Dragons of the Watch (40 page)

Carrie elbowed her. “It means He likes neat and doesn’t like mess.”

Ellie looked Lisby over, trying to find something that the girl counted as valuable. Untied shoes, scruffy leggings, a faded dress, and a wisp of a yellow scarf were the girl’s only possessions. Ellie pinched the edge of the scarf and pulled it gently from Lisby’s shoulders.

“Let’s say that it is three hundred years from now. I don’t know you, and you aren’t here, but I find your scarf.” She held it up for all to see.

Alarm opened Lisby’s eyes wider. Her eyebrows arched into her bangs.

“Now,” said Ellie, looking around the kitchen but not at the children, “I don’t see anyone here. Obviously, this yellow scarf belonged to somebody, but that was so long ago. I have mud on my shoes. Maybe I’ll use this rag to wipe the dirt off.”

Lisby grabbed for the scarf. Ellie deftly pulled it out of her reach.

“Or,” Ellie said, “I might cut it into squares and make handkerchiefs to blow my nose.”

Lisby made another desperate attempt to recapture her scarf. Again, Ellie eluded her.

“Or I might play tug of war with the scarf. Tak loves to play tug of war.”

“No, no!” cried Lisby.

Laska grabbed Ellie’s arm. “Don’t do it! She loves that yellow thing.”

Ellie patted his hand on her elbow. “You don’t have to worry.” She handed the scarf back to Lisby. “I wouldn’t damage the scarf, or throw
it on the floor, or burn it in the stove. It is something that belongs to Lisby. And I don’t have the right to destroy it.”

“But you take stuff from the houses all the time. So does Bealomondore.”

Ellie nodded. “I do.” She looked around and picked up a bar of soap from the sink rim. “This soap belonged to the people who owned the house. I want to take it and use it. I don’t think they would object to my taking it since I really need it. I’m not going to destroy it. I’m going to use it.”

Laska wrinkled his nose. “So that’s different? Just because you’re going to scrub us with it? You can take it?” He shook his head. “Nah, Miss Ellie, it’s the same. You ought to respect that soap and leave it here.”

Ellie fought the giggle that rose to her throat. He’d turned her argument against her. “No, Laska, I respect the people, not the soap. And in respecting the people, I recognize that most people are generous enough to share a bar of soap. I’d give you a place to sleep if you needed it. I would give you my coat if you were cold.” She let a grin spread across her face. “And I would give you a bath if you were dirty.”

Laska put his hands up in front of him and backed away. “No, Miss Ellie, I’m fresh scrubbed.”

The other children laughed, and Ellie joined them.

She hugged the two closest to her, then released them. “All right. Let’s search this house. And remember to leave everything the way you found it.”

“Except the keys!” shouted one of the girls.

“That’s right,” Ellie said. “Collect the keys for Orli to examine.”

They worked their way down the street and had crossed to come
back on the other side when Det flew over, circled, and landed on Ellie’s shoulder.

Her mindspeaking abilities had sharpened over the weeks, and she understood him easily.

“They think they’ve found the right key. We’re to meet the other half of the clan at the library.”

Their dash back to the center of Rumbard City included laughter and happy squeals. Ellie tried to calm them as they approached the area where Yawn and his few remaining thugs hung out, but she couldn’t contain the children’s excitement.

Ellie panicked. What would she do if those ruffians jumped out at her and tackled the children who had deserted Yawn and come to the library? She didn’t want a fight. She didn’t want anyone to get hurt.

“Shh! Be quiet!”

The children heeded for almost a full minute before they broke into noisy games of chase and tag as they walked through the wider, empty streets of abandoned shops.

Ellie remembered Bealomondore’s calm voice as he spoke to Wulder. He put a lot of trust in Wulder being real and interested in what Bealomondore said. Often her tumanhofer friend would list the things he liked, thanking Wulder for His provision. And he would list his concerns.

