DragonKnight (39 page)

         
51
         

T
REASURES

Female voices drifted up one of the staircases. Toopka darted ahead, stood at the top, and hollered, “Hi!”

Kale rushed forward, aggravated that Toopka could be so impetuous in unfamiliar surroundings. The women didn’t sound dangerous, but still, Toopka’s monster could be around any corner.

Bardon followed at a slower pace. Kale recognized their uniforms and greeted the two dragon riders as they reached the last steps.

“Hello, I’m Kale Allerion.”

The doneel rider put forth her hand, but her eyes followed the minor dragons, first watching Metta flutter like a huge butterfly through the hall, and then Ardeo and Gymn as they swooped and dived in some game they were playing.

“I’m Lo Mees,” she said, obviously forcing herself to focus on Kale. “And this is Lo Oh.”

Toopka giggled, and the second rider, an o’rant, smiled down at her. “Yes, we know it’s a terrible name, and I am trying very hard to earn my next rank.”

“My name’s Toopka. You don’t see minor dragons very often, do you?”

“No,” said Lo Oh. “I’ve only read about them in books and seen a few pictures.”

“I live in The Bogs with the Dragon Keeper.” The tiny doneel nodded to indicate Kale. “So I know a lot about minor dragons.”

“That’s very impressive,” said Lo Mees.

“Not really. My friend Regidor is a meech dragon, and
that
is impressive. Have you seen any treasure or monsters?”

Lo Mees looked past her. “Now, there’s a treasure of sorts, our lost leader.”

They all turned to look at Bardon, who nodded.

“I’m back, and so is Regidor. We’ve brought people with us who should be able to break the spell over the knights. I would appreciate it if you would locate everyone and tell them to report to the Knights’ Chamber. We’ll have a meeting as soon as they’ve all arrived.

“Yes sir.” The two women answered and turned around to go down the steps they had just climbed.

Kale smiled at their muffled chatter as they left. Were they enthused about the minor dragons or their handsome leader? Kale gazed at her friend.
He doesn’t know how he affects the females he meets. And he doesn’t much care for being impressive. Ha! Unlike Regidor, who loves attention or theatrically avoiding attention. Bardon would have loved months and months of solitude, and instead, here he is with a gaggle of questers.

“Just how many are on this quest?” asked Kale.

“If we count your minor dragons, two dozen plus two.”

“Phew! And you never liked a crowd.”

“Too many people.” Bardon smiled at her.

Kale picked up the next line. “Always too many people.”

The look he cast her, filled with humor and chagrin, felt good.
We’re friends,
she thought.
Very good friends.

She grinned at him. “And when we successfully awaken the sleeping knights?”

Bardon groaned. “Three dozen, plus two.”

Toopka hopped. “Are any of these people children?”

Kale saw a look of awareness cross Bardon’s face, but more interestingly, she felt his sense of pleasure. He had a secret surprise for the little doneel.

“Yes.” He patted her head. “Two are boys.”

“Oh good,” she exclaimed. “Boys are so much better to play with than girls.”

“They are?” asked Kale. “You really haven’t had many opportunities to play with anyone the last three years.”

“Just when Wizard Cam takes us through a gateway for ‘educational purposes.’” She looked very glum as they resumed their walk down the hall.

“Don’t let her fool you, Bardon.” Kale shook her head deliberately. “Cam’s idea of education is a visit to a festival for cultural enlightenment or to diverse families for exposure to different lifestyles.” Kale felt a sadness settle on her heart, remembering what it was like to have no real friends. “Still, it would be nice for Toopka to have one friend closer to her own age. One who is always around.”

“Regidor is my friend.” Her voice piped up, proving she had been listening, although she had appeared to be more interested in the paintings on the walls and knickknacks sitting in cases along the corridor. “And I’m older than him. I always will be.”

She dropped to her hands and knees, wiggled under a table, and came out with a large ring.

“Look, I found treasure.” She rubbed it on her yellow shirt and then held the ring up for them to see. A large square-cut emerald glistened from the ornately worked gold setting.

