Rees soon cleared the cutting itself. He was glad of it. A more forbidding place he had never seen. He was now back out in the full glare of the late morning sun. It was a long way down to the oasis, and it would be late afternoon at least before they reached it. The air seemed clearer on this side of the Dragon Spine for some reason. The brown carpet of the plains stretched out to the horizon below them. The mountains curved away in a large crescent on both sides. Away to the right as they began their descent the high peak of Sara Sara could be seen. It stood a long way behind the Dragon Spine mountains, yet its vast bulk was so huge that even at this distance its smoke belching peak towered over the ranges in front of it.
Within that mountain it was said, turned the prison of the Lord of Darkness. A huge stone like a giant millers wheel. The prison was but a cavern cut into the stone of the wheel. The prison placed on the outer rim of the wheel disappeared from view as the wheel turned slowly on the axis that drove all the way to the centre of the world. It took an age upon age, and even longer for the carved prison cell to appear again at the opening. The wheel had been built by the Creator. The Lord of the Light, to hold fast his enemy, the Lord of Darkness. Everyone knew the stories of those vast battles that had raged across the land so far back in time. They had turned now to myth and legend. Only the smoking tower of Sara Sara still there to remind the world of what had happened. Only the forces of good and evil still carrying on the battle. Everyone who believed the stories knew that one day the wheel would again bring the Dark Lord around to the opening. He would then step free on the world again.
At the last minute of the great battle fought by the Malachite King before his death, a key stone had been placed through the axle of the Wheel of Sara Sara. The wheel had tightened onto the key and with a groan that had shaken the world it finally came to a stop. The Dark Lord could not escape now.
That had been the case. Now they knew that the Morgoth, the followers of the Dark One had somehow been able to remove the key stone and carry it off. The Morgoth however had been overpowered by the sheer force and brutality of the Tharsian, and the key stone was now in their possession and doubtless hidden in the vastness of the deep forests.
Rees heeled his mount gently, and started after the others down the winding road to the plains below. There was no sign of the thousands of warriors having passed this way yet. Rees thought there should have been some sign. Even a dust cloud from so many feet. Perhaps they were not coming after all.
The day wore on, and still they had not cleared the foot hills. The party was strung out in single file, the horses walking at a steady mile consuming pace.
Slowly the ground flattened out, and the last ridges and low hills were behind them. The endless plain stretched out before them, only the black ribbon of roadway like an arrow directly south giving any sense of direction. The stark and forbidding massif of the mountains now way behind the riders. The sun was well down. It would be night fall soon and they still had a long way to go to get to the oasis. Rees didn't think they would make it. He hurried forward to Mei'An's side.
"Perhaps we should make camp here while we have light, and press on in the morning?" Mei'An glanced at Rees in a non committal way. "Perhaps." Was all she said. Rees stayed alongside for a few minutes and was just about to fall back, thinking he would get nothing else for answer, when Mei'An said.
"Yes, I will take your advice Rees. I should listen to your advice more often I think, in the light of recent developments." She trotted ahead and placed a hand on Luan's arm and spoke quietly to him. He glanced at Rees, then pulled his mount around and off to the side of the road. Rees just sat his horse, with his mouth hanging open.
Mei'An had miscalculated it seemed. She had thought they would reach the oasis on the Star Field Plain in time to wait out the noonday heat. In fact they had ridden slowly on under the burning sky, until late into the afternoon. The oasis was still not in sight across the shimmering plain.
Luan had been pushing ahead all the way, but Rees and Edina had been slowing the party down by hanging back. Mei'An was torn between saying something to speed them up, or slowing Luan down to a walk to allow Rees and Edina to come along with them.
