Dragons of the Watch - Donita K. Paul [12]
She had to change to Tak’s other side occasionally and shift the heavy valise to the other hand. He walked along sedately, and she finally decided to let go of his collar and sighed her relief when he didn’t bolt.
Tired and hungry, she trudged down the middle of the road.
“The reason this road is so nice is that no one travels on it. How could it be worn with no use? I thought we might flag a carriage for a ride, or at least pass a traveler who could tell us where we are.”
“Maa,” Tak answered.
Between the towering trees, they passed in and out of shadows that fell across the wide highway. Tak gave a loud bleat, darted off to the side, and tore into a bush, ripping off tender green branches and chewing contentedly.
“I wonder if I could eat those.” Ellie followed the goat and dropped her carpetbag with a delighted exclamation. Berries grew on several bushes. One bush hid blackberries under broad leaves. Another bent under the weight of berries that looked much like the black ones, but the fruit was smaller and yellow. Ellie sat in front of the bushes and picked the berries as fast as she could put them in her mouth and swallow.
With her mouth full and juice running down her chin, she told Tak, “I would have walked right past these. Thank you, Tak.”
Remembering the time Gustustharinback had eaten a bushelful of fruit from their parnot trees, Ellie made herself stop as soon as she felt full. Gustus had had a stomachache for two days. She looked at her purple fingers with alarm. A glance down at her dress confirmed her fear. “I’m as messy as a pig.”
“Maa.”
“I am! Look at me. I belong in the country, not at a coronation or a royal wedding.”
She looked around her at the lovely road, the towering trees, and her goat. “This is probably my punishment for leaving where I belong and chasing after a glittery life. Just because something sparkles, Tak, doesn’t mean it’s good for you.”
The goat looked askance at her and then turned away, gazing down the road.
“Maa!” He took off, leaving Ellie to jump to her feet, grab her bag, and follow at a run.
Just before Ellie caught up to him, the carpetbag fell out of her hand. She didn’t stop but ran faster without its weight. Finally she latched on to Tak’s collar and pulled him to a stop.
“Whatever is the matter with you?” She dragged him back to get her valise, then once more started the uncomfortable business of hauling the carpetbag and keeping a firm grip on Tak’s collar.
In the distance, Ellie spotted the tops of many buildings.
“A city!” She hurried for a bit but soon realized that miles separated her from the metropolis. She slowed to a plod and dragged the carpetbag beside her.
She finally reached the first house on the outskirts of the giant city. The berries were just a pleasant memory, and the long afternoon walk an unpleasant reality. The enormity of the home matched the enormity of her dismay. Tak head-butted her off the road and toward the path leading up to the house.
The bottom step to the porch came up to Ellie’s waist. From corner to corner, the house was longer than any block in Glenbrooken Village. And as for its height, Ellie could not even begin to estimate. Perhaps as tall as the tallest tree she had ever seen. And in the city beyond, buildings stood shoulder to shoulder, stretched to the sky.
Ellie listened. The wind rustled the leaves in a nearby tree. The tree had grown no bigger than it should have, and for this, Ellie was grateful. The tragabong tree looked just like the tragabong trees at home, and the sight of it comforted her.
Of the birds and insects she’d seen, none were oversize like the giant buildings. Now when she looked at the very wide road, she realized it matched the proportions of the other man-made structures.
The sun slowly sank to the west, and crickets tuned up for a nightly serenade. All good and normal, except for the