Dragons of the Valley - Donita K. Paul [39]
“Then you think we should go to my father and mother?”
Bealomondore sat on a stool. “No, I don’t think we should. We were charged with protecting the statues. We are safe, and therefore, the statues are safe.”
Tears welled in Tipper’s eyes. “Bealomondore!”
He held up a hand. “That is what my reason tells me. In truth, I don’t see how we can sit securely in this sanctuary while your father is in peril.”
“We’ll go?”
“Yes.” He slapped his palms down on his thighs and stood. “Fenworth left me a pile of useless goods. Useless if one is going to stay and paint pretty pictures. Now, I think it would be wise to pack this paraphernalia in that cape Winkel brought me.”
Tipper moved to the side of the room, peering in and around the many stacks. “What color is it?”
“That’s hard to say. It is made of moonbeam cloth.”
Tipper turned abruptly, her eyes wide. “Jayrus has one of those. Well, not exactly. He has an outfit made by the kimens. Did you ever see it?”
Bealomondore grinned. “Yes, I have, and that may be one of the reasons I’m willing to trek all over the countryside with you. Imagine being invisible when you stand still.”
Tipper reached behind a closed-up box. “Here it is.”
“Let’s fill the pockets.” Bealomondore took the cloak as she offered it to him, then turned slowly. “I put it all in one place, so it shouldn’t be hard to find. But that was months ago, and things tend to shift down to the bottom of piles as time goes by.”
“I never would have suspected you to be so untidy.” Tipper tsked as she nosed around the periphery of the crowded room.
“Disorder occurs only when I am at work. The more creativity I exhibit, the more clutter collects. Surely it is a sign of genius.” He pulled a drop cloth off a pile. “Here.”
Tipper knelt on the floor with the blanket still wrapped around her. Bealomondore spread the cape inside out with the hollow pockets available. They began packing.
“No, no, no, Bealomondore. Put all the things that are used together in one pocket. Put your art supplies in this one, eating utensils and the like in here, and we can use this one for weapons.”
“And the last one?”
“Food and money.”
“We don’t have any food or money.”
Tipper sat back on her heels. “I have some money. We’ll have to get food in the first town we come across.”
“Wait, I remember a bag of food and a bag of money that Wizard Fenworth gave me. We’ll have to find that.”
He began to search and found a bowl filled with crackers and a handful of daggarts. He also lifted up a plate of cheese and showed it to Tipper.
She wrinkled her nose. “Ew! How old is that? There must be an inch of mold on it.”
“We could scrape the mold off. The cheese underneath is probably good.”
“You scrape it off, and you eat it. I want to find the food provided by Fenworth.”
He shrugged his shoulders, put the plate down, and transferred the crackers and daggarts to a small box. Tipper found the two bags they needed and poked them in a hollow.
After a few more minutes, he declared they were ready to go.
“I’ll have to stop by my tent and get a few things,” Tipper said.
“We’d best try to look as if we are not doing anything unusual. I’ll go to the stream and wait for you. Perhaps no one will notice we’re leaving.” Bealomondore opened the door. “It’s stopped raining.”
He motioned for Tipper to precede him. She stepped through the door and stopped. Bealomondore managed to look around her.
Taeda Bel and Maxon stood on the doorstep with big grins on their pert faces.
“We’re going with you,” said Maxon.
Taeda Bel held up a flat bag. “I packed your things, Tipper.”
Bealomondore frowned. “Who said you could come along?”
The kimens turned surprised faces toward each other and said in unison, “We did!”
Bealomondore and Tipper exchanged exasperated looks. Tipper walked out of the house and looked down at the two friends. “I don’t—”
Winkel bustled into the clearing with a huge folded garment on her head. “I just finished it, Princess Tipper. Your moonbeam cape. You can’t go questing without one.”
“Oh,” cried the pretty emerlindian as she reached