Dragonspell - Donita K. Paul [44]
“But she’s wounded.”
“You have a healing dragon.”
A dozen more arguments popped into Kale’s head. They didn’t know for sure where Leetu was or where the dragon was. What if Leetu died while they made this detour to find a dragon who might not want to help them?
She opened her mouth to speak, but Dar interrupted her before she got out one word.
“What’s her name?”
Kale stared at him, surprised that she knew the answer. She swallowed hard. What was going on? “Celisse.”
Dar whooped and made a leap into the air. “She knows you’re coming, Kale. She’s given you her name. What’s she doing now?”
Gymn slowly settled on Kale’s knee. He stretched out with his body along her thigh. His legs and tail went limp, and he closed his eyes. Kale took one finger and gently stroked his back. He sighed and rolled over. His swollen belly looked like a round pomegranate. Obviously he’d found enough insects to make him content. Kale looked at Gymn, but in her mind a large shadowy image hovered behind the minor dragon. A massive, placid female dragon swayed her head back and forth.
“She’s humming,” Kale answered Dar’s question.
Soon after they began their trek, they had to descend to the swamp. The cygnot forest thinned at the edge of The Bogs. Kale followed Dar, hopping from one root curved up out of the water to the next until they began to find patches of sodden earth and then dry land. Dar and Kale came out of Bedderman’s Bog and clambered up the embankment. Muggy fog blanketed The Midways.
“Which way?” asked Dar.
Kale nodded one direction. “Leetu is there.” She turned and nodded in another direction, not quite opposite. “Celisse is there.”
“Which one is closer?”
“The dragon.”
“Let’s go then.” Dar started off, wading through the tall, dew-drenched grass. He disappeared into the cloud hovering on the ground.
Kale planted her feet and didn’t budge. “We can’t even see where we’re going.”
She heard him stop. He muttered something under his breath and came back.
“It doesn’t much matter if we can see or not,” he said. “It’s not like we know where we’re going. We don’t have to look for landmarks. We just have to follow your instincts. You will take us to the dragon, and then you will take us to Leetu.”
Kale started to object, then swallowed the words that came to her mouth. Dar was right. For this one time, she had to lead.
“This is my destiny,” she whispered.
“This is only the beginning, and we’re going to miss it if you keep lally-gagging. Come on.”
They marched through the field until they came to a road.
“Which way?” asked Dar.
Kale clearly felt the wounded dragon’s misery and nodded toward Celisse.
Several miles later, the morning mist had still not burned off. Kale took hold of Dar’s sleeve and slowed to a stop.
“We’re close, Dar,” she whispered, “but there are other creatures here.”
“Animals? A barn should mean there are animals around.”
“These aren’t farm animals.”
“Then protect yourself before you reach into their minds.”
“What?” Kale’s fingers dug into Dar’s arm. “Reach into their minds? No.”
“Would you rather walk into a trap?”
Kale was silent.
Dar put a hand on her arm. “Do you remember the words Granny Noon told you?”
She nodded.
“Say them.”
“I stand under Wulder’s authority.”
“Go ahead then,” Dar urged her.
Kale sank to her knees and concentrated. She felt a malevolent force batter her mind, but she repeated the words, I stand under Wulder’s authority.
“Four,” she told Dar. “Bisonbeck men. They are to guard the dragon and not let her escape.” Kale gasped. “Oh Dar, they shoot her. Twice a day, they shoot her with a poison arrow. They come in with a big, ugly crossbow and shoot her while she’s still helpless from the last arrow. It keeps her docile. Wizard Risto is coming to enslave her with his magic. Tonight. He’ll be there tonight.”
Kale then turned her mind to