I followed her slowly as she hurried to talk to it. Truth be told, I was a bit afraid. This creature's presence, its friendship with Varien—well, there, I'd been inclined to believe him of late in any case.
Varien. There he knelt in the grass, still in shock. He loved her, aye, true enough, I thought, gazing at his back. But I had the prior claim by more than twenty years.
I shivered as I felt it again, a cold wave sweeping over me, but this time I welcomed it. My heart was swept clean for that instant as I made my vow, as I declared my only purpose. I had always known, I suppose, but the time was now come.
I would go and speak with the great Dragon. Perhaps it would help us find Lanen.
And if it would not, no matter. For my only purpose in life now was to find Berys the Bastard, Berys Child-killer, come day come dark, come pain or death or all the Hells, and make him give me back my shining daughter. On my soul I swore it.
The other Gedri came to me and to Varien then, a little tentative at first because of my presence, but it seemed I was not completely unexpected.
They had seen what had happened.
Two of the Gedri came first and tried to lift him from his knees but he would not move. I spoke to them. "Forgive me, littlings. You are young, even in the span of your people, are you not?"
The man bowed. The woman answered, "Yes, we are, but we're Healers. He needs help."
I lowered my head that I might be nearer to her level and spoke more gently. "Lady, he is beyond help at this moment. I have known him all his life. I pray you, leave us. When he comes more to himself we will seek you out. It will not be long. What are you called?"
"Her name's Aral, Shikrar, and he is Vilkas. They're only trying to help," said a familiar voice. I found a solemn joy in that dark moment when I realised who stood before me, bedraggled and bloodstained.
"I greet thee gladly, Lady Rella," I said, bowing. "I believe that they act for the best as they see it, but please, come away with me all and we will speak of it further."
They followed me to a good distance, where Varien would not hear my words. "It eases my heart to see a familiar face, Lady, although I did not expect to see yours," I said to Rella as we walked.
She smiled. "Ah, there I have the advantage of you, for I knew you were coming. Now, why did you stop these two from helping Varien?"
"His wounds are not of the body, Lady, as you know well. He needs time." I lowered my voice to the merest whisper. "You do not hear him as I do. He calls to her even as we stand here, speaking on her name over and over." Aral the Healer put her hands over her mouth. "I know his pain, for I lost my mate after so short a time together—"
"And I lost my child when she was barely ten years old," said Rella sharply. "Death comes untimely to all who live, Shikrar, not only to the Kantri."
I bowed. "True, Lady. I did not mean to imply that my pain was worse than another's. But Akhor waited a thousand years for the deep love of his heart to blossom, and it has been in flower so short a time. Please, in this let me serve my friend."
Rella stood with bowed head for a moment, then looking up she reached out suddenly to touch my faceplate. "Help him if you can, Shikrar. He needs you. But time is of the essence. If he takes too long to rouse, I will help him myself." She turned and strode rapidly away.
I had the time, as I walked back to rejoin Varien, finally to look at the creatures that looked so familiar but kept their distance. I knew Varien was with the Lesser Kindred, but I had not realised they would be so beautiful or so in awe of me as they seemed, or that they—
Soulgems. They had soulgems.
"Akhor!" I cried, reaching out in my surprise, without thinking, to my oldest companion.
I heard his mindvoice, indeed, but it was no answer. Soft, barely to be heard, the refrain of a distant, dying song.
"Lanen—Lanen—Lanen— "
I waited with the others on the Isle of Rest. I had heard no word from Shikrar, so I expected that it would be some days yet before the way could be ready for us to arrive in Kolmar.
Kretissh and I had spoken long together, and we both recognised that without the strength of Shikrar it would not be possible to carry Nikis any further. Even if all the rest of us left for Kolmar, one or more would have to remain behind to look after her until she woke from the Weh sleep. I found myself stupidly growing angry with her. In an effort to think of something else, I remembered Toklurik and wondered how he fared. In fact I began to worry about him. Why had he not bespoken us before?
Unless he is already in Kolmar laughing at us, I thought to myself as I called to him.
"Toklurik? Toklurik, answer me I pray you, it is Idai who would speak with you."
I heard a faint response. It worried me more than silence would have. "Tok, it is Idai. Where are you? Are you in need of aid?" I asked, my heart sinking even as the question left my thoughts, for how could we aid him wherever he might be?
"Idai, Idai, blessed be the Winds," he answered, a little stronger. "It is good to hear your voice, Idai, here at the end oflife."
"Toklurik, what has happened? Where are you? Are you injured?" I asked, standing up and flexing my wings even as I spoke. I was eldest after Shikrar, surely I could assist Tok if he needed help.
"Idai, I hear you. Stay where you are," said Tdklurik weakly. "I am beyond aid but the sound of your voice cheers me. Of your kindness stay with me, Lady."
"I am here, Tok," I said, sorrow sweeping over me fullblown upon the instant. For Tok's sake I did not let it show in my truespeech. "As long as you want me. Where are you?"
"In our old home, in the Place of Exile." His thoughts faltered for a moment, then recovered. "We would not choose to be exiled here now, Idai. Every inch is black with the earth's blood made stone. The air—the air is tainted. The fumes that were afflicting us before are worse now, and I cannot get away from the foul air. And the ground shakes continually, stronger and stronger."
"What happened?" I asked gently.
"I found my aunt Roccelis and her friend Urishhak," he said, "as I vowed to do. Their soulgems lay on the floor of their old chamber but there was no way of knowing how they died. I can only guess, for the air in the cave was appalling, but I retrieved them. I had their soulgems clutched safe in my talons and was rising on a thermal ready to follow you when the mountainside beneath me spewed forth liquid rock. It caught me, wing and body. I fell gravely wounded and I have lain here, burned and bound into the rock in and out of wakefulness, since then. Has it been more than two days since you left?"
"A little more, Tok," I replied. "It does not matter."
"It does not," he said. "The end comes soon—Name of the Winds, Idai, the ground wakes! "
Suddenly, his mind voice was sharper and clearer. So was his pain.
"The ground groans deep, Idai—Winds keep us, the mountains! The mountains are falling!"
"Tok, what are you—"
"The Grandfather! Idai, the fire comes—/ am dead, remember me—Idai, beware, the Grandfather rises!"
And then there was only silence.
I was afraid that Varien would waste hours in grief. He was absolutely unreachable, but I gave him no more than the half of an hour before I approached Shikrar again.
"Has there been any change?" I asked quietly.
Shikrar bowed bis huge head down to my level and it was all I could do not to shrink back. Goddess, but I'd forgotten just how big he was. "He no longer calls her name, Lady, but he will not let me speak with him." He looked at me, and even if his face couldn't show anything, those eyes were expressive enough to convey what he was thinking. "I confess I am at a loss as to what I should do to aid him," he said.