Pilgrim by Sara Douglas

Drago trailed off into silence. Power was still there for the using…StarDrifter‘s opening

of the door to Sanctuary was proof enough of that. It was the power of the land, which was the

power of the craft which had drifted for millennia amongst the stars, absorbing the Star Dance.

And Noah had bred it into the Acharites.

StarDrifter had tapped into the power of the land by using dance as a form of pattern.

―The Star Dance—or its power,‖ Drago said, speaking his thoughts out softly, ―is

contained in the land, a gift from the craft. And now this power rests in me…‖

So how to access it?

Pattern. Pattern was the key. Song and music was nothing, but pattern. Dance was

pattern. Drago took a deep breath and slowly rose, using the staff to help lift himself. He stood

indecisively, leaning on the staff as if it, perhaps, held the answer. Could he use dance to form

the pattern, the enchantment, needed to release the Wolven?

But what was the enchantment that Caelum had used in the first instance? Drago would

have to know that if he was to—

He cursed, absolutely stunned, and stepped back a pace, dropping the staff at the same

time. As he‘d been wondering what enchantment Caelum had used, the staff had vibrated in his

hand. It had not been an unpleasant sensation, but surprising in the extreme.

Now Drago bent down and retrieved the staff. It still vibrated, and with a growing sense

of excitement Drago realised that the pattern of fletched circles that ran about the staff was

moving.

Showing him…showing him a pattern. The pattern of the Song Caelum had originally

used to hide the Wolven.

The staff was acting in the same way that Drago suspected Zenith, and probably Axis and

Caelum, had used their rings. How many times had he seen Zenith glance at her ring before she

sang a Song of Enchantment? Did their diamonds alter the same way these circles now altered?

Yes!

It was a pattern, and knowing what it was, Drago found the reading of it easy. Translate

the distance, both width and height between the fletched circles ( notes! ) into music—easy

enough—and then the music into the steps of a dance.

Done!

But there was a problem.

StarDrifter was an accomplished dancer—his Icarii grace would be enough to make him

elegant even had he two broken legs and moth-eaten wings.

But Drago had lost his Icarii grace and elegance, and as he now stumbled about in front

of the tapestry—even the cats raising their heads to watch and grin—he knew that his skill on the

dance floor would see him dead the instant he tried to outwit even the least of the Demons, let

alone Qeteb.

No, no, there had to be a different way, and Drago realised it would have something to so

with his innate Acharite power.

He stopped fumbling about with his feet, and stood again staring at the tapestry.

Pattern…music was pattern…dance was pattern…and for different reasons both those were

denied him.

Unbidden a memory surfaced. Standing before the doorway that eventually led to Noah.

The recessed rectangular section beside the door, filled with nine slightly raised knobs. His

fingers dancing over the knobs, pressing each in turn. Forming a pattern.

Symbols.

The Maze Gate was surrounded with symbols!

Song, dance, movement all formed patterns. As did symbols.

Drago lifted his right hand, studying it. Idly, he flexed his fingers, and then, in some

almost subconscious process he was barely aware of, he transferred the pattern of the dance into

a series of numbers, and from there into a complicated symbol.

―Do as I ask,‖ he said, his voice strangely powerful, and his fingers sketched the symbol

with fluid grace before the tapestry.

Instantly the Wolven glowed, then formed into solid wood from the silken threads that

had trapped it, and it clattered to the floor. A moment afterwards the quiver full of arrows

likewise dropped to the floor.

The cats were now sitting, and as one, always as one, they looked from Drago to Wolven

and back to Drago again.

Their eyes were wide with wonder.

Drago‘s heart was hammering in his chest. ―Show me,‖ he whispered, ―the enchantment

for creating a juicy mutton pie.‖

The staff again vibrated in his hand, and Drago noted the pattern the notes formed,

translated them into music, then into the movement of dance, and from there into numbers and

symbol.

―Do as I ask,‖ he said, sketching the symbol in the air, and a juicy mutton pie formed a

pace in front of the watching semi-circle of cats.

Drago laughed, then spun about in sheer exuberance.

He had power back!

