DragonKnight - Donita K. Paul [144]
“Still,” said Taylaminkadot, “there has always been something secretive in Toopka’s manner. She refused to choose a day to celebrate her birth every year. And when I urged her to pick a number to say it was how old she was and start counting from that, she didn’t want to. In fact, she became quite stubborn.”
The subject of their conversation danced toward them, hopping, skipping, and twirling. “Come on! You’re almost there.”
They followed her around a hedge and spotted Regidor inspecting a section at the base of what looked like a cliff.
After placing Fenworth in the shade, they gathered around the meech dragon. He showed them the camouflaged entry. The tumanhofers and Toopka sat down to watch as Lyll, Cam, Regidor, and Kale worked to open the door. Cam assigned each wizard a range of colored threads to manipulate. Bardon scouted the area to make sure this important work wouldn’t be interrupted by grawligs.
Kale had never seen such a complicated weave. She had to concentrate to keep the strands from slipping away from her. Sometimes, it was a matter of holding hers in one place while another wizard moved his strands. She smiled as she realized her mother was the best at unwinding the threads.
“Just like untangling a mess of necklaces or yarn when you’re knitting,” her mother said.
“I try not to let my knitting get in a tangle,” said Cam.
“I rarely wear necklaces,” said Regidor.
Lyll chortled and directed Cam to move his threads through a loop in Regidor’s strand.
In the end, they had the colors isolated and tied off. Regidor gave a push against the door, and it swung open.
Librettowit and Bromptotterpindosset lifted Fenworth and carried him in after the others. They stood in a vast entryway with tapestries and huge oil paintings on the walls, a two-sided, curved stairway before them, and a marble floor done in many colors, much like a mosaic.
Regidor tilted his head. “Odd.”
Lyll’s eyes swept the room as she nodded. “Definitely.”
Cam breathed in deeply and expelled the air slowly. “We must proceed with caution.”
Kale felt goose bumps rise on her arms, and a shiver tingled her spine. “There’s someone in the castle now, isn’t there?”
“Yes,” said Regidor and drew his sword.
50
IN THE CASTLE ONCE MORE
Bardon also pulled his sword. Behind him he heard the swish of metal leaving leather. He glanced at Kale and saw she had her hand in front of her as if she held a sword, but nothing was there. A quick look at her mother showed she stood in the same position. They had invisible weapons. Bardon had seen Lyll Allerion wield her sword in a fight with mordakleeps. He presumed she had trained Kale to use the weapon just as effectively.
“How many people are in the castle?” he asked.
“Hard to say,” Regidor answered. “They’re scattered all over this wing.”
“We’re in the part of the castle where the Knights’ Chamber is located, right?”
“Right.”
“Let’s escort the wizards, Taylaminkadot, and Toopka there. Then, we’ll determine who is to stay and work on breaking the spell, and who will go looking for intruders.”
Regidor nodded. Bardon looked over his shoulder to see if his party was ready to go. Kale and her mother had changed into matching outfits that would not hinder their movements during a fight. Instead of the loose clothing that had been comfortable for a long hike, they now wore fitted garments of a blue material that stretched easily. Toopka clung to Taylaminkadot’s hand. Cam brought up the rear. The old wizard only had his staff for a weapon, but Bardon knew he could count on Cam to punish an attacker with more than just a blow from a stick.
The mapmaker’s red face and the perspiration dripping off his brow warned Bardon something was wrong.
“Bromptotterpindosset?”
“I don’t relish carrying this tree up those stairs.”
Bardon looked to Lyll and Kale, who flanked the tumanhofers carrying Fenworth. “Can you do something about that?”
They nodded in unison, then turned to face the tree. In a moment it floated.
Lyll smiled. “Now all you have to do is guide Fenworth, instead of carrying