“I’d say that’s treasure,” said Bardon. “But we don’t know who it belongs to. You can keep it until we find the rightful owner.”

Toopka scowled as she tucked it in a pocket.

Bardon tweaked her ear as he walked by. “But somewhere in this castle is a treasure that belongs to you.”

She jumped and raced past him, then turned to walk backward as she pelted him with questions. “Where? How do you know it belongs to me? What is it? Why is it here?”

“I don’t know where it is. That’s why we’re exploring the castle. I know
it
belongs to you, because you once told me about it. It’s a…” He paused. “No, I think it would be better if you discovered this treasure on your own. Why don’t you turn around and look?”

At the end of the long hallway stood two boys, a blind tumanhofer and an o’rant.

Joy rushed through Kale as she realized Toopka’s old friend from Vendela was Bardon’s surprise. Her emotions transferred to the minor dragons, who burst into a chorus of excited chittering.

Toopka scrunched her eyes closed and turned slowly. Kale knew exactly when the little doneel allowed herself to open her eyes.

“Sittiponder!” Toopka squealed and ran to meet him.

The small tumanhofer scooped her into an embrace.

Kale took hold of Bardon’s arm and squeezed. “This is wonderful. How did you find him?”

“He found us.”

Kale left her arm tucked under Bardon’s as they walked down the corridor.

Tiny Toopka hugged her friend fiercely. “I’m so glad you’re here, Sitti.” She kissed his cheek and hugged him again. Then her attention turned to the other child. “Who is this boy?”

“Ahnek.” Sittiponder responded. With his arms full of the little doneel, he nodded in the other boy’s direction.

“Hello, Ahnek. I found a treasure.” Toopka took the ring out to show them. After flashing it before Ahnek’s eyes, she pressed the treasure against Sittiponder’s cheek and turned the ornate circlet slowly. “Bardon says there’s another treasure here in the castle for me. I may have to give back this ring if it belongs to someone, but the other treasure belongs to me and it’s one I told him about, but I can’t imagine what it is because I’ve never had a treasure.”

“You noisy bird,” said Sittiponder affectionately, “quit twittering. Bardon was talking about me. I’m your treasure.”

“You?” She thought a moment and then giggled. “You aren’t made out of gold. You don’t have jewels anywhere.”

“I’m your
friend,
pebble.”

Toopka sat very still in his arms. She looked at his face so close to hers, and her face grew very still. “Am I your treasure, Sitti?”

He squeezed her. “Yes, turnip seed, you’re my friend. I think that’s why the voices told me to come on this quest. So I could be with you.”

Sittiponder and Ahnek knew where to find the kitchen, the library, and N’Rae.

Bardon and Kale followed the two boys. Toopka skipped beside Sittiponder, holding his hand. With the dragons circling above them, they moved through the hallways quickly, going down narrow stairs hidden behind doors. At one corner the two boys stopped to consult. Ahnek wanted to go left, and Sittiponder insisted they should go right. The blind boy won the dispute.

Ahnek spoke over his shoulder. “There’s no sense in fighting him. He’s always right.

When they walked into the library, N’Rae sat curled up in a big chair, her feet tucked under her. She looked up from a book as they entered.

“Hi! I’m Toopka.” But the little girl might as well have saved her greeting.

N’Rae sprang out of the chair, sprinted across the room, and threw herself into Bardon’s arms, hanging on to his neck and lifting her feet off the ground in an exuberant greeting.

Kale took a step back, thinking,
It’s a good thing I no longer held on to his arm. She would have knocked me out of the way.

N’Rae took a deep breath and leaned back to get a better look at Bardon.

“You’re all right. I’m so very, very glad. We found the knights. My father is there, and so is my uncle. We’ve searched and searched, and none of us can find a clue as to how to break the spell. We can’t even get out of the castle. We tried going out the way we came in, and that hole to the burrows is blocked somehow. A spell, I would suspect. And we’re running out of food, and all Grandmother does is paint.”

