Page 47 of Stormlost

The only clues to Erann’s whereabouts were in Sereh’s dreams. Why she could still connect to him, when he couldn’t, was a mystery he didn’t understand. They shouldn’t be linked in such a way. It was not the way their kind communicated. He had considered if it was because of their affection for one another, but he didn’t think it was that.

He relied on Sereh’s visions. Whenever she endured one, as she did every seven days, he’d feel hope afresh and convince himself this time Erann would be found. Yet, that hadn’t proved correct. He perceived Sereh, from her actions and Emma’s concerns, and from finding her, as he had done, with the Librarian on the glacier, was increasingly putting herself in danger to let the visions continue. He needed to find Erann or else make the decision to keep Sereh safe and give up on his quest. If that happened, he would have to instruct Emma accordingly. He’d watched Sereh enough to understand she wouldn’t wish to tolerate it. Perhaps then, she’d have to remain within run-ketill forever. Maybe then, every seven nights, he’d be able to stop her from dreaming of Erann. It was an unsettling thought, but one he felt sure, that, despite it all, Erann would approve of.

Skaldi understood he was becoming more like Erann’s kind with every day. He was no longer acting with his own kind’s interests paramount in his mind. He knew Naer-vera was keen to reinstruct him. Each visit to the Archive had resulted in him having to exert his will to make Naer-vera do as he commanded.

He’d taken to Erann and Sereh. He wanted to use his superior strength and abilities to endure the conditions of their land to assist them, and those close to them. It was contrary to everything he was supposed to do as the Speaker, but he couldn’t think as his ancestors had done. They’d said the Others were savages. But he suspected, drekkikind were the savages.

Erann was fascinating. So was Sereh and her wolf-dog companion, Arrow. He enjoyed experiencing the world through Arrow’s thoughts. It was very different to the way the Others thought of themselves. Even his servants within the cave were mildly intriguing, for all that they’d been worn down by centuries of Speakers treating them as servants, while they were kept captive as a condition of the long-held Agreement between their two peoples.

His meeting with the Librarian, while short because of the need to return Sereh to run-ketill, intrigued him. He’d not truly thought to consider the extended lives of the Others within run-ketill, even though they’d surely lived many times longer than they should. The images he’d seen on first becoming Speaker alluded to the Agreement reached between his kind and Erann’s. The images had been starkly factual. There was no consideration of the cost to the settlers. It spoke only of the rationale behind the servants in the cave.

To discover there was another, as equally long lived as his Others, was a shock. Not only could the Librarian live freely amongst his own kind, he also knew Emma.

He’d wanted to ask Emma about him. Yet, he appreciated there was a shared past between them which caused pain. He didn’t want to ignite old hates or loves between the two people he could freely communicate with, especially because he was going to need them to help him find Erann.

In his quiet times, when he was home from his search, which became more and more often as he realised the futility of it all, he examined the Archive, looking for anything that might answer his many questions. His ancestors had been so circumspect with the information they’d recorded. He believed they’d purposefully obscured more than they’d shared. He despaired of finding anything useful. There was much they’d not wanted their descendants to know. Why had they made the Archive? It made little sense to Skaldi.

Frustrated, he realised the answers he sought could come from Emma or the Librarian. They’d lived for so many rotations. They must know the answers to his many questions. After all, if he understood their long lives correctly, they’d witnessed the Agreement coming into effect.

He decided the Librarian would be the best person to question. Emma was angry with him, and with Sereh, and most certainly with Jon. With everyone. He’d taken to staying away from her. He worried she’d realised his avoidance strategies and purposefully stopped encroaching on her thoughts. If they were as furious as he thought, he didn’t want to know.

No, the Librarian was who he needed. Now he knew of him. The Librarian was like him, the Speaker. They both had intelligence of a great deal of information others didn’t have.

The land he flew over, back towards the Library, was finally starting to show green and brown patches through the unending white and blue vista. The snows were truly starting to melt. Even the sun felt warm on his back. It was almost too hot as he dodged in and out of the light and wispy clouds occasionally obscuring the deep cobalt sky. Only a gentle wind blew in his face as his powerful golden wings cut through the air. For a moment, he forgot his worries and fears and felt an exuberance missing since Erann’s disappearance. His joy in such freedoms was rekindled. But then, the Library came into view.

