DragonSpell (19 page)

How are we going to carry you? Will the journey make you worse? Dar says you will not die, but I’m afraid.

A flickering ball of light came rapidly down a tunnel and burst into the room.

“Dar, Kale, we must flee.” Seezle stopped. Her toes barely touched the rock floor. She seemed poised to run. With a glance over her shoulder, she leapt across the room to their sides. “Risto has returned. He appeared at the gateway of the fortress, cursing his guards, raging with words of destruction. Shimeran has gone to get Celisse and will meet us at the waterfall.”

Kale dropped the blanket and moved quickly to Leetu.

“Wrap the cape around her,” ordered Dar.

He grabbed the emerlindian’s legs. Seezle stood ready to bear Leetu’s weight in the middle. Kale hesitated.

“What’s wrong?” asked Dar.

“Where is Gymn?”

They all looked around.

“There!” Dar nodded toward a pale green lump on the floor.

Kale stooped to pick the dragon up.

“What happened?” asked Seezle as the o’rant girl slid Gymn into a pocket of the cape and then refolded the material over Leetu’s chest.

“Nothing,” said Dar. “Hurry, Kale.”

“Nothing?” quizzed Seezle.

“The dragon faints,” answered Dar, “when something frightens him.”

Kale lifted Leetu by the shoulders. Seezle slipped under her waist and supported her there.

“Where are we going?” asked Kale.

Seezle’s tiny hands appeared at Leetu’s waist. “Beneath the dungeons to the underground river and then to the falls.”

A picture sprang to Kale’s mind—her first sight of the fortress from across the valley. Midway up the sheer cliff below the black and gray castle walls, water shot out of the rocks and plummeted hundreds of feet to be hidden by a mist at the base.

“Can’t we go out of the fortress the same way we came in?” she asked hopefully.

“And face Risto?” Seezle laughed without any humor. “That would be an unpleasant death.”

Kale couldn’t see that the planned escape route offered anything pleasant at all.

         
26
         

O
BSTACLES

“Aren’t we going toward the entrance of the dungeon?” Kale asked. She struggled to hold Leetu’s shoulders without letting her head flop from side to side.

Dar led the way with the emerlindian’s feet upon his shoulders. Kale saw him nod. “We have to go up, out of the dungeon, cross to the other side of the east courtyard, and down a well.”

Kale thought the doneel sounded very confident. “You’ve been this way before?”

“No.”

Seezle giggled from her position under Leetu’s middle. Her little hands grasped the material on either side of the emerlindian’s waist, and her disheveled head propped up the small of Leetu’s back.

“I have, Kale. I know the way.” Her voice almost sang the reassurance.

“At the bottom of the well is a river with wide stone banks. It’s easy to get from there to the falls.”

To Kale, the plan sounded as if it would take them to a dead end. “And once we get to the falls?”

Seezle remained cheerful. “Shimeran and Celisse will meet us.”

“I didn’t see any place for a dragon to land.”

“There isn’t any. We’ll jump.”

Dar halted dead in his tracks, and since neither Seezle nor Kale could stop immediately, poor Leetu’s body folded up, bending at the knees and waist like a rag doll. Unconscious, Leetu made no complaint while the three straightened her out. Kale back-stepped, and Seezle, who had been pushed to the ground, stood erect.

Dar twisted to look under his arm at the kimen behind him.

“We’re going to jump?” he asked.

“There’ll be a net.”

Dar’s bushy eyebrows drew together in a fierce frown. His ears lay flat against his head, almost disappearing in his shaggy hair. “How can there be a net?” He scowled at Seezle. “You’re going to hang a net in a waterfall?”

“No, the net will be wrapped around Celisse. You just step off the cliff as she flies by, fall on top of her, and grab the net.”

Dar faced forward and started walking without any warning to those behind. Leetu received a stretching jolt. Kale was glad the emerlindian was oblivious.

“Let me tell you something about doneels,” said Dar as he marched, his face firmly directed to the path in front of him. “Doneels are a very social race. We excel in areas of culture. Doneels are comfortable among the aristocracy in palaces and with peasants at village festivals. We are generally blessed with musical, artistic, and literary talents.

“Doneels have been known to dwell among the tumanhofers in their underground cities. Doneels have sailed upon the ocean. Most doneels readily adapt to the rigors of dragon flying. However…” A hard edge sharpened his voice. He delivered his next words with cold precision. “We are not known for reckless feats of acrobatic stupidity.”

