Chapter Twenty-Four
Tika spent most of the morning with Navan, strangely relaxed and comforted in his presence. He too had been a Captain of armsmen, but those men belonged to Lord Hargon of Return. Navan had been sent to hunt down a runaway slave girl, but he had deliberately searched in the wrong areas, giving her time to get into the Ancient Mountains. He’d had small hope that she might survive in the wilds but he had not wanted to see her returned to slavery.
Now, they talked of those days, of Navan’s great grandmother Mayla, a slave herself, who had secretly taught Tika the basics of reading and writing. Tika felt easy with Navan, the same sort of feeling she had with Sket. She knew that both men would die to protect her or help her, and would be hurt and offended if ever she should thank them for any service they did for her.
They had discussed the odd island Navan had found among his maps and it had been Navan who suggested its connection with the egg shaped pendant Tika wore. Tika pulled it free of her shirt, studying it for the thousandth time.
‘You think this came from the island?’ she asked.
‘I think there’s a connection. Whether it actually came from there, I don’t know.’
‘I’m sure that island is the home of Shadow, Navan. You know your maps make hardly any sense to me but I did look at that one of Kelshan and the Dark Realm. I could pick out settlements, clusters of buildings, especially around what is now Kelshan City and the Citadel. But there was no sign of anything similar in the Dark Realm, although from what I can work out, the Dark Ones settled there long before Kelshan became a prosperous or civilised land. Therefore the Dark Realm has some form of concealment which I have certainly not sensed. But perhaps the blurred smudgy look of this map is due to a kind of shielding.’
‘I admit I did wonder that myself. When you open these gateway things, would they be affected by such a shield?’
Tika frowned. ‘That’s worth checking, and not just with Shivan. But if the Dark Realm is shielded, we pass in and out of there without problems.’
‘What happened to Ren?’ Navan asked softly.
Tika sighed, and told him. She also spoke of Kazbeck and Corim being killed inside the Menedula. And she told him of Mena, Lord Hargon’s daughter, who Navan had watched from babyhood, bullied by her two brothers and scorned by her father. Tika enjoyed the morning. She was able to stand away from the immediate dilemmas confronting her for a while in the reassuring presence of someone she respected and trusted completely. When, reluctantly she rose to leave, Navan opened the door for her.
‘Tika,’ he began, then stopped.
‘If you wish to travel with us, you would be most welcome, old friend,’ Tika replied to the question he’d hesitated to ask.
He nodded. ‘I would like that very much.’
Lord Cyrek woke to find himself on a hillside. The sun was low in the west and the scent of herbs in the grass on which he lay told him where he was: on his family estate, many miles from Karmazen. He rolled onto his back with a groan, his head splitting with pain. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to think clearly. Cyrek remembered listening to that stupid little bitch, Tika, spouting rubbish in the Karmazen Palace. They all thought she was so special, so gifted, and she was nothing compared with him. He had touched her mind when she lay unconscious in Kelshan and he had barely been able to conceal his amusement.
They thought she had power? He’d sensed no such thing. He would squash her like a bug under his thumb when the right moment presented itself. Cyrek remembered listening to her speak. Then, unable to contain his mirth, he strode out of the main section of the Palace, around to the series of high walled gardens where those Dark Ones who were in the half death took the air after nightfall. He remembered walking round the paths, chuckling aloud, and then - .
Then, he’d awoken here. Cyrek’s arrogance refused to let him admit that any Dark One was his match for power, so he didn’t even go through the names of those who might have been nearby. His thought went instantly to the Crazed One in his Splintered Kingdom. Although Cyrek had persuaded himself that even the Crazed One’s power was intermittent, he had begrudgingly realised there were moments when that power could be focused and used deliberately.
When the bastard had hit him, for example. Usually the Crazed One was confused, rambling, unfocused. But in that one instant, his hand had lifted and struck Cyrek without Cyrek seeing that hand begin to move. Why had the Crazed One moved him from the Karmazen gardens these miles to his family lands? Had he feared that Cyrek would take that girl before the Crazed One could get her himself?
