“The eggs! I’m being pulled to the eggs.” She gave a whoop and grinned. “I’ll find them. I can’t help but find them.”
Kale climbed more vigorously while the sun went down and the moon rose. She reached a flattened area that looked vaguely familiar. When she spied the twisted entrance to the tumanhofer mine, she knew why. She turned her back on the gaping black mouth and headed to the cliff where the moonbeam cape and its precious contents had slipped over the edge.
Bright moonlight cast the region in a stark contrast of light and shadow. To the right was a slope of boulders which might be easier to descend than the spot at Kale’s feet. She took a few steps in that direction. A light at the bottom of the crevasse caught her attention.
A glowing cloud hovered at the base of a rockslide. It constantly shifted. The edges grew thin and drifted into nothing. The center remained unchanging, a roundish mass of eerie green light.
“I don’t much like the looks of that.” Kale spoke her doubt even as her feet moved toward the easier descent and the mysterious luminescence.
The day’s walking and climbing, the lack of food, and the cold night air began to wear on her. She tried singing some of Dar’s marching songs to keep alert. She struggled to slow down against the ever-increasing strength of the meech egg’s pull.
She mumbled to herself, “Making your way down a crevasse side is no place to fall asleep on your feet.”
An almost forgotten nudge in her mind caught her off kilter. She sat down with a thud on a hard jagged rock.
“Ouch!”
Even the pain couldn’t disguise the persistent niggling in her mind.
“Gymn?” She stood up. Gymn!
Kale moved cautiously down the rocks. Gymn’s thoughts, and then Metta’s, bombarded her. She wouldn’t go to sleep now, but she also found it hard to concentrate on where to safely put her feet.
Slow down. I’m not understanding it all.
You’re all right, and so is Metta.
The meech egg is fine.
The worm is a nuisance.
Worm?
Kale shuddered as she got Gymn’s impression of the worm—big, slimy, slowly stalking them. Kale caught the image of the two minor dragons picking up rocks and flying over a massive roundworm. They dropped the rocks on the squirming beast. Pelting it discouraged its advance, and the worm slithered back into the rock walls. According to Metta’s account, this happened often. They also spat on the creature, leaving green and purple splotches that hurt the worm and caused it to turn back.
So it’s very dumb and very persistent. Kale chuckled at Gymn’s tirade. And you are glad I am coming, because you and Metta are tired of it.
It was so good to have those choppy, chaotic thoughts of the minor dragons flitting through her own thought pattern, Kale laughed out loud.
She learned Metta and Gymn had spent a comfortable winter in a cave that boasted three hot springs and plenty of insects and small rodents. The minor dragons knew she would come get them. They had felt it their duty to protect the meech egg from the worm. The mention of the worm sent Gymn off on another lengthy description of the clumsy beast’s constant stalking. Apparently when it captured a victim, the worm surrounded it and went to sleep, absorbing the captive directly through its oozing skin.
Kale grimaced with distaste. Clearly, the worm was an undesirable creature to winter with in a cave.
She reached the bottom of the ravine. Broken rocks littered the floor. She picked her way toward the glowing mist. The air smelled musty and unpleasant. It stung her eyes as she passed through. On the other side, a gap in the rocks gave entrance to the cave where Gymn and Metta guarded the meech egg. Kale heard its thrum, deep, constant, and strong. As she entered the chamber behind the mist, steamy air clung to her skin. Streaks of lightrock material mottled the cavern walls, giving off an even blue light.
Gymn and Metta flew to greet her. Tears of joy slipped down Kale’s cheeks. She uttered a praise of thanksgiving to Wulder as she cuddled each little dragon’s slim body against her face. She walked with them on her shoulders and collapsed beside the bush holding her cape and the meech egg. There she gently rubbed the two dragons’ scaly backs until she felt calm and rested.
As Metta sang a song of rejoicing, Kale’s spirit revived. The small piece of her heart that had been discontent even while she enjoyed the company of her own people now felt at peace. Gymn’s healing touch took away her aching fatigue.
