‘Should we keep out of the way a bit longer do you think?’ Tika asked Mim.
‘Perhaps we should go to the pavilion,’ he replied. ‘These new clothes seem to have become rather dirty. The Lady and her people appear to set much store on the cleanness of everything. This one’s mother was much the same.’
Tika slipped her arm around Mim’s waist, her dark head reaching his shoulder, nearly. Although he had shown Emla and the Seniors what events had catapulted him out of his woodlands and into this so different world, only Ashta, Tika, and Farn were aware of the terrible, constant pain Mim felt. The deep, abiding pain of such total loss, and also guilt, at not being there to share that horror. He struggled to come to terms with the fact that he alone had survived.
Having tidied their appearance, Tika and Mim sat quietly at the doorway of the pavilion, watching the sky flush with sunset colours. ‘Someone comes,’ Mim warned. Seconds later, Tika heard footsteps pattering along the stone path. Shan burst round the corner and skidded to a halt in front of them.
‘There you are! They are all in a tizz, thinking you had flown away!’ She looked at their slightly worried expressions and laughed merrily. ‘You are in no trouble,’ she said and reached to catch a hand of each. ‘Come quickly, they all wait your presence at the supper table.’ She pulled them along with her at a fast trot until they neared the House. She dragged them to a standstill and straightened their clothes and hair, as if they were mere babies, as Tika vigorously complained. When they apparently met with Shan’s approval, she moved ahead of them to conduct them, as honoured guests, into the dining chamber.
Emla and the Seniors welcomed the two with some relief, and urged them to be seated as servants began bringing in steaming dishes of food. Tika noticed Gan seemed a little remote, his silence a little forbidding. She eventually managed to ignore his coldness and chatted freely with Yash and Kemti.
It was full dark when Emla decided it was time Tika and Mim should retire to bed. They had both been stifling yawns for some time. In the safety of Emla’s House, the fact that they had been living on a great deal of nervous energy in the last moons was apparent in their need to sleep. Emla wished them good night, and again Shan escorted them to the guest pavilion. And again hot tubs awaited them, but this night, they made no attempt to sit up by the fire afterwards. From bath to bed and dreamless sleep, unaware of the wards of Power Emla had woven around the whole estate, but particularly around their pavilion.
On the veranda, Ashta waited, checking her precious Mim slept peacefully, then that Tika also lay quietly. Satisfied all was well here, and lulled by Farn’s gentle snores, Ashta too closed her eyes. She wondered fleetingly what the Golden Lady and the Seniors had to discuss of such great importance. She had sensed tenseness, excitement, strong in one of the Seniors, when she had peeped in the windows of the dining chamber earlier. She yawned, rested her head on Farn’s back and she too soon slept.
Gan spoke immediately the library door closed behind the manservant. ‘Several saw Linvaks, Lady, the night they went from here. Travelling fast, so the people told my men - with some relief. But travelling beyond Gaharn, along the feet of the Spine Mountains. No one thought to follow of course, so that is all I have discovered. It does seem clear that Yar was deceived. I have sent a small group of my best scouts to see what is to be found, although too much time has been lost for us to be too hopeful.’
‘That is good news though, Gan. We can know for certain the Linvaks were under someone else’s orders. If the taking of the Weight had been their idea, they would have fled to their homeland as was falsely revealed to Yar.’ Emla sank onto her usual fireside stool. ‘I believe Kemti has news for us?’
Iska, Yash and Gan were seated now while Kemti stood before them. He spread his long thin hands almost helplessly. ‘I scarce know how to begin,’ he said. They waited. ‘Emla suggested I examine the patterns of Tika and Mim.’ Yash and Gan looked surprised. ‘I did only a visual testing. If they are agreeable, and you so wish, I can do organic tests tomorrow, but I am convinced personally by the visuals.’ He took a steadying breath, his black eyes shining in the light from the glow lamps.
‘Mim’s pattern shows some Nagum characteristics. It also shows Dragon characteristics.’ All were listening intently now. ‘And Tika – she has human patterns, but also she has markers clearly indicating she shares our blood.’
