Dragons of the Watch - Donita K. Paul [10]
Ellie had heard few tales of dragons. Chiril didn’t regard the beasts as intelligent, and their numbers had been hunted down by ugly beasts from the north long before Ellie’s gramps had been born. No one she knew had ever seen a dragon except for pictures in books.
She averted her eyes as she passed the standing stone. When she looked directly at it, it was obviously a skillful sculpture. As her eyes slid closer or moved away, the features seemed animated. Just her imagination, of course, but very unsettling. She preferred not to look at the beast at all. Better to be on her way and escape the creature’s gaze.
The next part of their journey would bring a ridge to their right. This would block the view of the glinting bottle-shaped thing. The outcropping jutted straight up and looked like a long, spiked tail planted among the green hills. They’d follow along the base, and the bottle should be to the east as they came to the end. Now would be the appropriate time to angle off to the south to reach the Hopperbattyholds’ farm.
Surely the farmer and his family would know about the odd sights so close to their property. Two standing stones stood three or four miles from her own home, and that gave her shivers. She wished she’d read more about them and the theories surrounding their formation. She’d ask Mr. Hopperbattyhold.
Calling Tak, she moved away from the ridge and headed toward the small farm, the nearest safe place to leave her wayward goat. The silly goat had taken her out of an exciting ride in a real coach with four horses pulling it. What did she get in exchange? A most uncomfortable hike. Unpleasant weather. Scary standing stones. A dirty dress. Arms that ached from carrying her carpetbag. And only a slim chance of catching up to her aunt and uncle in Bellsawyer.
Ellie wanted to go to Ragar, to a wedding reception and a coronation. She didn’t want to explore the highland hills or discover ancient standing stones. She had a plan. Take Tak to the Hopperbattyholds’, spend the night with a warm dinner and friendly chatting this evening, leave early in the morning, and hurry to catch up to her aunt.
The goat stood his ground and made no attempt to come with her.
“Tak, this way.”
“Maa.” Tak shook his head and turned away, then trotted toward the end of the ridge.
“I should just leave you,” she shouted.
The goat trotted on, disappearing around the giant stone tail of the sculpture-like beast. Ellie fumed but stomped back the way she’d come with a mind to capture that pesky Tak. She’d known the goat longer than she’d known some of her youngest brothers. As much trouble as Tak could be, she counted him as not just a pet but a friend. And so she doggedly trudged after him.
The gentle breeze that had blown away the last of the grounded cloud stiffened. Ellie squinted to protect her eyes and hurried to catch Tak. She planned to tell him what she thought of him when she had a firm hand on his collar. She skidded to a stop when she rounded the last ridge that would be the tippy-tip of the rock tail.
In front of her, beyond what appeared to be a glass wall, the sun shone on a bright road winding through a meadow of tall grass and wildflowers. Tak sat beside the thick wall and licked it.
Ellie approached cautiously. Pushing the handle of the carpetbag up her arm, she put her hand out to feel the solidity of such a thing. No one, ever, had said one word about a towering wall made out of glass. Everything on the other side looked huge, like things did when you looked through the bottom of a bottle. Ellie tilted her head back and gazed upward. Huge. Monstrous. Colossal.
She pressed her nose against the glass, cupped her hands around her eyes to see better, and peered at the land on the other side. On this side of the wall, gray clouds and the late afternoon drained all light from her surroundings. But on the other side, the sun shone as bright as noonday. Her side was rocky hills with sparse