The appearance of the Snow Dragons had greatly heartened the company high in the mountains. ‘So far, so good,’ the Guards agreed. They had been aware of the doubts about the crimson Dragon’s story of Dragons and a human type race living here, but at least the Dragon part seemed to be true. Tika also had harboured doubts, mainly because Brin’s adventures here had been so very long ago – she knew only too well how situations could change at great speed.
Farn was the only one who had expected the arrival of Snow Dragons. Brin was a marvel to Farn’s eyes; brave, much travelled, mightily strong. When Kija overheard Farn extolling Brin’s virtues to Ashta and Jeela, she had said: ‘Brave and fearless can quite easily be another aspect of stupid and careless, Farn.’
Poor Farn had tried to work out whether she had been approving of Brin, or critical. He still was not entirely sure, but sadly suspected Kija did not see Brin as the heroic creature he himself did.
What the company had first assumed was snow encrusting the newly arrived Dragons’ faces, hands and feet, was in fact a very fine covering of hair – obviously a useful development in this environment. The larger of the two, Meppi, had begun a rather formal speech, which promised to be somewhat prolonged, when Ulla interrupted:
‘We have food for you, in our tunnels. We will have to stay here tonight, but early in the morning you will have fresh meat.’
The Dragons were relieved. They had not eaten for two days. They would waste too much energy flying back to the lower slopes to hunt, and then battling the snow and wind to return. Gan had offered them the dried meat the Guards carried, but after a taste, they had politely declined. A sip of one of Lorak’s “concoctions”, at Fenj’s suggestion, had been a little help to them.
All were somewhat surprised by the fact that both Meppi and Ulla were very aged Dragons, not the hatchlings their size suggested. Brin had found Kija’s apology most amusing when she realised she had addressed Meppi as if he were a child. She rewarded him with a withering glare from eyes sparking red glints, which, to Farn’s worshipful astonishment, merely made Brin chuckle aloud.
The cooks had managed to make a hot broth for the men, who then curled up in what shelter there was and slept in exhaustion. With great effort four windbreaks had been wrestled into place, tents were beyond their weary muscles. Two fengars had been lost on the climb, and Tika remarked quietly to Mim that perhaps the other six would be a nice present to the Snow Dragons.
Mim grinned. ‘This person too, saw the Snow Dragons look at the fengars with a certain interest! Did you see Kran and another Guard were gashed by the bad tempered creatures, just as they reached here?’
‘Yes. They seem very ill natured all the time. Stars know how they will behave if we start travelling underground. I am sure Gan only insisted on bringing them as an emergency food supply.’
‘What will it be like do you think – underground? This one does not like the idea of being beneath all these great mountains.’
‘At least it won’t be snowing in there, or windy. If Dragons have lived here all this time, it must be safe enough Mim.’
‘But does anything grow here? This one has seen nothing, not even lichen or moss. Surely there must be something?’
Tika shrugged and pushed Khosa across to Mim. ‘Perhaps the race who live with these Dragons will tell you. No Khosa, I am warm, you sleep with Mim.’
Khosa hissed softly. ‘It is very cold. I did not expect to spend this adventure stuck in a sack and freezing near to death.’
‘Do not exaggerate. You are getting the easiest journey of all Kephi! Perhaps we should let you walk tomorrow, like the rest of us?’ Khosa’s eyes nearly crossed in fury, but she said nothing, simply burrowed under Mim’s shirt for the night.
The Dragons were able to eat next morning – one of the fengars died in the night, its body stiffly frozen under the snow. Kija belched fire lightly over the corpse, enough to make it pliant enough to eat. If anything, the snow was even thicker.
Gan and Soran had the men roped securely together in groups of five, in the hope that they could save any from falling. Trem commented cheerfully that perhaps the heavy snowfall was an advantage – at least you couldn’t see the sheer drops alongside their narrow path. Men who led fengars were ordered to release them the instant the fengars balked at the path or began to slide. Soran told them he did not wish any men to be dragged over the cliff edges by difficult fengars.
Gan had a brisk disagreement with Mim and Tika. They both announced that they would walk for what Meppi promised was but two or three more leagues to the entry to the Snow Dragons’ domain.
Jeela was fascinated to meet Dragons so small. She had grown a little after she had hatched, but not a fraction since. Ulla had been equally intrigued with Jeela – so small and pale! So like a Snow Dragon in fact! Ashta and Farn were also excited by this encounter. But Tika knew that Fenj and Kija were reserving judgement, that they were both very worried as to where and how this journey would end.
Old Lorak seemed to distract Fenj, and to cheer the ancient black Dragon considerably. But Fenj had grown more slow to speak in the last days, while Kija snapped at everyone. As Tika muffled herself in her cloak, her eyes met Kija’s.