“It’ll be all right,” Seezle insisted. Kale could see nothing of the little kimen except her hands on Leetu’s waist, a few wisps of flyaway hair, and the glow of her clothing. “Shimeran is in charge of the details. Paladin is overseeing the rescue.”

“Paladin?” Kale’s attention centered on the muffled voice of the kimen under the midsection of their burden.

“Yes. He’s in the forest, encouraging the villagers. I tell you it was hard to come back into the fortress. I would have preferred to follow him around, listening to all he has to say.”

“How long will he be there? Do you think we’ll meet him?”

“Could be,” Seezle said. “But he rarely stays in one place long.”

Kale wanted to hurry the others. A chance to meet Paladin filled her with excitement, but the reality of their situation squelched her hopes.

First, we have to get out of here. Then out of the fortress. Then out of the underground river tunnel. Then jump onto Celisse’s back and land safely. Then fly to the forest which is probably overrun with Risto’s henchmen. Unless Paladin comes to us, I don’t think we’ll get to him in time.

As they passed through the stone corridors, Kale searched the shadows. All the poor inmates had been rescued. The turmoil that had first alerted her to the hidden presence of prisoners was gone. Yet eerie silence draped every corner with mystery. She and her companions were the only living creatures who remained besides the rats, cats, and druddums.

The cats sat and watched them in various uninterested poses. Kale shivered at their cold stares. The house cats back in River Away had been friendly. These felines looked evil and brooding as if they observed intruders so they could report back to their master. Fingers of dread clutched her heart. She cleared her throat to ask Dar if it was possible for cats to be spies for Wizard Risto.

A druddum hurtled around the corner and slammed into a resting cat. A screech rent the air, followed by an instantaneous battle. Hissing and caterwauling echoed off the stone walls and down the corridors, ringing in Kale’s ears. She gladly quickened her steps to keep up as Dar stepped up the pace.

They reached the crude wooden ladder to the entrance of the dungeon. Kale’s arms ached from carrying Leetu’s body. Although the emerlindian’s slight figure shouldn’t have been heavy, her dead weight strained the o’rant girl’s shoulders. Kale wondered if the kimen and doneel were equally taxed.

Dar motioned to put their burden down. Once they placed Leetu on the ground, he arched his back and rotated his shoulders. Kale watched with a smug smile. He was sore too. The kimen danced over to the ladder and with no visible effort skimmed up the steps. Her clothing hid her legs.

She looks more like she’s floating up those steps instead of climbing them.

“The way is clear,” Seezle announced from her perch at the top. “Bring your friend up.”

Kale and Dar looked at each other, then down at Leetu’s motionless body. Dar’s strength surpassed Kale’s, but his compact body wasn’t suited to carrying the long, fragile emerlindian. Kale was taller than any of her companions.

“I’ll carry her,” said Kale. “Help me get her onto my back with her head and arms hanging over my shoulder.”

Dar wrinkled his brow, tilting his head as he looked at Kale with a speculative eye. “Are you sure?”

Kale nodded. “I’ll pretend she’s a bag of potatoes I’m bringing up from the storeroom in the tavern.”

Dar chortled. “She’s a lot lighter than those big bags of potatoes.” He grabbed hold of Leetu’s arms, efficiently pulling her to a sitting position. Kale bent over, and between her lifting and Dar’s shoving, they got Leetu’s limp body draped over Kale’s shoulder.

Kale couldn’t straighten up. Dar guided her over to the rickety ladder.

“Do you want me to push from behind?”

Kale heard a suspicious bubble in his words. “Are you laughing?” She huffed and shifted her burden a little to the center of her back.

“No, of course not.” Dar adjusted the moonbeam cape covering Leetu.

“Do you require my assistance?”

“No!”

I can do this, and I can do it quick. I want out of this fortress. I’ve had enough of smelly, dark holes. I’ve had enough of adventures. Oh how I wish this were really a sack of potatoes. And I wish this were the tavern basement.

She put a foot on the lowest rung and shifted her weight upward. The branch forming the crossbar under her foot creaked. She swiftly stepped up to the next rung. The thought of grawligs and bisonbecks and mordakleeps and Wizard Risto lurking outside the dungeon entrance, waiting for them to come out, crossed her mind. She closed her eyes and hung on to the rough wooden ladder as her mind reached to the area above. No one but Seezle stood anywhere near them.

