Dragonquest - Donita K. Paul [132]
Bardon, Regidor, I need help. Dar, Wizard Cam, can you hear me? I’m being followed. Regidor, I need help. I’m being followed by a fire dragon, and it’s catching up to Celisse. Regidor, can you hear me?
She looked over her shoulder. The dragon was gaining. She couldn’t make out a rider on its back, but she remembered that the twelve fire dragons who had confronted Paladin were riderless. Celisse abruptly banked to the left. The other dragon kept close on her tail. She shot up, flying higher. So did the pursuing dragon, and he spit a blaze as if to say he was annoyed.
Bardon, help! There’s a fire dragon after us.
“I’m on my way, Kale.”
She looked to the south and saw a dragon rise from the small encampment. Another sprang into the air after it. A few seconds later, a third followed. Turning her head, she gasped when she saw how much the fire dragon had gained on them.
Hurry, Celisse!
The fire dragon spewed out flames. The heat of the blaze came close enough that Kale felt the force of it on her back. The next projection singed Celisse’s tail. Celisse screeched and beat her wings harder.
I should be able to do something.
Kale tried to pick up the enemy dragon’s thoughts. When she touched its mind, she backed away from its fury for only a moment before she closed in and sent a message.
You’ve picked the wrong target. Risto will be furious.
The fire dragon faltered, then roared and sent out another flame. But its hesitation gave Celisse enough lead to avoid being hit again.
They were close enough to the oncoming dragons for Kale to make out who they were. Bardon led the charge on Greer, Brunstetter followed on Foremoore, and Dar brought up the rear on Merlander. Both Bardon and Brunstetter held lances ready to throw. They swept past Kale on either side of Celisse. Kale whipped her head around to see them hurl their weapons at the pursuing fire dragon. Both lances hit their marks. The dragon bellowed. Dar bolted past her, and she saw him swinging a hadwig. The spiked ball soared through the air and hit the fire dragon square on its head. Brunstetter and Bardon turned in a wide circle and prepared to make a second assault. The fire dragon had had enough. With its wings beating an irregular rhythm, it lost altitude.
Foremoore, Greer, and Merlander took up positions to escort Celisse home.
Thank you. Her gratitude went to each dragon and their riders.
“I’m glad you returned to us,” Dar’s voice warmly greeted Kale.
Thank you, Dar. And thanks to you, Bardon. Brunstetter, it is very good to see you! Where’s Regidor?
Bardon answered, “Regidor has been acting strangely. At first I thought he was ashamed because he was unable to protect you from the grawligs and prevent them from hauling you off. But I don’t think that’s really why he’s disappearing all the time. When he shows up again, he’s very morose.”
He could be worried about me. He’s bonded to me.
“You talk to him after you’ve seen your mother. Maybe you can determine what’s wrong with him.”
A thought occurred to Kale, and with it came a pang of apprehension. She kept these thoughts to herself as she speculated. Would Regidor consider joining forces with the beautiful, beguiling Gilda?
They landed in an open field. Brunstetter and Bardon offered to unsaddle the dragons so Dar could take Kale to her mother.
“Celisse’s tail!” Kale ran back to see whether her dragon’s hindquarters had been injured from the one blast of fire that had made a hit. A layer of soot covered the glistening scales, but no real damage had been done. Kale gave the black and silver dragon a hug and followed Dar across the field.
“Is my mother badly injured?” Kale asked as they hurried past mariones, kimens, o’rants, and tumanhofers sleeping on makeshift cots and bedrolls.
“Yes, she was,” said Dar, “but Fenworth and Cam repaired much of the damage. You and Gymn will bring her back to good health, I’m sure.”
They entered a large tent. Kale rushed to the figure lying on a nice bed, took her wrinkled hand, and pressed it to her cheek. Lyll Allerion looked as she had the first time Kale met