He realised his decision to seek out the Librarian was a good one. He hoped the Librarian would share his ancient knowledge freely with him. He had determined to extend the same privilege to him.

The Library was the largest building he’d seen on his many journeys. It hugged the ground and was covered with a patchwork quilt of dirty white snow, and fresh green where the turf was already starting to regrow. To either side of the huge ornamental doorway, the Library stretched many dragon lengths. It was almost as wide as it was deep. The massive glacier beside it seemed to stop only at its door. Idly, Skaldi considered how far away the glacier had been when the Library was constructed. Certainly, the marker the Librarian had been trying to use to communicate with him was a good day’s walk from here. In five hundred rotations the glacier had walked the distance a man could in a single day.

Skaldi landed with a sharp snap of his wings at the front of the Library. He heard the sounds of someone talking coming from close by. He reared on his back legs and peered over the top of the Library to see a heavily cloaked man hacking ice which covered the small river nearby. It would usually carry water away from the glacier and out to the sea, many, many dragon lengths away. He watched for a few moments before realising it wasn’t the Librarian. How was he to get the Librarian’s attention? He’d not considered that. In the caves, he called for his servants, and they came. He didn’t have the same abilities outside the cave.

Abruptly, he felt something brushing against one of his front legs, and looked down. The Librarian looked back at him, his expression impossible to decipher.

‘I heard your call. At least, I think I did,’ he stammered, pulling the door closed behind him, now Skaldi had moved aside to make room for him. The Librarian fastened his cloak tightly. Perhaps, Skaldi considered, it wasn’t as warm for the Librarian as it was for him. He understood Erann’s kind needed the furs of the wolves and other beasts to keep warm. It wasn’t the same as having such a tough hide.

Skaldi observed the Librarian closely. He’d not really done so before. He was a tall man, his hair turned all to white, a thick beard covering his face. And then Skaldi felt a thrum of satisfaction coursing through his body. The Librarian shared the same eye colour as Erann, deepest green. Like his own. It explained much. Not only was he the Librarian, he was also one of the few who could always see drekkikind.

You heard my thoughts, yes, he confirmed. There are a few who can, well, you and Erann. For some reason, the wolf-dog as well. Aside from that only those within the shield can usually see me and my kind.

The Librarian considered the explanation, moving away from the door.

‘It was the best way,’ the Librarian began, his face scrunching as he spoke. Skaldi watched him, fascinated. He’d not truly asked the question, and still the Librarian was telling him more than he’d previously known. ‘We determined on the most uncommon eye colour. It was chosen as a conduit to communicate with your kind. It was a happy coincidence it also predisposed those amongst your kind to become Speaker.’ His tone was darkly bitter and Skaldi turned his huge head to peer more closely at the man standing before him.

The Librarian seemed old but young, bent and infirm and yet straight and powerful all at the same time. He was a conundrum. Emma and her kind in the cave were open to him. He could read their thoughts without them even being aware, if he wished to do so. This man was responsive to his thoughts, but the opposite wasn’t true.

‘You seem very different to the Speaker I knew before. For a start, you’re able to think coherent thoughts to me and your actions towards Sereh… they astound me.’

I know little of my own kind’s past other than what they thought to pass on. I know I’m the keeper of the shield. I’m the voice of my people. I must always put their best interests above your kind. I don’t know why, or how this came about. I don’t know why I’m so connected to Erann. I don’t know where he is. I’d hoped you may have some ideas.

‘I know more and everything. I know your kind’s past and I know my mine. Yet, I can’t share it with you. Not now. There’ll come a time in the future but today isn’t it. However, I may have an inkling of where Erann is. It’s only an inkling, though. Wait here, and I’ll return shortly.’

Before Skaldi could phrase any more questions, the Librarian turned back towards the building. Skaldi was alone again. He replayed the conversation and felt a brighter glimmer of hope than before. He’d found his way to the knowledge he needed. He must simply be a little more patient. Then, the Librarian would share it.

Maybe, as with Erann, he could see what the Librarian saw.

22

SKALD DREKKI