Dragons of the Watch - Donita K. Paul [110]
Ellie jumped, landing on her feet. She ran beside the cart with her hand on the rough side, aware that any minute the wagon could tip again and Porky might topple out.
Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Bealomondore surrounded by the gang of boys. The minor dragons flying above looked totally helpless to deter Yawn’s forces. She stumbled and used the cart to keep from falling.
The pitch of child-shrill hysteria rose. The children racing in front of her now screamed and howled as they ran. Their outcry changed to even higher shrieks. Ellie focused on the library ahead and saw red-faced and snarly Old One standing at the top of the deep steps between two tall white columns.
“Oh,” was all she managed to get out before he came charging down the steps, a huge unfurled umbrella in his hands.
The fleeing children screeched, and their swarm split in the middle, some veering off to the left and the others zooming to the right.
“Go to the back of the library!” she yelled. The rescue plan was turning topsy-turvy. The scattering children escaped in two directions, getting away from her. Would she be able to herd them back together? Gasping for breath, Ellie charged on.
Old One hurtled down the library steps, coming directly at her with his umbrella raised. Tak bleated a complaint, the attacking children behind her whooped and hollered like wild heathens, the children fleeing in front of her yowled like injured pups, and the dragons made noises she couldn’t identify. Were those shrill wails a war cry?
As Old One approached, she heard his deep, ominous growl. She flinched and desperately looked around for a way to retreat. Ignoring her, he passed on the opposite side of the cart.
Ellie let go of Porky’s wagon and slowed enough to be able to safely look back. Old One charged into the melee that centered on Bealomondore. With his umbrella closed now, he bopped the children around their middles, hitting sides, stomachs, rumps, and arms. When close enough, he yanked the wooden helmets off their heads. He threw the boxes away.
Most of these young warriors froze when exposed. Old One took advantage of their fright, leaned over, and growled in their faces.
Ellie smiled, glad that ferocious Old One had no more intention of hurting these wayward children with his umbrella than Bealomondore did with the flat of his sword. She let a giggle escape as she watched two terrorized hoodlums take off for the alleys. Amee and Maree chased them for good measure, then returned to find another victim whose armor had been jerked off by Old One.
Confident that Bealomondore was no longer in danger, Ellie followed the trail Tak had taken to the back of the library. She found her rescued children gathered around the wagon. Porky sat, staring at his surroundings.
“He woke up,” Soo-tie announced.
Cinder snorted. “She can see that.”
Soo-tie delivered a slug to his arm. Cinder raised a fist.
Ellie pushed through the pack of overexcited youngsters, trying to reach the combatants before a free-for-all broke out. “Stop that!”
The children stared at her. Exasperation welled up in her chest. Didn’t these monsters have any idea of civility?
She leaned into the wagon and put her arms around Porky. “You’re going to be all right. We’re safe here.”
Eying the mob around her, she took a calming breath, but still her tone sounded harsh in her ears. “You’re not supposed to fight all the time.”
“What are we supposed to do?” asked Soo-tie.
“Speak kindly, encourage each other with words, help one another, and do things that make your life better, not worse.” She sighed, remembering all the times she’d heard Gramps utter similar words. She pulled out of her memory the edict most often quoted. “Construct, do not destruct.”
“I’m hungry,” whined one of the children.
A murmur of similar complaints rose from the gang surrounding her. Obviously her lecture