Rees was normally quiet. He found himself with less to say to Edina than normal. He could not understand it really. Edina was a good friend. They had known each other since childhood, and were comfortable with long familiarity. Rees had been surprised when he found himself looking at Edina as though he had just seen her for the first time. Up in the high pass, she had stopped a little ahead him. Her grey mare shivering its skin as horses do to disturb the flies. She had the goat skin water bag held up, her head back, the smooth skin of her neck stretched taught. Her plaited hair tail hung straight down, and the posture necessary to hold up the water bag forced her breasts to strain against the soft hide of her jacket. Rees had blinked in surprise. It had suddenly dawned on him that Edina was a beautiful young woman. He looked away in confusion, twisting in his saddle to check that the crate holding the figurine and treasures was still secure.
Edina smiled to herself. 'Men.' She thought. 'As blind as bats.' She hung the water bag on the saddle horn and kneed her horse into a canter. It had taken a moment for Rees to collect his wits and start after her. Confusion creasing his brow.
The sun was now a molten ball on the horizon. It seemed to be melting the very earth, forming a huge liquid pool that spread out along the line of the plain.
There was no shelter. No trees of any kind. Even the tallest shrub was only ankle high and the plain stretched away without a dip or rise in its entire surface.
It was because of the strange affinity between Rees and the statue of the Keeper of the Blue Tower that had decided Mei'An on her course of action. Rees was without doubt strongly linked to Antonin. The forces that that had been set in motion revolved strongest around Antonin. They were also swirling around his companions Rees and Gaul, though to a slightly lesser degree. Mei'An had noted though that things just seemed to happen around Rees. Even he was not truly conscious of it. It might be best to let events take their course, and be prepared for the unexpected.
So at Rees's suggestion, they would make camp where they were. Way out on the Star Field Plain, with only the night sky covering them. Mei'An could not understand why they had not reached the oasis. She had been sure that it had been less than a day's ride from the high mountain pass. She couldn't believe they had missed it. It was a mystery she would like to solve.
Everyone was dismounted now. The horses tied to a rope picket that Rees had quickly set up. Unsaddled, the riding horses fed on grains and watered. The pack animals unloaded and fed and watered. There was plenty of short grass and vegetation for the animals to nibble at. Edina soon had a small fire of twigs and grass going. Striking her flint into the pile, her eyes had been on Rees, squatting across the cleared circle from her. The quick sparks from the flint stone had reflected in her clear eyes like shooting stars in the night sky. Rees had cleared his throat in embarrassment, sure that he had been staring. Mei'An spread a ground sheet by the small flickering fire. Luan was standing like a statue, off to one side. He was staring off into the gathering gloom, slowly turning a full circle so that eventually he had scanned the surrounds from horizon to horizon. His granite like features were silhouetted against the last light of the sky. All planes and angles, his features appeared to have been hewn from stone by a mason with no time to attend to fine details. The most prominent feature was his nose. A prominent hook nose beneath bushy eye brows proclaimed him a native of Arafella, far to the west.
His eyes were deep set pools of black, and his long dark hair was straight and hung to his shoulders. All together he had the appearance even down to his fingerless leather gloves, that he was not a man you would trifle with. He swung his fur collared cape about himself and slipped away into the gloom, soon disappearing from sight.
Rees noted his going, but kept his thoughts to himself. He was born on the Star Field Plain, and was alive to
every little sense of the place. There was nothing out there. The almost inaudible chirping of crickets, the faint rustling of lizards, the very whisper of the wind in the short grasses assured him all was well. If Luan wanted to spend the night looking for trouble then he was welcome to it.
Rees handed a piece of dried meat to Edina and settled himself back on one elbow. He chewed at his piece of meat, and watched the thin trace of smoke drifting away from the small fire. He had also share the ration with Mei'An, and handed her a piece for Luan.
Slowly it came to Rees that all sound had ceased. Not even the insects moved. It took but a heartbeat and at the same time Edina was crouched like a cat ready to spring, facing out from the fire. Rees was on his feet, his sword in hand. Mei'An was up on her knees, and out of the corner of his eye Rees could see a faint blue haze surrounding her. 'So she had her defences after all.' He thought. His concentration was heightened though. Only something on the prowl in the night would cause such a hush. Rees looked for Edina. She had disappeared. He was not surprised. The Mare Altan were very good. If they did not want to be seen, you could stand on one before you realized it was too late. Mei'An relaxed a little and sat down again. Luan loomed out of the gloom. He was accompanied by two Asha Altan. Their clothes of brown and green, soft leather boots soundless on the plain, and almost trackless.
