Dragons of the Valley - Donita K. Paul [109]
They crested a hill and saw the lake in the distance.
“Where’s the entrance to the cave?” she asked.
“On an island.”
She peered at the small lake and could see trees growing on the other side. “Where’s the island?”
“In the lake, of course.” Fenworth shook his head and looked at her with some concern. “Do you need a nap? Did you eat your breakfast?”
“No. Yes.”
“Try not to ask questions that lead me to believe your brainbox is leaking and in need of restoration. And when we meet Sage, be especially careful not to offend him, because I may have already done so.”
He took off with a swift stride down the grassy knoll.
“You offended him? How?”
“You must stand up straight, and don’t fidget.”
“How could he be mad at you?”
“Remember to say please and thank you and use your handkerchief. Don’t sniff.”
“What did you do?”
“Don’t stare. I daresay, he is probably a sight. An old dragon, very old. Somewhat reddish because in his prime he was a magnificent fire dragon. But old now. Probably wrinkly.”
“I won’t stare. What did you do?”
“And if you get the hiccups, don’t giggle. It’s considered ill-mannered in most circles to laugh and hiccup at the same time.”
“In most circles? I’ve never heard that. Are you sure?”
“Quite.”
Hollee thought about that for a moment, then her mind returned to a possible quarrel between her wizard and the dragon Sage. “Wizard Fenworth?”
An exasperated sigh puffed out the wizard’s cheeks before he let it expel between his lips. “I built our little project before consulting him, and this is his territory.”
“Oh.”
“Oh, indeed. Completely slipped my mind to take his leave, ask his indulgence, present the situation to him as the head of dragons in this valley. But I’ve thought of it now. Memory is a peculiar thing. Handy when it works. Inconvenient when it doesn’t.”
They waded through knee-high grass, knee-high to the o’rant. The field stretched from the base of the hill to the edge of the lake.
Hollee could no longer see the water. But she didn’t mind pushing the towering blades aside and slipping between them. She wondered if they’d encounter some wild animal. She listened intently but only heard the swish-swish of Fenworth’s robes in the grass.
Perhaps they’d come across lost treasure, something Paladin had dropped while doing his acrobatic stunts on the riding dragons high in the sky. An amulet would be nice. Or something magical. A stone, maybe, that when warmed in your hand would become clear and create a vision within of your loved ones.
The thought occurred to her that maybe Sage had treasure. “Do dragons really have heaps of gold and jewels? And do they sleep on them?”
“No.” The wizard abruptly stopped. “Where are you?”
“Down here.” She watched a small snake slither under the hem of Fenworth’s robe.
“Come up here and ride on my shoulder.”
Hollee skimmed up his garments and situated herself comfortably on his shoulder.
He began to walk again. “Why do you want to know about treasure?”
“I’ve never seen a treasure, and I thought it would be interesting.”
“Well, our cavern cathedral is grander than any treasure I’ve ever seen.”
Hollee grinned. “I’m sure it is. And I bet it is grander than any treasure I will ever see.”
“Quite right.”
Hollee bounced on his shoulder. “I see the island now.”
Fenworth said nothing.
“How are we going to get across the water?”
“I don’t like getting my feet wet.”
“I know.”
“By boat or by air.”
“Do you have a boat?”
“Librettowit has the boat.”
“Maybe we should have asked him along.”
“Couldn’t.”
“Why not?”
“A true friend protects a friend from committing social gaffes.”
“Librettowit doesn’t know the proper formalities for conversation with a dragon? I thought he did. It seems like he knows a great deal of things.”
Fenworth was silent.
“What social gaffe would Librettowit fall into?”
“Gloating.”
Hollee thought about it for a while. She didn’t think her wizard appreciated all her questions, and if she put