Chapter Five: The Long Lake
When Zircah and Rikash arrived in Carthak almost a week later, Emperor Ozorne almost had a fit.
"What are you doing here? Are there problems in Dunlath?" He demanded of them, clutching the sides of his golden throne. He was dressed in a tunic the rich, glittering shade of peacock blue, with a shoulder wrap of gold cloth. Rings of gold and dark green gems adorned his fingers, toes and ears. Zircah thought he looked too sparkly for his own good, but she stared at him, perplexed, in response to his half-panicked exclamation.
"Dunlath, your honour? I'm afraid we were detained at Pirate's Swoop." She said, nudging a tone of respect into her voice. Ozorne's frown deepened.
"Which nation are you?" He asked. Zircah told him and waited patiently as he muttered angrily under his breath for a while. Then he told them, "Go north and east until you find Fief Dunlath, the Long Lake. Most of your flock is there. You are Lord Rikash and Lady Zircah are you not?" Rikash and Zircah nodded in surprise. "King Jokhun has appointed Razor Scream's Jakaal in charge there in your absence, but you may inform him that you are his superior when you get there. Zircah, you are supposed to be the Champion, are you not? Regard Lord Rikash as your liege until Jokhun returns. Now leave - I'm a busy emperor."
As soon as they were out of the imperial palace, Zircah felt a nagging suspicion that she should have gone back. Instead she scowled. "Some directions. 'Go north and then east'. How far? Stupid mortal." She spat, giving no thought to who might be below her. She turned her attention to Rikash. "So, you're to be in charge? What a fool Jokhun was to put a weedy male like you at the top in an operation that clearly means a lot to the emperor."
Rikash glared at her. "I suppose you think you'd do better?"
"Well, of course." Zircah agreed. "Naturally. I can fight better than you. But I'm not really interested in petty power games." She shrugged off the indignant annoyance as though she shrugged off a cloak. Rikash raised an eyebrow at this, but didn't reply. A slight nervousness emanated from him.
He frowned as he flapped determinedly along the River Zekoi. So much for regarding me as her king. He thought derisively. Then again, it would be best if she didn't. He thought back to when she had crushed a model of her king and shivered despite himself, drifting away from his companion slightly.
Zircah sank back into her surly silence as she flew, in preparation for the time at the Long Lake. She didn't want anyone to think that she and Moonsword had become friends. That might prove dangerous. It was always dangerous to have friends. Friends could wound like no one else could.
"Welcome to Dunlath, Lord Rikash, Zircah." The speaker was a mortal of about thirty by the name of Belden. His wife, the Lady Yolane of Dunlath, hung from his arm looking smug.
"Thankyou, Lord Belden." Rikash replied. "Perhaps you could tell me why you require our services - the emperor was somewhat vague."
"Understandably." Yolane interjected smoothly. "Lord Rikash, we discovered opals in the cliffs to the north. The emperor wished to buy them from us, so we agreed - after all, he pays much better than Jonathan. We have eight hurroks stabled here, along with eighteen of yours and fifteen of Razor Scream's Stormwings. You'll find the Stormwing roosts at each of the command posts to the north and south. Lord Jakaal has had his sentries combing the forest every day, and the hurroks at night. They see better in the dark, after all."
"It may be best if I place some Stormwings on night patrol as well, my lady." Rikash replied, taking authority without realising it. "We manoeuvre far better than the hurroks. Some see very well in the dark." He nodded to Zircah and she smirked smugly. At least he recognised her ability. "Do you know where we might find Jakaal? I have to inform him he's no longer in command."
"I believe he's at the northern fort. You'll have to find him yourself, I'm afraid." Belden said gravely. "We'll introduce you to our mages properly some other time, Lord Rikash. It is late, I fear, and we're very busy lately."
"My lord." Rikash bowed. Zircah curtseyed obediently, holding her position for two seconds after Rikash had straightened. Belden and Yolane were already walking away. When they were gone, Zircah turned to Rikash.
"You ought to tread more carefully around this Jakaal. He will resent you taking away his power. Allow him to retain some command over his own flock, at least, and you'll avoid unnecessary confrontation." She suggested. Rikash tossed his head, making the bones braided into his hair clatter.
