53
GATHERING TOGETHER
Kale monitored Toopka’s progress. The doneel child slipped from one hiding spot to the next without ever raising an eyebrow from any of the many soldiers roaming about the camp. Sometimes she moved only one step at a time, letting the cape’s camouflaging ability hide her from people standing within a few feet of her. Kale held her breath and marveled that Toopka didn’t shake in her boots.
I’m nervous enough for both of us, Toopka.
“Don’t be silly, Kale. None of these bullies are any worse than Henricutt Tellowmatterden.”
Oh, I think they are. I think they’re killers, every last one of them. You be careful.
Something jolted Toopka, and she sidestepped between two stacks of wooden crates. Kale heard someone swearing.
Toopka?
“I’m all right. A bisonbeck oaf bumped into me from behind. I didn’t see him coming. His friend says he tripped over his own feet. They can’t see me. I’m all right.”
Kale heard the slightest bit of a quiver in the little doneel’s voice.
Toopka, you can turn back anytime you want to. We’ll find another way out.
“I’m all right. Really.”
Kale bit her lower lip and tried to send Toopka some courage through her talent, but she wasn’t feeling very brave herself.
You’re almost there. Turn to the right. The other way, Toopka. That’s your left! Good, now—
“I can smell it, Kale. I found it.”
The cages are right inside the front door.
“You told me that already.”
I’m sorry.
“Just a minute. I’m going to walk in behind these three soldiers.”
Be careful.
“You’ve told me that a hundred times already.”
Kale watched the inside of the tent appear as Toopka slipped through the front door. She chose to hide in a corner.
“This is impossible!” complained Toopka. “The dragons are like a sideshow at a carnival. The cages are right where everyone can come and gawk at them.”
I have an idea, Toopka. I’m going to tell the dragons to make a lot of noise, then I’m going to tell the cook to cover them to make them be quiet. You have to pick out which man is in charge. Can you do that?
“Sure. Wait a minute.”
Kale watched as Toopka’s eyes swept the room, examining each of the men who worked in the tent.
“Him.”
Kale told the dragons to set up a ruckus. The four hooted, shrieked, trilled, and squawked. They flapped their leathery wings as if they could break the bars of the cages.
“What’s all this?” Through Toopka’s mind, Kale heard the cook holler. “What’s got into them?”
“Cover ’em like you would chickens. They’ll settle down.” Another voice gave the suggestion Kale had intended to put in the cook’s mind.
With satisfaction, Kale and Toopka watched the man bring out a large cloth and drape it over all four cages. In only a few moments, Toopka crept under the edge and began picking the locks on the doors. One after the other, she freed the dragons. Each one climbed into a pocket-den in the cape. Toopka finally started the perilous return journey to the tent where Kale waited.
Toopka crawled under the back of the tent and opened the cape to let the dragons fly to Kale. Gymn, Metta, Dibl, and Ardeo did not go to their usual perches. All four dragons landed safely in Kale’s arms.
“Now,” Toopka whispered, “how do we get out of here?”
“I don’t know.” Kale cuddled the minor dragons. She eyed the opening in the front of the tent where a guard stood sentry, then examined the small opening at the base of the tent.
Could we cut that tear to make it larger? They took my sword, but I have a small knife in one of the hollows. Then of course, we could just walk out of here. Could we? With the cape? If only I weren’t so tired.
Kale patted the mattress beside her. “Come sit with us. You’ve had a trying evening.”
Toopka rolled her eyes and hopped onto the bed. She undid the cape and laid it inside out next to her. “I brought some more food.”
She reached into a hollow and pulled out loaves of bread and hunks of cheese. She smiled at Kale. “I thought we might get hungry.”
“When did you get this? I didn’t see you reach for anything.”
“I told you I was sneaky.” Toopka’s grin spread over her face.
A noise outside the tent caught Kale’s attention. She heard Tayla speak to the guard.
Kale lifted the moonbeam cape and turned it over so the pockets were underneath. “Everybody under and don’t move!”
“I’ve come to see if you need anything else for the night,” said Tayla as she pushed the tent flap aside and came in. Her eyes went immediately to the loaves of bread and cheese. The tumanhofer servant looked at the partially eaten food on the bed, the empty bowl on the tray, and then Kale’s face.
“No, Miss Kale, I don’t know anything about the hills around here. My father was a fisherman. To me, a boat is the only way to travel.”
Kale stared at the woman for a moment and then blinked her eyes.
Is she telling me how to escape? If she is, she’s risking her life! I hope the guard believes I spoke first, and she answered. I can fix that! Kale sent a thought to the guard. Now he would have a vague memory of having heard Kale say something he couldn’t quite hear right when the tumanhofer woman entered the tent.
“I’m afraid you won’t be able to sleep for another hour or so,” the servant continued, “but after that your mother insists this part of the camp be quiet. She wants her rest, she does. She’s very strict about no one prowling around. You’ll have peace and quiet then.”
She is helping us. Oh, Wulder protect her.
“Thank you, Taylaminkadot.” Kale kept her voice calm. The guard must not suspect anything is amiss. “I don’t need anything else tonight.”
Tayla curtsied, picked up the tray, and left.
“What was that all about?” asked Toopka in hushed tones as she slithered out from under the cape.
“The river is just a few yards from here, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” answered Toopka.
“When everyone is asleep for the night, we’re going on a boat trip.”
A smile spread over Toopka’s face.
“Now let’s get this food out of sight,” said Kale. “My mother may come to tuck me in.”
Kale didn’t regret that her mother did not return for a good-night visit. She believed that some drug had been given to her, for now that she had held Gymn for a couple of hours, the crippling lethargy had left. She felt strong and able to make a good attempt at stealing away.
When the only noises they heard were from the distant tents, Kale slit the small tear into a nice large hole to climb through. With the dragons in their pocket-dens and Toopka held in Kale’s arms with the moonbeam cape wrapped around them both, she tiptoed on bare feet toward the sound of the river. She passed a few tents and a couple of sentries, but the darkness and her cape kept them safe.
At the river they could see a number of boats tied up to docks a hundred yards down the bank. Kale crept along the river, keeping her eyes open for soldiers. She started to get in the first boat they came to, but a hand on her arm stopped her.
“Not this one, Miss Kale.”
“Taylaminkadot?”
“Follow me.”
“You scared me.”
“Follow me.” The tumanhofer servant ran to a larger boat at the end of one of the docks.
“Get in.” Tayla motioned to Kale as she knelt on the dock and held the boat steady.
Kale did as she was told. Tayla scrambled into the boat after her, the mooring rope in her hand. She shoved off.
“You’re going with us?”
“Aye.”
“Why?”
“I would be blamed in the morning whether I helped you or not. Have you ever rowed a boat, Miss Kale?”
“No.”
“Then that’s another good reason for me to go along, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is.”
Kale sat on the wooden seat stretched across the stern of the little craft.
“Where does this river go, Taylaminkadot?”
“To the lake.” Tayla sat on the middle seat and began to ply the oars.
“Is that a safe place to go?”
“If we get there before sunrise.”
“Do you think we will?”
“If Wulder be willing.”