‘I am sorry, small one. My fear makes me angry. I would fight any visible foe for you all, but this not-knowing drives me to distraction.’
Tika waded through the snow to the great gold Dragon’s side, looking up at the beautiful long face, snowflakes clinging to the long eyelashes. Kija lowered her head, her brow pressing Tika’s.
‘I know,’ said Tika. ‘And I want you to know now, I will do all in my Power’ - she emphasised the word, ‘to keep Farn safe.’ She felt warm affection pour through her mind, then Sket was stamping his feet at her side, only his brown eyes showing over a scarf wrapped round his head and face.
‘It’d take so long to unwrap ourselves if we was attacked now, we’d be dead on the spot!’ he said brightly.
Mim and Motass joined them and they filed behind the first of the Guards. The wind hit them with renewed force as they left the relative shelter of their overnight stopping place. Mim gasped as the cold knife of air thrust him almost to a halt. He pulled his scarf across his face more securely, ducked his head and kept his eyes on Motass’s heels as they began trudging through the snow.
The Dragons had flown on only minutes before the company began to march. All of them struggled to get aloft and then, beating hard to make headway, immediately disappeared from sight behind the wall of unceasing snow.
It was, truly, no more than three leagues to the Snow Dragons’ tunnels, but it took the marchers a long morning to get there. Motass yelled something incomprehensible back to Mim, who was quite beyond trying to understand. Then suddenly the ground under their feet was grey rock, scoured by ice particles, not deep, slippery, hard-packed snow. A low cave opening was directly before them. As their eyes stopped watering, they saw Ashta and Farn waiting, and a pale light creeping out from deeper in the cave.
Ashta’s eyes whirred in concern for Mim’s shivering and she urged him inside with her, nudging him round a sharp-angled, narrow curve. As Tika followed with Farn, she wondered how Fenj and Brin, and even Kija, had squeezed their great selves through the tight corner.
She heard Gan behind them, checking the Guards as they all arrived. She heard the beginning of trouble with screams from the fengars, wondering briefly how they had any energy left to be so belligerent, then she was round another tight corner and stopped in disbelief.
In front of her was a large cavern, so large as to still seem spacious even with the six Dragons of the company there. One of the Snow Dragons, Tika thought it was Meppi, was speaking with Fenj. Ulla appeared from a tunnel at the far side of the cavern and Tika stared again.
Two human-like creatures were with Ulla, but unlike any other humans Tika had ever seen. They were small, as small as she herself, and one had black hair and the other tawny brown.
The Guards were pressing in behind Tika and she moved
forward with Farn and Sket beside her. Ulla bespoke Tika and Mim as they drew close.
‘These are our life-friends. Serim,’ the male bowed low. ‘And Berri,’ the female bowed also.
“I am Tika and this is Mim. The very tall one yonder is a man of the People and is called Gan.”
Mim bowed as Tika introduced him. ‘This person is honoured to greet you,’ he said aloud in his lightly fluting tones. ‘This one is Nagum, from far distant woodlands. May he ask of what race you are?’
Berri reached her hands up to Mim’s face. ‘Our common name is merely Delvers, our proper name you will learn in time. But you are so cold – come, warm yourselves.’ She indicated they move closer to a nearby brazier and it was only then that Tika and Mim saw there were several such spaced round the cavern. Guards stood quietly round each one, thawing themselves, but still watchful of everything.
Serim walked across the cavern, bowing to left and right, and vanished around the corner leading back to the entrance cave. Another of the Delvers arrived, this one wearing a blue leather band round his brow. Berri introduced him as Falim, one of their Healers.
‘We know you have Healers of your own in your company, but they may be unaccustomed to treating the hurts the cold can inflict.’ Falim said. ‘These men should not be warming frozen hands as they are. May I speak with your Healers?’
‘I would welcome your advice as I am sure they will also.’ Gan had joined them, and now led Falim to meet the company’s Healers. He rejoined Mim and Tika, his height emphasised even more as he stood beside Berri.
Berri chuckled. ‘You will have to sit when you speak with us, Gan, or we will all end with twisted necks!’
‘The difference in our sizes is indeed somewhat great,’ Gan agreed with a smile. ‘We have no knowledge of your race living here though, Berri.’
‘We will speak later of these things.’
There was a grating, rumbling roar, then fengar shrieks of anger. The Guards looked towards the entrance, still nearly numb hands trying to grasp their swords.
‘You have sealed the entrance, I presume?’ Gan asked calmly.
Berri inclined her head. ‘This entrance has not been used in any of our memories. We had nearly forgotten that it existed.’
‘Fortunate for us that you did not forget.’
