The Wraiths of Will and Pleasure - By Storm Constantine Page 0,197

with lowered heads, as if asleep.

‘Wait here!’ Lileem said to her guide, and leapt down from her horse. It was as if she stepped into a different world. The har before her was swathed in a cloak of shimmering grey fabric. The heavy hood was trimmed with wolf fur, which obscured most of the har’s face, but for the mouth and chin.

Lileem went up to him. ‘I am Lileem. Who are you?’

The har stood motionless, unnaturally so. ‘I have brought you transport of a more suitable nature,’ he said, in a low, musical voice. ‘Whatever your destination, you may reach it quickly through this means.’

‘Are you Gelaming?’

‘Yes, but no enemy of yours. The Tigron has sent me.’

‘He heard me,’ Lileem said softly, still amazed in spite of her conviction.

‘There is little he does not hear,’ said the Gelaming. ‘Bring your companions to this place, and make haste. Bring only those closest to you. The others can travel by more conventional means.’

‘This could be a trap.’

‘Except that it’s not and you know it.’ The har lifted long pale hands and threw back the hood of his cloak. Dark red hair fell forward over his shoulders. His face was elfin, the eyes large and dark. ‘I am Vaysh, the Tigron’s aide. Only he and I know of this visit.’ The Tigron’s aide could have stepped from an ancient myth: he seemed barely har, more unearthly than that, but perhaps all Gelaming appeared that way. They could cloak themselves with glamours as Tel-an-Kaa could.

‘Why is Pellaz helping me?’ Lileem asked. ‘How does he know of me? Does he know of the dehara? Does he know about Terez and…?’

‘Quiet!’ said Vaysh. ‘I am not here to answer your questions, merely to facilitate your journey. You would be wise to fetch your companions at once, because there are others sniffing around this part of the world whose sole aim is to take you to Immanion.’

‘Why?’

‘There are not many things the Tigron does not know,’ said Vaysh, ‘but Lord Thiede has his private agendas upon certain issues. He fears most what he cannot kill.’

Lileem had no idea what the Gelaming was talking about. ‘Did Terez reach Immanion?’ she asked. ‘You must tell me that at least.’

‘I have no knowledge of such a har,’ said Vaysh. ‘You called to Pellaz and he heard you. That is all I know.’

‘I’ll bring my friends at once,’ Lileem said. ‘Don’t go away.’

Vaysh said nothing. He was as much like a statue as her vision of Pellaz had been.

Lileem’s companions waited fearfully for her return. Flick wondered whether in fact she would and sensed the Zigane had the same concern. ‘Silly little fool!’ Tel-an-Kaa muttered, more than once.

But very shortly after her departure, Lileem’s horse came hurtling back. From the expression on her face, Flick could tell something amazing had occurred. She told them exactly what in excited, garbled words.

‘Travel with the Gelaming?’ Tel-an-Kaa asked scornfully. ‘I hardly think that is a wise idea.’

‘It isn’t a trap,’ Lileem said earnestly. She turned to her companions. ‘Isn’t this what we’ve all wanted, the Tigron’s help? Didn’t you all complain that Pellaz had forgotten you and turned his back on the past? Well, he hasn’t, so stop being so stupid and come with me, will you? Vaysh might get impatient and leave. Hurry up!’

‘I don’t know,’ Tel-an-Kaa began, but fortunately Mima took control.

‘Let’s go,’ she said. ‘Let’s look these gift horses in the mouth. Are we going to be flying up into the sky? I, for one, don’t want to miss that!’

‘Me neither,’ Ulaume said. ‘Flick?’

Flick shrugged. ‘I’ll go with the majority.’ He saw Lileem’s furious expression. ‘OK, OK, let’s do it.’

The Zigane was outnumbered.

‘Go with the blessings of Freyhella,’ Galdra said to them. ‘May the spirits of air keep you safe.’

‘Farewell, Galdra har Freyhella,’ Lileem said. ‘May the spirits keep you safe also.’

Galdra smiled grimly and raised a hand in farewell. He gestured to his hara and they resumed their work in helping the rest of the Roselane embark upon the river boat. ‘Adinn, go with the others to the Gelaming,’ he said to one of his hara. ‘Bring the horses back afterwards.’

‘As you wish, tiahaar,’ the Freyhellan responded, and indicated Lileem’s party should all mount up and follow him.

Flick felt very uncomfortable with the whole idea, but if the offer from the Gelaming was genuine, it would save them a lot of time, and as Mima had pointed out, this was hardly an experience they could refuse. They rode their Freyhellan