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Chapter Seven
Part Five

Kimi flew overhead, leading the way to her mentor’s home. The trail was steep, and Andrew kept falling back while his sister scampered ahead like a mountain goat. Eyvindr was climbing more slowly, but still faster than him. Andrew swore to himself and tried to speed up, but the scree gave way beneath his feet and sent him sliding nearly a hundred meters back down the slope. He flailed around in an attempt to stop himself and his hand closed on a tree root, jerking him to a stop. He landed on his side and lay there, gasping for breath.

“Are you okay, Drew?” Lydia slid down towards him.

“Not really.” He sat up and looked down at his jeans. They were ripped and his knees were bleeding. That wasn’t what worried him though – his painful and rapidly swelling ankle did. “My ankle hurts.”

“Stay there!” Lydia said. “I want to be sure it’s not broken.”

Kimi landed beside him and shifted down into her resting form. She sniffed at his ankle and then nuzzled it. “You’ll be okay.”

“Of course he will.” Lydia knelt down and examined his injury. “Hmm… I think it’s just sprained, but I can’t be sure.” She looked at Kimi. “He won’t be able to walk. Can you carry him?”

“Of course!” Kimi nuzzled his ankle once more and  then returned to her full form. “You’ll have to help him climb on.”

He got to his feet slowly with Lydia’s help.

“Lean on me and try not to put any weight on your ankle,” she said.

“I’ll try.” He half-hopped, half-hobbled over to Kimi and struggled on to her back.

Kimi cocked her head at Lydia. “I can carry both of you. It’ll be quicker.” She looked up at Eyvindr who was climbing back down to them. “I’ll come back for you as soon as I’ve dropped them off.”

He waved in acknowledgement and she turned to Lydia, who nodded and climbed onto her back behind Andrew. Kimi took off again, flying close to the ground and seeming less graceful than usual.

“Are you okay?” Andrew asked.

“It’s hard flying with two passengers,” she replied. “I’m glad it’s not far.”

In fact they were already approaching a ledge by a cave. A midnight-blue skinned slender young woman with purplish black hair and eyes that shone like stars was waiting at the entrance.  Andrew thought her one of the most exquisite people he’d ever seen.

“Kaguya!” Kimi said as he and Lydia dismounted. “Have you told Aratts we’re here?” She turned to him and Lydia. “This is Kaguya, another student of my mentor Aratts. She’s a-” The next thing she said was an unintelligble squawk rather than a word.

“A what?” he asked.

Kimi looked from him to Lydia. “Oh, dear. That didn’t come through at all did it? She’s a night nymph. The same species as Brita but with an affinity for darkness rather than rock. Apparently humans don’t have a specific name for them.” She looked back at Kaguya. “This is my heart friend Andrew and his sister Lydia.”

The nymph bowed. “Welcome. I have prepared rooms for you.” She noticed his injury or at least that Lydia was supporting him – and concern flitted across her face. “Are you hurt?”

“I slipped and hurt my ankle,” he said.

“Let me help.” Kaguya slipped under his free arm and with her and Lydia’s help he hopped into the cave.

“I need to go back and fetch Eyvindr,” Kimi said. “I’ll be right back.”

***
Valeria blinked as two imps flew into her chambers simultaneously. One was Rai’s again, which was not really unexpected. The other was a small creature of darkness which she stared at perplexedly. Why was Dariad sending her an Imp? It must be important. She held her palm out to it first and absorbed its message.

She stared blankly at the crystal wall of her study as she tried to digest the full horror of what had been happening in Elapyron. Rai’s imp flitted around her head, trying in vain to attract her attention. Dariad was right; this required some sort of response.

Her reverie was broken by a loud knock at her door, followed by Alban rushing in. He looked frantic.

”Alban? What‘s wrong?”

“Karen and Rai are in danger!” he blurted out.

“What?” She finally put her hand out gain to let Rai’s imp land. She absorbed what it was telling her and swore feelingly. “Come on!” She grabbed his bow and quiver from the corner and took hold of his hand.

”Huh?” he said. ”You intend to go and save them?”

“Them and  Salia.” She pulled him out of the door towards the courtyard mentally calling for two of the other thunderbirds to attend her.

“Salia? What?”

“They’re near the thunderbird’s eyrie and I sent Salia there for safety. I don’t think it’s a coincidence.” She turned as the two guards landed in front of them. “We need to get to your eyrie, with a short detour to grab Rai and the Light Warrior.” She quickly explained what she’d learned from the Imp.

The two thunderbirds crouched down to allow them to mount, but Valeria turned and walked to the moat. Sirin’s head appeared above the water. “Your majesty?”

Valeria ignored her and looked out over the water. “Lorelei, attend me!”

The deputy songstress of the merfolk emerged from the water and joined her by the gate. Valeria lead her back into the courtyard, out of earshot of the other merfolk.

“How may I serve you, my queen?” Lorelei asked.

“I suspect Sirin is plotting against me. What do you think?”

“I’m sure of it my queen. She really hates you.”

“I thought so. I need your help – and it may not be safe.”

“What do you need?”

“I have to go to the eyrie.” Valeria took her pendant from round her neck and held it out to her. “I’m leaving you as regent. You’re one of the few people I trust at the moment. Gather a group you trust around you and be careful. We’ll sort this mess out when I get back.” If I get back, she appended mentally.

“My queen.” Lorelei bowed. “I will do my best and I will send an imp directly if anything goes wrong here.” She took the pendant and headed to the stairs to Valeria’s study.

Valeria turned back to the thunderbirds to see Alban was already mounted. She climbed up onto the other’s back and they took off towards the eyrie.

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