Free Survivors: Book 4 Circles of Light series by E.M. Sinclair Page B

Dragons days ago on
their journey from the coast.
    ‘We have been well
provided with food since we entered your Valley,’ Brin told him.
‘We can survive well enough now until this desert is crossed. But
we thank you for your thought for us.’
    Privately, Farn told
Tika that the sand lizards were extremely chewy and not
particularly flavoursome.
    The Qwah fussed over
the horses, seeing to their comfort, checking for sores, as though
their were their children. Maressa commented casually on this fact
and earned severe looks from all three Qwah.
    ‘Do you think we could
so easily risk travelling these lands without our horses Lady?’
Hadjay demanded reproachfully. ‘They are more precious than our own
lives and must be treated so.’
    They slept the day
away, aware when they occasionally roused of the fiery heat beyond
the awnings and the sheltering boulders. Hadjay distributed
handfuls of fruit and bowls of tea when they gathered, watching the
sun sink behind the mountains.
    ‘Have you often met
with the Survivors in the City Kirat?’ Ren enquired, sipping his
tea.
    Kirat blanched. ‘No one
meets the Survivors except selected Keepers of the Sanctuary. It is
death to even enquire of them.’
    ‘But why? And we were
invited to meet them, and we’re still alive.’
    Kirat frowned. ‘A
Keeper sent a message to me that we were to go to the great sea to
meet your company. To be directly asked to perform a particular
task for the Survivors is deemed great honour.’
    ‘How long have they
lived in your City though?’ Ren persisted. ‘The Domes have been
there far longer than the Survivors I would guess.’
    Kirat stood up, still
white around his lips and swung onto his horse. ‘We must ride,’ he
called. Not waiting to see if the rest mounted up, he rode on along
a trail only he could see.
    ‘Perhaps such questions
could wait Ren? At least until we can see the end of this stars
forsaken desert.’ Olam grinned at the Offering. ‘Might be better
not to risk being abandoned, yes?’
    Ren grinned back at the
Arms Chief. ‘Oh I think we’re safe enough – you heard him. He would
rather die than disobey the Survivors and it would appear that dear
Kertiss has ordered him to guide us south.’
    ‘I’d just as soon not
press our luck lad,’ Pallin grunted, pulling himself into his
saddle. But he winked as he rode past.
    The next day they
cowered under the awnings while heat hammered mercilessly down from
the white sky. Even Seela and Brin were forced to squeeze their
massive bodies under the awning. Tika saw one of the gijan stumble
when he got to his feet in the late afternoon to prepare for their
night’s travelling. She watched the other two gijan press close to
the third, seeming to support him. She bit her lip and glanced
around, catching Ren watching her. He crossed to her
side.
    ‘Is there anything we
might do for them? I think they’re in trouble,’ he murmured,
watching the gijan huddle at the edge of the awning.
    ‘I think so too, but I
don’t know how to find out.’ Tika frowned. ‘Would you ask Hadjay if
he knows what might be wrong or how we might ease them? I’ll see if
I can get anywhere with them directly.’
    ‘Hadjay?’ Ren raised a
brow.
    Tika nodded. ‘He’s the
most sympathetic of those Qwah I think. Oh and Ren – have you
noticed that smell of mint has come back?’
    He scowled. ‘I’d hoped
it was just my imagination. It disappeared once we’d been in the
desert a couple of days from the coast, but I thought I smelt it
soon after we came out of that Valley.’
    Ren moved between Riff
and Maressa, looking for Hadjay. Navan joined Tika at that moment.
He too watched the gijan.
    ‘What sort of creature
are they Tika?’ he asked.
    She looked up into his
face. Once she had feared this man, Hargon’s second in command. Now
she counted him a true friend.
    ‘I don’t know but I
keep seeing a similarity to Mim, although perhaps that is only
because of their hands.’
    ‘But I