Dark Realm: Book 5 Circles of Light series by E.M. Sinclair Page B

version of a gateway. She emerged under a
cloudy sky above western Sapphrea. Hag knew few place names on this
continent as yet, but had seen this small town at the foot of a
long spine of mountains before. She shrieked with delight, feeling
a surge of magic push beneath her vast wings, sending her ever
higher. Keeping the mountains on her left, Hag flew steadily
eastwards, occasionally cackling with pleasure. Many leagues had
spooled out beneath her when she saw three black shapes ahead,
angling up towards her. She slowed, lazily swerving into a wide
spiral.
    ‘Little cousins!’ she
screamed as the three approached.
    Hag knew them as crows
but they called themselves Merigs, and they spoke to her mind only,
unable to vocalise as Hag could. She was amused that they showed no
fear of her, despite her being more than twice their size. No, she
felt only curiosity from them, and a sad lack of respect. She
closed her wings and dived beneath them. Faster she fell then
twisted and spun to land finally on a weathered pine tree. She
almost dozed waiting for the crows to catch up with her. They
settled on another tree and one enquired, politely Hag had to
admit, who she might be.
    Hag spread her wings,
beak agape, and announced she was Anfled, Raven of Dark. She felt
the three crows discuss her words but their mind speech slipped by
too swiftly for her to follow. She must concentrate she warned
herself. Hag restrained her impatience while the crows introduced
themselves. At some considerable length.
    ‘Yes, yes. I’m pleased
to meet you too,’ she snapped eventually. ‘You don’t seem to
understand, as Mother of all the Dark Feathered Ones, you should
listen to me rather than chatter. Now, I seek the one who screams
pain throughout the lands. I need to see exactly where he is
located.’
    The crows stared at
her, eyes beady and bright. ‘He is quite near.’ The crow who made
the comment shifted his grip on the branch then lifted up and began
to gain height.
    Well really, she would
need to instruct these crows in basic manners, she could see that.
With a harsh squawk of displeasure Hag rose behind the crows and
noted smugly how their wings beat so rapidly just to keep a little
ahead of her.
    It was less than half a
day’s flight until they reached Gaharn. The crows explained the
Lady who ruled here lived some distance from the city, in a great
House in the foothills. Hag was a little taken aback when the crows
told her this Lady was a friend of theirs. She could speak to their
minds, the crows explained. She spoke with many creatures, even the
Great Dragons. Hag spluttered. Great Dragons! Such
pretensions.
    They reached Lady
Emla’s House at sunset. Hag, although shielded, could feel the near
mad screams vibrating through the very air. She was perched on some
sort of wheeled thing which had been left upside down near a
cluster of shrubs. Two of the crows stood on the ground beside her,
the third having gone to find the Lady. Voices approached and Hag
drew herself up, mantling her great wings slightly.
    A tall woman came round
the stone path and stopped abruptly. A much shorter man, dressed in
what Hag recognised as a uniform, stood on the right of the woman,
another very tall man on her left. Above them loomed a long black
face supported by a thick neck. Hag stared. One of the Dragons,
here, actually with these people? Hag gathered her wits. On closer
inspection, the tall man and woman appeared tired if not exhausted.
Faces grey, dark rings beneath their eyes. The shorter man looked
fractionally better.
    ‘The First Daughter
sent me.’ Hag announced. ‘I am Anfled, Raven of Dark.’
    Her words were met with
blank stares. ‘The one who screams needs help – the First Daughter
is sending those who may be able to do just that. She hopes they
can heal him, or at least stop the noise,’ Hag ended
crossly.
    These people seemed
unable to move or speak. Perhaps they were simply too stupid to
heal the hurt one after all, if they