Read Online Soul Bonds Book 1 Circles of Light series by E.M. Sinclair - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: E.M. Sinclair
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bringing her knees high to loosen calf and thigh muscles.
‘Farn,’ she asked, ‘can you talk to trees, or rocks, or stars?’
Farn was silent for so long Tika knew he was searching through the memories given to him at his hatching. She continued flexing her legs and arms as she waited.
At last he said, ‘I’m not sure. There’s something to do with trees from a very long time past. It isn’t relevant now anyway. It seems trees do, or did, talk, but very, very slowly, so mostly we gave up trying to speak with them.’
Tika came to a standstill in front of him. ‘So all things can talk? So all things must be able to think.’ She sat down and hungrily reached for a scorched hopper. She’d eaten half of it when another thought struck her. ‘Does a hopper know you are about to kill it?’
‘Dragons kill because our bodies need meat. We kill very quickly, usually before the volu or whatever, is even aware of our presence. We send calmness to their minds as we kill them to help them safely beyond.’
As they continued to the Sun Mountains, Tika thought hard of this ability to mind speak. Of how her life had changed so dramatically. A life which she’d believed ended when she ran away from the town of Return. She had truly thought she would die of hunger, of falling among those high crags, or of being eaten by some hungry beast. And now she found herself on a silver blue Dragon’s back, treated with respect by others of the Dragon Kin, setting forth on an important search.
She hoped Seela would have far more information to give her than Fenj had done about that last. It was difficult to believe that the Chena who, for fourteen Cold Seasons, had been a slave, held in contempt and abused by most of the Lord’s household, was now this Tika, soul bonded to a Dragon.
On the fifth day of travelling, the Sun Mountains appeared as a bump on the horizon, looming ever higher the closer Tika and Farn approached. As they rested on the sixth evening, Seela mind spoke them both.
‘Welcome to the Sun Treasury! You have made a swift journey Farn. With so much strength in your wings already, surely you will be one of the mightiest when you are full-grown!’
Tika laughed as Farn stretched fully upright, looking extremely pleased with himself. She felt Seela’s amusement as Farn had the grace to look a little ashamed of his pride.
‘Tomorrow,’ Seela told them, ‘fly the length of the valley beyond the pass where you are now resting. I will await you at the end of that valley. Sleep well!’
They flew next day, through the valley as Seela had directed. To begin with it was narrow, set deeply between soaring rock walls. Gradually it began to widen until the rockfaces were many leagues apart. They passed over a long lake, its waters a strange blue tinged with brownish red, then continued up the valley over the river which fed the lake. At last the terrain narrowed again and began to rise.
Soon after midday, Farn said: ‘She is there – on a ledge of that peak.’
Tika looked where Farn indicated but could see only a purple speck, her vision being far inferior to Farn’s.
‘Seela!’ called Farn. ‘We are come. May we land at your cave?’
‘Be welcome, bonded ones. Food and friendship await you.’
As Farn spiralled lower to approach Seela’s ledge in a gentle glide, Tika had the opportunity to study this new Dragon. Seela was as massive as Fenj, but she was a deep purple rather than black, with dark blue tints shimmering over her scales. Her eyes flashed, pale mauve sparking with a deep gold within them.
Farn landed and as Tika slipped from his back, he stood erect and greeted Seela formally. Unsure of how she should act towards such a Dragon, Tika let fall her bundle and stood straight beside Farn. Her left hand on her sword hilt and her right flat over her heart, she bowed to Seela and repeated Farn’s words: ‘The Golden Lady keep you safe through all the Seasons.’
By the time Seela had heard all
‘Farn,’ she asked, ‘can you talk to trees, or rocks, or stars?’
Farn was silent for so long Tika knew he was searching through the memories given to him at his hatching. She continued flexing her legs and arms as she waited.
At last he said, ‘I’m not sure. There’s something to do with trees from a very long time past. It isn’t relevant now anyway. It seems trees do, or did, talk, but very, very slowly, so mostly we gave up trying to speak with them.’
Tika came to a standstill in front of him. ‘So all things can talk? So all things must be able to think.’ She sat down and hungrily reached for a scorched hopper. She’d eaten half of it when another thought struck her. ‘Does a hopper know you are about to kill it?’
‘Dragons kill because our bodies need meat. We kill very quickly, usually before the volu or whatever, is even aware of our presence. We send calmness to their minds as we kill them to help them safely beyond.’
As they continued to the Sun Mountains, Tika thought hard of this ability to mind speak. Of how her life had changed so dramatically. A life which she’d believed ended when she ran away from the town of Return. She had truly thought she would die of hunger, of falling among those high crags, or of being eaten by some hungry beast. And now she found herself on a silver blue Dragon’s back, treated with respect by others of the Dragon Kin, setting forth on an important search.
She hoped Seela would have far more information to give her than Fenj had done about that last. It was difficult to believe that the Chena who, for fourteen Cold Seasons, had been a slave, held in contempt and abused by most of the Lord’s household, was now this Tika, soul bonded to a Dragon.
On the fifth day of travelling, the Sun Mountains appeared as a bump on the horizon, looming ever higher the closer Tika and Farn approached. As they rested on the sixth evening, Seela mind spoke them both.
‘Welcome to the Sun Treasury! You have made a swift journey Farn. With so much strength in your wings already, surely you will be one of the mightiest when you are full-grown!’
Tika laughed as Farn stretched fully upright, looking extremely pleased with himself. She felt Seela’s amusement as Farn had the grace to look a little ashamed of his pride.
‘Tomorrow,’ Seela told them, ‘fly the length of the valley beyond the pass where you are now resting. I will await you at the end of that valley. Sleep well!’
They flew next day, through the valley as Seela had directed. To begin with it was narrow, set deeply between soaring rock walls. Gradually it began to widen until the rockfaces were many leagues apart. They passed over a long lake, its waters a strange blue tinged with brownish red, then continued up the valley over the river which fed the lake. At last the terrain narrowed again and began to rise.
Soon after midday, Farn said: ‘She is there – on a ledge of that peak.’
Tika looked where Farn indicated but could see only a purple speck, her vision being far inferior to Farn’s.
‘Seela!’ called Farn. ‘We are come. May we land at your cave?’
‘Be welcome, bonded ones. Food and friendship await you.’
As Farn spiralled lower to approach Seela’s ledge in a gentle glide, Tika had the opportunity to study this new Dragon. Seela was as massive as Fenj, but she was a deep purple rather than black, with dark blue tints shimmering over her scales. Her eyes flashed, pale mauve sparking with a deep gold within them.
Farn landed and as Tika slipped from his back, he stood erect and greeted Seela formally. Unsure of how she should act towards such a Dragon, Tika let fall her bundle and stood straight beside Farn. Her left hand on her sword hilt and her right flat over her heart, she bowed to Seela and repeated Farn’s words: ‘The Golden Lady keep you safe through all the Seasons.’
By the time Seela had heard all
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