‘If you will follow us now? As I said, we have not been in these tunnels for a long, long time. We have quite a distance to go to reach the outermost edge of the areas we now use.’ Serim turned towards the tunnel from which he, Berri and Falim had emerged, but he hesitated. ‘Your animals, Gan? I can have food brought for them here if you wish to maintain them?’ He looked searchingly up at their faces. ‘We would use such creatures for food – they are not suited to our way of life.’
Gan gestured to Soran and Nomis. ‘If they will contribute to your food supplies, then they are yours. We have provisions in our packs.’ Soran explained. ‘We do not wish to take your food and leave your supplies low.’
For the first time Serim grinned. ‘Have no fear. We are well maintained. Hunger is not acceptable among us, and we have long forgotten such a hardship!’
The Guards, hearing these comments, glanced at each other. No hunger? Living under these great cold and barren mountains? Perhaps the Delvers used magic. The thought occurred simultaneously to several Guards and their faces reflected a slight apprehension. Serim observed their expressions and grinned again, but all he said was: ‘Bring the fengars as far as they will willingly come.’ He turned and led the way into the mountain.
Berri waited until all had left, then she doused the embers in all the braziers and trotted to catch up with the company. The tunnel was lit as by pale moonlight. Small lamps, with only a single glower within each one, were hung every fifty paces. As Berri reached the first lamp, she unhooked it and carried it with her. At the next lamp, she opened the front of it, removed the glower and popped it into the lamp she carried. When that lamp was packed full of glowers, she took the next lamp with her and began to fill that one too.
Kran glanced back from his place at the rear of the company and slowed until Berri came up with him. ‘I will carry the lamps for you Lady.’
Berri laughed. ‘They are certainly not too heavy,’ she said. ‘But it is kind in you to offer assistance.’ She passed him the lamps full of glowers. ‘And I am Berri, not Lady.’
‘And I am Kran.’
‘Are you wed?’
Kran looked startled. ‘Erm, no Lady – Berri.’
‘A fine man like you? Not wed? We could use a fine fellow such as you,’ Berri said, her eyes sparkling with mischief if Kran had but realised it. His startled look changed to one of intense worry.
‘Guards do not usually marry until they are near the end of their term of service to the Golden Lady. We are very likely to be hurt, or killed, you see. How could we leave wives and families unprotected?’ He glanced at her, hoping his explanation deterred her from pursuing this unwelcome topic.
Berri handed him another lamp full of glowers. ‘Ah, but here you would not be a Guard so it would be unlikely for you to be “hurt or killed you see.”’ Then she took pity on the poor creature and changed the subject. Stars but he was so agitated he could easily drop the poor glowers! Wouldn’t this tale make the others laugh later though, she thought, and then politely asked him to tell her something of Gaharn.
They managed to cajole and bully the fengars to within a league of their destination, according to Serim. He organised the tying of the beasts, well spaced, along a section of wall. As Berri and Kran caught up with them, Serim asked her to add extra glowers to the lamps here so that the fengars were in a well-lit area and less likely to lash out at each other.
Mim walked with Ashta, behind Fenj. The Dragons were all getting sore feet, unused as they were to walking such distances. Brin, Kija, Farn and Tika followed them. Jeela was the only one not to seem bothered by walking so far. She fairly danced along with Ulla and Falim, ahead of all the rest.
Farn stopped, looking at his feet rather sadly. ‘Jeela seems to be able to walk with no trouble. Why do my feet hurt so?’
Tika hugged him quickly. ‘She is so small. She has less weight to carry so she moves more lightly.’
Serim was near enough to hear this exchange and he said: ‘Soon you will be able to soothe your aches, all of you. I do not know if you Dragons from Outside like to bathe or swim?’
Brin’s eyes began to glow. ‘I remember! You have those large warm pools with water that tastes strange! Yes,’ he nodded happily. ‘I remember those.’
As Kija, Farn and Tika looked puzzled, he showed them a mind picture of an underground lake, a strange mist lying over its surface. Then Brin surged forward to join his father and explain the pleasure ahead.
Farn wriggled his toes and sighed. ‘I hope it is not much further.’
Kija turned her head to study him for a moment. She said quietly: ‘Bravery is tested in many strange ways my son.’
Farn looked at her anxiously, sapphire eyes whirring. Tika met Kija’s golden look and nodded, putting her arm lightly across Farn’s shoulder. ‘That’s right Farn. Perhaps anyone can battle a raging fengar if they have to, but to walk a league with hurt feet that no one else sees or knows about is a different sort of bravery. But it is bravery just the same.’
Farn’s head lifted a little higher. He took a deep breath and began to pace firmly forward. ‘Well, come along. We do not want to be the last of all, do we?’ he asked.
