Dragon Tears (20 page)

“He’s not mad at you,” he said, as he scratched her chin. “He’s just tired and frustrated. Like all of us.”

The boy’s words seemed to mirror the mood of the camp that night. Conversation was minimal, and when the wizard finally returned, he ignored them all and went directly to his bedroll where he curled up with his back to the campfire. Patrik watched the wizard toss and turn and wished there was something he could do.

“I’ve never seen him this angry,” he whispered to Larkin and Redwing. “Not even when I failed my magic lessons six times in a row.”

“I think he’s just discouraged,” Larkin said. “I don’t believe any of us knew how challenging it was going to be to find the dragon king.”

“But we’ve made it this far. We haven’t let anything stop us. You’re both hurt and you still keep going on.”

“We have to,” Redwing said. “It’s not like we really have a choice. It’s our world too, and if we don’t do something to save it, we all will be affected. We just have to make Allard see that.” She put her head down on her forelegs and stared at the fire. “I think he’s mostly angry about not being able to use his magic. It makes him feel helpless. I know if for some reason I couldn’t fly, I would feel pretty helpless too.”

Patrik scratched his head as he thought. “You might be right, Redwing. I never thought of that. Since I don’t have any magic, I’ve never learned to depend on it.”

“It must be hard giving up something you think you need,” Larkin said.

Rat wandered into their circle and plopped her large body as close to the fire as she could get. “It must be like Rat suddenly having to go without her claws and fangs,” Patrik said, watching the animal stretch out in front of the fire.

“Something like that I’m sure,” Larkin said. “We just have to convince him that we have to go on.”

“How are we supposed to do that?” Patrik asked, unable to keep the discouragement out of his voice.

No one had an answer so the three of them curled up to sleep in silence.

“No!” the wizard said, the next morning. “I’m not going any farther and neither is Patrik. I’m responsible for him. I should have never let you talk me into this foolhardy journey in the first place. There’s no way across those mountains, and you know it.” He turned his angry glare on the dragons.

Larkin raised a claw to scratch at his head ridges while Redwing stared unhappily at the fire. “But we need you,” she said at last. “If we’re to have a chance to convince the dragon king to stop the war, both races should be represented. Not just the dragons. And besides, we’re almost there.” There was a pleading tone in her voice.

“Hmph!” the wizard snorted. “Almost where? In the middle of nowhere, with no supplies, and no chance of going any farther?”

“But what if we could find a way through?” Larkin asked.

The wizard, who had been pacing around their campsite, dropped his large body down upon a tree stump by the fire. “That would be different,” he said at last. He stared at the fire, stroking his long beard. “This whole trip has been so difficult for me. I’ve never felt so frustrated in my whole life. I could have solved so many of our problems if I could have just used my magic. Being without it has been…” He paused, looked up at them, and continued, “It’s like I’ve lost my best friend, someone who I could always depend on and trust.”

“But you can trust us,” Larkin said. “Have we ever let you down? Haven’t we all made it here so far?”

The wizard stared at each one of them, moving his gaze from face to face. “There is that,” he said at last. “I guess I just have to learn how to trust in you instead of in my magic.”

“That’s what Skyhawk intended for the races when he created them,” Redwing said. “They were made to be friends, helping each other to have better lives. Then Blackheart gave the humans magic, and it all changed.”

“Why did he do it?” Patrik asked. “I mean, why give the humans magic and not the dragons? It doesn’t make any sense.”

“No one knows,” Larkin answered. “Blackheart disappeared at the same time Skyhawk did. Maybe we’ll find out more when we find the dragon king.”

Patrik looked up into the wizard’s face. “Are we going on?”

The wizard pursed his lips. “I suppose so. It would be stupid to back out now when we’re so close. But we have to do something about that flaming noise. It’s driving me crazy!”

With their ears stuffed with rags, the five of them took to the air, determined to find a way through the Singing Mountains. Talking was impossible because of the constant chiming that came from the crystal peaks, so they all followed Redwing’s lead. She started the expedition by flying in small circles gradually increasing them so that they thoroughly searched one section of the mountains before going on to the next. The red dragon led them high above the clouds where the wind and the noise lessened, and then down as close as she could get to the jagged teeth of the crystal peaks, where even their ear protections couldn’t filter out the deafening noise. With the sun setting behind her, she flipped to the right and led them back to camp.