"You know an awful lot for someone uninterested in nation politics." He told her. Zircah shrugged. Her head snapped around with a jangle of feathers as a young girl stepped out from the stairs. The girl stepped back with an indrawn breath, but Zircah folded her wings and nodded encouragingly at her.
"Who might you be, hatchling?" She asked easily. The girl drew herself up straight. She was a plain, stocky child with a dusting of freckles and cropped brown hair.
"I'm Maura of Dunlath, Yolane's half-sister." She informed them. Her cinnamon brown eyes scrutinised them carefully. There was a brief silence before she observed, "You look nicer than the others. They're always teasing and being nasty."
Rikash smiled lazily at the child. "Oh, you just haven't known us long." Maura giggled as Zircah rolled her eyes.
"Don't pay any attention to him, Lady Maura. He's just got a promotion and the power's gone to his head." She reached up and, with the wrist-joint of her wing, rapped Rikash firmly on the head. The male winced.
"Thanks for that vote of confidence." He said dryly.
"And now he'll sulk, you watch." Zircah stage-whispered to Maura. Rikash pouted and glowered at the ground. Maura burst into laughter, holding her sides and doubling over. Finally she regained her balance and wiped her eyes.
"It was nice to meet you... uh, what are your names?" The girl's cheeks went pink upon discovering she still didn't know their names.
"Zircah. And he's Rikash. Lord Rikash, I should say." Zircah made a face. Maura smiled.
"Good night Lord Rikash, Lady Zircah." Maura said, curtseying politely. She went back down the stairs and Rikash sniggered.
"Lady Zircah," he said with a much-embellished bow. "Shall we away?"
"Oh shut up." Zircah grumbled good-naturedly as they took off into the darkening sky. As they wheeled north, she added, "Nice kid, isn't she? She seems sad, though."
Rikash shrugged, apparently disinterested. "What has she got to want for?" He said, effectively ending the conversation as Zircah glared at him. She flew behind him silently to the north fort and landed more gracefully and quietly than he did outside a large hut full of Stormwings.
A K'miri Stormwing hopped off the perch and came towards them. "Name yourselves, strangers." His voice was rich and mellow. It was all Zircah could do not to drool as she watched his glimmering black eyes.
"Rikash Moonsword." Rikash drawled. "Zircah Bladewing," he added, gesturing with a deprecating wing. "I presume you're Jakaal?"
"You presume correctly." Jakaal said with a grin. He nodded to Zircah with a smile. Zircah half-lidded her eyes and smirked at him, drawing herself up slightly straighter.
"I was told you were in charge until I got here." Rikash said, annoying Zircah with his callousness. "Perhaps you could tell me what's been happening since you arrived?"
Jakaal looked mildly surprised to have his authority usurped so easily. "You want me to report?"
"If that will get me all there is to know - yes." Rikash replied diffidently. Zircah shot a glare at him, which he ignored.
Jakaal winked at her and related the happenings of Dunlath for the past eight days. Zircah noticed that there was no dried blood on this Stormwing's teeth, and ran her tongue over her own quickly, tossing back her hair with a long cacophony of 'tink's. Rikash noticed that he didn't know the names of any of his inferiors bar those in his own flock. He asked for them.
This done, Jakaal pointed out the hurrok stables and directed them to their roosts. It was a single bar with a dozen or so Stormwings perched on it already, but there was still a little bit of space at the end, near some of the Stone Tree Stormwings. Rikash clambered on closest to the wall and had to brush the wall with his wings as he settled for the night. Zircah gave the Stormwings he roosted next to a look and they all shuffled down obediently to give her room. Zircah smiled sweetly and took her place on the roost, sinking her claws into the already lacerated bar. She ruffled her feathers and they settled back into place with a symphony of little clicks. She shook her hair back with a noise like a brass band falling off a cliff and closed her eyes.
On her boring patrols around the valley that held the Long Lake, (The one piece of excitement was when they spotted a Rider group, but that wasn't on her watch. She only got to look at the crater every patrol.) Zircah was not pleased to note how few People answered her calls. Those that did protested the Stormwing and hurrok patrols and objected loudly to the tree-cutters and the burrow-destroyers. Zircah discovered that, in addition to quarrying opals, the two-leggers were chopping down vast amounts of the forest in their valley. When she spoke to the water People, they told her that many who lived at the northern end of the lake had died - Zircah suspected that the water had been poisoned by the humans' activities.