“Oh dear, a grown-up Toopka.”

Kale, be nice.
Bardon’s voice popped into her mind.

“Of course, I’ll be nice.”

She was raised with ropma.

“That explains a lot.”

Kale.

“All right. I’ll be nice. Peel her off of you and introduce me.”

As Bardon tactfully disengaged N’Rae’s arms from around his neck and placed her a foot away from him, he explained where they had been, that they had rescued Bromptotterpindosset, and that they had brought back reinforcements.

Kale guarded her thinking. It wouldn’t be prudent for Bardon to pick up her thoughts as she mused over this new development.
If I hadn’t felt that kiss he planted on my head, I’d be quite irritated with my dearest Squire Bardon. I wrote him letters pages long and got back three sentences. He never once came to visit me in The Bogs. I hinted where Cam was planning to take us next, and he never coincidentally showed up.

But that’s all right. He kissed me and was naive enough to think I wouldn’t feel it. Poor Bardon needs help discovering we’re meant to be a couple, and I can’t think of a better person to help him than me.

Kale frowned at the vivacious N’Rae.
This friendly little emerlindian had better find someone else to snuggle up to.

Finally, Bardon introduced Kale and her dragons. The minor dragons liked the attention N’Rae gave them. Kale narrowed her eyes and vowed to give them a talking to. They immediately felt the tension in their Dragon Keeper and flew to perches around the room.

The pale emerlindian turned once more to Kale. “I am so glad you’re here. I’ve always wanted a friend my own age, and Bardon has told me so much about you.” She hesitated long enough for Kale to think,
Oh, great!

N’Rae smiled shyly up at her. “I know you’re important, the Dragon Keeper and a wizard, but I hope we can be friends.”

Be nice,
Bardon reminded her.
She is just what she seems.

“She seems like she’s a bit empty-headed.”

Be nice.

“Oh, all right!”

Kale smiled and extended her hand. “Let’s get to know each other.”

         
52
         

A
SSIGNMENTS

Bardon looked around the crowded room and noted the odd appearance of its occupants. Lyll Allerion sat on the arm of the chair her husband sat in. Kale sat on the floor at his feet. Two women, alive with hope and love, bracing like bookends a cold man with no feeling.

Since space was limited, others in the questing party mingled with the sleeping knights, standing next to and sitting beside the unresponsive men. Granny Kye remained at her easel, detached from the others. Jue Seeno presumably listened from the basket next to the artist’s supplies.

I would love to hand over the leadership of this quest to someone else.
Bardon sighed. He was obligated to fulfill his responsibilities, and he knew it.
I’ll just proceed one item at a time.
He paused for a moment, surveying the other worthy leaders in the room.
Ah yes, Wulder, I see. Thank You for these people You have assembled for this task. Help me to hand bits of the burden You have placed on my shoulders into the most suitable hands.

“Captain Anton, the wizards have opened the front door. You and your guard will be responsible for patrolling the area. I’m sure there are grawligs interested in what we are doing here. And, of course, there may be more sinister opponents lurking about. Although this fortress seems deserted, it was at one time a stronghold for evil.” He paused to give Ahnek and Toopka a look of warning. Both youngsters nodded their understanding. Bardon turned back to Captain Anton. “I charge your men to hunt for food as well. There should be game on the mountainside.”

The captain nodded.

“Regidor, would it be possible for you to fly out and guide our dragons to this castle?”

“It will take several hours,” Regidor said. “I’ll see to it first thing in the morning.”

Bardon looked at Wizard Fenworth, who had dozed off and taken the form of a scraggly bush. A mouse peeked out from the long tangle of moss that would be his beard if he were awake. When Bardon looked again, the small creature had disappeared.
I wonder if that’s Jue Seeno disguised as a mouse.
He shook off the distraction.

Since Fenworth was not awake, the squire addressed Wizard Cam. “What can we do to help you discover the remedy to this spell?”

