DragonQuest (28 page)

“I believe she did this herself, Regidor,” said Kale as she looked at the finely shaped clay bottle. “If Risto had been here and changed her, wouldn’t he have taken her away?”

“That’s a thought, Kale. But what if he wants her to travel with us and for us to think she is harmless in this state?”

She considered the possibility. “So we’d best be wary.”

“It is always best to be wary.”

         
50
         

B
UILDING THE
G
ATEWAY

A wide lane built atop a levee stretched into the bog from the main road. Neither the lane nor the levee had existed several hours before. Men, ready to fight for their homes, gathered on the main road. Women and children stood by their men, waiting to say good-bye.

Kale saw Master Meiger, and for the moment he didn’t have someone demanding his attention.

“You gave a good speech today, Master Meiger.”

He blushed and looked away from her. “Not as fancy as some, but I said what I knew to be true.”

“You said just the right thing, and these people believed you.”

“They’ve known me all my life.”

She wanted to say more, but words didn’t come to mind, and he looked uncomfortable at her praise. She thought of another topic to broach.

“The wizards haven’t called you into the bog?”

“No, they told us to wait here until they had the gateway constructed. Evidently it’s a rather complicated business, and it will take all three of them. That one wizard, Fenworth, he did that road all by himself. Amazing to watch.”

She nodded. “I’ll go in and see how close they are to finishing.”

“Should you?” asked Master Meiger. “I mean, interrupt them?”

“I won’t bother them.” Kale started toward the lane, but turned back. “Master Meiger, it might be a good idea to warn these people about mordakleeps. Remind them they have to cut off their tails to kill them.”

The old marione looked startled. “Yes. Yes, of course.”

She gestured to Regidor and Bardon. “I’m going into the bog. Want to come along?”

The two men exchanged glances. Regidor grinned. “Decided you didn’t want to run into any swamp creatures on your own, huh?”

She grinned back at him. “That’s right. Dar told me to use my brain.”

“We’ll come,” said Bardon. “I’m curious, too.”

They passed several groups of men and a few families before they set foot on the new path. The springy road looked like logs of various diameters woven together with sturdy vines. The minor dragons flew about them as they walked. A feast of bugs swarmed over the murky bog water.

“Where’s Gilda?” asked Kale.

“In my pocket,” answered Regidor.

Kale looked at the smooth lines of his clerical robe.

“It’s a hollow,” explained Regidor before she could ask. “How did you give Toopka the slip?”

“She was helping Cakkue and Yonny. She didn’t even seem particularly outraged that we didn’t plan to take her along.”

“That sounds suspicious.” Bardon laughed.

“I agree,” said Regidor.

Kale shook her head, half agreeing with her friends yet still believing her own eyes. “She was changing beds on the second floor when I left. Mistress Meiger finds Toopka just a bit unnerving because she’s not had any dealings with doneels. But Toopka is doing her best to impress her. I do wonder what’s going on in that furry little head of hers.”

“Well, she can be a good worker,” said Regidor, “but she’s also conniving and too curious for her own good.”

“And what would she say about you?” asked Kale.

Regidor laughed. “That I’m bossy and stubborn.”

Bardon slapped him on the shoulder. “She’d be right then.”

A ballyhoo bird cried out an objection to the invasion of its territory with a distinctive “ballyhoo, ballyhoo.” Kale craned her neck, trying to catch sight of the blue and white bird. The small, quick bird perched on a limb covered with cascading moss. Kale watched as it flitted from branch to branch.

Dry winter leaves rattled as they still clung to vines draped around the trees. With a deep breath, Kale recognized the same damp smells as in Bedderman’s Bog.

But here, no cygnot trees linked together to make planking. These trees stood far apart. Patchy, gray bark hung loosely on the trunks as if the trees were shedding an outer skin.

Maybe the winters are too harsh here for cygnot trees. I don’t think it snows as far south as The Bogs.

The lack of cygnot trees also meant no roots provided natural stepping blocks. Away from Wizard Fenworth’s floating road, the foot-deep water combined with a reedy vegetation. After they were finished with the lane and it was destroyed, the bog would be difficult to trudge through.

But now, Kale almost felt as though she were on an afternoon stroll. A breeze stirred the vines on the trees, and the afternoon sky above provided a blue canopy. The road beneath them creaked and swayed in an easy rhythm.

It all seems too comfortable to be the pathway to war.

“There’s the gateway.” Kale pointed at the three wizards, Librettowit, and Dar gathered at the end of the temporary road. “It looks as though they’ve finished.”

“No,” said Regidor, “the smaller one is complete, but the larger has one edge that needs to be more tightly woven. Why are there two gateways? I only heard of plans for one.”

Librettowit and Dar conversed solemnly while Fen and Cam sat on logs resembling roughly hewn chairs. Lyll paced in front of the unfinished gateway.

Afternoon shadows stretched long across the makeshift road. Remembering that they had recently been attacked by a peaceful pond, Kale shuddered and kept a wary eye on the dark splotches.

Dar greeted Kale and the others. “We’re just about to send Wizard Fenworth and Librettowit off to summon Brunstetter and Lee Ark. This will be one for the history books. If it works as planned, Librettowit and Fen will bring troops through the different gateways to this central one, which will take them all to the battle. Time is short.”

“And Paladin?” asked Kale.

“He may show up,” answered Dar.

“We can’t summon him?”

Dar shook his head. “Wulder will send him if he is needed. We’ve no authority over either Wulder or Paladin. We cannot command them to appear.” Dar’s expressive eyes brightened. “But we will not be abandoned by them, that I can assure you.”