Before settling down for the night, she carefully broke away the dead branches of the bush that ensnared the cape and egg. She explored the pockets and found all six unhatched dragon eggs safe. She delved into the hollows and discovered treasures from her travels and from Granny Noon. She wrapped herself in the moonbeam cape, and the sticky heat of the cavern no longer bothered her. Metta assured her she could drink the spring water, so she drank her fill. At long last, she lay down, curled herself around the thrumming meech egg, and let its soft vibrations lull her to sleep. The minor dragons would take turns watching through the night against a visit from the worm.
Kale awoke to Metta bouncing on her shoulder and chirruping a warning. Sunlight filtered into the cave. Kale saw clearly the huge worm slowly advancing across the open space. Worms on a fishhook had never been a lovely sight. A worm the size of six cows walking one behind the other made Kale sit up and stare. Pinkish gray flesh undulated as the creature inched forward. It moved sluggishly, rippling and sliding toward a tree near one of the hot springs.
Kale blinked at the sight of the stubby tree. She didn’t remember it from the night before. A tangle of long moss hanging off one side caused her to sit up even straighter and squint at the thick limbs.
“Wizard Fenworth!”
Metta and Gymn left her and flew to the tree. They circled Fenworth, chattering in high-pitched squeals. Kale stood and grabbed a long branch she had broken off the dead bush the night before. She charged the worm, hitting its head. It recoiled and turned away. Its retreat was slow and cumbersome.
“Well, if I have to face an enemy alone, that worm will do.”
Gymn landed on her shoulder and scolded.
“Excuse me,” said Kale. “Of course I wasn’t alone.”
Fenworth stretched and began to look more like a wizard. He yawned and shook his head. His hair and beard flew about him.
“Tut-tut. Shouldn’t sleep sitting up at my age. Puts cricks in my shoulders.”
“Good morning, Wizard Fenworth,” said Kale. “Did you follow me yesterday?”
“Follow you?” The wizard harrumphed. “I didn’t follow you, my dear. I led the others.”
Kale looked around the cave. No one lurked in the shadows as far as she could see. “Where are they?”
Fenworth glanced around in puzzlement. “Oh dear, where did I put them? No, no, I remember. I came on ahead. Got tired of walking.”
He watched the tail end of the worm disappear through one of the many cracks in the cave walls. “What a dreadful existence. Makes one glad one’s a wizard.”
“Yes, being a wizard is much preferable to being a worm.”
Kale recognized the voice before she turned to see Wizard Risto. Amazed, she realized how closely the evil man resembled Paladin. They were about the same build and had the same coloring and similar facial features.
He stepped into the cave from where he stood by the entrance. “But being a wizard who has taken his destiny into his own hands is infinitely preferable to being a wizard who lives to please another.”
“Tut-tut.” Fenworth shook his head and slowly stood. Shaking out his robes, he dislodged a lizard and a mouse. As always, leaves fluttered to the ground as he walked over to Kale and put a hand on her shoulder. “He means me, you know. Not the first part, the ‘destiny in his own hands’ part. The second part, about pleasing.” He shook his head again. “I don’t think Risto has ever given me a compliment before. And really, I should compliment him back. Polite, you know. But I can’t think of anything nice to say. Oh
dear.”
Risto sneered at Fenworth. Kale saw any resemblance to Paladin melt away. Where compassion and wisdom enhanced Paladin’s face to make him attractive, Risto’s contempt shadowed his face with hard, ugly lines.
Wizard Fenworth leaned closer to Kale’s ear. “He had to wait for you to show up, you know. Couldn’t find the meech egg on his own, even when it was at his back door, so to speak. He hasn’t the talent for finding dragon eggs as you do, my dear. Galls him. He wants to be all-knowing, all-powerful. Galls him that a mere o’rant girl can find the meech egg, and he can’t. Had to follow you. Galls him.”
An angry, guttural growl emanated from the evil wizard. “Hand over the meech egg, old man.”
“Oh, I couldn’t do that.” He looked at Kale. “Perhaps Kale would like to…”
Kale found she was too scared to speak. She shook her head.
“No,” said Fenworth sadly, “I didn’t think so.”
“You’re no match for me, Fenworth.”