Kale forced herself to move a foot up to the next rung.

Adventures like this should be done by people who like adventures like this. I don’t like them at all.

And once I get out of here, I’m going to see Paladin. I’m going to talk to him and tell him how I feel. I’m not good at this questing. I’m going to leave Leetu and Dar with Paladin, and I’m going to The Hall.

Maybe after I go learn about o’rants in a part of the country that is peaceful and filled with o’rants and nobody ever, ever goes questing, and after I’ve been taught properlike in a school that’s made just for getting people ready to do things like questing and adventures, maybe then I’ll go look for meech eggs and find bog wizards and battle grawligs.

She reached the hole and poked her head out. Seezle’s soft glow illuminated the small yard. Nothing had changed since Kale had last seen it. She breathed a sigh of relief and scooted over the edge. Dar popped out almost immediately.

“I’ll scout ahead,” said Seezle.

Her light went out, and only a whisper sounding like a breeze indicated she’d gone.

“Rest a minute,” said Dar.

Kale had barely eased Leetu down to the ground and collapsed beside her when Seezle came back. She whooshed through the arched doorway and settled between Dar and Kale. Her clothing began to glow a soft amethyst as she spoke.

“There’s fierce fighting at the main gate. The castle itself is deserted. We can save time by going over the terrace and passing through the banqueting hall and then the kitchen area. The well is just outside.”

“How did you find out so quickly?” Kale asked. “You haven’t been gone a minute.”

Seezle’s eyes widened. “Kimens are the fastest creatures anywhere in the world.”

Kale frowned. Again she wondered if the tales of kimens flying might be true. But she was too tired and scared to puzzle over the question.

“Let’s go,” Dar moved to pick up Leetu’s feet.

Kale hustled into position, holding Leetu’s shoulders, and watched Seezle slip underneath. As the kimen took her place in the middle, Kale noticed how graceful and fluid her movements were, almost like light spilling across the meadow as the sun came up. If her hands had been free, Kale would have reached out to touch Seezle’s clothing. Perhaps these creatures did wear light as Dar had said.

In the distance, the clash of swords, the bellows of bisonbecks, and the shrieks of men and animals testified to battle. Kale swallowed the fear rising in her throat and urged Dar to hurry.

“You don’t want me to go careening around a corner like a druddum and run smack into a guard, do you?”

“Seezle said the castle is deserted.”

“That was a minute ago. Things change quickly in the middle of a fight.” His whisper came with a sharp warning. “Keep your ears open and use that talent of yours.”

They passed under a stone archway into a courtyard. Gingerly, Kale extended her mind. The encounters with darkness intimidated her. Reaching with her mind had been fun until the mordakleeps took Leetu, and Kale first touched the horrible black void. Concentrating on mindsearching and trying at the same time not to mentally bump into the darkness, she stumbled on the uneven stone bank.

“Watch where you’re going,” hissed Dar.

Kale bit back a retort. Something moved ahead of them, not within their range of vision but just beyond. Her mind sensed two beings.

“Stop!” she squeaked.

“I’m sorry, Kale. You’re right. I shouldn’t be barking at you.” Dar continued walking. “We’ll get out of this. Don’t worry.”

“Dar, stop moving! There’s someone ahead. Beyond that wall.”

They came to an abrupt halt and listened. Kale gave all her attention to identifying the enemy.

“Two bisonbecks,” she said as soon as she had clearly caught their image.

“Right in the way!” Seezle fumed. “We want to go across that terrace and into the banquet hall.”

“Here,” said Dar, “put Leetu down under these bushes.” He headed to the side of the bricked terrace where a cluster of ornate benches nestled in an alcove of lush green shrubs. They put Leetu between a marble seat and a statue of two dancing maidens.

Once they had the emerlindian on the ground, Seezle darkened her clothing. “I’ll go see if these are strays, or if the whole guard force is falling back, deeper into the castle grounds.”

She sped away before Dar could respond. He looked annoyed.

“I’ve been told before,” he said, “that working with kimens is a trial.”

He stood and walked up the bricked pathway a short distance. Kale followed. Now they could hear the bisonbecks muttering to each other on the other side of the wall. Dar touched Kale’s arm. She leaned down to hear his quiet voice.