Gan’s reaction was stunned amazement, Yash looked totally intrigued. Iska nodded. ‘You have not surprised me with this news of Tika. I felt something of this nature would be revealed. But Mim – are you saying Dragon bred with Nagum? Surely neither race would contemplate such a thing?’
Kemti strode back and forth across the library, from pool of glow lamp light through shadow into light again, and back. ‘I have wrestled with this all day. I went over and over the scenes in Mim’s memory when he showed us how he reached the She Dragon Hani’s nesting cave, and I think I have the only explanation.’
‘Well by the stars Kemti, tell us!’ Yash nearly shouted at him.
‘Mim was injured. He had cuts and bruises from his climb and his fall. I believe Hani licked him with her tongue to clean and mend his hurts. It is the only way I can find as being the cause of his having Dragon patterning. Maybe Nagums, or this particular Nagum, was somehow receptive to this sort of implantation. And instead of his body rejecting these new patterns, they were accepted and grew rapidly to the extent I can see so plainly.’
‘Are either of them aware of this?’ asked Emla.
Kemti considered for a moment. ‘No, I believe not.’
‘And what if Mim mates with a Nagum in the future? What offspring will be brought forth?’ Iska sounded disturbed.
‘Seeing what perils lie before them, it hardly seems necessary to consider the distant future he may well not survive to see,’ Gan retorted.
Iska winced at his bluntness but kept silent.
‘We must all think on this,’ said Emla. ‘Consider what it can possibly mean – to Tika, to Mim, to the Dragons, and to ourselves. I will hear your views tomorrow. I think we will discuss it no more tonight – it will only blur the issue. Kemti has given us the facts, and it is these facts I would have you think on.’ Emla stood up, drawing the gold threaded shawl she wore close around her narrow shoulders. ‘I had intended to speak with Mim and Tika tomorrow. I will delay until I have your thoughts on Kemti’s discovery, and on exactly how much you feel these children should be told.’
Chapter Eleven
Farn awoke to a soft humming sound. He opened his eyes and discovered a small fur- covered beast with sharp pointed ears, crouched inches from his nose. Its eyes were tight shut and its body shook with the buzzing noise it seemed to be producing. Farn stared at this orange coloured creature in fascination. What was it, he wondered? He had never seen its like.
‘I am of the Kephi,’ a voice murmured in his mind.
Farn’s prismed eyes glowed with interest. ‘Do you live here Kephi? Why have I not seen you these two days?’
The eyes of the Kephi opened slowly, revealing eyes as blue as Farn’s own. ‘Kephi is the name of my tribe, my own name is Khosa, Farn of the Dragon Kin. I am Queen of the Kephi on the Lady’s estate. We watched your arrival and thought it prudent to see what habits you might have before introducing ourselves.’ Khosa’s mouth opened, long whiskers bristling forward as she yawned. ‘You seem harmless, so I came to greet you.’
Now she moved, her hindquarters sticking up high, a long tail rising above and her front half stretching low towards Farn. Ashta had woken and was gazing at this small thing with considerable interest. Farn said politely, ‘Perhaps we will see you again later Khosa. Ashta and I go to hunt our breakfast now.’
‘I wondered,’ Khosa sat neatly upright before the Dragons, her tail wrapped over her front feet. ‘We Kephi are great hunters. We eat only meat, like you. I thought I might join your hunt.’
‘But do you fly?’ Farn asked. ‘We travel beyond the Lady’s grounds.’
‘I know.’ Khosa fixed an unblinking stare on Farn’s whirring eyes. ‘You could carry me.’
After some thought Ashta said, a little doubtfully, ‘You could ride on us I suppose, but you are so small, could you stay safely on our backs? We could carry you in our mouths perhaps, or our hands?’
The superior stare transferred to Ashta. ‘I think not in your mouth, nor in your hands. I can hold on, like thus.’ Khosa’s front paw lifted and needle-like claws appeared from the dainty pad.
‘Hmm. I think Farn is best suited to carry you,’ said Ashta hastily.
Before Farn could think of anything to say, Khosa sprang lightly up between his wings. Ashta was already rising upwards. Farn also rose, slowly and very carefully, hoping fervently that the claws Khosa had displayed were not as dreadfully sharp as they had looked.
