Dragonquest - Donita K. Paul [19]
It’s all right, she told him. Let’s go.
“This way,” said Librettowit. He pointed to the floor in front of one of the gateways.
Bardon’s mind registered the letter s for south, and Kale read his momentary relief that the tumanhofer was not choosing a gateway at random. Then she felt his renewed fear of the unknown as if it were her own. She’d learned much about controlling the influence of others’ thoughts and emotions. She’d learned to keep herself protected from an overload of sensations emanating from those around her. The poison sabotaged her efforts to put up the guards.
I don’t think I’ll make it, Bardon. I’m too weak.
The muscles in his arms tensed. He barked an order. “You will make it, Leecent Kale.” Renewed resolve coursed through his body and transferred to Kale.
A sigh of relief caught in her throat. The small choking noise captured Librettowit’s attention. He turned back and scowled at them. Without a word, he hastened his departure.
The light in the gateway sparkled as Librettowit stepped into it with Toopka. The shimmering glow clung to them both for a moment, and then he passed through, out of Kale’s sight. Metta flew into the portal and disappeared too, in the slow, distorted way Librettowit had.
Bardon took a deep breath, tightened his grip on his burden, and plunged ahead.
Kale saw the explosion of tiny lights around her. The air pressed in all around. She could not breathe.
Only a second. She repeated the words several times. But only a second was a second too long.
8
REGIDOR
Wailing. Long, loud moans. Sobs.
A hiss vibrated in the air. “Sh! Sh! Sh!”
Kale tried to open her eyes. She wanted to protest. It’s not me. I’m not crying. Don’t shush. I want to sleep.
Crying. Soft, muffled whines. Sobs.
“Blasted, caterwauling beast! Go for a walk.”
Metta sang sweet songs. The melodies soothed Kale’s raw nerves.
The bawling subsided to gentle weeping.
Shivers racked Kale’s body.
“Ah! That’s the end of it now. She’ll live.” Wizard Fenworth’s voice crackled next to her ear.
Another blanket covered her shaking body. Kind hands wiped perspiration from her brow.
“Get that sniffling, whining creature out of here!”
She smiled. Fenworth was crotchety indeed.
Kale did not want to open her eyes. She knew she could, but it felt wonderful to just lie on the soft cushions.
I’m in Fenworth’s castle, and I’m safe.
She could smell the woody fragrance of the walls and floor and ceiling. She’d been in this castle before. A tangle of massive, hollow trees composed the wizard’s castle. Large limbs encompassed hallways leading from tree to tree. In each towering tree, rooms stacked one on top of another, each slightly smaller than the one below. Circular stairs carved out of wood spiraled up through each room.
Fenworth owned a world-famous library. More rooms held books than beds. Pillows stuffed in niches and comfortable chairs scattered throughout each room offered abundant places to curl up and read. The beds were either hammocks hanging from the walls or rowboatlike frames made of what looked like gnarled roots. Colorful cushions filled these knobby platforms to the brim.
Kale breathed deeply, relishing the earthy odor and knowing that when she did open her eyes, she was as likely to see a fox or an owl as a person in the room.
Gymn snuggled on the pillow with his chin resting on her shoulder. His healing powers flowed through her. Only a comfortable feeling of laziness kept her in bed. Vaguely wondering how long she’d been ill, she stretched her legs out straight and then rolled onto her side. Gymn shifted with her.
Metta sang. Her voice energized the air in the room. As always, the dragon sang in syllables with no recognizable words. A ripple of music touched Kale as gently as a mother’s loving hand. She could imagine the mother she’d never known stroking her cheek, teasing her to awaken.
Even without lyrics, the cheery melodies echoed through her thoughts, taking away some of her lethargy. She pulled her mind out of a pleasant drifting