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Toopka?

“I’m all right. A bisonbeck oaf bumped into me from behind. I didn’t see him coming. His friend says he tripped over his own feet. They can’t see me. I’m all right.”

Kale heard the slightest bit of a quiver in the little doneel’s voice.

Toopka, you can turn back anytime you want to. We’ll find another way out.

“I’m all right. Really.”

Kale bit her lower lip and tried to send Toopka some courage through her talent, but she wasn’t feeling very brave herself.

You’re almost there. Turn to the right. The other way, Toopka. That’s your left! Good, now—

“I can smell it, Kale. I found it.”

The cages are right inside the front door.

“You told me that already.”

I’m sorry.

“Just a minute. I’m going to walk in behind these three soldiers.”

Be careful.

“You’ve told me that a hundred times already.”

Kale watched the inside of the tent appear as Toopka slipped through the front door. She chose to hide in a corner.

“This is impossible!” complained Toopka. “The dragons are like a sideshow at a carnival. The cages are right where everyone can come and gawk at them.”

I have an idea, Toopka. I’m going to tell the dragons to make a lot of noise, then I’m going to tell the cook to cover them to make them be quiet. You have to pick out which man is in charge. Can you do that?

“Sure. Wait a minute.”

Kale watched as Toopka’s eyes swept the room, examining each of the men who worked in the tent.

“Him.”

Kale told the dragons to set up a ruckus. The four hooted, shrieked, trilled, and squawked. They flapped their leathery wings as if they could break the bars of the cages.

“What’s all this?” Through Toopka’s mind, Kale heard the cook holler. “What’s got into them?”

“Cover ’em like you would chickens. They’ll settle down.” Another voice gave the suggestion Kale had intended to put in the cook’s mind.

With satisfaction, Kale and Toopka watched the man bring out a large cloth and drape it over all four cages. In only a few moments, Toopka crept under the edge and began picking the locks on the doors. One after the other, she freed the dragons. Each one climbed into a pocket-den in the cape. Toopka finally started the perilous return journey to the tent where Kale waited.

Toopka crawled under the back of the tent and opened the cape to let the dragons fly to Kale. Gymn, Metta, Dibl, and Ardeo did not go to their usual perches. All four dragons landed safely in Kale’s arms.

“Now,” Toopka whispered, “how do we get out of here?”

“I don’t know.” Kale cuddled the minor dragons. She eyed the opening in the front of the tent where a guard stood sentry, then examined the small opening at the base of the tent.

Could we cut that tear to make it larger? They took my sword, but I have a small knife in one of the hollows. Then of course, we could just walk out of here. Could we? With the cape? If only I weren’t so tired.

Kale patted the mattress beside her. “Come sit with us. You’ve had a trying evening.”

Toopka rolled her eyes and hopped onto the bed. She undid the cape and laid it inside out next to her. “I brought some more food.”

She reached into a hollow and pulled out loaves of bread and hunks of cheese. She smiled at Kale. “I thought we might get hungry.”

“When did you get this? I didn’t see you reach for anything.”

“I told you I was sneaky.” Toopka’s grin spread over her face.

A noise outside the tent caught Kale’s attention. She heard Tayla speak to the guard.

Kale lifted the moonbeam cape and turned it over so the pockets were underneath. “Everybody under and don’t move!”

“I’ve come to see if you need anything else for the night,” said Tayla as she pushed the tent flap aside and came in. Her eyes went immediately to the loaves of bread and cheese. The tumanhofer servant looked at the partially eaten food on the bed, the empty bowl on the tray, and then Kale’s face.

“No, Miss Kale, I don’t know anything about the hills around here. My father was a fisherman. To me, a boat is the only way to travel.”

Kale stared at the woman for a