Mim and Tika found themselves breakfasting alone. They had expected to spend the morning with the Golden Lady, but Shan informed them she would see them later in the day. ‘She has a great deal of business to attend to you know. There are often visitors from Gaharn asking her advice on all manner of things. And her other work too.’ Shan helped herself to a handful of berries as she spoke. ‘Well, to speak truly, I do not understand what she calls her “work”, but it keeps her very busy, often till late at night. She is a lovely lady to work for though. I consider myself most fortunate that she chose me for her maid. And don’t you think she is the most beautiful of ladies?’ Shan never seemed to expect an answer when she was in full spate. ‘I expect she will send me to fetch you when she is free of duties later, so don’t you go hiding anywhere, like yesterday. I must go and ready my Lady’s heavier robes – it was quite chilly this morning didn’t you think? Oh,’ she popped her head back round the door. ‘She said you should go to Lord Gan when you have eaten. It almost went out of my head!’ And she was gone, her laughter floating behind her.
Mim and Tika looked at each other. ‘Why must we go to him?’ Mim asked. ‘Do you think he will punish us for yesterday’s mishap?’
‘Well I will not let him punish you,’ said Tika. ‘It was Farn who knocked that thing off the roof – Ashta had nothing to do with it.’
Reluctantly, they left the House and were halfway to the stable yard when Gan came out of a side door in front of them. ‘There you are,’ he said briskly. ‘We will start teaching you some of the fighters’ craft. You both have been given weapons, now you must learn to use them. Where are the Dragons?’
After a pause, Tika replied. ‘They were hunting, but they are talking to – I’m not sure who, or what. They say they will be occupied for a while, unless we have need of them. I have told them we do not.’ She felt it was still a trifle soon to bring Farn into Gan’s vicinity.
‘Right. Come in here then.’ He led the way back through the door he’d emerged from and they found themselves in a large barn like building. Strange figures swung on poles in one corner and racks of assorted weaponry lined one whole wall. ‘We will not need your real weapons, you will begin with these wooden ones. Less chance of serious injury.’ Gan strode to the rack and chose two swords as Tika pondered on his use of the word “serious” in conjunction with “injury”.
Gan handed one sword to Tika. It was weighted similarly to the real sword she now owned, but the blade was merely a blunt ended pole with no edges to it. She looked up from the weapon to see Mim, his eyes huge in his pale face, and both hands firmly behind his back. Gan was holding the practice sword towards Mim, expecting him to take it as had Tika.
Finally, Mim said, ‘This one’s people do not use these things. We harm no one.’
Gan continued to stare at Mim, his face impassive. Then he said quietly, ‘And where did that get your village, Mim?’
Tika gasped, and Mim’s face paled even further.
Mim turned from Gan to look earnestly at Tika. ‘You understand, advise this person if you will, to help him know the rightness.’
Tika was dismayed. How could she help Mim make a decision like this? Thinking hard as she spoke, she said slowly: ‘My ways are different Mim. You have been scolded, but I have been beaten. You lived in peace, in a loving family. I was a slave pet. I will fight any who ever try to harm me again. Thus I will learn from this Gan as best I can.
‘We have some sort of task ahead of us. Farn and I both believe there will be difficulties and dangers. We have already agreed we will accept any task the Lady Emla sets us. You must choose your own path Mim, the one that is meant for you. It is not a matter of rightness or wrongness.’
For a few moments it was as if the three of them were in an isolated bubble. Absolute quiet, where before they had heard voices from the stables and screams from bad tempered fengars. Tika felt a strangeness in her mind and realised it was Gan. He was about to try to force Mim’s decision. Tika hurled a mental barrier against him without even thinking what she was doing.
Gan rocked back on his heels and turned his eyes to her. Surprise grew in his expression as he discovered he was confined. Somehow, Tika had encircled his mind, there was no tiny space through which he could even summon another Senior to his aid. ‘Do not touch Mim,’ Tika said coldly in Gan’s head, as she continued to look steadily at Mim.
