At the Gathering Place of the Broken Mountain Treasury, many Dragons had already arrived and settled into the numerous caves encircling the Place. In one such cave, no more favoured than any other, rested Fenj. He was the most aged of this Treasury, deeply respected – and deeply tired.
For more Cold Seasons than he liked to recall, he had begged the Golden Lady Emla to release him from this weary body. She had sympathised with his longing to be reunited with his beloved mate, Skay, but refused to permit him to die. She told him he must wait an event. An event the importance of which he alone would instantly recognise. There were ominous movements in the world, even among the Treasuries, Emla told Fenj. He found the idea of trouble in the Treasuries very difficult to believe in, but quite likely among many of the other tribes of the world.
A shadow darkened the clear sky before him and Kadi landed. She was a dark blue Dragon, nearly as aged as Fenj and gifted with the power of long speaking.
‘Fenj, I heard Krea call. She seemed maybe two or three days easy flight west of here. It was a great cry I heard – not really a call. I have been unable to long speak her since that call.’ Kadi allowed Fenj free access to her memory and feeling of what had occurred.
‘Whom should we send to seek her?’ he asked thoughtfully.
‘I myself will go,’ Kadi replied. ‘Krea is of my clan. Her mother is my daughter.’
Fenj pondered a moment longer, the gleaming black body appearing relaxed and at ease while his mind raced through identities, possibilities, likely results.
‘It would be proper for you to seek out Krea. Long speak me at regular intervals so that I may know what you discover.’ He inclined his long beautiful face towards Kadi, who bent forward until their brows touched lightly. ‘Go safely old friend.’ And then Kadi was lifting, rising above the Gathering Place and speeding to the west.
Tika had eased free of Farn who still slept, and crept to the slender crack in the rock face. It was hard to believe that yesterday, somehow, Farn had flown through such a narrow place. She peered cautiously out, looking first back the way they’d travelled, then towards their destination.
It was a still smouldering desolation below. The tapisi were burnt to mere stumps and the grass burnt from the thin soil down to the edge of the narrow trickle of a stream. As she looked to her left, the sun rose above the cluster of peaks that Krea had pointed out as being their goal. She also saw the large Dragon body, black and charred, lying where she had fallen.
Then Tika felt tears burning down her face and she clamped her hands over her mouth to keep the wailing grief trapped inside lest she rouse Farn. But he was suddenly beside her, looking where she looked, great tears rolling down his narrow face.
‘What do we do Tika?’ Farn sounded so forlorn Tika realised with a jolt he was but two moons hatched. He had grown so fast and, with the help of the memories, he seemed to know so many things, it was easy to forget just what a baby he really was still. He sniffed. ‘I think I will have to go quite far to find food and I think we should stay together.’
Tika tried to stem her tears and urge her brain to think clearly. ‘There is water here Farn. Must you have food now, or can you manage without for a while? Is there anything in your memories about what we should do with Krea’s – body?’
‘It is a foggy memory – it is not something a young Dragon should need to know. It will become clearer as I grow older. There IS something we should do, but I can’t tell what.’ His mind heaved with shock and distress again and Tika hummed and murmured to him soothingly. After a while, he added, ‘I feel hungry but I do not have to have food for two or three days I think. As long as I drink water, I will manage well enough. What about you?’
‘I was often not fed in the town. I can go without food for quite a long time I believe, but, like you, I must have water.’
‘Are they gone?’ Farn’s voice trembled. ‘Can we go down to the water do you think?’
‘Open your mind Farn, listen as far as you can. If we do it together it makes us stronger.’
Farn let out a gusty breath. ‘I hear nothing except a far distant mutter. Nothing nearby, not even a single hopper.’
‘I heard nothing either. Come on, I’m sure it is safe to go down. They believe we perished in the tapisi fire.’
After they’d drunk at the stream and Tika had splashed water over her tear-hot face, they turned reluctantly upstream. Towards Krea’s body.
‘I think we have to stay near her, I can’t tell for how long. But we have to pray for her safety beyond.’
