Free Perilous Shadows: Book 6 Circles of Light by E.M. Sinclair Page A

stood, swaying
slightly with emotional exhaustion, in the empty entrance to his
cave and wondered if it had all been a terrible dream. He stared
out over the gently greening valley, a view which he had already
grown fond of. Then he saw the sun flash on golden scales and the
massive Dragon wheeled high above the valley’s end. She turned in a
lazy glide and he heard her voice in his mind again.
    ‘You have not slept
long Rhaki. Are you sure you are well?’
    Rhaki was shaken again
to feel tears well into his eyes at the kindness in the mind voice.
Why should the Dragon be so gentle when the crimes he had committed
against her own family were so horrendous? He watched, his tears
drying, as Kija drifted lower and landed smoothly beside his fir
tree. And his decision was made. Kija settled into a reclining
position and folded her wings against her back. Rhaki returned her
steady gaze and drew in a deep breath.
    ‘I will travel to these
people, and I will begin my service to them. I do not believe I can
ever find forgiveness for what I have done.’
    Kija lowered her head.
‘As you wish.’ She looked out over the quiet landscape. ‘Another
day or so will make no difference Rhaki. Pack what you wish to
take. I will conceal your cave for you when we leave, so all will
stay safe until you return.’
    ‘We?’ he asked in
surprise. He had thought he would be trekking on foot until he
found a town at least.
    Kija’s laugh pealed
aloud, ringing round the hillside.
    ‘I will take you, when
you are ready.’
    Rhaki went back into
the cave and looked around its crowded smallness. He’d found
several packs his predecessor must have used for many different
reasons: a couple had clearly been used to carry fish. They were
still richly pungent. He intended to take the notebooks and the
maps, nothing else besides a change of clothes. He sniffed one of
the shirts and wrinkled his nose. If the Dragon wasn’t in a hurry,
perhaps he should do some laundry.
    The next day, Rhaki
stood outside his cave, a single large pack on his shoulder, and
watched the gold Dragon work power. The open face of the entrance
to the cave became sealed over. Rock, looking as weathered as
though it had stood there forever, was netted with winter killed
ferns and ivy. Kija moved away and crouched low.
    ‘Climb between my
wings. You will not fall.’
    Rhaki did as he was
told. He felt powerful muscles tense and then they were aloft.
Although Kija flew slowly to begin with, the air whipped into
Rhaki’s face, icy against his cheeks and chin and causing tears to
blur his vision. He let go of Kija’s shoulder with one hand and
pulled the collar of his jacket up as far as he could. He found
that by squinting, he reduced the watering of his eyes, and
suddenly he saw they were already over the deserted buildings just
beyond his valley.
    He twisted to peer back
towards his cave, but it was already too distant to make out. As
Kija sensed Rhaki growing more confident with being on her back, so
high above the ground, she increased her speed, powering
southwards. She didn’t fly nearly as fast as she had on her way to
Rhaki and landed before sunset in a tiny clearing which had been
made by the fall of an ancient tree during the past winter. When
Rhaki slid from her back, his legs gave way and he felt amusement
pulse from Kija’s mind.
    ‘There are few animals
around here yet,’ she said. ‘Light a fire, you will be cold this
night.’
    Once his legs returned
to working order, Rhaki collected pieces of the fallen tree and
piled them on a clear piece of ground. Then he stared at his heaped
sticks helplessly. He felt amusement ripple from Kija
again.
    ‘Move away a
little.’
    He backed a few paces
and the Dragon spat a small gout of fire at the wood, which blazed
up fiercely. Rhaki felt his face stretch in a smile.
    ‘I don’t think I’ve
ever lit a fire,’ he said ruefully.
    ‘And you certainly
didn’t light that one,’ Kija retorted. Then her laugh rang