DragonFire (34 page)

E
PILOGUE

“Forgive me for doubting you, daughter.” Sir Kemry offered Kale a plate of food.

She scooted over on the log she used as a seat and balanced the dish on her knee. Her moonbeam cape slipped, and she used one hand to resettle it on her shoulder. The chilly night air brushed her cheek. Kale glanced at Sir Kemry as he settled on the log. “How did you doubt me?”

Her father gestured with his fork. “Look around. We’ve walked into your mural at Black Jetty.”

Kale’s head swiveled as she took in her surroundings. Regidor and Gilda stood by the fire with Dar. Paladin stood off to the side, talking to Bardon. But her husband was almost invisible in the shadows of a bentleaf tree. The minor dragons decorated a bush where they’d found a horde of night beetles.

“The grave?” Kale peered toward the other bentleaf tree.

“Not there.” Sir Kemry took her hand in his. “Perhaps it’s a figurative grave and not a resting spot for one individual.”

Kale’s throat closed as she thought of those who had died. Three dear dragons came to mind first. Then the homes she’d seen ravaged by armies and obliterated by the flames of fire dragons. The blackened forest on the other side of the river was just one spot scorched by the war. More than property and livelihoods had been destroyed. Each of the high races had lost many people.

Where others had lost sons, fathers, mothers, friends, and spouses, Kale sat by her father, could see her husband, and knew her mother helped in a field hospital. Very soon, her dragon eggs would hatch. She had the promise of new life tucked in the scarf at her waist. Even her injuries had been cured.

She stood and handed her untouched dinner to her father. “I have to talk to Paladin.”

Sir Kemry nodded.

She trudged toward the clump of trees where she had seen him last. He still talked to Bardon. Did she want Bardon to hear what she had done?

She’d have to. She walked across the camp site. Paladin might be needed someplace else and be gone before she had a chance to ask him if certain things were her fault. If she were guilty.

She felt guilty.

Bardon put his arm around her as she came up beside him. The stiff muscles felt odd across her shoulders.

Kale managed a curtsy while encumbered by her husband’s embrace. It made all three smile.

Paladin looked hale and hearty with the grin on his lips and a twinkle in his eye.

Kale blinked back tears and made her voice sound cheerful. “I’m glad you are well, sir.”

“When you mindspoke to the dragons and it carried on to the citizens of Amara, they shook off the stupor that had blinded them to their true desire. Our people knew they wanted to follow Wulder more than they wanted to avoid conflict. With the renewed life in their hearts, I grew stronger. Strong enough to lead the army.”

Kale swallowed. “I’m sure everyone was happy to see you.”

“I didn’t lead them all. Small factions rose up and defeated the enemy forces in their own regions. But the rightly focused commitment expressed by individual members of our society strengthened the whole.” Paladin tilted his head as he looked down at her. “What’s wrong, Kale?”

“Dar told me about the battles that raged after I spoke to the dragons in the valley. So many were killed.”

The solemn expression on Paladin’s face did not change. Bardon’s arm curled inward a bit to embrace her as best he could.

“If I had not given that speech, there would not be tears and grief in more than half the homes of our people.”

Paladin still didn’t speak.

Bardon shifted beside her. “Kale, if the people had not defended their homes, the scourge of Pretender would still have a stronghold in their lives.”

Kale shook her head, and tears flowed down her cheeks. “If I hadn’t drained all my energy, Ardeo, Alton, and Benrey would have lived.”

“Kale—”

“No, Bardon. Ardeo and Alton died trying to get me to safety when I couldn’t fight to help protect us. Benrey died in the fight against Crim Cropper because I had no energy to pull together a wizard’s defense.”

She leaned against Bardon, and he brought his other arm up to encircle her. He placed his forehead on her temple and whispered. “In a battle, we do what we can. We aren’t always in the correct position to do the most good.”