‘That is what Krea said – the last thing. Do you know what it means Farn?’
‘No Tika, but I do know it is important.’ And Farn wept again.
They approached Krea’s ruined body and Tika was relieved to see that the Dragon’s face was hidden from sight, pressed into the ground with a shattered wing concealing it.
Farn slumped to the ground in misery while Tika began to clear a narrow space all around the body. She had no idea why she felt it was necessary to move the charred tapis branches and singed turf away from Krea, she just did. Finally bare rock encircled Krea and Tika sat leaning against Farn. ‘Do we just hope Krea is safe or is there a Dragon god we should pray to Farn?’
He stirred. ‘There is only the Golden Lady Emla, and she would surely help Krea on her journey Beyond.’
Somehow, that day drew to its close. Farn again flew Tika to the narrow cave above and they settled quietly at the opening. Tika suddenly stiffened. ‘Farn! What is that? From the peaks of the Broken Mountain? Is it one of them returning for us? Oh Farn!’
His eyes flared and whirred into deepening splinters of blue. ‘It is a Dragon, but not one of yesterday’s attackers. We should stay hidden Tika, and close our minds in case this one also means us harm.’ They crouched together at the rear of their hiding place and waited.
A great shriek made them clutch desperately at each other. Then searing through their minds, came an eerily beautiful song, repeating a falling cadence which tore at their very hearts.
Holding Tika between his body and his wing, Farn moved as though summoned to the cave opening. From deep inside him the same chanting song came surging forth, and a fraction behind, Tika’s voice soared to join the other two. On and on went the music until at last, as the full moon shone brilliantly down on Krea’s body, the song whispered to silence.
Tika and Farn stood looking down at a great midnight blue Dragon. She stood, her wings spread anchoring herself fully erect beside Krea’s dead bulk.
Kadi, for it was she, raised her eyes to the two figures high on the rockface.
‘Come down children. Tell me what foulness befell you at this place.’
Kadi took most of the information from Tika, Farn was far too deeply shocked and grieved by the murder of Krea by Dragon Kin. He soon sank into a deep sleep and Tika looked at him in concern.
‘Do not worry Tika. I have caused him to sleep thus. Later I will help heal this wound in him. But continue this telling.’
Tika told all, from her accidental arrival in Kija’s nesting cave to the moment she and Farn had tried to hide from this blue Dragon, Kadi.
‘Can you open your mind to mine child? It will help me to fully see what you have spoken of.’
‘Krea was teaching us – she said I was better at mind speaking clearly than Farn. But of course, I cannot fly or make fire,’ she added with a small sad smile as she stroked Farn’s wing. She felt Kadi in her mind as the softest touch and relaxed, letting the Dragon find what she would.
‘So. It would seem Kija fed memories through you to Farn when you locked with him at his hatching. Some of those memories are also now with you, but this very action has woken something within your mind. You have abilities I have never encountered in Dragon patterns. We will have much to learn from each other in the days to come.’
‘Can you tell me what we should have done for Krea? Both of us felt there was something but we didn’t know what it was.’
Kadi’s eyes h
ad a tiny golden flame in them as she gazed at Krea’s body. ‘You cleared the circle around her, which was correct. You sat with her, which was correct. Neither of you knew enough to sing her Life Song until I came to begin it for you.’
Tika felt an enormous sorrow filling this Dragon who seemed as comfortable to be with as Krea had become. The gleaming faceted eyes turned to Tika. ‘Krea’s mother was my first born. . .’
Without thought, Tika went swiftly to Kadi, wrapping her arms as far round the Dragon as she could reach. ‘And is she “safely beyond” now? She asked us to pray her there, but we did not understand what she meant.’
‘Yes small two-legs. She is safe but close by. One more day we must sit with her, then we go to the Gathering. Go now. Sleep beside Farn. I must farspeak Fenj of the Treasury to tell him of these dreadful events. Then I shall seek food. I will listen back to you – if you have any need of me, call to me. I will come.’
