Lady, but – ‘ Kemti began.
‘No,’ said Emla sternly. ‘He is my brother by blood, never has he been a brother of my heart or my soul. I do not delay dealing with him for any reason other than that it is the way our People have always been. Are we not trained from birth “to listen, to learn, to discuss, to decide”? We must still give
the Guardian time to explain himself before we contemplate -’ she hesitated, ‘before we contemplate force,’ she finished firmly.
It was midmorning when Mim cried to their minds: ‘Come Ladies and Lords! There are visitors! Come quickly!’
The Seniors looked at each other, they could sense no new life patterns within the grounds. They rose and hurried out to stand grouped on the veranda, five immensely tall, graceful figures framed by the equally tall doorway.
Mim was running towards them, Ashta and Lorak following behind. Lorak still clutched a plant in one hand and a gardening implement in the other as he stumped along, a trifle breathlessly, beside Ashta. Mim stopped at the foot of the shallow steps leading to the door, his face beaming with delight as he looked up at the Golden Lady.
‘Look!’ He turned, pointing to the sky to the southwest. They looked. Four specks grew larger as they drew nearer the House until they could be seen clearly. Four Dragons, coming to the Golden Lady.
Ashta’s eyes were blazing with excitement. Farn was the only Dragon she had met, other than her siblings, her mother, and Seela of the Sun Treasury. Farn landed first, gently gliding to the lawn near the steps. Tika slid from his back, Khosa in her arms, and walked to join Mim. As the other three Dragons landed beside Farn, Tika looked up at the Seniors.
‘Fenj comes to join us Lady, as do Kija and Jeela.’
She could feel the awed amazement in the Seniors as they looked at the enormous black Fenj now rearing erect to make formal greeting. Kija’s golden bulk also towered up, wings stretched to steady herself, and the much smaller, creamy scaled Jeela copied her elders. Kaleidoscopic colours whirred in prismed eyes as Fenj said: ‘We of the Dragon Kin greet you again at last, Golden Lady.’
For a brief moment, no one moved. Then, to the Seniors’ astonishment, the dignified Lady Emla was running down the steps. As she reached Fenj, he lowered himself and her outstretched hands held his beautiful old head between them. ‘To see you thus, Fenj, after all this time! And I so sorrowed, thinking you would choose to go Beyond!’
Fenj muttered something about selfish old Dragons, quite clearly overcome by this welcome from the Lady. She turned to Kija, touching the gleaming face as she said: ‘Of you I have heard much, Kija. I am proud to greet you as my guest, and bid you truly welcome.’ She moved towards Jeela. ‘And you! You are so dainty, yet I see such strength within you!’ Her smile embraced them all. ‘Come, let us talk. Will you enter my House, my dear ones?’
Jeela moved forward then stopped guiltily, looking at her mother. Emla laughed. ‘Come Jeela,’ she said, putting her arm around Jeela’s shoulders. ‘You shall lead the way with me!’ Kija followed, then Fenj, the Seniors standing aside, speechless at the sheer size of these two magnificent Dragons.
Chapter Fifteen
Soul Bonds: Book 1 Circles of Light series Page 14