Despite the pain hammering in his temples, Cyrek smiled. Obviously, the Crazed One must appreciate just what manner of power Cyrek could command against him. He had reacted impulsively, betraying his fear of this Dark Lord. Cyrek lay there and laughed. The laugh was brief – it hurt his head far too much to laugh as much as he would have liked.
Deep in the very stone of the Karmazen Palace, Lord Dabray sighed. Each breath was harder than the last, but he would cling to what life he had, for as long as he could. He believed in that child, and he had promised her what help he could offer. He begged Mother Dark’s indulgence that he would survive long enough to fulfil his promise. He had felt he should not kill Cyrek yet, that the conceited fool had a part to play in this deadly game. But he had wanted to. Oh how he’d wanted to.
All of Tika’s companions were in the dining room when Tika left Navan, all except Shivan, she noted. She raised a questioning brow at Sket and he jerked his head in the rough direction of the pavilion. Tika found Shivan staring out of a window.
‘Was Onion really strong enough to walk back to the House?’ she asked.
He spun round, unaware anyone had come in. ‘He insisted he was. Dog was dreadfully rude to him, then Sket joined in and the three of them went off, all arm in arm. Tika, I am trying to understand. What I said earlier, well, Farn told me he kept saying the wrong things by accident.’ He ventured a smile. ‘I told him my parents have been telling me to think before I speak for twenty years. He was shocked that I still haven’t learnt in that much time.
‘Seriously though, I have been raised in and around the Palace, very formally and rigidly – manners and custom had to be closely followed. It might help if people like me had to spend time with people like Essa and Dog. We are the same people and yet so different.’
Tika curled up in an armchair. ‘I thought you were quite shocked the first time you heard Sket yelling at me.’
Shivan took a chair opposite her. ‘I couldn’t believe my ears,’ he admitted. ‘In my part of the Dark Realm – the Palace and the Academy – no one, absolutely no one, would speak to one of higher rank in such a way, and not face punishment.’
‘And do you now see that there are no ranks among my company of friends?’
Shivan thought before he replied. ‘You may think there are no ranks here Tika, but there are. At the top is you, then Sket, then everyone else.’
Reluctantly, Tika knew he was correct and offered no contradiction.
‘I apologise if my words were wrong earlier Tika, I meant no rudeness.’
Tika sighed. ‘I know Shivan. And you were partially right, but you must learn that I reach many decisions in my own way. That isn’t to say I ignore anyone else’s opinions. But I end up making the choices. Now, let’s get some food – if there’s any left, and you can tell me where Farn is.’
As they left the pavilion, a small orange cat pushed herself out of the folds of Onion’s discarded blanket and settled down for a thoughtful washing session.
The Dragons had been disappointed to find the Plavats were only illusions, although they’d had some fun chasing wildly after the one Kemti had sent outside. Until it simply melted at the edges and faded away. Kija allowed that it had been a very good trick on Kemti’s part, but the Merigs had been less amused. In fact, the three females who had chosen to nest in Kemti’s room protested vigorously to Lady Emla and then departed from the estate, their
mates miserably trailing behind them.
The company spent the afternoon on the verandah outside the pavilion. Navan arrived with a leather scroll case containing some of his maps and a pack with his clothes. The Dark Lady Shiral, Shivan’s aunt visited them later.
‘I returned home yesterday,’ she told them at once. ‘Corman and Peshan aren’t clear what happened but Cyrek disappeared after your speech, Lady Tika. Corman was able to trace him this time, and found him unconscious on his estates, which are some considerable distance from Karmazen. He said there was an assumption that the Crazed One had hurled him there. But I was to tell you Lady Tika, that Corman believes another did so.’
Shiral frowned. ‘Corman told me to say the name Seela to you, and then you would know who he meant.’
Tika felt a jolt through her entire body and her hand went involuntarily to the left side of her shirt. In a pouch fastened inside the shirt were two Dragon scales. One was a pale shimmering purple. The other was an iridescent grey, tinted with every colour imaginable. Dabray? Could that great Dragon, increasingly entombed within the stone of Karmazen Palace still access such power? She saw Shivan behind Shiral, the same realisation dawning in his bright yellow eyes.