“No match. Haven’t got a match. I’ve got a good fire spell, but Librettowit doesn’t like me to use it. Librarians can be incredibly picky about details.”
Risto took a step forward and roared. “Fenworth!”
“Yes?”
“You bore me with your prattle.”
“Oh, regrettable, that. Why don’t you go seek the company of someone who doesn’t prattle? Seems like a good solution to your problem.”
“Enough of this nonsense.” Risto marched across the cave.
Kale ran.
She flung herself over the egg and cringed, expecting to feel Risto’s large hands grab her and hurl her out of his way. Instead she heard laughter: the soft chortle of Dar and Leetu, the shimmering giggles of kimens, and the bark of hearty laughter from Brunstetter and Lee Ark.
“Foiled again.” Librettowit’s voice bubbled with merriment.
Kale looked toward the entrance of the cave. Her friends filed in and came to stand with Fenworth.
“You’re late!” said the wizard.
“Ran into an angry group of grawligs,” said Lee Ark.
Kale rolled off the egg and sat with a thump on the hard cave floor.
“Why didn’t he grab the egg?”
Librettowit came to her side. He extended a hand and helped her to her feet. “You were between him and what he wanted, and you are Paladin’s servant.”
“I’m not a very powerful servant.”
“Doesn’t matter. He wasn’t prepared for resistance.” The librarian looked over at the frustrated wizard. Risto’s face had turned dark with rage. His eyes bulged as he glared at the line of opposition. “Now I think he is prepared. Let’s go stand with our comrades.”
Kale stayed close to the tumanhofer’s side. “Will there be a battle?”
“More a contest of wills.”
For the first few minutes, Kale thought nothing was happening except a lot of staring. Then she noticed her friends fading. At first the colors of their clothing became pale, and then she could see through them like a mist. She no longer watched Risto, but stared in horror as one by one, her comrades disappeared to be replaced by a gleaming green cloud like the one at the cave entrance.
“My little friend, Kale Allerion.”
Kale looked up at Risto and saw his expression had changed. Now he looked again very much like Paladin.
“This has been a trial for you. But you have passed. You are worthy of being my follower.”
You’re Risto.
“Of course I am, dear o’rant girl. I am sorry for all the confusion. It was necessary to make sure you were the last of the Allerions and not some impostor.”
I don’t understand.
“The Allerions have always worked with me. You were stolen from us at birth. We welcome you back.”
Kale looked to her friends to see their reaction to this news. She saw nothing but the glowing mist shapes.
They might not have heard him mindspeak anyway.
“That’s right, Kale. Because they aren’t really there. You stand alone. You always have. You have no friends. It was all an illusion I created. I’ve gone to a lot of trouble to draw you into our family circle. And I am not the only one who awaits your arrival.”
In her mind, Kale saw a castle turret with an o’rant woman sitting by the window, gazing longingly across a forest. Kale fought a panic rising in her chest.
“I have cared for you ever since I met this woman who loves you.” Risto’s voice in Kale’s head caressed her loneliness with warm, soothing tones.
“I’ve kept you safe when I could, and agonized when you had to suffer. You must see that to come with me will make not only me happy, but you as well.”
Kale looked into Risto’s face. He looked so like Paladin, except for a hard glitter in his eyes, stern lines of disapproval around his mouth, and the tight angry line of his jaw.
“Believe in me, Kale. I will teach you the wonders of your powers. No one else can give you the answers you need because no one else is like you. I am the perfect guardian for you, Kale. No one wants to help you as I do. No one can but me.
“I would be greatly distressed should anything happen to you, and if you leave me, I’m afraid disaster will befall you. You would be destroyed. There is no doubt about that. Make the wise decision, Kale. Go, pick up the meech egg, and come.”
Kale remembered Pretender had told the kimens that he had mastered their weather and had the power to destroy them. He had lied.
She remembered Leetu saying that when Risto lied it sounded like truth.
She remembered Granny Noon’s advice.
“I stand under Wulder’s authority.” Kale spoke the words aloud.
Risto grimaced.