Paladin touched Kale’s arm. “She understands that, Bardon. She also knows she did what she did in obedience to Wulder, so the resulting consequences are His responsibility, not hers. She had to expend her energy without her father’s aid so he would have the resources to fight Crim Cropper or Pretender, whichever one showed up to do battle.”

Kale’s eyes came up to look at Paladin’s face.

“Tell me, Kale. There’s something else. What distresses you? Why do you feel such guilt?”

“Pretender’s orb. I took Pretender’s orb. I knew I shouldn’t. I knew if I held it, I would not be able to put it down. I gave in just a little, but I knew this moment of weakness would mean that Pretender had gained power over me. Once I allowed him to manipulate me, the next time it would be easier for him to tempt me and for me to give in.”

“And still you took his gift?”

“Yes.”

“What did you do with the orb?”

“You know, don’t you? You know it all.”

“Yes, but you need to tell me.”

“I held it, and it made the pain go away. But I knew holding it was wrong. In the caves, I didn’t want to be with the people there. I didn’t want to be with my own dragons. I felt worthless and as if my presence would damage those around me.”

“But you broke the orb. Why?”

“Because I needed the energy within it to help my father.”

Paladin gently squeezed her arm. “Your love for your father was stronger than the hold Pretender had on you.”

Kale wanted Paladin and Bardon to understand. They couldn’t possibly know how wretched she’d been. They had to fully comprehend to forgive her. “I took the orb because of the pain.”

“Wulder would have provided another remedy, had you been able to hold on.”

Kale studied Paladin’s expression.

He nodded so slightly she almost didn’t see it. “I believe,” he said, “that Gilda had a potion with her to help ease the pain.”

Bardon rubbed his face against Kale’s head. His stubble caught at the fine hair. To Kale, the scratchiness felt wonderful.

“I thank Wulder,” said her husband, “for bringing you through all that. When I stepped out of the gateway and into Paladin’s palace, I had no idea if you were still alive. The last I saw of Cropper, he was determined to annihilate the world, starting with you.”

Kale’s mouth twisted into a frown. “I don’t understand that. It was father’s dragon who bit off his wife’s head.”

“Maybe he didn’t have the facts straight.”

Paladin chuckled. “That sounds like a possibility. Not having the facts straight can cause all sorts of havoc.”

“I have one more question, sir,” said Kale.

“Yes?”

“Why was I able to use something created by Pretender for evil to do good? I didn’t think through what the consequences might be. I just threw it down to break it open.”

“The orb?” guessed Bardon.

She nodded.

Paladin put his hand up to his chin and rubbed as he thought. “Pretender did not make the energy. He contained it in the glass sphere. Energy is no more bad than water is. You could use water to refresh a thirsty man or drown him.”

He put both hands on his hips and stared up into the sky. “Now that the threat of evil is at bay, we will have the rebuilding of Amara ahead of us. And we must be sure at the foundation, our citizens are choosing to share what water they have and not drown their neighbors.”

“What will you have us do?” asked Bardon.

Paladin clapped a hand on his knight’s shoulder. “Just what is right in front of you.”

G
LOSSARY

Amara (ä´-mä-rä)

Continent surrounded by ocean on three sides.

armagot (är´-muh-got)

National tree, purple blue leaves in the fall.

armagotnut (är´-muh-got-nut)

Nut from the armagot tree.

ba

Ropma baby.

batman

Soldier assigned as personal servant to an officer.

bentleaf tree

Deciduous tree having long, slender, drooping branches and narrow leaves.

bingham trees

Flowering trees found at high altitudes.

bisonbecks (b
´-sen-beks)

Most intelligent of the seven low races. They comprise most of Risto’s army.

blimmets (blim´-mets)

One of the seven low races, burrowing creatures that swarm out of the ground for periodic feeding frenzies.

