before. Not even heaveners could raise so much dust. Besides, they’re coming straight at us.’
Carnelian looked again, his heart pounding. He was too inexperienced to see what Fern was seeing.
‘Dragons?’ asked Poppy breathlessly.
Fern shook his head again. ‘I don’t know. I’ve never seen dragons moving in the Earthsky.’
Carnelian bowed his head. The time to act had come. He looked at Fern. ‘How long before they get here?’
‘Well before dusk.’
Carnelian looked into the south-west as he had done every time he had come up to the summit that day.
‘Are you looking for Krow?’ Poppy asked.
Carnelian was about to answer, when he saw a slight disturbance to the west. He grabbed Fern and pulled him round. He stabbed his finger. ‘There.’
Fern shaded his eyes with his hand. Carnelian peered but, through the melting air, he could not really be sure there was anything there. ‘Well?’
Fern shrugged. ‘Could be.’
‘It’s in the direction of the Darkcloud koppie.’
‘Yes,’ said Fern. ‘It could be drag-cradles.’
Carnelian looked back north. That could only be Aurum and Osidian bringing a storm that would soon break upon the Koppie. West, it was not so clear, but if it was Krow Carnelian knew there was his best chance of stopping the salt from reaching the Koppie.
‘If I leave now I could get there and back before the dragons get here.’ This was more a question than a statement.
Fern looked horrified. ‘I can’t bring the rest of the dead up here by myself.’
Carnelian grimaced.
‘I could help,’ said Poppy, a determined look in her eye.
‘Even if you had the strength,’ said Fern, ‘it’s not woman’s work.’
Glancing west again Carnelian was more and more certain there were riders there. ‘Sthax can help you.’ Then, seeing Fern’s puzzlement: ‘The Maruli.’
Fern scowled.
‘At this moment I’m more concerned with the living than the dead. If you want to save these last few souls you’ll allow Sthax to help you.’
The need to get going overwhelmed Carnelian. Without waiting for an answer, he made for the steps.
The moment he reached the shade of the first mother tree Carnelian freed his face from his uba and breathed deep. After the summit the cedar perfume was so fresh it brought tears to his eyes. As he made his way down the Sorrowing he gazed about him as if he were seeing the Grove for the last time.
Sthax was sitting on a root step. When he heard Carnelian approach he rose, grinning. Carnelian pointed insistently back up towards the Crag. Carnelian watched him climb the rootstair, then ran down to the Childsgate where they had tethered the aquar.
She was there, sunk to the ground, snoozing in the shade. Climbing into her saddle-chair, he made her rise and rode her round to the Southgate. Soon they were coursing down the Southing. When they reached the Newditch, Carnelian glanced back to the Crag, then sent her speeding westwards across the open plain.
There were enough aquar pulling drag-cradles for them to have flattened a road through the ferns. The shape of their saddle-chairs was characteristically Darkcloud and it was Krow riding up in front. They raced forward to meet Carnelian, giving him no time to examine their convoy.
Krow gave a grim nod as he approached. ‘Master.’
The Darkcloud round him were less restrained in their greeting. Looking among them Carnelian was pleased to see men he knew and greeted those he did by name, lighting smiles among them.
Noses wrinkled, eyes registered the staining on Carnelian’s robes and skin. He had become so accustomed to being filthy he had not considered the impression he would give. Horror and disgust had spread to all their faces.
‘I’ve been working with Ochre Fern and Twostone Poppy to save the souls of the Ochre.’ Their looks of compassion made him feel a kinship with them, but there was no time to linger on that. ‘The Master’s been defeated.’
The Plainsmen gaped, staring, but
Carnelian looked again, his heart pounding. He was too inexperienced to see what Fern was seeing.
‘Dragons?’ asked Poppy breathlessly.
Fern shook his head again. ‘I don’t know. I’ve never seen dragons moving in the Earthsky.’
Carnelian bowed his head. The time to act had come. He looked at Fern. ‘How long before they get here?’
‘Well before dusk.’
Carnelian looked into the south-west as he had done every time he had come up to the summit that day.
‘Are you looking for Krow?’ Poppy asked.
Carnelian was about to answer, when he saw a slight disturbance to the west. He grabbed Fern and pulled him round. He stabbed his finger. ‘There.’
Fern shaded his eyes with his hand. Carnelian peered but, through the melting air, he could not really be sure there was anything there. ‘Well?’
Fern shrugged. ‘Could be.’
‘It’s in the direction of the Darkcloud koppie.’
‘Yes,’ said Fern. ‘It could be drag-cradles.’
Carnelian looked back north. That could only be Aurum and Osidian bringing a storm that would soon break upon the Koppie. West, it was not so clear, but if it was Krow Carnelian knew there was his best chance of stopping the salt from reaching the Koppie.
‘If I leave now I could get there and back before the dragons get here.’ This was more a question than a statement.
Fern looked horrified. ‘I can’t bring the rest of the dead up here by myself.’
Carnelian grimaced.
‘I could help,’ said Poppy, a determined look in her eye.
‘Even if you had the strength,’ said Fern, ‘it’s not woman’s work.’
Glancing west again Carnelian was more and more certain there were riders there. ‘Sthax can help you.’ Then, seeing Fern’s puzzlement: ‘The Maruli.’
Fern scowled.
‘At this moment I’m more concerned with the living than the dead. If you want to save these last few souls you’ll allow Sthax to help you.’
The need to get going overwhelmed Carnelian. Without waiting for an answer, he made for the steps.
The moment he reached the shade of the first mother tree Carnelian freed his face from his uba and breathed deep. After the summit the cedar perfume was so fresh it brought tears to his eyes. As he made his way down the Sorrowing he gazed about him as if he were seeing the Grove for the last time.
Sthax was sitting on a root step. When he heard Carnelian approach he rose, grinning. Carnelian pointed insistently back up towards the Crag. Carnelian watched him climb the rootstair, then ran down to the Childsgate where they had tethered the aquar.
She was there, sunk to the ground, snoozing in the shade. Climbing into her saddle-chair, he made her rise and rode her round to the Southgate. Soon they were coursing down the Southing. When they reached the Newditch, Carnelian glanced back to the Crag, then sent her speeding westwards across the open plain.
There were enough aquar pulling drag-cradles for them to have flattened a road through the ferns. The shape of their saddle-chairs was characteristically Darkcloud and it was Krow riding up in front. They raced forward to meet Carnelian, giving him no time to examine their convoy.
Krow gave a grim nod as he approached. ‘Master.’
The Darkcloud round him were less restrained in their greeting. Looking among them Carnelian was pleased to see men he knew and greeted those he did by name, lighting smiles among them.
Noses wrinkled, eyes registered the staining on Carnelian’s robes and skin. He had become so accustomed to being filthy he had not considered the impression he would give. Horror and disgust had spread to all their faces.
‘I’ve been working with Ochre Fern and Twostone Poppy to save the souls of the Ochre.’ Their looks of compassion made him feel a kinship with them, but there was no time to linger on that. ‘The Master’s been defeated.’
The Plainsmen gaped, staring, but
Similar Books
