was
filling almost impossibly fast with swollen black clouds, and even
as she stared, pellets of rain and ice began to hurtle down. Sket
dragged her inside the door. She looked at him, his expression
equal parts anger and fear. Yes, he too was remembering those
spears of ice which had killed Maressa and Gan.
Konya caught Tika’s arm
and gave her a little shake to get her attention. ‘You must speak
with Babach,’ she began.
‘I am quite capable of
getting out of bed woman,’ Babach retorted from behind the
healer.
Tika saw the dark rings
under the old man’s eyes and slid her arm through his, drawing him
to one of the many benches in the main room. The building was made
of wood: thick logs, split and packed lengthways, covered on the
outside with clay or mud, but left exposed within. There were few
windows but her friends were clustered by those windows, watching
the lightning make ferocious stabs down into the lake. Thunder
crashed endlessly and voices had to be raised to be
heard.
‘What is it Babach?
Volk told me you dream walked.’
‘This storm is not
natural,’ he said.
Tika leaned her
shoulder against the old man’s. ‘No. It isn’t. No more than the
ground shaking just before it began.’
Babach rubbed his hands
over his cheeks. ‘The Menedula. Power is centred there and it is
building. But I was unable to see who the power is concentrated
through.’
‘And we have three main
choices.’
Babach
nodded.
‘I must talk to Shivan,
although I really don’t know how we fight this way.’
She got to her feet but
Babach drew her back. ‘Child, you didn’t ask so I thought perhaps
you’d heard. Elyssa, your friend, she – disappeared – at the same
time as Sarryen. I’m sorry, so sorry.’
Tika sat down again,
staring at her hands, and began to work the ring on her left thumb
round and round.
‘I hoped she might have
gone home, with Kija, but when no one spoke of her, so I began to
fear.’
A hand rested on her
bowed head and she didn’t need to look up to know that Sket was
there.
A creaking noise from
the far side of the room made Tika glance up. She saw Volk pulling
the wall inwards, and realised it was a very cleverly constructed
doorway. Before it was fully open, Farn came hurrying in, followed
by Storm and Kija. Tika saw trees close outside the door as Volk
pushed it shut again.
‘Where is Brin?’ she
demanded aloud, even as she hugged Farn and reached to stroke
Storm’s wet face.
‘He’s staying outside
until the lightning goes away. Then he wants to fly to the
Menedula.’
With the awful memory
of those ice spears clear in her mind, Tika swung towards
Kija.
‘How could you let
him?’
‘Hush.’ Kija’s mind
tone was calm, soothing. ‘Brin is sheltered by some overhanging
rocks, all hidden by trees. He will wait until the weather
clears.’
Tika drew a deep
steadying breath. How could she protect everyone, she thought, in
sudden panic? She’d already lost friends she cared desperately for
- she couldn’t face losing more. She felt two minds touch hers and
realised that both Rhaki and Shivan were offering comfort. Tika’s
eyes stung with tears and she leaned in to Farn’s shoulder. He
lowered his head to rest his chin comfortingly on the top of her
head.
‘Storm and I thought we
could all play that riddle game, until the thunder’s
gone.’
Babach looked up with
interest. ‘That sounds fun. How do you play?’
Tika managed a smile.
‘You’ll regret those words, Babach.’ She stepped away from Farn.
‘You explain the rules,’ she said. ‘I have plans to
make.’
‘What riddle game?’
Rhaki hissed.
‘Don’t ask,’ Shivan
hissed back.
‘Oh. That sort of
game.’
‘And while we’re
talking of games,’ Shivan continued. ‘Never, never, play a game
called snap-the-rat with anyone, particularly Shea.’
Abandoning Babach and
Konya to endure the riddle game, the rest of the company settled
round a couple of long tables across the room. After a
filling almost impossibly fast with swollen black clouds, and even
as she stared, pellets of rain and ice began to hurtle down. Sket
dragged her inside the door. She looked at him, his expression
equal parts anger and fear. Yes, he too was remembering those
spears of ice which had killed Maressa and Gan.
Konya caught Tika’s arm
and gave her a little shake to get her attention. ‘You must speak
with Babach,’ she began.
‘I am quite capable of
getting out of bed woman,’ Babach retorted from behind the
healer.
Tika saw the dark rings
under the old man’s eyes and slid her arm through his, drawing him
to one of the many benches in the main room. The building was made
of wood: thick logs, split and packed lengthways, covered on the
outside with clay or mud, but left exposed within. There were few
windows but her friends were clustered by those windows, watching
the lightning make ferocious stabs down into the lake. Thunder
crashed endlessly and voices had to be raised to be
heard.
‘What is it Babach?
Volk told me you dream walked.’
‘This storm is not
natural,’ he said.
Tika leaned her
shoulder against the old man’s. ‘No. It isn’t. No more than the
ground shaking just before it began.’
Babach rubbed his hands
over his cheeks. ‘The Menedula. Power is centred there and it is
building. But I was unable to see who the power is concentrated
through.’
‘And we have three main
choices.’
Babach
nodded.
‘I must talk to Shivan,
although I really don’t know how we fight this way.’
She got to her feet but
Babach drew her back. ‘Child, you didn’t ask so I thought perhaps
you’d heard. Elyssa, your friend, she – disappeared – at the same
time as Sarryen. I’m sorry, so sorry.’
Tika sat down again,
staring at her hands, and began to work the ring on her left thumb
round and round.
‘I hoped she might have
gone home, with Kija, but when no one spoke of her, so I began to
fear.’
A hand rested on her
bowed head and she didn’t need to look up to know that Sket was
there.
A creaking noise from
the far side of the room made Tika glance up. She saw Volk pulling
the wall inwards, and realised it was a very cleverly constructed
doorway. Before it was fully open, Farn came hurrying in, followed
by Storm and Kija. Tika saw trees close outside the door as Volk
pushed it shut again.
‘Where is Brin?’ she
demanded aloud, even as she hugged Farn and reached to stroke
Storm’s wet face.
‘He’s staying outside
until the lightning goes away. Then he wants to fly to the
Menedula.’
With the awful memory
of those ice spears clear in her mind, Tika swung towards
Kija.
‘How could you let
him?’
‘Hush.’ Kija’s mind
tone was calm, soothing. ‘Brin is sheltered by some overhanging
rocks, all hidden by trees. He will wait until the weather
clears.’
Tika drew a deep
steadying breath. How could she protect everyone, she thought, in
sudden panic? She’d already lost friends she cared desperately for
- she couldn’t face losing more. She felt two minds touch hers and
realised that both Rhaki and Shivan were offering comfort. Tika’s
eyes stung with tears and she leaned in to Farn’s shoulder. He
lowered his head to rest his chin comfortingly on the top of her
head.
‘Storm and I thought we
could all play that riddle game, until the thunder’s
gone.’
Babach looked up with
interest. ‘That sounds fun. How do you play?’
Tika managed a smile.
‘You’ll regret those words, Babach.’ She stepped away from Farn.
‘You explain the rules,’ she said. ‘I have plans to
make.’
‘What riddle game?’
Rhaki hissed.
‘Don’t ask,’ Shivan
hissed back.
‘Oh. That sort of
game.’
‘And while we’re
talking of games,’ Shivan continued. ‘Never, never, play a game
called snap-the-rat with anyone, particularly Shea.’
Abandoning Babach and
Konya to endure the riddle game, the rest of the company settled
round a couple of long tables across the room. After a
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