one wall. Shelves covering another wall were piled
with papers, bottles of different coloured liquids and various
sized wooden boxes. The third wall was hidden by rows of stacked
cages. Seela backed out of the room, her eyes blazing,
unceremoniously pushing Farn out before he could actually get
in.
‘We will wait for you,’
she told Tika.
Maressa had moved to
stare into the cages. They contained various small birds and
animals, none of which were quite familiar to her. They were all
alive she thought but utterly still and silent, huddled in the
furthest corners of their cages.
Orla was seated at the
further end of the workbench along the wall opposite the
cages.
‘I give you greeting,’
she said now, her voice surprisingly deep but pleasantly
toned.
Two small white bowls
stood in front of her and she held a short transparent pipe with a
finger held over one end. The pipe was half full of a thick red
fluid. She bent her head as she sealed the top of the pipe with
something and stood it in a rack of similar pipes. She turned back
to the visitors.
‘This is where I spend
most of my time,’ she told them. ‘One of my interests is
xenobiology – understanding the life forms of different worlds than
my own. Despite being here on Kel-Harat so long, there seems an
infinity to discover.’
At the back of the
group, Tika had only half listened to Orla: her attention had been
caught by a small bird. It looked very like the larger night loving
great-eyes she knew in Sapphrea, and she sent a guarded thought
towards it. Now, as Orla continued speaking about something she
called blood groups, Tika stumbled back against Sket, her face
white and beaded with sweat. Sket’s arm went round her even as Farn
began to fuss in the passage outside.
‘Captain, my lady is
ill!’
Gan spun to look at
Tika and lifted her into his arms without a question.
‘Forgive us Kertiss,
Orla, but we must get Lady Tika to our rooms at once.’
Orla and Kertiss looked
discomposed but then Kertiss stepped forward.
‘Very well. We would
have liked you to stay longer but you will return tomorrow evening.
Evening is our preferred time,’ he said, leading them back along
the passages.
Tika’s face was pressed
into Gan’s shoulder and Farn’s head banged against Gan’s, so close
did he keep to his soul bond. They reached the doorway through
which they’d first entered and Kertiss paused. He studied the small
panel set into the door, Gan seeing a red light flashing before
Kertiss’s body blocked his view. Kertiss looked over his shoulder,
as if checking the group of companions and the two Dragons. He
placed his hand on the panel and the door swung open. Gan strode
straight through.
Olam sprang to his
feet, closely followed by Pallin and Riff. Brin rumbled and surged
up from his reclining position.
‘Oh dear friends! Why
is the small one ill?’ Singer cried.
Without knowing why he
did so, Gan halted his rapid march towards the ramp and swerved
towards the Ship. Shielding Tika with his own body from Kertiss’s
sight, he pressed the back of her hand briefly against the Ship’s
side. There was the faintest gasp then Singer’s voice poured music
into the chamber. Gan turned at once and made for the
ramp.
‘We will not see you
tomorrow Kertiss if Lady Tika is not fully recovered,’ he called
over his shoulder. ‘Unless of course you care to visit us in our
rooms.’
The party crossed the
floor of the Dome which was still lit with the strange amber glow
and took the waiting Keeper by surprise, so quickly did they emerge
from the archway. He scrambled to his feet and hurried after them
across the starlit space towards the Ring Complex. He skidded to a
halt when Storm whirled with amazing speed, barring his way. The
Keeper stared at the young Dragon’s glittering eyes and snarling
mouth and chose to stop following the group.
Gan laid Tika gently on
cushions Maressa spread on the floor and Farn pushed ungently
through to crouch at her
with papers, bottles of different coloured liquids and various
sized wooden boxes. The third wall was hidden by rows of stacked
cages. Seela backed out of the room, her eyes blazing,
unceremoniously pushing Farn out before he could actually get
in.
‘We will wait for you,’
she told Tika.
Maressa had moved to
stare into the cages. They contained various small birds and
animals, none of which were quite familiar to her. They were all
alive she thought but utterly still and silent, huddled in the
furthest corners of their cages.
Orla was seated at the
further end of the workbench along the wall opposite the
cages.
‘I give you greeting,’
she said now, her voice surprisingly deep but pleasantly
toned.
Two small white bowls
stood in front of her and she held a short transparent pipe with a
finger held over one end. The pipe was half full of a thick red
fluid. She bent her head as she sealed the top of the pipe with
something and stood it in a rack of similar pipes. She turned back
to the visitors.
‘This is where I spend
most of my time,’ she told them. ‘One of my interests is
xenobiology – understanding the life forms of different worlds than
my own. Despite being here on Kel-Harat so long, there seems an
infinity to discover.’
At the back of the
group, Tika had only half listened to Orla: her attention had been
caught by a small bird. It looked very like the larger night loving
great-eyes she knew in Sapphrea, and she sent a guarded thought
towards it. Now, as Orla continued speaking about something she
called blood groups, Tika stumbled back against Sket, her face
white and beaded with sweat. Sket’s arm went round her even as Farn
began to fuss in the passage outside.
‘Captain, my lady is
ill!’
Gan spun to look at
Tika and lifted her into his arms without a question.
‘Forgive us Kertiss,
Orla, but we must get Lady Tika to our rooms at once.’
Orla and Kertiss looked
discomposed but then Kertiss stepped forward.
‘Very well. We would
have liked you to stay longer but you will return tomorrow evening.
Evening is our preferred time,’ he said, leading them back along
the passages.
Tika’s face was pressed
into Gan’s shoulder and Farn’s head banged against Gan’s, so close
did he keep to his soul bond. They reached the doorway through
which they’d first entered and Kertiss paused. He studied the small
panel set into the door, Gan seeing a red light flashing before
Kertiss’s body blocked his view. Kertiss looked over his shoulder,
as if checking the group of companions and the two Dragons. He
placed his hand on the panel and the door swung open. Gan strode
straight through.
Olam sprang to his
feet, closely followed by Pallin and Riff. Brin rumbled and surged
up from his reclining position.
‘Oh dear friends! Why
is the small one ill?’ Singer cried.
Without knowing why he
did so, Gan halted his rapid march towards the ramp and swerved
towards the Ship. Shielding Tika with his own body from Kertiss’s
sight, he pressed the back of her hand briefly against the Ship’s
side. There was the faintest gasp then Singer’s voice poured music
into the chamber. Gan turned at once and made for the
ramp.
‘We will not see you
tomorrow Kertiss if Lady Tika is not fully recovered,’ he called
over his shoulder. ‘Unless of course you care to visit us in our
rooms.’
The party crossed the
floor of the Dome which was still lit with the strange amber glow
and took the waiting Keeper by surprise, so quickly did they emerge
from the archway. He scrambled to his feet and hurried after them
across the starlit space towards the Ring Complex. He skidded to a
halt when Storm whirled with amazing speed, barring his way. The
Keeper stared at the young Dragon’s glittering eyes and snarling
mouth and chose to stop following the group.
Gan laid Tika gently on
cushions Maressa spread on the floor and Farn pushed ungently
through to crouch at her
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