DragonKnight - Donita K. Paul [137]
Trying to keep her breathing shallow so as not to inhale the putrid smells from around her, she knelt beside the tumanhofer’s head, placing her hands on his neck and shoulder. Gymn came to rest on his chest. The hum of healing energy flowed in a circle from the small dragon, through the injured man and Kale, and back to Gymn. Bromptotterpindosset began to breathe easier, his color improved, and his expression lost the pinched look of one in pain.
Bardon and Regidor lifted the weighty grawlig and carried him a few feet to set him down among other unconscious grawligs. Kale and Gymn moved to the bruised legs and completed the healing. Bardon helped Bromptotterpindosset to his feet, and the four walked without incident out of the hotbed of trouble.
“That was too easy,” said Bardon as they followed the minor dragons flying toward fresh air. They soon stepped out of the cave and into sunshine.
“I’m not sure,” said Regidor, “that it is written as law that every endeavor must be fraught with danger.”
The tumanhofer remained silent. He had not spoken at all since they freed him and restored his health.
Kale watched him out of the corner of her eye. “Are you all right, Bromptotterpindosset?”
“I am,” he said and kept marching, his head down and his eyes on the path.
She turned to Bardon. “Where are we going?”
“Back to our camp to get the others. We’ve found the knights, but we must awaken them.”
Kale surveyed the area. “These are odd mountains.”
Bardon glanced around. “Why do you say that?”
She shrugged and grimaced. “I don’t really know, they just…I know.” She pointed to a mountain peak ahead. “That mountain”—she turned and pointed behind—“looks like that one.” She pointed in yet another direction. “And that one.”
The mapmaker stopped. His head came up with a jerk. He looked around, placed his hands on his hips, and looked around again. “We’re lost,” he muttered, his usually brusque manner subdued by despair.
“We follow the sun,” said Regidor. “The sun does not lie.”
48
LOST IN ONE PLACE
The minor dragons grew sleepy almost as soon as they started the morning trek. One by one the little dragons crawled into their own pocket-dens in Kale’s cape.
“That’s unusual,” she told Bardon when even Filia, who loved to see new things, tucked herself up in her pocket to sleep.
He held a branch back so she could pass. “They’re used to rather a dull life in The Bogs. They’ll come out when they’ve rested.”
But the little dragons did not reappear.
Plenty of game, birds, and insects inhabited the area. But the creatures acted in a perplexing manner, seemingly unaware of the strangers. The meech dragon tried to summon birds so he could learn from them something about the land. They refused to come. Kale called to different animals, but none responded. After walking west for several hours, the four travelers came to an impenetrable forest.
Regidor started a fire to warm them as they tried to figure out where they were and how to get to where they wanted to be. The meech conjured up the ingredients, and in a short time, Kale sat stirring a pot of soup.
“Why don’t you just fix the meal?” Bromptotterpindosset asked Regidor. “I know wizards can produce banquets out of nothing.”
Regidor patted the tumanhofer on his broad shoulder. “That’s a misconception, Bromp. And besides, sometimes the preparation of a meal, with its smells and procedures, is comforting. Are you terribly hungry, sir?”
“No, I’m not. Not at all. I don’t know why we stopped. We should be covering more ground before the day slips away from us.”
“That’s just why we stopped. Our desire is to cover the right ground, and we seem to be getting nowhere.” Regidor pointed to the satchel that had been returned to the mapmaker. “Shall we look at your maps?”
The men settled down. Bromptotterpindosset sat on a long log, Regidor sat on a rock, and next to the tumanhofer sat Bardon with his back against the rough bark of the log.
Kale’s eyes scanned the bushes, trees,