Tika curled close to Farn and she too fell asleep, but not in as deep a sleep as the young Dragon. She was aware of the soft sighings of the wind, the sifting of the tapisi ashes blowing together and of Farn’s faint snores and whimpers. She knew when Kadi returned and it was only then that she too sank into the depths of a healing slumber.
As the next night fell, Kadi told Tika and a still very shaken Farn, that they would begin the last stage of the journey to the Gathering Place. ‘Flying at night is little different from day, particularly when the moon is full and the sky clear as now,’ she told them. ‘We will also be travelling fast so I will carry you Tika.’
Farn objected. He had clung to Tika since Krea’s death and he wanted to carry her to ensure her nearness. Kadi understood what was uppermost in his fears.
‘No other attack will come Farn. Fenj knows what happened here and he has already begun his flight to meet us. No Dragon would dare attack Fenj and we should be with him before this night is done. Keep close to my wing and you will have Tika within reach of you.’
They had fed well earlier, on meat Kadi brought. Farn had not even suggested he help to find food, staying near Tika and Krea’s body. Tika hugged Farn and then climbed onto Kadi’s back. The Dragons rose and circled the place where Krea had fallen. Kadi slowed and bade Tika and Farn to look down.
From the blackened corpse a pale golden mist drifted. Gradually, the outline of a great Dragon took form. The Dragon rose clear of the body and then lifted higher. The face turned towards the watchers.
‘Krea!’ Tika and Farn’s minds cried out in unison. The spectral Dragon drifted upwards until it seemed to disappear in the brilliance of the moonlight.
‘Now,’ said Kadi. ‘We fly hard.’
Farn was obviously tiring badly after many hours of fast non-stop flight. Tika was concerned enough to question Kadi about the possibility of their stopping to rest. Kadi replied that they had nearly reached the prearranged place where Fenj would await them. Farn could rest then until the following evening.
Very soon thereafter, Kadi began to slow the pace. She began to glide lower, scanning the tapisi-fringed lake below. A black form became clearer as their height decreased, resolving itself into a massive Dragon. ‘Be calm, it is Fenj.’
Tika was aware that Farn was just too exhausted to think of anything except forcing his wings to continue beating. She would have to deal with this meeting alone.
Farn crumpled as soon as his feet touched ground and Tika scrambled from Kadi’s back to rush to his aid. She urged him the few paces to the water’s edge, encouraged him to drink deep, and then settled him on the springy turf. While she was caring for Farn, Kadi had revealed all the recent events to Fenj.
‘Tika,’ Kadi called quietly, ‘there is food if Farn is able to eat?’
‘He’s asleep already,’ Tika replied. ‘Will he be safe here?’ She felt, but didn’t hear, a quick communication pass between Kadi and Fenj.
The huge black Dragon answered her: ‘He is safe small one. Join us here so he will not be disturbed. There is fruit here and scorched meat also.’
Tika walked slowly to where the two enormous creatures reclined. Fenj really was the biggest living being Tika had ever imagined, let alone seen. Kadi had seemed big, but she was in truth much slighter than this Fenj. Tika felt herself pulled towards him nonetheless, and found she was sitting with her back against Kadi’s side, facing Fenj. And then the questioning began. Kadi said little, leaving Tika to answer Fenj.
He was obviously disturbed by Krea’s death and he asked permission to view Tika’s memory of the attack. She relaxed against Kadi and opened her mind to Fenj.
A silence grew until Tika said, ‘I recognised those two Dragons, and if I did, I’m sure you know they seemed to be followers of Nula. She tried to attack Farn and me the first time we came out of the nesting cave. She told Kija to kill us both just after Farn hatched. Why does she want us dead? How could she let Krea be killed just for being with us?’
‘These things must be answered at the Gathering small one. I have told Kija of an attack – I told her you and her son had survived, not revealing to her that Krea gave her life for you. Kija told me Nula and her followers seem in high mood – again, I did not reveal why I asked after Nula. So you see child, the four of us here know of the attack which destroyed Krea, but - only we four and Kija, know that you still live.’
