Pilgrim by Sara Douglas

closed door, and wondering at what was happening inside.

―Pray to the Stars Drago does not harm his brother,‖ Axis murmured, pacing back and

forth before the door. Every two or three steps he stopped, stared at the door, then jerked back

into his restless pacing.

―Why did the girl respond to Drago, and not Caelum?‖ Adamon asked. ―And why

Faraday?‖

He turned, and looked at the two who were absorbed only in each other.

Faraday sat on the stone floor, her arms wrapped about the child. The

girl—Katie—hugged herself as close to Faraday‘s body as she could get, burying her head in the

coarse weave of Faraday‘s dress, her fingers digging great ravines and ranges into the fabric of

her skirts. About them were grouped the Alaunt hounds. In a circle, facing outwards, keeping

guard.

―Who is she?‖ Axis asked, finally taking his eyes from the closed door behind which

Drago was probably murdering Caelum in a fit of brotherly ambition.

Faraday looked up, her eyes swimming with tears, but nevertheless defiant.

―She is the child I was never allowed to hold,‖ Faraday said. ―And I the mother she lost.‖

―Who is she?‖ Axis repeated, his voice slightly colder now. Why must Faraday always

throw the past in his face?

―Her name is Katie,‖ Faraday said, ―but exactly who, or what she is, I cannot know. She

is connected to the craft, and mayhap she has still to play her role in the saving of this land, and

mayhap she has already played it. All I know is that she has lost love, and yet needs love, and

that I can give love to her.‖

Watching, Azhure‘s face softened. The girl reminded her of her own pain at that age.

―Leave them be,‖ she murmured to Axis, and he turned his face away, his eyes still hard.

Pors, standing closest to the corridor down which they‘d walked, suddenly stiffened, and

stared intently down its gloom.

―Someone comes,‖ he said.

Everyone tensed, save Faraday and the child. Faraday looked up, and then smiled slowly,

her face lovely in its happiness.

―It is your father, Axis. And others as trustworthy.‖

Axis glanced at her, then returned his gaze to the group of three figures he could just

make out at the far end of the corridor. ―StarDrifter?‖

Stars! How long had it been since he‘d thought of StarDrifter? Wasn‘t he still with

Zared?

―He, too, serves the StarSon, as he sees fit,‖ Faraday whispered into the child‘s hair, and

no-one heard her.

―Axis?‖ StarDrifter‘s voice called down the length of corridor still separating them.

―Azhure? WingRidge and SpikeFeather are with me. We bring stupendous news!‖

Axis relaxed at the familiar sound of StarDrifter‘s voice, and within a minute StarDrifter

was among them, embracing Axis and Azhure, and greeting the others respectfully. Behind him

WingRidge and SpikeFeather bowed deeply to gods and scholars alike.

StarDrifter saw Faraday and the child surrounded by the hounds, and his eyes widened,

but before he could speak to or approach her, Azhure spoke.

―News?‖ she said. ―What news?‖

―Hope,‖ StarDrifter said.

In truth, he was, as were his two companions, disconcerted to find this crowd awaiting

them here. They had disembarked from the boat where it had stopped at an ancient landing, and

climbed a stairwell into a corridor a level below this. Trusting in the power of the waterways,

they had followed the corridor, climbed the stairwell to which it led, followed yet another

corridor hoping to find Drago before they became hopelessly lost, and had then instead run into

this crowd—and Faraday and the girl she clutched. What was going on?

―We have found the Sanctuary in which the peoples of Tencendor may find shelter,‖

StarDrifter continued, ―and—‖

―The Sanctuary?‖ Xanon asked, her soft query echoed by the other gods.

―Ah,‖ StarDrifter said, suddenly remembering that Axis and Azhure had left the Silent

Woman Woods well before Drago had returned with news of the existence of Sanctuary. How

much should he tell them? In StarDrifter‘s hesitation, WingRidge took the initiative.

―The craft have provided for the shelter of the people of this land,‖ he said. ―We…‖

WingRidge hesitated, thinking twice about saying that they needed Drago to open the

bridge. ―We have left Zenith to organise the evacuation of the Minaret Peaks.‖

―Where is this Sanctuary?‖ Adamon asked. Why had he not known of this?

