Read Online Soul Bonds Book 1 Circles of Light series by E.M. Sinclair - Free Book Online
Authors: E.M. Sinclair
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caught the faintest underlay of sadness and apprehension but she knew Farn did not feel it in his excitement.
Kadi and Fenj reared upright, towering over Tika and Farn. Their wings were outstretched, holding them tall and steady. Grey eyes and blue blazed in kaleidoscopic colours:
‘Go safely hatchlings. You have the protection of the Golden Emla and our thoughts will be with you as long as possible. Call to us if you have need.’
It was Kadi’s voice in their minds as Farn began to rise out of the Gathering Place, but it was Fenj’s voice at the last, repeating: ‘Go safely hatchlings!’
Chapter Six
For three days Farn and Tika journeyed north from Broken Mountain. The weather stayed clear but frost spiked each blade of grass when they woke just before dawn now. There had been no snow yet in the valleys, but white shawls covered the higher slopes. They had met no other Dragons, only skysingers and hoppers, feeding on the cloud bushes and starberries. Once Tika saw a solitary high drifter, floating effortlessly, his eyes on hoppers far below him. There were a few bell trees now, among the taller and more slender tapisi.
Farn’s strength had greatly increased since the flight to the Gathering Place with Kadi. They landed at midday but not because Farn needed to rest. Tika found she had to walk for a while, stretch her legs and arms after sitting still for too long on Farn’s back.
It was the fourth evening and they had stopped earlier than previously. Tika was cramped, and trying to think of a way of exercising her limbs whilst on Farn’s back, which would not interfere with his flying or unseat herself. Farn was tired of a diet of hoppers and said he would try to find a volu, for supper.
Tika jumped, and stretched, and ran up and down between a tapis and a rocky outcrop. As she turned from the rock for the third sprint, she felt hands, human hands, grab her. One hand was over her mouth and the other viciously tight on her upper arm, holding her hard against a leather overtunic.
Her heart seemed to stop, then leaped into high-speed pulse as she twisted and struggled. Whoever held her, spoke roughly to her but she could not understand his words. Why oh why had she put her sword with her cape and bundle by the tapis while she did her stupid exercises?
She reached up and back with her free hand and caught an ear. She held on as tightly as she could, digging in to the flesh with her nails and tugging downwards. Her mind was quite clear after its first instant of panic, and she called quickly to Farn, telling him what was happening to her. She was also thinking furiously – who had hold of her, was he one man or one of a group of hunters? Or one of a band of Fighters?
The question was answered for her as she was spun around and pushed violently towards a group of men. They were dressed as Fighters, but none she recognised. They all had stripes of colour across one cheek, indicating they were of a Lord’s band. Hoarse voices called out as they encircled Tika. She half understood a word here and there, but could not make any real sense of their speech.
‘Use your mind,’ Fenj’s words whispered in her memory, and she probed carefully into the mind of a Fighter who kept aloof from the taunting roughness of the rest of the men. She was immediately submerged in a confused jumble of feelings and thoughts: jealousy, irritation, boredom, petulance. She realised she could understand his mind where she could not understand the vocal speech of these men.
This one was the supposed leader of the Fighters. They fought for a Lord Jal-Sidar, who ruled a town, many leagues west. They had been raiding into another Lord’s territory but had little to show for many days hard riding on the speedy fengars most Fighters preferred. Now the leader watched as these boorish fools played with a peasant brat. They were not reliably obedient to all his orders so he unwillingly left them to have their fun now.
As he glanced at the
Kadi and Fenj reared upright, towering over Tika and Farn. Their wings were outstretched, holding them tall and steady. Grey eyes and blue blazed in kaleidoscopic colours:
‘Go safely hatchlings. You have the protection of the Golden Emla and our thoughts will be with you as long as possible. Call to us if you have need.’
It was Kadi’s voice in their minds as Farn began to rise out of the Gathering Place, but it was Fenj’s voice at the last, repeating: ‘Go safely hatchlings!’
Chapter Six
For three days Farn and Tika journeyed north from Broken Mountain. The weather stayed clear but frost spiked each blade of grass when they woke just before dawn now. There had been no snow yet in the valleys, but white shawls covered the higher slopes. They had met no other Dragons, only skysingers and hoppers, feeding on the cloud bushes and starberries. Once Tika saw a solitary high drifter, floating effortlessly, his eyes on hoppers far below him. There were a few bell trees now, among the taller and more slender tapisi.
Farn’s strength had greatly increased since the flight to the Gathering Place with Kadi. They landed at midday but not because Farn needed to rest. Tika found she had to walk for a while, stretch her legs and arms after sitting still for too long on Farn’s back.
It was the fourth evening and they had stopped earlier than previously. Tika was cramped, and trying to think of a way of exercising her limbs whilst on Farn’s back, which would not interfere with his flying or unseat herself. Farn was tired of a diet of hoppers and said he would try to find a volu, for supper.
Tika jumped, and stretched, and ran up and down between a tapis and a rocky outcrop. As she turned from the rock for the third sprint, she felt hands, human hands, grab her. One hand was over her mouth and the other viciously tight on her upper arm, holding her hard against a leather overtunic.
Her heart seemed to stop, then leaped into high-speed pulse as she twisted and struggled. Whoever held her, spoke roughly to her but she could not understand his words. Why oh why had she put her sword with her cape and bundle by the tapis while she did her stupid exercises?
She reached up and back with her free hand and caught an ear. She held on as tightly as she could, digging in to the flesh with her nails and tugging downwards. Her mind was quite clear after its first instant of panic, and she called quickly to Farn, telling him what was happening to her. She was also thinking furiously – who had hold of her, was he one man or one of a group of hunters? Or one of a band of Fighters?
The question was answered for her as she was spun around and pushed violently towards a group of men. They were dressed as Fighters, but none she recognised. They all had stripes of colour across one cheek, indicating they were of a Lord’s band. Hoarse voices called out as they encircled Tika. She half understood a word here and there, but could not make any real sense of their speech.
‘Use your mind,’ Fenj’s words whispered in her memory, and she probed carefully into the mind of a Fighter who kept aloof from the taunting roughness of the rest of the men. She was immediately submerged in a confused jumble of feelings and thoughts: jealousy, irritation, boredom, petulance. She realised she could understand his mind where she could not understand the vocal speech of these men.
This one was the supposed leader of the Fighters. They fought for a Lord Jal-Sidar, who ruled a town, many leagues west. They had been raiding into another Lord’s territory but had little to show for many days hard riding on the speedy fengars most Fighters preferred. Now the leader watched as these boorish fools played with a peasant brat. They were not reliably obedient to all his orders so he unwillingly left them to have their fun now.
As he glanced at the
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