Fenj paused, glancing skyward. ‘We will move into the shelter of the tapisi for the day hours. Kadi will find food later and when night comes again, we will take the pair of you within the Gathering Place, secretly. Even Kija must not know you are there. She would want to see you and you and Farn would be unable to withhold the news of these dark deeds.’
His eyes, a slatey grey like shadowed snow, glowed at Tika. She felt his great age and the wisdom he had gathered during that long lifetime. And she knew she could trust him implicitly.
Fenj rose, his great body shimmering in the growing light of day. ‘Come, we will shelter deeper within the tapisi. Many of the Treasury overfly this place, and some will land here during the day. I have already discovered a place well hidden but where we can see clearly over this area.’
Kadi roused Farn who stumbled along behind Tika. He was very unsteady on his feet and Tika’s concern for his condition was increasing. Very quickly the ground rose sharply and Tika had to grab hold of cloud bushes to pull herself up behind Fenj.
‘Hold my tail small one, it will make the climb easy.’ Tika hesitated at the idea of hanging onto Fenj’s tail but after again nearly losing her footing completely, she did as he bade. Within seconds, she found herself whisked up beside the black Dragon onto a patch of grass. They were under an overhang of grey rock half buried under cloud bushes. Farn was pushed up by Kadi and herded towards the back of the natural shelter.
Tika watched as the midnight blue Dragon gently touched brows with the black Dragon. Then Kadi went swiftly back down the slope they’d just climbed.
‘Rest Tika. Hold close to Farn. I will watch here. We will speak more when you are rested. Kadi will remove all trace of our passage. Do not worry,’ he added, ‘I have shielded all three of us from any other Dragons’ sight.’
Tika woke with the sun just declining from midday and immediately checked Farn. He still slept but he seemed easier, less tense and fretful. The black Dragon was lying before them, his gaze on the lake.
‘Leave Farn to sleep on. I have begun the healing his mind needs. He will be better when he next wakens.’
Tika rose but could see no way out of the shelter without actually climbing on Fenj. He laughed. ‘Lean on my back small one and look at the lake.’
Tika looked, then looked harder. She shook her head in disbelief. There were Dragons in the water, quite clearly playing. They raced in circles, vanished under the surface, popping up unexpectedly close to others. They were obviously having tremendous fun. Several leaped from the water, scattering droplets from their bodies in brilliant showers. She couldn’t decide what colour they were – they seemed like rainbows now t
aking the blue of the sky, now the green of the lake and again the silver of the water drops.
‘They are of the Water Clans,’ Fenj said. ‘Only happy when they are in or near water in their family groups. They attend the Gatherings but are not really interested in anything unconnected to water.’
Tika felt his fondness for these sparkling Dragons in his voice as he spoke of them. As they watched, other Dragons passed overhead, some singly, some in tumbling groups.
‘There is one more day before the Gathering begins,’ said Fenj. ‘And you and Farn will then appear before the whole Treasury. When Kadi returns, she and I will carry you to my cave. You will be unnoticed if you stay low between my wings.’
‘How will you get Farn in there? Surely he will be noticed flying with you or Kadi, however late you wait?’
‘Kadi will carry him as though he was a food animal she has hunted and killed. We can seal his mind so he will not be fearful or struggle. It is the only way for us to get you within the Gathering Place. You must be present for the Naming of Nula and her cohorts as Krea’s slayer.’
‘What will happen to them?’ Tika asked. ‘Will you kill them?’
Fenj turned his head to look at her.
‘By the stars, no!’ he exclaimed. ‘We do not kill our own. Or we should not,’ he amended sadly. ‘She will be Forsaken by the Families, by the Clans and by the Treasury and cast out of the Dragon world.’
Their conversation was interrupted by splashings and shrieks from the lake – the Water Dragons were lifting, rising higher, sunset light flickering over their bodies.
‘They’re magic!’ whispered Tika.
‘No, they are Dragons,’ corrected Fenj. ‘Magic is a very different thing.’
Chapter Four