Dragonspell - Donita K. Paul [73]
They ran to pick up Leetu.
“Where have you been?” Dar demanded as he hoisted the emerlindian’s feet to his shoulders.
Kale let go of Gymn to snatch up her end of Leetu. She didn’t want her injured friend to hang upside down off the back of the agitated doneel. Gymn’s little claws poked through the material of Kale’s blouse as he clung to her shoulder.
Seezle slipped into her place under Leetu. The procession moved down the brick pathway, through the gate, and onto the terrace.
“To the forest.” Seezle’s voice returned to its natural light cadence. “To see Paladin. I asked if we should join the forces at the fortress entry and help secure the prisoners’ freedom.”
Dar’s ears perked up. “And?”
“He said no. Our priority is to get Leetu to safety. We go through the river cavern.”
The doneel’s shoulders drooped. He trudged wordlessly across the polished stone surface of the elegant terrace toward the wall of glass doors that gave entry to the castle.
Shouts sounded nearer now. The rumble of determined troops grew louder as boots tramped in the corridors between buildings.
Dar reached the first door.
“It’s locked,” he said over his shoulder. “Back up a couple of feet.”
Once in position, Dar kicked a leg out, his heel aimed at the pane of glass next to the handle. His foot hit the glass and bounced, sending the shock of impact back through the four waiting to reach safety.
Dar growled.
“Enchantment,” said Seezle. “It’s reinforced by magic.”
“How are we going to get in?” Kale looked with apprehension toward the garden wall that blocked their view of what was happening in the narrow castle passageways. Flickering torches could be seen as they passed on the other side. Citizens of Risto’s castle compound rushed about in the night. How many of them were soldiers?
Dar caught Kale off balance when he swiftly sidestepped to the next door. She scurried to follow, struggling to keep Leetu from slipping from her grip. Dar tried the knob and then quickly went on to the next.
“Look,” cried Seezle. “Down at the end. Open windows. See?”
Kale saw what she meant just as Dar took off at a trot down the side of the building, passing all the doors. Three feet from the ground, a row of windows stood open. The panes of glass in wooden frames tilted outward on metal hinges attached at the top. Dar put down Leetu’s feet. The others lowered her carefully to the ground.
“Seezle,” said Dar, “you go in first. Kale next, and then we’ll pass Leetu through.”
Seezle ducked under the pane of glass and disappeared inside. Kale crouched to get in position.
Dar exclaimed under his breath, “Wonderful!” His tone did not indicate pleasure.
Kale lifted her eyes to his face. She followed his gaze at the same time she heard a commotion. A half-dozen bisonbeck soldiers marched up the steps at the far end of the terrace. The warriors spotted Kale and Dar. Two gave a triumphant shout. Twisted grins sprang up on their ugly faces. Kale took in a sharp breath.
“Go,” Dar ordered Kale, pulling his sword from its sheath.
Kale turned away from the window and stood. She, too, pulled her small blade from its scabbard. She moved to stand next to Dar in front of the crumpled heap that was Leetu.
The bisonbecks advanced, taking their time. They obviously thought their prey was cornered. Kale felt a flutter at her leg and knew Seezle had joined them.
A heavy droning noise from beyond the wall grew louder. Seezle chuckled. The bisonbecks looked nervously toward the outside of the castle gardens. They took a few more uncertain steps toward Kale and her friends. The drone changed pitch, higher and piercing. People screamed, punctuating the inhuman buzz. The soldiers stopped and stared in the direction of the uproar.
A black mist appeared at the top of the wall, a thin trickle followed by a thick mass. At first Kale thought it was a mordakleep, but the darkness was not dense enough to be one of the swamp monsters. And mordakleeps were totally silent. The reverberating buzz came from the cloud.
With a yell of terror, the warriors