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A dry bed surprised Kale that night, and so did the blizzard in the morning. Cam seemed a bit unhappy with the view out his dining room window.

“Well, Cam,” said Lady Allerion as she buttered her toast, “you have to expect the wind when you gather together such a storm on short notice.”

“Yes, but let’s subdue it, shall we? I’m sure it’s done its work, and we don’t need it any longer.”

“As soon as I’ve finished breakfast, Cam.”

“What work did the blizzard do?” asked Toopka.

Cam sat down again at his place and poured himself another cup of tea. “The ropmas, grawligs, and schoergs all like their cozy little dens and hovels. They particularly like to be in them when there’s inclement weather.”

“In-clem-at?” Toopka scrunched up her face over the new word.

“Inclement, wet, in this case, wet and cold. I, personally, find inclement weather refreshing.” He frowned. “Wind can be a bit bothersome.”

“So the grawligs and others won’t like the snow?”

“Hate it.”

“What will they do?” Toopka leaned forward.

“Go home.”

“Oh! That’s good, isn’t it?”

“Good for us. Annoying for Risto. He’s not going to be pleasant to work with today.”

After breakfast, Lyll and Cam combined their skills to tame the wild wind. In a few minutes, the company could see farther than four feet out the window. Snow blanketed everything on the shore.

“Listen,” commanded Cam.

From a distance they heard whizzing and thumping noises.

“An eerie sound,” said Lyll, a smile curving her lips.

“What is it?” asked Kale.

Cam smirked, looking pleased with himself. “Hundreds of dragons stirring their blood. If we were on the land, we could feel the vibrations under our feet.”

“I’m sure the bisonbecks won’t like the ground shaking,” said Brunstetter.

“No, they won’t, and the earthquakelike feeling will be the last straw to send the less disciplined warriors home before the battle begins.”

Cam patted his damp beard. “Time for us to make a morning call.”

“Where are we going?” Toopka dogged the wizard’s steps.

“You’re staying here with Taylaminkadot.”

“I amn’t.”

“You can’t say ‘I amn’t.’ That isn’t a proper contraction.”

“Regidor says I can’t say ‘ain’t.’ What do you want me to say?”

“I want you to say, ‘Yes, Wizard Cam, I shall do as I am told.’”

“Aargh!” growled Toopka between clenched teeth.

An hour later, Toopka stood on the front steps of the castle with her hand firmly clasped by Taylaminkadot. The rest of the party shoved off in the skiff and headed for shore at the northernmost end of the lake.

Kale looked back at the castle and started. At every window, at every parapet, an armed soldier stood sentry.

“The castle is manned!”

“Illusion, my dear. Risto will tell his soldiers it is just illusion, but the sight will weaken their resolve. It’s so hard to believe your ears over your eyes, especially when appearances line up with expectations.”

“Will you tell us where we’re going now?”

“Oh, didn’t I say? We’re going to call upon the dragons.”

Her heart skipped a beat. Soon she would touch Celisse. All her efforts to mindspeak to the dragon had been useless.

If I can see her and touch her—if she sees me, I know she’ll want to come back.

The oars pushed through the water, and again she suspected the kimens somehow sped the boat over the waters. When they approached the shale-covered beach at the northern end of the lake, she marveled at the colorful array of dragons. Against the white backdrop of snow, the brilliant colors looked like colored panes in a stained-glass window.

Regidor stood on the shore as the boat skidded across the shallow water and scraped the coarse bottom. He greeted them with a smile. “Mission accomplished, Wizard Cam.”

“Splendid. Lord Brunstetter, Lee Ark, you’ll find your mounts ready to take you back to your troops.”

Lady Allerion shook a finger at her fellow wizard. “This was a ruse, Cam!”

Cam did nothing to hide the smug look on his face.

Kale bounced out of the boat and threw her arms around Regidor. He looked surprised and then caught her up with a hug, whirling her around the snowy beach.

“Where would you have me, sir?” Bardon’s voice sobered Kale.

A battle still loomed ahead of them. Regidor put her down, and they faced the elders.

Cam eyed Bardon solemnly. “You go with Lee Ark, Lehman.”

“Yes sir.”

“And me?” Kale was glad her voice didn’t squeak.

Lady Allerion put her arm around her shoulders. “You’re with me.”


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Lee Ark, Brunstetter, Regidor, and Bardon took off on their noble steeds with most of the dragons soaring into the sky and following. The plan devised by Cam and Regidor had worked. Gilda had been overconfident in the influence that Risto had gained over the dragons through her persuasive personality. She’d scoffed at the possibility of Regidor taking the loyal dragons into Risto’s camp and winning back those under his influence.

The gentle dragons mingled with the dragons gone wild, and the voice of reason won. The dragons would return to the men they had deserted only weeks before. Many men under Lee Ark’s command would now ride into battle.

“I wish Toopka were here to ask some of her endless questions,” said Kale as the battalion of dragons shrank into the distance as they flew to the south.

“What questions do you have?” asked Lyll.

“Will the farmers accept the dragons after their betrayal?”

“Yes.” Lyll gently squeezed Kale’s shoulders and began to walk, guiding her daughter across the beach. “It may take time for the wounds to heal, but there’s an immediate need for cooperation. Fighting side by side will do much to mend the past.”

“Are we going to win this battle?”

Lyll laughed her deep, throaty laugh that somehow comforted Kale. “We’ve already won, Kale. We’ve chosen right, and that’s victory in itself. Now whether we come out of this engagement alive is another matter. But no one can take away the personal conquest of good over evil that we waged in our own hearts before the war began. And in the bigger scheme of things, if our side is defeated here on this battlefield, others will stand and fight tomorrow. As long as Wulder reigns, and He reigns forever, there will always be those who choose right over wrong.”

“Still, speaking of the smaller scheme of things, I wish you could just say, ‘Yes, we will win.’”

Lyll laughed low and quiet as she leaned to press her head against Kale’s. “I would like that too.”