The Circle Around the Fire

Chapter 2 - Rescue

Taqqiq lit the ritual fire, the Ikuma, and cast in the magic herbs. Smoke billowed high and swirled around her, filling the cave. She intoned the chant, slow and deep, and the smoke shimmered. It became regimented, less corporeal, more transparent. And suddenly, in a rush of magic, it changed. At once, it was awash with colour and light. A quiet hum could be heard over the crackle of the fire. Like the aurora of the Northern Lights, the veils of colour danced around her. Then, Taqqiq's chant changed tune and the lights followed suit, forming a circle around her. The circle span, faster and faster, light and colour and pure harmonics emanating from the circle. Taqqiq raised her hands and gestured towards the glowing, colourful circle. In an instant, it stopped, hanging in perfect stillness. Taqqiq knew that it was time, and closed her eyes. Using the bridge to the outside world that the circle of colour was, Taqqiq sent her mind beyond her body. Opening the Sight, she saw her body and the fire, and the circles of light from above. Then, she flew. Out of her cave, down the mountain, across the snow covered trees. She was content to see that all seemed well. Then she was rudely jerked out of her contentment by a distressing sight – a small boy, who couldn't have been more than five, wandering alone in the snow. She opened the ears of her mind, the Hearing, and heard his pitiful cry: "Help me! Is anyone there?" Taqqiq was immediately alert, and pulled herself out of the Searching trance. She hurtled back to her body, in which she scrambled out of the small cave entrance. Standing on the small ledge, she raised her lips to the moon, and howled.

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Harry shivered in the inadequate shelter of the tree, cradling Anissu, who was barely moving in the cold. The howl he had heard earlier had since been answered numerous times. The howls seemed to be coming closer. Harry was sure he should be worried about that, but he was too cold to bring himself to care. He wasn't sure how long he has been there before he heard the sound of something moving very quickly through the forest towards him. He heard many speeding feet in the deep snow, and grunts and growls. In the dimness of the forest he could just make out five large shapes running through the trees. Harry closed his eyes, uncaring, falling into cold, dark oblivion.

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Taqqiq arrived on the scene not long after the wolves. They were clustered around the foot of the tree, the little boy at their centre, kept warm by their bodies. She barked her thanks to the Alpha, who yipped in reply, before loping off into the darkness, followed by his pack. Taqqiq lifted the little boy, cradling his small form carefully in her arms. She wasn't big herself, but the child was exceptionally under-sized. This boy has not been fed well, thought Taqqiq. He was just breathing, but his lips and fingers were blue.

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Harry stirred when he was moved, and he felt Anissu slip from between his fingers.

"Don't go, Anissu!" He murmured, with the last of his strength.

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Taqqiq started in surprise. The first words the boy had spoken were in English, plain and simple, but the last word was a snarling hiss. Taqqiq understood it perfectly well as a name, however, and looked down to the ground to see the tiny, unmoving snake against the pale snow. Picking it up, she felt its faint, flickering pulse beneath her fingers. She needed to get them both back home, quickly. She glanced skyward, and without so much as a flicker of an eyelid, she launched herself into the air as a great eagle, as tall as a man. Northwards she flew, the snake in her beak and the child in her talons, and as she flew, she mused. A natural Caller, she wondered. And a snake-speaker at that. This boy was proving interesting.