“We could use assistance in the library. If you would designate workers to sort through the books and bring any to us that have to do with wizardry, that would save time and energy. We are particularly interested in tomes pertaining to living organisms and vital processes.”

Bardon nodded. “Taylaminkadot, may I count on you and N’Rae to be in charge of meals?”

“It would be my pleasure, Squire Bardon,” said the tumanhofer.

N’Rae perked up. “I can do that, and I’ll watch after the children.”

Toopka tossed the ring she’d found from one hand to the other. “We don’t need watching after.”

Ahnek said, “Shh!” and stood up. “We’d like to continue our explorations, Squire. We might discover something useful.”

“Fine, Ahnek,” answered Bardon. “That’s a good plan. And when the dragons arrive, I want you to help with taking care of them. Regidor will escort them here, then they will return with their riders to pack our equipment and bring it along. You could be useful there, as well.”

Ahnek beamed as he accepted the responsibility and sat down again.

Holt stirred in his seat beside a stiff knight. “Is there anything you want me to do?”

“Would you rather be assigned to the guard or the library?”

“The guard.”

“Done. You’ll answer to Captain Anton.” Bardon surveyed the group. No one seemed to be eager to add to his instructions. “Any questions? Suggestions?” Most of them gave slight negative shakes of their heads. Of course, Fenworth didn’t respond. Neither did Toopka nor Granny Kye. “Regidor, I believe Taylaminkadot will need your assistance in providing for our evening meal. All right. Let’s get to work.”

They dispersed. Librettowit, with Ahnek guiding his way, led the group down to the library. Captain Anton said they would join the book search, since they wouldn’t be hunting this late in the day. Kale and Bardon followed some distance behind the others.

Kale looked at him askance. “I only counted twenty-five.”

“Twenty-five?”

“People.”

Bardon stopped in his tracks. He took her hand and started back down the hall.

“Where are we going?”

“You need to meet someone. Kale, of all the amazing things we’ve seen, this is quite beyond astonishing.”

He tugged her into the room and over to Granny Kye. There he crouched beside the minneken’s basket, pulling Kale down beside him. “Mistress Seeno, may I have the honor of introducing a special friend to you?”

“In just a minute,” her small voice came to his ears. “If I’m to meet someone new, I’d like to be presentable.”

Bardon grinned, glanced at Kale, and winked.

Don’t use your talent to find out who’s in there. I want this to be a surprise.

“I promise.”

In a minute, the cover of the basket raised slightly.

Bardon said, “Allow me,” and lifted the woven lid.

Jue Seeno appeared, elaborate hat first, with round ears peeking through the velvet brim. Face next, with pointed nose and chin, whiskers quivering, and tiny black eyes inspecting Kale.

“Give me your hand, young man,” she ordered.

Bardon let go of Kale’s hand to offer a platform for Mistress Seeno to stand on. She stepped out with the moonbeam cape swirling about her and one of her most elaborate, colorful belts encircling her waist.

“Mistress Seeno,” said Bardon in a very good imitation of Sir Dar’s cordial manner, “may I introduce Kale Allerion, Dragon Keeper and wizard of The Bogs under Wizard Fenworth?”

The minneken dipped her tiny head, and Kale, kneeling beside Bardon, did her best to curtsy. She inclined the upper half of her body.

“Kale, this is Mistress Jue Seeno of the Isle of Kye.”

“It is an honor to meet you, Mistress,” Kale replied demurely.

Bardon observed the two women inspecting each other without really seeming to. This play of manners occupied much of the time spent at court. He didn’t enjoy it there but found it rather amusing to see Kale perform the art with ease in these unusual circumstances.

Her mother has been training her, as well as Fenworth, Cam, and Librettowit. Good thing too. Who would want a woman around who only knew the crusty behavior of three old men?

Kale’s light laughter flitted through his mind.
“There’s Taylaminkadot, too.”

You quit intruding on my thoughts.

“Really, Bardon. Sometimes it is more difficult not to hear what you’re thinking than to listen.”
With the introductions over, Bardon moved on to important matters.

