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herself against the strength of the blow and even then bent under the wizard’s heavy
hand.
One minute I think he’s a doddering ancient, and the next I think he could beat
Brunstetter at arm wrestling.
“Right you are, Kale, my dear. I am indeed a doddering wrestler of many weighty things.
Not Brunstetter, I think not Brunstetter.”
He squeezed his fingers into her shoulder and beamed at his two apprentices. “Now that
your lesson on elementary wizardry is firmly established in your minds, shall we proceed
with our quest?”
“No!” shouted Librettowit. “We must organize, gather pertinent data, assign
responsibilities.”
Fenworth looked astonished. “But Librettowit, that is what I have just done.”
“Only in your mind, Fenworth.”
“No, no, Wit. Didn’t I just explain that until one masters certain knowledge one must
content oneself with being a follower and not a leader? I carefully explained the
complexity of what must be learned and that such knowledge is attainable.”
“Only in your mind, Fenworth.”
The wizard looked confused, but before he could voice an objection, the librarian pressed
on. “We now have seven comrades, two children, two minor dragons, and an unhatched
third, and four major dragons to consider.”
“Four?” Fenworth wrinkled his brow.
“Celisse, Merlander, and the two dragons ridden by Lee Ark and Leetu,” Librettowit
explained. “And that reminds me, Lee Ark has information of import.” A hopeful tone
slipped into the tumanhofer’s speech. “Perhaps his message will put off the quest to
Creemoor.”
“I’m afraid not,” said Lee Ark.
All eyes turned to him. He stood and placed his fists upon the table.
“Paladin has given us a rescue mission. Our goal is to pull a longtime friend out of
Burner Stox’s clutches. Until recently this devoted o’rant was relatively safe within
Risto’s stronghold.” He paused, and his gaze shifted to Kale. “Your mother is in danger,
Kale. She has one more task to perform for Paladin, and we are to be at hand when it is
completed. We will then bring her out of Creemoor to safety.”
Kale’s breath carried a quiet question. “My mother?”
Lee Ark nodded. Kale turned to look at Dar. He gave her a gentle smile and a reassuring
wink. She then looked to Leetu. The emerlindian’s eyes held a sparkle of joy in her
otherwise serene expression.
But a question marred Kale’s anticipation. It hung in her mind like a black thunderhead.
Who is this “mother” who left her child in slavery?
17
PEACE?
They traveled on dragons to the Valley of Collumna. Frigid air blasted them as they flew
over the southern branch of the Morchain Range. Kale wrapped Toopka inside her
moonbeam cape, keeping both of them warm. The little doneel pushed her head out to see
the magnificent snow-covered peaks.
Kale noted the splendor of the dragons. The sun glistened off their scales, making them
look as if gemstones covered them from head to tail. Their huge wings beat in rhythm.
The thurumph of each stroke underscored the whistle of cool wind.
Celisse moved her strong, ebony wings in perfect synchrony with Merlander’s glistening
red wings.
Leetu, with Librettowit, Bardon, and Regidor riding behind her, rode just ahead on a
massive blue and green greater dragon. Lee Ark, with Wizard Fenworth snoozing in a
passenger basket, flew on another of the larger dragons. This one carried even more
supply bundles than the first.
Lee Ark rode point, and Kale gathered from his position that he was in charge of the
expedition. She looked at the marione’s square shoulders and thick neck, his black,
windblown mane, and pictured the kind, serious expression that dominated his features.
Everything she knew about him made her feel safe under his command.
Kale put her hand out to rest on the silver scales of Celisse’s shoulder. Beneath her palm
the dragon’s powerful muscles rippled in a majestic rhythm. She trusted Celisse to fly
straight and true.
A sigh escaped her lips as she stroked Celisse’s strong neck just above the collarbone.
We’re on our way. Another quest. Another adventure. Part of me would like to stay at
home, safely reading about others’ escapades. That part is like Librettowit. But I also felt
a thrill when the dragons took off from the ground, and we were on our way. That’s more
like Dar.
She looked once more at her companions. Her smile widened into a grin.
The excitement continued to bubble inside her as she looked down on the verdant valley.
Their first stop would be where the smallest and largest of Wulder’s creations lived side
by side. An adult kimen could sleep in either the hat or the shoe of any grown urohm. The
two races had a long history of working together.
Dar?
“Yes?”
Do you think we’ll see Brunstetter? Do you think he’ll come with us?
“We might. He might.”
Gazing across the wingspans of the two dragons, Kale encountered Dar’s furry grin. The
wind ruffled the white linen cravat at his neck and sent the tails of his fancy jacket
trailing behind him.
Kale scowled. What’s so funny?
“You didn’t want to come on this little excursion.”
This part of the excursion is to a land I’ve heard about all my life.
“In fairy tales and legends.”
Yes! And I’m anxious to find out what is truth and what is make-believe. A year ago I
thought gateways weren’t real.
Dar’s face tightened into a frown. “Some of the things we’ll find to be real won’t be very
nice.”
I know, but that’s later, when we cross the Dormanscz Mountains into Creemoor. All the
stories about Ordray are fun. And Fenworth says we have to wait here until Paladin
sends reinforcements and gives the order to rescue my mother.
With the last two words, Kale shifted her eyes away from Dar. She didn’t want him to see
how important it had become to her to find her mother. She had a lot of questions, but
most of all, she wanted to know what kind of mother hers would be.
In the village where she was raised, the mariones showed little affection for their [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]