Sometimes he sounded like he was thinking things over aloud, but most of the time it sounded as if he was actually talking to someone. And he often sat, with his eyes closed, a small smile on his lips. Ellie would notice through their bond that a peace flowed through him, a peace she had never felt on her own.

In imitation of what seemed to work for Bealomondore, Ellie began
to pray. “Wulder, please keep us safe. Keep Yawn occupied somewhere else. Allow more of the children trapped in Yawn’s hold to escape and come to us.”

For a moment she stopped praying. Did she really want more children to care for? No, if she was honest, she didn’t. Where did those words come from? She decided to try again and to keep control of what her mouth said.

“Wulder, please keep us safe. Keep Yawn away. Help us get to the library quickly and without any trouble. If any of Yawn’s brutes have decided to leave him …”

There it was again. She didn’t want to pray this way.

“Wulder, please let the key we need be among the keys we found. Help Orli identify the right key, and help us find the door to the underground city. Help us to decide what to do with all the children.” She stopped before she could add “even those from Yawn’s group.” What was the matter with her?

“Please help us to get the children safely out of the city. If we have to find the wizard first, please lead us to him. And there’s a bottle of memories we should find as well as the key. I guess we need help in a lot of things.”

She stopped speaking again. Her heartbeat no longer raced. She scurried behind the small band of children and Tak with an air of excitement instead of fear. Det said the key looked like the one Orli had shown them in mental images. They might soon be out of the bottle and back with friends and family.

Who would take care of the children they rescued? There were very few urohms in Chiril. She and Bealomondore had decided that a few urohms must’ve been away from the city when the wizard set up his punishment. Urohms were living in Chiril, but in very limited numbers.
Surely they would adopt these children. But who would take care of the children still caught in Yawn’s snare? How could they possibly leave without them? And Yawn, such an unhappy child, filled with anger and pride.

“Wulder, please rescue
all
the children.”

She hesitated once more, the library steps visible at the end of the street.

“Yes, Wulder. All the children. And Old One. And the minor dragons.”

“Maa!”

“And Tak.”

Out in the streets of Rumbard City, Ellie had felt exposed. She’d expected Yawn and his gang to pounce. The sun had shone brightly, the birds sang, the dragons chittered, the air smelled fresh, the flowers bobbed their heads in the gentle breeze. And still she had expected disaster. Now that she was in the underbelly known as the subter, she
knew
this was where Yawn would attack. The setting held dark corners, unidentifiable noises, and the chill in the air brought goose bumps on her arms.

Each of the children had a lightrock. Bealomondore carried a lantern. Orli’s body glowed as he flew above them. Still there was not enough light to suit Ellie. The plastered walls were dank and mildewed, with long brown stains flowing from top to bottom. Pipes and girders crisscrossed the low ceiling. How would a grown urohm stand up straight in these tunnels?

Bealomondore squeezed her hand. “This is man-made. When we get to the tumanhofer city, you’ll see something more along the lines of caves and caverns. Of course, the tumanhofers widened tunnels and flattened floors and enlarged caves to accommodate the citizenry. Have you ever seen drawings of Tuck?”

“Yes. Gramps has a
Torrabendarah’s History of Tumanhofers.
”

A clunking noise like metal against metal echoed through the dark tunnel. She jumped, and the children froze.

“What was that?” a voice whispered out of the group of boys and girls.

Bealomondore stretched a bit to look over the crowd around them. “Probably nothing.”

“It sounded more like something than nothing.”

Ellie recognized the child’s voice. “Let’s just keep going, Toady. The quicker we find the door, the quicker we can get out of here.”

Det flew back from scouting a passage ahead of them.

Bealomondore passed the map dragon’s instructions on to the clan. “We’re going to turn right at the next intersection of tunnels.”

“What right?” came back in a variety of forms. Ellie still had not taught them left and right successfully.

“When you get to the crossing, stop,” she told them. “We’ll tell you which way is right.”