When she mentioned it to Maura during a visit to the castle, the girl was concerned. "You could mention it to Yolane and Belden, but I don't think it would do much good - a girl tried last night and Yolane and Tristan laughed at her. Yolane's never been concerned with things like that, not even before my father died."
"That's a shame. The land and the creatures could be her allies. Who but the moles could say where it was best to dig for opals and gems? Who but the ants could tell her when and how long it was going to rain? Always remember that every creature has its strengths, Maura." She paused as Rikash flew past. "Except the stupid blonde ones."
Maura giggled and shook her head. "You shouldn't be so mean to Lord Rikash, Lady Zircah. He does the best he can, and he's nice enough. He takes me flying, did you know that?" Maura's ten-year-old face glowed with remembered delight as Zircah stared at her. Flying? That pain in the tail Stormwing took her flying?
"It's wonderful. You've no idea how lucky you are to have wings. I could fly for hours..." Maura sighed ruefully. "Of course, I'm a bit heavy, so he can't carry me for too long. But it's wonderful while it lasts."
Zircah chuckled, a little uneasily, through her surprise. Maura smiled at her and then waved to someone behind her. "Hallo Lord Rikash!" Zircah turned slightly to see that the blonde Stormwing had just landed. She veiled her curiosity and shuffled slightly to one side of Maura.
"Hello Maura." Rikash replied, giving the girl a quick smile. "Any news?"
"There were guests at the castle last night, a man and a girl a hand of years older than me." Maura reported eagerly. "The girl's name was Daine, and she could talk to animals! She talked to the mice, and they let me feed them. They're really cute. Then she - Rikash? Lady Zircah?" Maura trailed off in puzzlement as the Stormwings traded dark looks.
"So, Veralidaine was here." Zircah muttered. "That girl gets everywhere, doesn't she?"
Rikash frowned, brow crinkling slightly. "I'm sure Tristan would inform us if there were a problem."
Zircah gave him a sceptical look, but turned back to Maura. On impulse, she asked, "How would you like if I made a sling for you? That way you could fly more easily with Lord Rikash - you wouldn't have his talons digging into you, for one thing. And," she added with a disdainful look at the male, "you wouldn't have to smell him so much, either."
Maura let out a squeal and hugged Zircah around the neck. "Would you, Lady Zircah? Oh, thankyou!"
Rikash looked slightly put out, so Maura reassured him with all the tact of her ten years. "It's not 'cause you smell, Lord Rikash." When Zircah started sniggering, she received a sulky look from Rikash and an amused glare from Maura. The two combined to make her laugh even harder.
Finally she stopped and, concentrating her magic, created a sling. She was a little dizzy when she'd finished shaping the fabric so that it wouldn't be uncomfortable, but the delighted grin on Maura's face was worth a little of her own discomfort.
"Thankyou Lady Zircah!" The girl cried, holding up the sling. "It's wonderful."
"Wait until you test it before you start exclaiming over it." Zircah suggested. "I'm not sure how good it will be."
"Can we try it now?" Maura's eyes were shining with excitement. Rikash smiled at her, his eyes crinkling slightly, but shook his head.
"Maybe later, hatchling. Lady Zircah and I have work to do."
"Oh." Disappointment was plain in Maura's eyes, but she hid it well. "All right, then. I'll talk to you later, then. Bye Lord Rikash, Lady Zircah!" She dashed away before she could incur the wrath of her nurse.
Zircah turned to Rikash, faintly surprised. "Work?"
"Those mortals Maura was talking about. We have to scope the valley for them. Just to be sure they've escaped." He snorted. "Come on."
He hop-skipped over to the large window. Zircah followed him with rather more decorum. She opened her wings. "It's good that you spend time with Maura." She said solemnly. "She doesn't have much left, here."
Rikash turned to stare at her, but she was already out the window.
*
A/N: Well, I don't have much to say... just some comments to some reviewers. ^^
Kenta Divina - Rats, you've caught me! Potential there is, indeed. *grin* But this can end in any number of ways... I think I'm going to end up with about eight alternate endings, by my count! ;
Nogard - I know, I'd thought of that. By that point of the fic, well... let's just say that Rikash is intent on remaining as unremarkable to Ozorne as possible with his station as a vassal.