‘Corman also said the earth has been shaking in many regions in the Drogoyan lands. It is the senior Lords opinion that Drogoya is now aligned with the Splintered Kingdom, locked more firmly to that part of this world, than has been known before.’
Tika groaned. ‘Then that is where we go. Now. Lady Shiral, will you tell Lady Emla for me that she must keep her Seniors watching the borders here.’
As she finished speaking, Emla, Kemti and Konya came in. Quickly Tika explained her intent, hugging first Emla, then Kemti.
‘Konya do you wish to stay here?’
Konya glared at her and simply went to fetch her pack.
‘Onion?’
His reply was a snarl, which Tika took to mean that he would be coming with the company.
‘Konya, you travel with the Dragons,’ Tika ordered. ‘And you Sket. Emla, are you in regular contact with Lallia and Seboth? Let them know all that has happened – they must be on their guard now too.’
Then there was no more time. The Dragons and Shivan had arranged a destination by some means beyond anyone else’s understanding, and the Dragons were already aloft. Shea clutched Khosa in her arms and stood close to Essa. Shivan murmured a phrase in a tongue unknown to any of them, and then Emla and Kemti stood alone on the pavilion steps. Kemti slid an arm round Emla’s narrow waist.
‘It just isn’t fair Kemti,’ Emla muttered.
His arm tightened briefly. ‘Since when was life fair my dear?’
The company arrived in an open grassy area on slightly higher ground from which they looked down on an abandoned village. Volk and Daisy surveyed the land around, and seeing them, Tika wondered how that horse had known to be by the pavilion when Shivan opened a gateway. As though aware of her gaze, Daisy swung her head in Tika’s direction and curled a lip in a definite sneer.
‘Where are we?’ Tika demanded.
‘Between Merriton and Syet, and further south than either. That place was called Vardon I think.’
Rhaki turned in a slow circle. All he could see were three Dragons circling high overhead. Farn was lying nearby, Sket and Konya trotting across the rough grass to the company.
‘Marvellous,’ Konya beamed at Tika. ‘Such a joy, not to feel desperately sick when we got here. Why aren’t we sick?’
Tika laughed. ‘I have no idea, but I’m pleased you’re not ill.’ She glanced at Volk again. ‘Are any of your people around?’
He shook his head. ‘No one.’
Volk’s horse jerked her head from his hand and began to plod steadily down the hill.
‘Where is she going?’ Tika asked warily.
Volk shrugged. ‘North west.’
Tika watched Daisy for a moment then Khosa shot past her legs and minced along at Daisy’s heels, orange tail fluffed and upright. Tika shrugged.
‘Let’s just follow,’ she said to the companions. ‘Onion, you will get on Farn’s back. No.’ Her voice hardened as the engineer opened his mouth. ‘No argument. You will not march just yet.’
Farn was already pacing up to Onion’s side.
‘And will you ride with him Konya?’ Tika suggested softly. ‘I don’t want him falling off.’
The healer nodded, settling her pack on her shoulders before climbing behind Onion. Farn lifted into the air and Essa fell into step beside Tika.
‘Nicely done,’ she grinned.
Tika ignored the remark. ‘Where’s that bloody horse going, Volk?’
‘I don’t know for sure.’ He sounded embarrassed.
‘The Oblaka,’ Dromi said from behind Essa.
Tika looked over her shoulder and met his strange, many coloured eyes. ‘You think so? Why?’
‘Tunnels.’ His reply was succinct.
Sket swore. ‘Why is it always bloody tunnels?’ he complained.
‘How far are we from the Oblaka, Volk?’
‘Two, three days walk.’
Tika walked on for a while in silent thought. ‘Dromi, why did you think tunnels are important?’
The Old Blood considered his words before offering a reply. ‘From what I know, from my studies at Steadfast Rock, all references to the Place Between which you call the Splintered Kingdom, describe tunnels. Or at least, corridors with no windows and so no natural light. What you have described of your experiences, seems a very similar place. So this Crazed One must live underground, it is his natural environment. My people in Steadfast Rock have no idea where the Splintered Kingdom originated, or what type of being the Crazed One might be.’