Rees was not about to relax yet. It took a moment, and a step closer for him to recognise that one of the two was Jardine, the leader of the clans in the district of his home town. The other was unknown to him. Luan stepped over to Mei'An and squatted on his haunches. The two Asha Altan stayed where they were. There was no sign of recognition on the face of either, so Rees was not about to relax. Suddenly the unknown one's face broke into a huge grin. He started laughing openly as if he had suddenly thought of a huge joke. He took a step forward, and Rees then saw that Edina was at arm's length behind him, her short spear with its wicked barbed point planted firmly in the small of his back. The man thought it was a joke! Were they all mad. Rees shook his head. The man with the spear in his back slowly turned his head until he could see Edina. "A fine joke from the Running Dear," he laughed. "I warrant you will spread this tale far and wide among the Mare Altan."
"Not so," smiled Edina. "To catch a man is easy. To be caught by one is much harder." She laughed the words and dropped her spear to her side and stepped forward.
"Welcome my brothers. What brings you here with the man of stone?" She was referring to Luan.
"This Companion came to us. He saw where we were camped, he is very good." A nod to Luan brought a slight inclination of the head in return. "He bid us welcome to speak with the Wind Reader, of events and developments."
Rees sat back down and indicated the others were welcome to do the same.
"You may build up the fire if you wish, there are no others but us, and our camp, on the plains this night." The Asha Altan settled around the small fire with Rees, Edina, Mei'An and Luan, who finally relaxed enough to sit cross legged on the ground.
"The combined clans are reluctant to cross the mountains." Began the Asha Altan. "Without some assurances that the battle will be wholly around Ha Hu."
"It seems that you are right to be cautious. Even now we head south to take ship to Hua Guo. I have discovered that The Lord of the Dragon Armies is waiting for us there." No one asked her how she knew this. She was a Wind Reader. It was enough.
"Should you wish to follow us, you will be welcome. The storm will centre around the Dragon. It will take all we have to win out. The Tharsians have the Keystone, and while they have it, the wheel continues to turn. We do not know what role the Morgoth play in this - nor indeed the Tharsians - only that they both have and want to keep the key. The Dark One will do all possible through his followers to prevent us replacing the key stone in the axle of the Great Wheel."
Tessalan, the man with Jardine, spoke. "For our clan I speak, we will proceed with you to Hua Guo." Jardine glanced at him. "Tessalan is ever ready to rush into battle, but forgets to watch his back." There was no crack of a smile on Jardine's face, but the tiny creases at the corners of his eyes gave away the joke to the watching Tessalan. "Ha. I can see I will never live this night down." Laughed Tessalan. He was a younger version of Jardine, lean and muscular, dark eyes ever watchful. His clothes were much the same. Soft hide, all brown and green. These men could fade into the landscape and be right under an enemies nose without them knowing it. "Jardine," said Tessalan with the ghost of a smile still on his face." What would you suggest? That we all continue to Ha Hu? When the battle is moving away from there."
"Not so," replied Jardine. "I am suggesting that we send one clan only on to Ha Hu, there to make contact with our friends in the city. They can keep the city safe in the event that the Lord of the Dragon Armies returns by the same means by which he left." Jardine looked at Mei'An. "Of course, we take your advice above all Wind Reader."
Mei'An sat tapping her finger against her lips. For long moments she was silent. Finally she shook her head as though coming to a decision. "Where is the oasis that we stopped at on the way here?" She said. "We have ridden all day, and should have seen it by now. It was only a short way from the Great Road, and less than a day's ride from the mountains."
"Our scouts report nothing but featureless plain all the way to the mountains Wind Reader." Said Jardine.
