Arrows of Time - Kim Falconer [45]
Clay.
Her smile faded. Maybe it goes with being a bard.
Drayco stared at Shane and lashed his tail. Obviously, in this case it does.
‘You two are talking about me, I know it! What’re you saying?’
‘Drayco suggested you might like to hear the whole story, that’s all.’
He frowned at her for a moment. ‘I might regret this, but yes, I would.’
‘It’s a long one.’
‘I’ve got no other plans for this evening. Do you?’
Rosette laughed. ‘You’d best get comfortable.’
For hours they sat by the fire, adding log after log until her story was told. Shane focused on the embers, shaking his head.
‘That’s it?’ he asked.
‘The highlights anyway.’
‘Many-worlds with corridors between them?’
‘Yep.’
‘I had no idea.’
‘Realities are immersive, Shane. Like a good story. The knowledge of separate dimensions doesn’t exactly blink like a neon sign. I don’t think it’s meant to.’
‘What kind of sign?’ Shane turned his head to her, brow furrowed.
‘Just think of starlight in a tube going on-off, on-off.’ She brightened. ‘At least it’s warm; usually these mountains are freezing all year round.’ She sat bolt upright. ‘Dray! Does it smell like spring or summer?’
Early summer. Time of the Twins.
‘Can you be sure?’
Yes.
‘How?’
The geese were nesting.
‘What is it?’ Shane asked.
‘If it is early summer, time of the Twins, then it can’t be six years ago, or any immediate future.’
‘Why?’
‘Because Saturn was in the sign of the Twins then, and he’s not there now.’ She pointed directly above them. ‘There’s Saturn, in the sign of the Fishes by the look of it. Oh, great mother goddess.’
‘What?’
‘It means we definitely aren’t anywhere near my “now”. We must be way further than six years.’
‘Forward or back?’
‘Either.’
‘How many?’
‘Twelve years back or eighteen years forward…or more, of course. It could be much more. Either way.’
‘You’re kidding.’
‘I wish I was.’
We might be more lost than we were back in the smelly world’s cave, running from those earth shakes.
‘Don’t worry, Dray. We’ll head for Treeon in the morning.’ She turned to Shane. ‘We can’t let the fire go out.’
‘Lupins?’
‘Yes.’ She slid under her cloak. ‘And bears.’
And mountain cats, Drayco added.
‘And mountain cats…’
Hotha ran hard, puffs of red dust flying out behind him. He jumped the chasms and rents in the ground, skirting cacti and fallen tree trunks, never slackening his pace. In the body of a wolf, he was his most powerful and most free. He revelled in it, leaping higher than necessary to clear each obstacle. In this form he was unencumbered by oppressive thoughts, the things that worried him as a man. The sudden lifting of responsibility felt like bliss—a delightful relief. After a few more miles, his tongue lolling, sides heaving, he couldn’t even remember what he felt so much relief from. The sun was shining, vultures circling—what more could he want?
He ran on, catching the scent he was after. It touched him lightly as he veered around a broad ravine and shot north. He hadn’t forgotten his purpose; he’d just forgotten why it had concerned him so much. What would be, would be. Who was he to judge?
He spotted the cliffs opposite the black gates, noting the three ravens perched in the deadwood above the crevice. Of course she would send her familiars. He didn’t mind. On the contrary, she could watch all she wanted. Before he reached the cliff face, he dropped to a trot and sniffed the air again. Where was Teg?
On closer inspection he spotted the young Lupin in human form, hunched over a book, tapping a pen against the side of his head. Hotha growled—a deep vibration in his throat. The youth was obsessed with word puzzles.
He skidded to a halt and sat on his haunches, waiting. When Teg didn’t respond, he focused his mind and morphed into bipedal form. Instantly the worry and urgency flooded back. He shook his head, pushing stray hair off his face. Teg was still absorbed in the book. He hadn’t looked up but clasped it with both hands to keep the shockwave of Hotha’s transformation from ruffling the pages. Hotha cleared his throat.
Teg glanced up. ‘What’s