"You remember that?" I said, astounded.
"I remember, Hooirr," she said. She dropped her jaw and hissed. "Hyour nname iss so hard to ssay!"
I smiled at her. "Then you can stick to Father."
"It iss good. Ffather, of hyourr kindness, come with me to the Great One. I long to sspeak hwith him."
I laughed quietly. "You don't need me, lass. You're all grown up and glorious and come into your own. I'm sure he will be delighted with you."
"Yess, I know," she said, her eyes gazing sharp and intelligent into mine. "But I hwould have him know you."
I glanced at Vilkas and Aral, drowned deep in sleep. They didn't need me for the moment. I added another few sticks to the fire and prepared to step forth with my strange and wondrous child. We didn't have far to go, though, for everyone was coming towards us.
She walked towards me as I was following Rella and Varien towards the fire. She moved carefully, almost fearfully, and at every other moment she would touch a tail or a wing-tip to the Gedri who walked with her for reassurance. He was a kind-looking—man, that was their word, man, with hair like old khaadish. I wondered how such a friendship could have been formed in so short a time.
When she came up to me she bowed, very skillfully. I returned the courtesy. "Welcome, little sister," I said, when she did not speak. "I rejoice that I may be with you on this first day of your flowering. It is a great wonder and a great blessing for the world."
"Hwat iss 'blessing'?" she asked.
"A very great good," I answered. I could not take my eyes from her. "You speak very well, littling. It is amazing. How have you learned so much so swiftly?"
"Ffrom the Ssilver King," she said. "He who wearss the wrong sshape but iss drragon nonetheless." She gazed up at me. "Hwere iss the Lady taken?"
I shook myself. She understood! It would take me a little time to realise that even if they looked like younglings, even if their speech was yet new to them, these creatures were aware and intelligent and to be treated as such.
I was a little ashamed of myself.
"We do not know, littling. Forgive me, I would call you by name. I am Shikrar, Eldest of the Kantrishakrim and Keeper of Souls," I said, bowing again.
"I am Ssallerra," she said, managing the T reasonably well for so new a speaker. It is a hard sound for us to make. And then she astounded me again, for she nudged the man who stood now a little behind her to come forward. "Tthis iss my ffatherr."
He bowed and laughed. "I am called Willem of Rowan-beck, Master Shikrar," he said. "I never dreamt I'd ever meet one of your people. I'm honoured to know you. I am no more Salera's real father than you are, of course, but I raised her from a kit and I love her like a daughter."
"It is well, Willem of Rowanbeck," I said, hissing my amusement. "You have been singularly blessed. She is a wonder."
"I know it," he replied, full qf delight as he gazed at her.
I enjoyed that moment of joy even as it passed. Varien called us to join them all at the fire.
Finally we were all met under the shelter of the trees. The bright morning had clouded over and it was grown cold. Vilkas and Aral, roused from the sleep of utter exhaustion, sat nearest the fire drinking chelan.
Many of the Lesser Kindred had left the plain, and those who remained had congregated at the far end of the field. I learned later that Salera had asked them to leave us in peace for the moment. It was well thought, for I had seen how they watched Shikrar's every movement. There would be time after our council for a wider meeting of our races. We had other things to consider now.
We shared out the cold food from our packs as we talked, for none of us had eaten much since the night before.
"You're not going alone, you know," said Rella to me as she passed around her store of oatcakes. "You'd have to kill Jamie to stop him."
"I would as soon cut off my right arm," I said. Jamie caught my glance and nodded. I saw then the coldness that had taken him. It saddened me, but I recognised it. Indeed, at that moment I welcomed it.
"That means you get me too," said Rella, raising an eyebrow. "Just so you know."
I bowed. "Three," I said.
"Alas, Varien. After so many years of life I had hoped you would be able to count by now," said a voice from high above. Shikrar settled on one side of the fire and brought his head down to a level with mine. "Four, at the very least. Or perhaps I count for more than one, if only by virtue of sheer bulk?"
"Four, then, Shikrar. Forgive me, my friend. There is no levity in me."
"I know it," said Shikrar gently. "But for all that, keep hope, Akhor. If he wanted her dead he could have killed her here. Keep hope, my friend."
I sent him a swift thanks in traespeech, grimacing at the twinge even so small a usage brought.
"The real question is, where do we start to seek her?" I said.
"Find Berys," said Jamie, his voice like ice. "Verfaren, surely."
"Not necessarily," said Vilkas. "Though that would be the first place to look." He spat. "Those damned demonlines can go anywhere in an instant."
"Demonlines?" asked Jamie. Cold, cold his voice, even the one word.
"Hard to set up, costly to the maker, but once they're in place you can go from one spot to another in the blink of an eye. Then they're gone. Once through only."
"Hells, Vil, how did you know that?" said Will, startled.
"I can't fight the things with my power, Will," said Vilkas grimly. "I've made damned sure I know all there is to know about them in case I can fight them any other way."
"Even if we know not where Berys may be, we must begin somewhere," I said. "If he is not there at Verfaren, perhaps we can find those who will know where he is gone."
"Only if he doesn't know we're looking," said Rella. She glanced at Shikrar. "Forgive me, Shikrar, but you might just be a little obvious."
He snorted. "True enough, lady, but I am only the first Soon there must be some kind of reckoning, for the Kantri are coming to Kolmar."
"When?" she asked.
"A moment," he said. I heard him bespeak Idai and knew he had left his truespeech broadscattered that I might do so.
Shikrar bespoke me at last, his voice subdued and weary. '7 am safely arrived, Idai," he said, "though I have ill news. There has been a great battle here. A rakshadakh called Berys sent an army of Rikti on to Varien and Lanen. She is stolen away."
"And Akhor?" I asked, hardly daring to breathe. He had no armour to protect him, no flame, no talons to rend or fangs to bite, what if he...
"Varien is well, save that his heart is riven in twain for fear of Lanen's fate," he said. I breathed again.
"Alas, Shikrar, would that I had better news to lighten your heart. I have—alas, Toklurik bespoke me as he was dying," I said. My heart was heavy with that loss, and now Lanen gone as well. "It is an evil day."
"It is, my friend. Let us then do what we may to mend it. How fare the Kantri ? "
"Rested and restless." I replied. "Is the way prepared for us?"
"I think now that it cannot be, Idai," he said. "There is none to ask and none to grant permission. However, there is a great demon master arisen in this land. All happens for a purpose, Idai, though the Winds might not make all clear at once. The Gedri have no defences against the Rakshasa." I felt the tiny smile in his mindvoice as he added, "I suspect if we simply follow our own instincts and rid the land of the Rakshi, we will be as welcome here as we could desire."