Her friends appeared with not even a wisp of the gleaming clouds clinging to their clothes. Metta sang. Her song soared with praise. Its trills and runs echoed off the stone walls. Shimeran and Seezle twirled in place and then began to dance. Dar pulled out his trumpet and blasted the air with a triumphant call.
Risto glared at them all.
“We won?” Kale asked Librettowit under her breath, keeping her eyes on the volatile wizard.
He nodded. “He tried to weaken each of us with evil words in our minds. We all stood firm in our allegiance to Paladin.”
Fenworth put a hand on Kale’s shoulder. “Caution, my dear. Do not assume. Tut-tut, my dear librarian. I think you spoke too soon. Look at our enemy’s demeanor.”
Kale glanced at Fenworth’s serious face, and then her eyes went back to the evil wizard. The man shook with anger. As each second passed, the tension in his body escalated. The energy of his hatred radiated from his eyes. Kale wanted to duck behind someone. Fenworth and Librettowit, who were wise. Lee Ark, Leetu, and Brunstetter, who were strong. The kimens and Dar, who somehow always gave comfort by their presence. Kale hoped Paladin would walk through the glowing mist at the cave entrance and banish Risto. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the giant urohm scoop up the meech egg and cradle it protectively in his arms.
The stone floor quivered under Kale’s feet. The air around the wicked wizard crackled. Rage poured out of his body into the small cavern. Vibrations of malice intensified, and the rock walls began to shake. Kale trembled, but she couldn’t tell if it was fear within that made her shake or the undulating world around her.
“Come close now,” ordered Fenworth. “Time for an exit. I think we’ll whirl. Kale likes to whirl. Hold hands. Let’s stay together, children. I want no one lost.”
Metta and Gymn flew to Kale, darted under the edge of the moonbeam cape, and burrowed into their pocket-dens. At the same time, her comrades gathered around Fenworth. A blinding light burst into the cave.
A roar of anger filled her ears and gradually diminished as if a distance was growing between her and the one who roared. Risto had been left behind.
“Destination?” Fenworth’s voice came to her, although she could not tell where he was.
She held someone’s hand. Sh
e thought it was Dar’s, small and slightly furry. A racing wind buffeted her.
“Oh dear, oh dear. We’re being followed.”
The fierce cries of wild animals surrounded them. Sharp teeth nipped at Kale’s heels. She could not open her eyes to look, and yet she could see in her mind the black shapes of huge hounds racing beside them. Their red eyes pierced her soul and made her want to scream in terror. Throaty snarls raked along her nerves, and the air filled with a fetid smell of rancid meat.
“Detour!” Fenworth exclaimed, and the next moment water splashed against Kale’s legs, soaking her trousers and boots. The water stung small wounds at her ankles inflicted by the hounds’ teeth.
Even through closed eyes, Kale sensed the brilliance around her fade. The air turned bitter cold. Some barrier now muffled the sound of the wind. She peeked but wasn’t able to make out any shapes near by. She couldn’t even pick out the form of the one holding her hand.
“Oh dear, oh dear. I need help now. All of you, stay together and call on Wulder.”
How do I call on Wulder? Just talk to Him?
A streak of blackness hurtled past Kale’s right ear, sizzling the air and burning the side of her face.
Oh, Wulder, I don’t know if Fenworth is wise enough or any of us strong enough to get out of this mess. Please, help us.
In the distance, she heard dragon wings flapping against the air. She heard cattle lowing and blackbirds screaming, warning of an intrusion. The light intensified again, and she squeezed her eyes shut. The wind whistled.
Fenworth chuckled. “Reinforcements. Ahh! Now, where was it we were going?”
Reinforcements? What? Where? Again her mind captured an image her eyes could not see. White-winged dragons, the dragons themselves of a multitude of colors, men in shining armor, Paladin on a great shining dragon, weapons that blazed. Too many formed in the darkness for her to count. They drove away dark, swift shapes and gave chase.
Kale felt as though she was being dragged through bushes. She lost her grip on the hand she held and felt an odd cylindrical structure form under her so that she sat straddling it in midair. The wind ceased. The light faded. Kale opened her eyes to view her surroundings.