"Then the forces of the Dark Lord himself are trying to thwart us. Only such as he could wipe all trace of an oasis from the face of the earth. Jardine, you should do as you suggest. One clan to secure Ha Hu, the rest accompany us. It seems the dark one knows of our journey, and would stop us if he can. The safety of Antonin, Rees and Gaul are paramount.
Rees sat up straight, a surprised look on his face. "Me!" He exclaimed.
"Yes. You and Gaul both." Said Mei'An.
"Ahh.." Began Tessalan.
"Yes?" Queried Mei'An, one eyebrow raised.
"Even now Gaul is in the village discussing events with the two Traders. There is only a small core of Maidens there to protect the village itself."
Mei'An's indrawn breath hissed through her teeth.
"Then you must send a clan back to the village. They are in great peril. Even though the Seal of the Creator be there, an arrow in the night will kill as surely as a thunderbolt. As well, there is the Inn Keeper's daughter."
Everyone looked at Mei'An in open surprise. She said nothing more. A long pause, then she said softly. "Now Jardine. Tomorrow may be too late."
Jardine leapt to his feet and sped away into the darkness. Tessalan was on his feet. "And I, Wind Reader?"
"Tessalan, go to the clans you have gathered. Jardine is to take the Water Mark clan to Xu Gui. There are enough in the clan? Yes. You will send the Black Hands to Ha Hu. They will stay in the city. Two other clans of your choosing will also go, but they are to continue into the subterranean caverns, and proceed with great caution to clean out the Tharsians encamped there. That will be most dangerous. There is some monstrous engine there that roams unchecked. Your people must stand aside from it when it passes. It cannot be stopped. To try brings death. They will need oil for lamps, and food and water. The caverns are dark and barren."
"The remaining clans Wind Reader? My own clan, the Running Men?"
"Will accompany us to Hua Guo." She finished his sentence.
Tessalan exhaled with a rush, and was grinning from ear to ear.
"Good." Was all he said, but it was plain that he was pleased to be heading toward the centre of the coming storm. Antonin. He turned to go. "We will be back within the hour. The clans will move tonight." Then he was gone into the night.
Luan had said nothing, but now he moved into the flickering light of the fire.
"Mei'An, so many people. Six clans. So many ships needed now to transport everyone at one time. We can't manage it, surely?" He said.
"Fine my Companion. Then we go on foot. We must follow the ancient trade route. So many warriors will give any aggressors pause for thought. Yes
, I know it goes directly through the country of the Tharsians now. Perhaps they will not see us?"
Luan grunted. He didn't seem to appreciate the joke. Mei'An glanced at Edina, who seemed like a cat on a hot roof, hopping from one foot to the other.
"No." Said Mei'An firmly to the girl. "You must stay with Rees. You are his protector." Mei'An held up her hand to stop Rees, his mouth already open in protest. "Edina, I tell you now. If you run with your sisters in the clan, both you and Rees will die. Rees must be protected even at the cost of your own life. Will you take this responsibility upon yourself? This honour, for truly it is." Edina glanced away into the night, then looked directly at Rees. "So protecting the life of a village boy brings me much honour does it? Very well. We will see." She sat, looking not well pleased.
Mei'An spoke quietly to her. "Edina, you will be protecting the right hand of the Lord of the Dragon Armies. This village boy is no less than the Marshall of the Hosts. It will be he who stands at the head of the armies destined to follow the Dragon, the King of the Malachites."
Edina's eyes were as big as plates. Rees no less, his mouth hanging open. Luan was looking at Rees with something close to keen interest. Rees was speechless. Even more so when Edina bent her knee in front of Mei'An.
"Beat me without mercy Wind Reader." She cried into the dust. "I doubted your wisdom, and placed my own selfish wishes first. I am unworthy." Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut. Her fists clenched. She fully expected to be beaten for her transgression. Mei'An was a little taken aback. She knew discipline in the warrior septs was harsh, but she didn't expect it was this severe.
The Dragons of Sara Sara Page 36