Kija’s eyes shone their affectionate pale honey colour at Tika briefly, then they both hurried after Farn.
The tunnel had been sloping very gently downwards with several places curving to the right. Tika guessed the afternoon would have darkened to nightfall out in the upper world. The Guards had become more relaxed as they walked, old Lorak spinning his tales to them. Tika heard snatches of his stories, each more convoluted and unbelievable than the last. Lorak’s face had lost the grey tightness it had developed over the
past days and he seemed back to his usual self. Ahead of her, Mim still clutched his cloak around his thin body, obviously still thoroughly chilled.
Tika herself, had pushed her cloak over her shoulders, she felt almost warm compared to her recent coldness. Sket and Motass stumped along behind Mim, ahead of Tika. Occasionally Sket looked over his shoulder at her, clearly they took their idea of being personal bodyguards very seriously.
Suddenly silence spread back from the leading members of the company. Everyone behind hurried the last steps to see what lay before them. The enclosed tunnel widened, becoming a broad ledge open on the right side, winding down to a pool. Rocks gleamed and shone with a strange greenish light. The glow lamps still lining the left wall beside them only reached a few man lengths across the water. The company could not guess how far the pool might extend. The mist Tika had seen in Brin’s mind was coiling lazily over the water’s surface.
Peering down, they saw more Delvers with small carts and several braziers, settled near the water’s edge. The Delvers were looking up at the arrivals, most faces showing welcoming, and curious, smiles. A feeling of a certain relief made the company hurry down to meet their hosts. Names flew back and forth, hot food and drink were offered and gratefully accepted. Tika’s head spun as she tried to remember names and which faces they belonged to.
As she joined Mim, Khosa emerged from her carrying sack under Mim’s cloak. Some of the Delvers noticed her and drew the attention of their fellows. It was into a silence that Khosa stalked regally to the nearest brazier. There she sat, her tail thrashing impatiently. Lorak took a piece of meat from his dish and held it to Khosa’s nose. Her whiskers twitched, she turned away with a look of unmistakable disgust and fixed her glare on Berri.
‘I am Khosa, a Queen of the Kephi. I eat fresh meat.’ The words rang imperiously in every head. Farn looked horrified, but Berri picked a chunk of uncooked meat from a basket and, kneeling, offered it to Khosa. Khosa sniffed it daintily, then deigned to consume it rapidly.
‘Aah,’ crooned Berri. ‘Isn’t she sweet?’
Farn moaned and shut his eyes. Khosa crooned back at Berri and climbed onto her lap. Berri stood up carefully, cradling the orange Kephi against her shoulder. As she turned to carry this amazing little creature to the other Delvers to admire, Khosa looked back at Lorak, Mim and Farn. Her expression was insufferably smug but it changed to her more usual glare as Tika and Mim began to giggle helplessly.
As Gan came through the crowd and found Mim and Tika convulsed with laughter, his first thought was – Lorak. His gaze fell on the old gardener, who sat leaning against Fenj’s side. Lorak lifted his eyes to meet Gan’s and gave him a horribly innocent grin. ‘Oh no, Lord Gan. It’s the Kephi made them laugh. Not me.’
Fenj looked down onto Lorak’s battered hat. ‘Splendid creature!’ he murmured.
Gan knew he was growing to hate that phrase, but Serim appeared before he could make a comment he might regret.
‘If any of you wish, the water is hot. Bathe your feet, or swim. There are substances in the water, which refresh and soothe. We have towels and blankets for you.’
Brin was already paddling they realised, his eyes rosy prisms of delight. As they watched, he waded deeper, stretching out his wings. Tika and Mim were pulling off their boots and Farn, Ashta and Jeela were heading towards Brin. As Kija rose to follow, Gan saw his Guards removing boots and cloaks. Several Delvers were walking in the shallowest water.
Fenj surged to his feet. He looked down at Lorak. ‘Shall we join them all and bathe, Lorak of the Garden?’
Gan knew he would gloat for days over the look of utter horror that spread over Lorak’s face at Fenj’s suggestion. As Fenj waited patiently, Lorak finally managed to sputter: ‘Well now. It isn’t good for old human bones, Lord Fenj. Rots ‘em like. I’ll just wait here and watch.’
Before Gan could make the scathing comment he had ready, Serim rejoined them.
‘If your company is able to keep a good pace, we will reach Amud about this time tomorrow.’
“Amud?” Gan queried.
‘It is one of our main settlements. Our Wise One, Nolli, is travelling from further north to meet you there. Then perhaps, some of your questions may be answered.’
Chapter Twenty-Three
Soul Bonds: Book 1 Circles of Light series Page 22
