Dragonspell - Donita K. Paul [83]
The fragrance rising with the steam tickled her nose, but a lump pressed in her chest.
“Leetu?” she asked.
“Living, but still unconscious.”
“Dar?”
“A rascal still.”
“The kimens?”
“All accounted for.”
“Celisse?”
“Completely recovered and also forgiven by Dar. She and Merlander are settled in a copse down the road.”
Kale lifted her hand to her chest where her little dragon friend often slept.
Paladin smiled. “Gymn is fine as well and has been riding in my pocket.” He rested a hand on the full skirt of his court coat. “Sleeping.”
Kale took a bite and savored the rich, creamy taste. She took another spoonful and surreptitiously studied the man seated before her.
He smiled. “You can ask any questions you want.”
“There are a lot of things I don’t understand.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Do you really want me in your service?”
“Most definitely.”
She liked the enthusiasm in his voice, but she didn’t understand why he’d consider her worthy.
“What can I do?”
“Whatever falls before you. No more. No less.”
She sighed. The answers to her questions only made more questions in her mind.
“Why do I have these special talents?”
“Which special talents, Kale Allerion?”
“Finding dragon eggs.”
“Wulder knew you would be the right one for the quest, so He equipped you for the task.”
“The light thing.”
Paladin looked down at his hand and seemed to examine his fingernails. “The light thing?”
Kale hesitated, stirring the stewed potatoes, taking a bite, swallowing slowly, and stirring some more.
Paladin said nothing but waited. His attention came back to the o’rant girl. His steady gaze warmed her. Finally peace blanketed her heart, and she felt comfort in confiding in him.
“In the castle garden, when the bisonbeck soldiers came, I concentrated on making the image of light, and real light appeared.”
“Ah yes, I remember. I was pleased to see you nab that power so easily, but I do think Fenworth will have a time training your instincts and channeling your energy.”
“We’ll find Wizard Fenworth?”
“Oh, yes. I’ve spoken to him.”
Kale found this interesting. She paused to think about how easily Paladin solved the problem. Fenworth had not wanted to be found, so he wasn’t. Paladin spoke to the reclusive old wizard, and now Fenworth would allow them to find him. Paladin’s word was powerful. That raised more questions in her mind.
“You spoke to the fire dragons, and they went away. You didn’t threaten them or slay them, you just spoke. Why?”
“Why?”
“Why did they obey?”
“Because my power is stronger than theirs. To their chagrin, they know they cannot defeat me in battle.”
She pictured the murderous dragons flying fearlessly across the sky.
“Then why did they challenge you?”
Paladin smiled ruefully and shook his head. “They were angry and not at all rational in their anger.”
“Why didn’t you destroy them? Why did you let them go? You know they’ll return.”
“They serve a purpose in Wulder’s plan. I would not go against what Wulder has ordained.”
“But if you destroyed them, then it wouldn’t matter. Things like finding Wizard Fenworth, finding the meech egg, taking it away from Risto. Things like that wouldn’t be important anymore. And if you’d destroyed all the evil sooner, Leetu wouldn’t have been hurt. Those people at the castle wouldn’t have been killed. The others wouldn’t have suffered. You could do that, couldn’t you? You have the power to destroy evil. You could!”
Kale realized as she took a breath that she had spoken in a way she shouldn’t have. Paladin ought to be angry at her impertinence.
He nodded slowly, watching her with patient eyes, listening to her rant, not showing any anger toward her presuming to tell him what to do.
She swallowed hard as she saw mist fill the room and their surroundings seem to fade away. She sat opposite the great Paladin with a half-eaten bowl of pnard potatoes in her lap, a dirty spoon in her hand, and nothing around them but swirling gray mists.
“Where are we?” she asked.
“Together,” he answered. His hand swept through the air