“Are you coming?” Librettowit called to Fenworth. “I can do this myself if you’re too tired.”

“Tired? Harrumph! I only did a third of the work building these gates, and I could have done it all. Of course I’m not tired.”

Fenworth got to his feet stiffly. Mice, lizards, and bugs skittered out of his hair and beard. He took no notice of their departure, but smiled warmly at a large blackbird flying through the widely spaced trees. He landed on the bog wizard’s shoulder.

“There you are, Thorpendipity.” Fenworth lifted a shaky hand to stroke the bird’s glossy back. “I’d begun to think you’d taken up with some other wizard. I’ll be needing you. Glad you came.”

Fenworth strolled to the smaller of the two shimmering gateways and stepped through, still talking to the bird.

Librettowit addressed Cam and Lyll. “I’ll try to keep him in the background, but you know there’s no bending that will of his once he’s decided to do a thing.”

Cam’s jaw clenched before he spoke. “We shall hope he doesn’t think of leading the forces on the battlefield.”

Lyll wrung her hands. “Try to convince him of the importance of gathering reinforcements. He’s too frail for the rigors of war.” She pressed her lips together and blinked rapidly.

Librettowit put his hand to his hat and tipped it slightly. “I’ll do my best, my lady.” He entered the gateway and disappeared in sparkling light.

Wizard Cam turned to the large, unfinished gate.

“What do you think, Lyll? Can we finish this off?”

“I think we need help.”

Cam and Lyll turned to look at Kale, Bardon, and Regidor.

“Come,” said Lyll, “we need you three apprentices.”

Regidor and Kale stepped forward quickly, but Bardon hung back.

“Excuse me, my lady, but I am not one of Fenworth’s apprentices.”

“Be that as it may,” said Cam, “come, my friend. You may observe.”

Kale’s head jerked around to see Bardon’s reaction. Wizard Cam had said almost the exact words Fenworth had once said when he wanted Bardon to take part in a wizardry lesson.

Bardon wore his inscrutable expression, and when she reached to his mind, he had a block up that should have had a sign reading, “Go away, Kale!”

She made a face at him, and of course he didn’t respond.

Lyll touched Kale’s arm. “Stand by me. Regidor, you go next to Cam, and Bardon, take the middle position.” She waited only a moment for them to follow her instructions. “Now, look at this wall on the right side. Do you see the threads that have not yet been woven together?”

Kale’s mouth dropped open as she nodded. Always before she had concentrated on the center of the gateway where the air seemed to ripple, distorting the image meeting her eye. Now she could see long, thick strands of almost transparent color dangling as if the edge of a huge cloth had frayed.

She felt Bardon’s excitement surge and knew he saw the threads. His reaction overtook his determination not to share this experience with her, and his guard fell.

“Now watch carefully, children, as Cam and I weave the loose cords. You can join in and help as soon as you see the pattern.”

Regidor joined in first, followed by Kale. She knew Bardon saw the pattern soon after. But he hesitated, because he didn’t quite believe he could do it.

It’s like the beat of a drum behind the music, Bardon. Just react to the rhythm.

He didn’t answer, but soon she felt his energy flowing in time with the others in the group. When Lyll tied off the last strand, the five let out a collective sigh. The feeling of working in harmony dissolved, but Kale felt a sense of satisfaction. She turned to see if Bardon felt the same way.

His face had taken on the stonelike expression she hated. She almost yelled at him.
Can’t you just enjoy something?
The question tried to leave her tongue, but she clamped her lips over it.

“How can that happen?” he demanded. “How can I be part of something like that?”

“It isn’t such a mystery,” said Wizard Cam. He turned away from Bardon to ask Kale a question. “Do you have the talent of healing?”

“No, Gymn does.”

“Yet you assist him when he has need of your help. Your presence boosts his natural talent.”

“Yes, I think that’s how it works.”

“And you share in the joy, the satisfaction, after the work is completed, even though it was not your talent that achieved the end?”

“Yes, and I feel very close to Wulder.”

Cam nodded and refocused on the stiff lehman. “Bardon, you are to Kale as she is to Gymn in this instance. You sustain her ability. Actually, during this enterprise you supported the four of us. And nourishing the talent is just as valuable as having the talent yourself. When you and Kale fight together, it is she who is bolstering, or one might even say multiplying, your skill and ability.”

Bardon cast a skeptical glance at Kale. Dibl chose that moment to circle his head, flying around and around Bardon’s crown like a bee deciding to land on a flower. Kale grinned.

Bardon’s glare hardened, but Dibl plopped down on his head.

The lehman sighed, his stiff shoulders relaxing. Kale heard his voice in her mind.
“It’s difficult to stand on your dignity with a yellow dragon in your hair.”

Maybe dignity isn’t always important.

A smile broke Bardon’s grim expression.

Dar signaled Kale, Bardon, and Regidor to come to him. “I’m going back to talk to Master Meiger and his friends. Cam and Lyll will continue to fortify this gateway so that the dragons can safely pass through. I want you three to go ahead. Scout the lay of the land, the location of the enemy camps, and their strength. Then return. After you report, we should be ready to begin transporting the warriors. If I’m not here waiting for you, Kale, send one of your dragons to locate me.”

“Yes sir. Dar?”

“Yes?”

“Are you really a high lee general as Fenworth said?”

Dar laughed and shook his head. “No, he was thinking of my father.”

“Are you an ambassador?”

“We are all ambassadors, Kale. We represent something to someone every day of our lives.”

“Come on, Kale.” Regidor tugged at her arm. “We’ve a mission. Let’s go see where the enemy is camped.”