“What have you discovered in my absence, Mistress Seeno?”

“That this castle is strangely devoid of active life forms. No cats, bats, rats, or bugs. That there is a level below the cellar that is, to me, inaccessible. That Holt is more fond of N’Rae than he should be.”

As an aside to Kale, Bardon said, “Jue Seeno is N’Rae’s protector.”

Jue Seeno’s eyes narrowed. “Are you going to send that tumanhofer back as soon as the dragons get here?”

“I’ll check with Paladin’s coin, but we may not be forced to expel Bromptotterpindosset from our midst after all.”

“Why is that?”

“Our mapmaker met with enough ‘coincidences’ to be relatively assured of a universal Master’s hand.”

Jue Seeno was speechless, but only for a moment. “Wulder chooses to attract the most irregular people. I certainly wouldn’t have bothered with such a pompous braggart.”

Bardon thought it wise to change the subject. “I trust you will be actively keeping me informed of the things you observe. It’s reassuring to know you’re on duty.”

“Of course. Now if you don’t mind, I must catch up with N’Rae and that scoundrel.”

He placed her on the floor, and instead of rushing out the door, she disappeared through a crack in the wainscoting.

“Shall we go search the library with the others?” Bardon asked.

Kale nodded, and he rose from his crouched position and then gave her his hand to help her rise.

As they passed the ensorcelled form of her sleeping father, she stopped and gazed down at him.

“What are you feeling, Kale?”

She turned and looked into his eyes. The depth of her confused emotions swept through him. With a pull of his hand, he drew her into his arms and for some time just held her.

Do I feel this turmoil so strongly because I, too, have never known my father? Or is it that strange bond between us that always surfaces when we’re together?

“Both, I would think.”

I’m sorry I don’t have words to say that would comfort you.

“It’s all right, Bardon. I think words are highly overrated at times.”

He loosened his hold and looked down at her upturned face. She had particularly lovely eyes.

“Well,” he said, clearing his throat. “Let’s get busy doing something. Um…since words—”

“You just missed a perfectly good opportunity to kiss me.”

The words came into his mind with a wistful tone. He stared at Kale, whose face began to glow with a pink blush.

“You heard that!”

Yes. Sometimes it is more difficult
not—

Kale placed her hand on the back of his neck. “Words are highly over—”

She didn’t apply any pressure to bring his head down to hers. Bardon felt the pull from his heart, and his kiss brushed her lips just to taste their sweetness. He pulled back and saw his own astonishment flash in Kale’s eyes. Uncertainty touched his feelings, and he saw the question in her expression. An explosion of delight replaced the trepidation, and Kale’s face lit with pleasure. Contentment followed the joy, and he felt satisfaction bounce back from the young woman in his arms. He began to laugh, and she hugged him.

“You realize,” she said, “that you have brazenly kissed me in front of my father.”

He stiffened and looked down at the sleeping knight, then shrugged. “And Wizard Fenworth. And Granny Kye. And eleven other of Paladin’s knights.”

Bardon squeezed her and then put her away from him. “I did not expect a simple kiss to be so powerful. Kale, we shall have to use a lot of words, overrated or not, before we indulge in…”

Kale widened her eyes, mischief alive in her expression. “I agree.” She giggled. “I want to be courted.”

“Courted?”

“Definitely.”

“And I agree. You deserve to be courted.”

Bardon and Kale left Granny Kye to her portrait of her two sons and Wizard Fenworth to his nap.

“Now,” said Kale as they passed through the hall, “tell me about Jue Seeno. She’s a minneken, right?”

“Right.”

“I want to know it all, Bardon. How is she the emerlindian’s protector? Why is that handsome marione Holt a scoundrel? And there was something about a coin given to you by Paladin.”

“Let’s not go directly to the library. There’re too many people there.”

“Way too many people,” they said in unison and laughed.

Bardon coaxed her toward the front staircase. “Let’s go walk in the garden instead.”

She tilted her head. “To talk?”

“To talk.”