Dragonquest - Donita K. Paul [85]
Bardon raked his fingers through his hair, smoothing the sides over his ears.
“Maybe this rain will wash the bloody mat out of my hair.”
Again, she kept her thoughts to herself. Bardon had a reason why he didn’t reveal his dual heritage. She fought the urge to ask questions.
“Kale, where’s my sword?”
“I guess you dropped it in the street.”
“Somebody probably picked it up, but let’s go back and see.”
Kale got to her feet and shook the mud from the bottom of her moonbeam cape. The top now glistened with raindrops. Gymn landed on the front of the cape and darted inside. He apparently was tired and wanted a nap in his pocket-den.
Dibl perched on Bardon’s shoulder, and Metta flew above Kale. Briefly, Kale gave thought to the egg in the pouch around her neck. And then she remembered the four eggs still kept in the pockets of the moonbeam cape. She shoved aside the thought of eight dragons flying around her head sometime in the future and trudged after Bardon toward a decidedly dangerous present.
Slick mud covered the remnants of a cobblestone pavement. Where lamplight shone through dirty windows, a pale square of light glistened, reflecting in the puddles.
The rain began to pelt them with greater intensity. Both Metta and Dibl took refuge in the cape. They passed under a streetlamp, and Kale saw a trickle of red water running down the back of Bardon’s neck from the blood in his hair.
The cape kept her comfortably warm, but she worried about Bardon. She knew better than to say anything. Even if he realized he would be better off with a cloak, a cloak was not available.
The rain poured as they reached the lane where The Horn faced the docks. No one lingered out in the torrent. Kale shifted the sweep of her gaze. She looked up and down the street, particularly in the shadows, for would-be attackers. Then she surveyed the mucky street for the lost sword. She used her talent to explore the area, hoping to detect any adversaries. But the buildings housed dozens of villains. She could not identify any who had malice in their hearts aimed at her and her comrades.
Bardon!
“What?”
I just realized something.
“You can’t pick up on Dar’s whereabouts.”
She nodded in agreement, even though she doubted Bardon could see her in the dark, rain-laden street. He would know her concern even without seeing her.
And Regidor.
“He’s disappeared as well.”
Concentrate, Bardon. We should be able to find them.
A moment of silence followed.
Both Bardon and Kale began to run as a glimmer of Regidor’s presence pierced the fog of evil shrouding their surroundings. Past two empty docks and three with swaying black hulks of ships, the two raced toward the strengthening beacon. They slowed as the sixth dock came into view. A ship bobbed in the water beside a landing pier. Large crates lined the plank walkway, stacked in uneven rows. Lights flickered from the portholes in the side of the foreign vessel.
Kale and Bardon joined Regidor in the shadows between two warehouses. Regidor mindspoke to them both.
“Dar’s aboard that ship.”
Bardon identified the type of vessel. “Frigate, a high-speed, medium-sized, sailing war vessel. Too bad we can’t see the flag. But I do know it’s from the Northern Reach.”
Kale surveyed the ship. I don’t feel Dar’s presence. In fact, I don’t detect any occupants.
Regidor nodded. “There’s some kind of shield surrounding it, blocking our perception. I wonder if we could figure out how to do that. We must try.”
Bardon glanced over at the meech. Kale knew his sentiments matched her own. It wasn’t the right time to indulge Regidor’s curiosity over the way things worked.
Bardon gave a half grin to Kale and spoke to Regidor.
“Yes, my meech friend. But not now. Now we must figure out how to rescue Sir Dar.”
36
FINDING DAR
At the foot of the gangplank, a sailor sat on a barrel. Another stood guard at the top. The heavy rain must have driven all hands below. The same rain aided Regidor, Bardon, and Kale in their stealthy approach. The three conspirators hid behind a huge crate not more