“Tomorrow we’ll search in the other direction,” she said upon landing.

But that day, and the day after brought no results. It was in the late afternoon of the fourth sunrise that they spotted something in the sky. It was the only sign of life they had seen in the Singing Mountains so far, and it was something too large to be a bird. Redwing led them high above the clouds and wind to talk.

“Did you see it?” she shouted as the chiming noise died down.

“Yes,” Larkin said. “I don’t think it was a bird.”

“Dragons?”

“That would be my guess.”

“Should we go after them?” Patrik asked.

“It’s too late in the day, and they are too far away,” Allard said. “We’ll have to wait until tomorrow. I’m for going back to camp.”

They all nodded their agreement and slapped their makeshift ear protectors back on as Redwing led them to their campsite.

Hope charged the atmosphere of their camp that night as they talked about what they had seen.

“Sky dragons, would be my bet,” Patrik said. “After all, we’ve already encountered water dragons and earth dragons. What else could it be?”

“I believe you are right, boy,” the wizard said.

Redwing and Patrik nodded their agreement.

“Do you think they’ll know where the dragon king is?” Patrik asked.

“There’s no way to know that except to ask them,” Larkin said.

“Which is exactly what I plan to do when I meet them,” Redwing said.

No one slept well that night as both excitement and the constant chiming from the Singing Mountains combined to keep them awake. They awoke groggy but still hopeful.

“Can’t you do that any faster?” Larkin nagged as Patrik strapped the harness around his large body.

“I could if you’d hold still.”

Redwing and the wizard were already airborne, circling their campsite. But Rat had decided to play tag this morning, leading Patrik on a chase through the forest. Patrik had finally given up trying to catch her and had returned grumpy and empty-handed. In his hurry to get into the air, he fumbled with the straps and buckles. He had just snapped the last fastening into place when Rat returned looking smug and self-satisfied.

“You better get on now,” he said to her, hoisting a leg over Larkin’s back, “or you’re staying here. I’m in no mood for your nonsense this morning.”

The animal seemed to understand his mood, if not the words, and sprinted up to Larkin, taking her place behind Patrik. The dragon’s take-off was still a chancy thing, but he had adjusted to his splint and they soon took their place beside Redwing.

The red dragon led them in a straight line to where they had seen the object in the sky. Beneath them, as far as they could see, lay crystal peaks like the jagged teeth of some large predator. They circled the peaks for sunmarks, feeling their hope and excitement evaporate like dew in the morning sun. Redwing gave the signal for turning back and Larkin had flipped one wing to make the turn when something caught his eye.

“There!” he called out. “Over there!”

All heads turned at once to see a large shape outlined against the clouds. They watched it circle for a few minutes then turn into the setting sun.

“Should we follow it?” Patrik hollered.

“It’s awfully late in the day,” the wizard shouted back.

“I should be able to see in the dark,” Redwing bellowed.

“Me too,” Larkin added.

“Well, this is what we came here for. Let’s go,” the wizard said giving the signal for moving forward.

The dragons’ wings beat the air with huge strokes, flapping in the air like sheets hung out to dry on a windy day. The wind they created blew the wizard’s beard in his face, but he held on tightly, ignoring the irritation. Rat dug her claws into the back of the makeshift saddle and hid her face in Patrik’s back. Yet, no matter how fast they flew, the creature in the sky stayed just out of range.

“Can you still see it?” Patrik hollered when the sun set.

“Yes,” Larkin bellowed back, “and now there are others.”

Patrik, who couldn’t even see Redwing flying next to them in the moonless night, could only hope that the “others” were friendly as they flew deeper into the Singing Mountains. His hands became numb with cold, and his nose hurt from the freezing wind that whistled past him. Surrounding them was the maddening noise of the Singing Mountains, chiming and ringing in a nonstop bedlam of noise.