And his Acharite blood was truly in full ascendancy.

He stilled and smiled gently at the cats. ―Eat,‖ he said, waving at the pie, and the cats set

to.

50

Sanctuary

StarDrifter paced back and forth, back and forth. Where was Drago? He‘d been gone

hours.

―We must go look for him!‖ he said, coming to a halt before WingRidge.

WingRidge, annoyingly calm, shook his head.

―Wait,‖ he said.

Faraday smiled. She was sitting to one side, Katie asleep in her lap. ―Wait,‖ she echoed,

and StarDrifter bit down a tart reply and walked away a pace or two.

Wait! Ah, bah!

The Alaunt sat and lay about in no particular order, half-asleep, utterly unconcerned. Just

behind them the lizard lay, lazily combing out his feathers with a talon.

SpikeFeather had wandered off to chat to the bridge who was now happily engaged in

relating the tale of how Rox had been foolish enough to step on her back. She‘d told StarDrifter

the same tale, and WingRidge; then Faraday and the girl, and now StarDrifter felt like shouting

at her to shut up, for who needed it told an eighth time?

But he bit back his tongue. If it made the bridge happy to repeat the story for the next

thirty lifetimes, StarDrifter supposed she had a complete right to. No-one else had managed a

single scratch on the Demons‘ equanimity, let alone eat one whole.

One of the Alaunt lifted his head, and stared at the bridge. StarDrifter spun about as

Faraday tensed and Katie awoke.

Drago was striding back across the bridge, smiling and greeting both the bridge and

SpikeFeather. Over Drago‘s left shoulder was slung the Wolven bow and quiver, and behind him

trotted a dozen mangy cats in single file, all with their tails held up in complete feline

self-satisfaction and superiority. StarDrifter‘s face went slack in disbelief.

―They are only cats, StarDrifter,‖ Drago said, his eyes dancing, as he stopped in front of

his grandfather. ―There is no need to look so surprised.‖

― What is this? ‖ StarDrifter said. One hand fleetingly touched the Wolven, as if it might

scorch him.

―Evidence of Sigholt‘s gift,‖ Drago said, and turned to help Faraday to her feet.

― Evidence of Sigholt‘s gift?‖ Faraday asked, her eyes searching his. Something had

happened.

―I will tell you and you, StarDrifter,‖ Drago said, ―but not here. It is more than time

Sanctuary released her secrets. Come, step back to the bridge.‖

He clicked his fingers, and whistled to the Alaunt, and they rose obediently and stepped

onto the bridge. The feathered lizard yawned, blinked slowly at Drago, then did the same.

Cats yowled and greeted both hounds and lizard with the deep affection usually reserved

for the most generous and softhearted of kitchen hands, and wound about canine, reptilian and

Icarii legs with equal friendliness.

―Drago‘s travelling menagerie,‖ StarDrifter muttered. ―Please do not tell me you are

going to add these courtyard cats to our retinue, Drago!‖

Drago looked between the cats and StarDrifter. ―If they want to come, then who am I to

stop them?‖ he asked, and then faced the end of the bridge that led into HoldHard Pass and

raised his hand.

―Connect this place to Spiredore,‖ he said to the bridge. ―Do as I ask.‖

And as he spoke, his right hand wove through the air so fast, and with such fluidity, that

StarDrifter could not follow it.

―What…‖ he began, and then the road beyond the bridge shimmered and altered, forming

into a close tunnel of blue mist.

―Come,‖ Drago said, and led them into Spiredore.

In two days Zenith had accomplished miracles, although she felt that her voice would

soon give out from its constant use. She‘d been forced to use everything from sweet charm to

strident threat to get the Icarii in the Minaret Peaks ready to evacuate towards Fernbrake Lake.

Even FreeFall‘s support and backing was not always enough to convince the Icarii that they

should once again prepare for exile from their beloved southern lands, even though to a place

more wondrous than their previous exile.

Isfrael had not helped.

He‘d been with FreeFall and EvenSong when Zenith had returned from Fernbrake with

the stunning news of Sanctuary‘s discovery, and the slightly less exciting news that no-one could