A pale green head appeared round the door, followed by the rest of Ashta’s already large body. Mim went straight to her, his arms going round her neck. Gan felt a tingle, and realised Tika had undone whatever it was she had done to his mind. He opened his mouth but this small female forestalled him. ‘Why do you not tell me what these things are that swing in the air?’ And he found himself walking across the barn with her.
Gan explained that anyone should, (he slanted his gaze at her as he emphasised “should”), be able to hit a stationary target. Hitting a target which moved unpredictably was considerably more difficult. He was demonstrating the correct grip she should have on the sword hilt when Mim said, ‘This one will learn to use the short knife he has been given, but he will not use a sword.’
Gan turned. Mim had crossed the barn and was close by Tika and Gan. Ashta had sat down by the doorway, her eyes flickering as she watched them. Gan nodded. ‘I am glad Mim. If you are going into places unknown, I would prefer you to go knowing some tricks to defend yourself at least. Would you consider learning to use a staff?’ He lifted a pole, slightly longer than Mim’s height, and grasped it, a hand at each end. He made a few moves, indicating how a sword blow could be deflected with this simple pole.
‘Yes,’ Mim agreed. ‘This person would learn the staff.’
Gan opened a smaller side door and yelled beyond, ‘Sket! Motass!’ Two human males hurried into the barn immediately. ‘I want you to show us, very slowly, a few moves of defence with the staff. You Sket, use a sword, Motass, take the staff.’
Tika and Mim watched, as the two men seemed to dance gently round each other. It looked simple enough. As though Gan had read their thoughts, which Tika knew he had not, he ordered: ‘Normal practise speed!’ The gentle dance turned into a blur of spinning men and weapons. Mim and Tika had a strong suspicion this was going to be far from simple.
Emla was with the Seniors in her study, a room at the highest point of the House. They had agreed that the alterations in Mim’s body had implications, which they were unable, at this moment, to fathom. The news that Tika shared their blood had more obvious overtones. The Lord of Return, as Tika had explained, had captured her mother, in a raid. All Tika knew further was that she had come “from the north”, that she had been “damaged”, and that Tika resembled her physically. But all the humans that the Seniors had knowledge of in these lands conformed to the fair haired, blue or brown eyed type.
Kemti proposed, hesitantly, that Rhaki had bred with a human female and the resulting child had, amazingly, survived. ‘Because of the predominance of markers indicating Tika is one of our race, over the human markers,’ he said, ‘it would seem clear that Tika can not be first generation cross breed.’
‘Are we to assume then that Rhaki has do
ne this deliberately, that he knows of this child? Could there be more of them?’ The Seniors were aghast at Emla’s cool suggestion.
‘I have the sense Rhaki does not know, or if he has a suspicion that he may have impregnated a human female successfully, he would be amused. Forgive me Emla, he is your brother, I know,’ Iska shook her head, ‘but he always pursued the Power so blindly. I saw him when he was but a student remember, and several of his teachers noted this tendency in him. He saw a goal and charged headlong, never pausing to consider the meanings of any particular stages on the way to that goal.’
‘You mean,’ queried Yash, ‘he may have used a human female for his amusement and ignored what any chance offspring might become should it survive?’
‘Yes.’ said Iska. ‘And I suspect Tika may have strength beyond ours. The She Dragon Krea said she saw abilities in Tika’s mind such as she had never seen, and that they would learn from each other. Alas, Krea went beyond too soon, and learnt no more.’
‘I found the humans I studied to have latent Powers, but they had convinced themselves completely that all or any uses of the Power were evil magics,’ said Emla. ‘It would be interesting to learn what event of such obvious magnitude frightened them from ever using the Power.’
‘Yes,’ said Kemti, ‘but not now Emla. Can we concentrate on this particular human in this particular time please?’
‘I think we will have to tell Tika some of our findings at least. Perhaps, with our help, she may find she has more knowledge than we on this whole matter, still buried within her.’
‘It is possible Iska,’ Yash nodded. ‘Will you explain to her Emla, or should we all be present? And what of Mim?’
‘I will speak with them both, after their midday meal. Mim I believe, is closer to her than anyone has ever been, except for Farn.’ Emla fell silent. ‘Should the Dragons be present also?’ she asked.
Soul Bonds Book 1 Circles of Light series Page 10