Their senses became so impaired that it took them several heartbeats to realize it had stopped. The night was so dense and dark that it took them even longer to realize they were flying inside a gigantic cavern.

“Larkin, where are we?” Patrik asked, pulling off his ear protectors.

“I don’t know. All I know is that it is warm in here, and it feels good.”

Redwing and the wizard flew up beside them. “Can you still see anything?” the wizard asked.

“Yes. I see light up ahead.”

Both Patrik and Allard stared into the darkness in front of them. “I don’t see anything,” the wizard said.

“You should soon because they are leading us straight to it.”

As the light grew stronger, both Patrik and Allard were able to start identifying their surroundings. What they saw both amazed and frightened them. It wasn’t the size of the cavern; they had become used to that kind of wonder. No, it was the sky dragons themselves that made them want to turn around and go back the way they had come.

They were all white, whiter than the fluffiest cloud on a sunny day, and surrounding each one was a halo of light that shone as bright as the sun. The light both beckoned them and terrified them, for it seemed to burn with a fire hotter than a blacksmith’s forge. As they drew closer still, the light began to hurt their eyes. Patrik held his tunic over his face hoping to deflect some of the effect. He motioned that the wizard should do the same.

They entered the cavern where the shining dragons had gathered in a flaming display, and landed. Patrik and Allard, unsure what to do next, stayed mounted. Rat, always the first one to explore any new surroundings, jumped off and darted down the adjoining tunnel.

“We welcome the pure in heart and the pure in action,” said a voice from within the brilliant fire and lights. “We have been waiting for you.”

Chapter Nineteen

The cavern was so large that the voice echoed round and round. Patrik shivered as the words, “waiting for you” were repeated over and over. Not wanting his voice to be overheard, he whispered, “Larkin, what does all this mean?”

“I don’t know. I am as confused as you are.”

“Who’s the pure in heart and the pure in action?”

The dragon shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“Your coming has been prophesized. We have waited many, many seasons for your arrival,” said the voice from within the flames. “Our duty is done. Skyhawk awaits.”

Patrik and Allard uncovered their eyes and watched as one by one, like giant fireflies, the sky dragons took to the air making the cavern glow brighter than daylight. And, one by one they left, leaving it in a darkness blacker than night.

“Wait!” Patrik shouted, making the word echo throughout the chamber. He jumped off Larkin’s back as if he could run after them and make them return. “Come back. We don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The boy whirled in the darkness, bumping into Larkin’s bad leg.

“Ouch, get off my foot,” the dragon said.

“Sorry. I can’t see a thing. Can you?”

“I can see but there isn’t much to look at. Just rock walls and a tunnel.”

“I think we need to get some light in here before we do anything else,” the wizard said from atop Redwing. “I have some kindling fagots in my pack, and if I can just find them we’ll have Redwing flame them for us.”

It took some fumbling around and several muttered curses as he dropped things on the cavern floor before the wizard was able to find the bundles of bound twigs and branches. He held them before Redwing who quickly flamed them to life.

“That’s better,” Allard said. “At least now I don’t feel so completely lost. But what the sky dragons said has me totally confused.”

“I think it’s safe to say that we all are puzzled,” Redwing said.

“I know I am,” Patrik said,

“Me, too,” Larkin acknowledged.

“The only thing that made sense was when they said, ‘The dragon king awaits,”’ Allard said. “I take that to mean he’s here someplace and is waiting for us. But how he knew we were coming is another thing.”

“What do we do now?” Patrik asked.

“We keep going. After all, we’ve come this far,” the wizard said with a grin on his face. “Seems I remember hearing those words just a few sunmarks ago.”

Rat charged into the clearing, the fur on her neck sticking up and her tail bristled out like a bottlebrush. “Wonder what’s gotten into her?” Allard said.

“I don’t know,” Larkin said. “Since that tunnel is our only option, I imagine we’re going to find out.”

“This torch is almost out,” the wizard said. “Should I light another one or wait until later?”

“Since the dragons can see fine in here, let’s wait until we get where we’re going,” Patrik said.