DragonKnight - Donita K. Paul [94]
The caves provided crude shelter for travelers. None of the high races lived close by because of the smell rising from the mud holes and because geysers occasionally popped through the crust of the earth without warning. No one wanted to build a house, then wake up in the middle of the night to find the floor swamped with steaming water.
The riders and passengers did not complain as the dragons marched through the unusual terrain.
“We should be close now,” called out Bromptotterpindosset.
Bardon called a halt to their caravan. “Holt, Ahnek, men, we shall get down and gather fuel for a fire.”
“Won’t it smoke something awful?” asked Ahnek.
“It’ll cover the smell of the mud holes.”
The men descended from the backs of the dragons. “Gather the thick limbs of the portamanca bushes,” instructed the mapmaker from his doohan. “They are surprisingly light, and you can peel the outer bark to find a wood core that burns very efficiently.”
“What’s this portamanca bush look like, Master?” called Ahnek.
“Have one of the riders point it out, boy,” barked the tumanhofer. “It’s past time you got out of the city. You need a different education than what you got on the streets.”
“That’s why I’m here,” muttered Ahnek.
Bardon stood nearby and heard him continue grousing as he shuffled through the puddles.
“I mean to make the most of my life, and here I am doing it, in muddy water up to my ankles with smelly gases nearly choking me ’spite this blasted cold rain.”
Two riders put out a tarp on which to throw the branches of the portamanca bushes. Then they dragged the waterproof canvas as they walked to the caves. The others continued to gather wood.
“How do we know we’re going in the right direction?” Ahnek asked Bardon as they met beside the tarp, each carrying an armload of fuel.
“As long as we don’t cross the Bissean River, we’re going the right direction. The cliffs and ledges angle out from the riverbed. We’d have to turn completely around to miss them.”
In just a few more minutes they came to the first ledge. The dragons stepped up easily. They all turned on the wide shelf, lowered their heads, and allowed the walking members of the party to ride up, clinging to their necks. With the four corners of the large canvas tied together, Greer took the bundle in his teeth and carried it up several more layers of rock before they reached a ledge that had huge, gaping, black entries to the caves beyond.
“We’re going in there?” asked Ahnek.
Bardon slapped him on the shoulder. “It’ll be warm and cozy.”
“Right. Just like a warehouse.”
“I can’t say I’ve ever slept in a warehouse, Ahnek. But I have slept in The Caves of Endor. Aside from the smell, they’re a very comfortable accommodation. If you wish privacy, you can choose your own little cave jutting off from one of the main caverns. I’ve met other travelers here and shared a community campfire. Music, good stories, and dance. It can be quite a treat.”
“Right.”
The boy didn’t sound convinced but followed Bardon as he led the party into the largest cavern. The riders brought out lanterns from their packs of supplies and soon had a golden glow emanating from the center of the cavity in the limestone ledge. The other passengers dismounted, and Bromptotterpindosset took over the job of building a fire. Holt and N’Rae built seats out of the larger parcels and bundles as they unloaded the dragons. The dragons, one by one, slipped off to nearby caves to curl up and sleep.
“Why did they leave us?” asked N’Rae.
Bardon hooked together a metal apparatus that would hang