Everyone had been listening closely.
‘So he could be a worm, or a mouse, large ones obviously,’ Shea suggested in all seriousness. ‘I mean he doesn’t have to look like us, does he?’
‘She’s right,’ Rhaki admitted. ‘Have you seen him, Tika?’
‘No I haven’t.’
‘So he could appear as anything, given he can create illusions.’
They walked all day, following Daisy’s stately plodding hooves: Khosa chose to hitch a ride on the horse’s broad back very early on. The land was all open grass land. Volk explained that cattle had been raised in this region, for both meat and for milk, but they saw not a single animal now. Trees made a dark line ahead of them and the land rose rapidly, into mountains rather than hills. They camped early, the day seeming much longer than normal as they had left Gaharn in the afternoon but arrived here soon after daybreak apparently.
Tika was ashamed to discover that Volk and Konya had made sure there had been food packs made ready each day, by Emla’s staff. Tika hadn’t spared a thought for details such as provisioning her company. Daisy halted of her own accord and was grazing at the edge of their camp. The Dragons too were reclined around the companions, Storm leaning against Kija and snoring. Essa and Volk spun at the same instant, staring into the deepening twilight behind them. A middle aged man stood there, a little hesitant, as if unsure of his welcome. His name sprang into Tika’s mind as she rose to welcome him.
‘Sabel. I’m glad to see you again. Is all well at Blue Mirror, and with your people?’
Sabel drew closer to the small fire. ‘We have searched over most of these lands Lady Tika, and we can find no one alive except those who have Old Blood, however dilute, running in their veins. There is much discussion as to why this should be, as you can imagine. The ground shakes in many places, places where there have been no such reports before.. None around the Oblaka complex, or the town.’
‘Any of our folk around there?’ Volk asked.
‘Yes. Many more than before. Word got out that the ground doesn’t shake, or worse.’
‘Worse?’
Sabel accepted a bowl of tea from Konya and then answered Rhaki’s question.
‘In quite a lot of places the earth opens up, like a great mouth. It swallows wh
atever was standing there – trees, buildings, animals – and then it closes over again.’
The company sat huddled around their fire, contemplating the thought of being gulped down by the earth they were sitting on.
‘Has anyone ventured inside the Oblaka?’ Volk’s deep voice rumbled into the quiet.
Sabel nodded. ‘Empty.’
‘Completely?’ Tika asked in surprise, remembering the common room, crowded with refugees, both adults and children, as well as students.
Sabel nodded again. ‘No bodies. Nothing at all.’
Having seen the cold fire Shivan could raise, Volk wondered if something similar might have been used in the complex.
‘We had some of our people in there, you know that, Volk. They said everyone just vanished.’
Tika frowned. ‘But not Old Bloods?’
‘Not a single one,’ Sabel agreed.
‘We’ll be there, day after tomorrow,’ Volk told him. ‘Is Hesla still there?’
‘Yes. She was very tired when she got back from Syet, but she’s been organising searches for the last few days.’ Sabel stood up. ‘I’ll be getting back then. See you soon.’
Sabel nodded at Tika and moved away into the gloom, still shy of allowing any outsiders to witness his transformation from man to owl.
The ground began to rise steeply the next day, taking more effort to travel, but Tika wanted to walk, to have a time to think before plunging into whatever threat lay ahead. And she had little doubt it was a threat waiting for her. But by the following noon, they were approaching the ruined buildings above the town of Oblaka. It was unnaturally quiet: they had seen few, if any, birds or beasts in their two day march, and they saw none around the town.
‘Wonder if any of my poor goats are still around,’ Tika heard Volk mutter to himself when they paused at the head of a track, wide enough for two wagons, which led to the Oblaka’s cliff top community.
The charred and tumbled buildings looked the same, some partially repaired, as Tika had seen them days ago.
Perilous Shadows: Book 6 Circles of Light Page 31