Bogs, The

Made up of four swamplands with indistinct borders. Located in southwest Amara.

borling tree (bôr´-ling)

Tree with dark brown wood and a deeply furrowed nut enclosed in a globose, aromatic husk.

cygnot tree (s
-not)

A tropical tree growing in extremely wet ground or shallow water. The branches come out of the trunk like spokes from a wheel hub and often interlace with neighboring trees.

da

Father.

daggarts (dag´-garts)

A baked treat, a small crunch cake.

doneels (dō´-neelz)

One of the seven high races. These people are furry with bulging eyes, thin black lips, and ears at the top and front of their skulls. A flap of skin covers the ears and twitches, responding to the doneel’s mood. They are small in stature, rarely over three feet tall. Generally are musical and given to wearing flamboyant clothing.

Dormanscz Range (dôr-manz´)

Volcanic mountain range in Bange southeast Amara.

druddums (drud´-dumz)

Weasel-like animals that live deep in mountains. These creatures are thieves and will steal anything to horde. Of course, they like to get food, but they are also attracted to bright things and things that have an unusual texture.

emerlindians (
´-mer-lin´-dee-inz)

One of the seven high races, emerlindians are born pale with white hair and pale gray eyes. As they age, they darken. One group of emerlindians is slight in stature, the tallest being five feet. Another distinct group are between six and six and a half feet tall.

feather-petaled bonnie

A flower with a large crown of densely placed delicate petals. The blossoms come in a wide variety of colors.

fire dragon

Emerged from the volcanoes in ancient days. These dragons breathe fire and are most likely to serve evil forces.

forms

A regimented set of exercises.

gordon tree

Named after the marione who cultivated them, the gordon trees are tall, thin, and shed their bark. The bark makes a superior paper and can be harvested each spring.

grand emerlindian

Grands are male or female, close to a thousand years old, and black.

granny emerlindian

Grannies are male or female, said to be five hundred years old or older, and have darkened to a brown complexion with dark brown hair and eyes.

grawligs (graw´-ligz)

One of seven low races, mountain ogres.

greater dragon

Largest of the dragons, able to carry many men or cargo.

guard

A fighting unit made up of a captain and four loes.

icebears

Carnivorous bears living at the northern and southern extremes of the planet.

kimens (k
m´-enz)

The smallest of the seven high races. Kimens are elusive, tiny, and fast. Under two feet tall.

leecent

Lowest-ranking officer in military service.

lehman

Lowest rank in military service.

lightrocks

Any of the quartzlike rocks giving off a glow.

lo

Rank between leecent and lehman.

longfish

An extremely long and slender fish that is easily smoked and cured.

ma

Mother.

major dragon

Elephant-sized dragon most often used for personal transportation.

mariones (mer´-
-ownz)

One of the seven high races. Mariones are excellent farmers and warriors. They are short and broad, usually muscle-bound rather than corpulent.

meech dragon

The most intelligent of the dragons, capable of speech.

minnekens

A small, mysterious race living in isolation on the Isle of Kye.

minor dragon

Smallest of the dragons, the size of a young kitten. The different types of minor dragons have different abilities.

moonbeam cloth

Cloth made from the moonbeam plant.

moonbeam plant

A three-to four-foot plant having large shiny leaves and round flowers resembling a full moon. The stems are fibrous and used for making invisible cloth.

Morchain Range

Mountains running north and south through the middle of Amara.

mordakleeps

One of the low races, shadowy creatures with long tails.

mullins (m
l´-l
nz)

Fried doughnut sticks.

nordy rolls

Whole-grain, sweet, nutty bread.

o’rants

One of the high races. Five to six feet tall.

ordend (or´-den)

A basic unit of Amaran currency. Twenty ordends equals one grood.

owlwing fern

A plant that grows in the shade and has broad, feathery fronds.

parnot (pâr´-n
t)

Green fruit like a pear.

piggledy pin

The clublike target that stands on end in a children’s ball game called piggledy.

poor man’s pudding

A mound of custard with carmelized syrup or ale poured over the top, so it looks like a white island sitting in a brown lake.

portucads (por´-tuh-cadz)