Bealomondore spoke quietly to Ellie. “Det says he can hear running water. Perhaps he’s found the cool-water stream.”

“You’ve never been down this way in your explorations?”

“Never this far. I always had in mind that I must get back to help you with the children. I didn’t want to leave you at their mercy for too long.”

Soo-tie giggled. “Mr. Bealomondore, you shouldn’t be so worried. We aren’t murderous.”

Several voices joined hers, finishing the phrase in unison. “Just grouchy.”

Ellie patted Soo-tie’s shoulder. “Most of the time you aren’t even grouchy. Everyone has been trying to get along. I appreciate that.”

Soo-tie laughed louder, and those around giggled as well. “We know how to get treats from you, Miss Ellie. That’s why we’re good.”

“I don’t care why you behave, just so long as you’re practicing your manners and they’re becoming a habit. A good habit.”

“We found the crossing,” said Grim from the front of their pack. “Which way do we go?”

Bealomondore let go of Ellie’s hand. “I’m coming to the front. I’ll lead from this point on. Let me through, please.”

“Where do you think we are?” asked Porky.

“Det says we are east of the library by about three miles.”

“Three miles?” One of the boys wagged his head back and forth in disbelief. “We walked three miles already?”

“That’s right.”

“Right? Where?” Cinder screwed up his face in disgust. “And we haven’t even tried one door yet.”

“The doors we’ve passed so far are doors made by urohms. We’re looking for a door made by tumanhofers.”

“What’s it gonna look like?” asked Tolly, the newest child to join the clan.

Bealomondore looked at the girl as he answered. “We don’t know what it will look like exactly, but we do know that it won’t look like all the doors we’ve seen in Rumbard City.”

“It’ll be shorter,” said Laska. “ ’Cause tumanhofers are shorter even when they’re grown up.”

“Good observation, Laska.” Bealomondore gestured for the children to follow. “Let’s find that door.”

They’d walked quite a ways when Bealomondore held up his hand for them to stop. “Be very quiet and listen.”

All the children stood still. Ellie heard water running, much like the brook near her home.

“We’re close,” she said.

Det returned and landed on Bealomondore’s shoulder.

“Did he find the stream?” asked Soo-tie.

Bealomondore grinned. “Yes. Only a few more yards and a turn to the left.”

The children cheered.

He and Ellie exchanged an amused look as the inevitable voice asked, “What left?”

Bealomondore shrugged. “I’ll tell you when we get there.”

The need did not arise. As soon as they came to the crossing of two tunnels, the din of rushing water called to the children. They turned the corner to the left and took off running.

“Don’t fall in,” Ellie called.

Bealomondore waited for her and Tak. He took her hand and followed the excited clan. The mass of six-year-old bodies churned with the thrill of running water.

“Why is it,” asked Ellie, “that a stream, a river, even a little brook causes such fascination?”

“Water is very hard to paint, but I confess I am drawn to moving water. Waves on an ocean are the same.”

“I’ve never seen the ocean.”

“Not even in pictures?”

“Well, yes.”

“Pictures can’t do justice to the majesty of the sea. I shall take you to the seashore.”

“When we leave Rumbard City, I’ll go back to my parents’ farm and herd sheep.”

“Never. Ellicinderpart Clarenbessipawl, I want you to be my wife.”

She had expected this, but not in a dark and gloomy man-made tunnel with exuberant giant children just a few yards away. She’d already decided what she’d say. She had to turn down his offer to marry her because her reputation was now tarnished by their stay in Rumbard
City without a proper chaperone. But she had hoped the proposal would be a little more romantic. It was probably the only one she would ever receive. She steeled herself to do what she must.

“No, Bealomondore. I won’t marry a man who
has
to ask me to marry him.”

He stopped, and though she resisted, he turned her to face him and lifted her chin so she had to meet his eyes.

“Ellie, I am going to drop all my defenses so that you can experience exactly what I’m feeling. I will not hide any of my thoughts. Are you ready?”