―In the waterways,‖ SpikeFeather said, inclining his head respectfully as he spoke.

―Beneath Fernbrake Lake.‖

―Meanwhile,‖ StarDrifter said, ―we have come north with the news that we must share.‖

He had no qualms telling them what he‘d discovered about the ability of dance to tap into the

power of the Star Dance. Gods knew it was knowledge that should be shared as widely as

possible. ―Axis, Azhure, I have managed to use the power of the Star Dance!‖

The room erupted in sound, and Adamon had to shout for quiet. During the tumult

Faraday shared a look with StarDrifter, then she looked at the closed door to the domed chamber.

StarDrifter understood. He nodded slightly.

―StarDrifter?‖ Adamon‘s voice was tight with anxiety. ― How? ‖

StarDrifter told them of their discovery of the foundations of the long lost Keep of

Fernbrake Lake, and of the maze formed by the pattern of the stones. ―SpikeFeather was the one

who truly discovered the secret,‖ StarDrifter said, and placed a hand on the birdman‘s shoulder,

―and it is to him that we must owe all gratitude in—‖

― What did you discover? ‖ Axis all but shouted.

―What is important is pattern,‖ StarDrifter said. ―Music and dance, as do symbols and

numbers, form patterns. We should have realised it, for the waterways work in the same—‖

― What? ‖

―Each Song we sang manipulated the power of the Star Dance,‖ StarDrifter said.

―Manipulated by forming a pattern…we sang the pattern. Dance does the same thing. We may

no longer hear the music of the Star Dance, but it still exists, and it still can be touched.‖

― Pattern can use the Star Dance?‖ Axis whispered. ― Dance? ‖

StarDrifter nodded slowly, his eyes intent on his son. ―And it is a method that anyone

with the ability to move can employ, not just Enchanters, who were the only ones with the power

to hear the music of the Star Dance. But—‖

―But…‖ Azhure said, stepping forward. There had to be a difficulty, she knew it.

―So now all we have to do to regain our power,‖ StarDrifter said, his eyes compassionate,

―is discover the intricate dance movement appropriate for every purpose as once we discovered

the appropriate Songs for each purpose.‖

Stars! Axis felt his surge of hope drain away into blank nothingness. It had taken the

Icarii thousands of years to discover the Songs they needed. True, Axis and every one of his

Enchanter children had been able to learn new Songs with the simple twist of their rings, but

every ring had dulled into glassy-eyed sterility since the Star Gate had collapsed. Even Azhure‘s

Circle of Stars now glinted with the despair of clouded and cracked glass rather than the joy of

the stars.

No-one had thousands of years. If anything, they had but a month or two to discover a

means by which Caelum could face Qeteb and his companion Demons.

―Axis,‖ StarDrifter said into the silence. ―Why are you here?‖

―Adamon found something unusual. A book,‖ Axis said, ―guarded by that child.‖ He

nodded his head at the girl in Faraday‘s arms. ―I do not know how, but maybe—‖

―There is no maybe about it,‖ said Caelum‘s voice from behind him. ―Combined with

what StarDrifter has said, and this book in my arms, we shall have the means to rid this land of

the Demons for all time.‖

Everyone spun around. Caelum and Drago were walking through the doorway leading

into the domed chamber.

Watching them, all stilled, even Faraday and the girl in her lap.

Even the Alaunt held their breath.

Caelum and Drago walked close, not touching, but sharing, if not the deep love of years‘

standing, then companionship and respect.

Axis stared, but could hardly accept what he saw. Caelum…and Drago? His mind

instantly took him back to the first time he‘d met Drago. He‘d walked into the nursery room of

their apartments in Sigholt, Caelum in his arms, and met a violent wall of hate and mistrust,

bounded and reinforced with a murderous blind ambition.

Caelum had been hurt—and terrified. Axis had been moved by such a profound rage it

had coloured his perceptions of Drago ever after. He had envisaged many futures for his sons,

but never, never, one that had them walking together in silent companionship and respect.

―I have lived a very long time to see this day,‖ Azhure murmured by his side. ―And I

wish to the heights of the Stars themselves it had not needed the destruction of Tencendor to

bring it about.‖

―StarDrifter has discovered the power of pattern—dance—and this book provides the