Dragonquest - Donita K. Paul [128]
“Surely your name isn’t Tayla. I’ve never known a tumanhofer with such a short name.”
“Well, that would be right, but my lady doesn’t like to say it all.”
“What is your name?”
“Taylaminkadot.”
“Thank you, Taylaminkadot, for taking care of me.”
The woman started and frowned at Kale. “Well now, that was nice, and you’re welcome. Are you sure you’re the daughter of my lady?”
Kale chuckled and rested her forehead on her knees. “I prefer to think I’m not.”
“Well, I don’t blame you there.” Tayla looked nervous. “I can get you something to eat. Would you like that?”
“Are my dragons truly in the cook’s tent?”
“Aye, they are, but I can’t fetch them for you.”
“I understand, Taylaminkadot. And yes, I would like something to eat.”
Tayla started to leave, but she turned back to warn Kale. “There’s a nasty bisonbeck guard at the door,” she whispered. “Don’t try to go anyplace.”
Kale nodded even though she hardly heard the words. She concentrated on the servant’s mind. She had done this trick before. She could pick up the images the woman saw. As the woman walked from the tent and then through the maze of the camp to the cook’s tent, she marked her progress. By the time the tumanhofer servant came back with a bowl of soup and some bread, Kale had a pretty good idea where the tent was located. She also knew her dragons were healthy but locked in cages.
“Now,” said Tayla, nervous again, as if being in Kale’s presence was a dangerous thing, “if you’re feeling all right, and don’t need anything, I’ll be going about my other chores.”
“That’s fine, Taylaminkadot.”
The woman curtsied, gave her a pitying look, and rushed out of the tent.
“Well, it’s about time.” Toopka crawled out from under the moonbeam cape.
“Toopka!”
“Shh! Didn’t she say there was a guard right outside?”
“How did you get here?”
“I’ve been with you all along. In a hollow. In the cape. Really, Kale. Quit staring.”
“You were in there for hours!”
Toopka went to the small table and picked up the spoon. After taking a slurpy taste of the soup, she grinned at her.
“Why not? It’s a little stuffy, and you bump into things, but other than being too dark, it’s not all that bad. You can’t hear very well in there though, so I had to keep poking my head out to find out what was going on. This is not a good situation you’ve gotten us into, Kale.” She broke off a bite of bread and popped it in her mouth.
“Well, I didn’t do it on purpose.”
“And I don’t like that woman who is ‘my lady.’ Who does she think she is, anyway?”
“She thinks she’s my mother.”
“Nah, take the wizard that hangs around with Cam and Fenworth. She’s much better.”
“I think I will, if I can get back to her.”
Kale stretched her aching muscles. A fatigue enveloped her, and she found any movement a strain. If only she could feel wide awake. If only every single speck in her body weren’t so very tired.
Toopka took another lip-smacking scoop of soup. “As soon as I finish this, I’ll go get the dragons.”
“And how do you propose to do that?”
“I’ll borrow your moonbeam cape. No one will notice me cause I’m so sneaky and short. It might be a problem to locate the little dragons though. This is a big camp.”
Kale smiled. “I know exactly where they are.”
53
GATHERING TOGETHER
Kale monitored Toopka’s progress. The doneel child slipped from one hiding spot to the next without ever raising an eyebrow from any of the many soldiers roaming about the camp. Sometimes she moved only one step at a time, letting the cape’s camouflaging ability hide her from people standing within a few feet of her. Kale held her breath and marveled that Toopka didn’t shake in her boots.
I’m nervous enough for both of us, Toopka.
“Don’t be silly, Kale. None of these bullies are any worse than Henricutt Tellowmatterden.”
Oh, I think they are. I think they’re killers, every last one of them. You be careful.
Something jolted Toopka, and