54
ANOTHER MOTHER’S LOVE
The small river meandered in gentle curves. For the first half hour, grawligs could be heard on one side, with their raucous songs and loud snoring. Dibl thought the combination so funny he had to be popped inside Kale’s cape to keep him quiet. On the other side, bisonbecks loomed in the shadows between tents.
When they passed the last tent and slid between banks of trees, Kale’s breathing slowed to a normal pace, and her hands unclenched. A few minutes later, she spotted lighted figures darting along the river. One came to the shore and waved to the passing boat.
“Taylaminkadot, we must speak to the kimens.”
Taylaminkadot steered the boat toward the bank. As soon as they were within hearing distance, a kimen called, “We’ve been sent to bring you to Lyll Allerion.”
“Which one?” asked Toopka.
“It would be Mother Number Two,” answered Kale. “Mother Number One doesn’t associate with kimens.”
Several kimens gathered behind the first. “May we come aboard?” asked the first. “We’ll go down the river toward the lake and join Lady Allerion.”
The kimens jumped into the large rowboat as soon as it scooted into the shallow water. Tayla and the kimens propelled the boat to the other side where five more kimens hopped in. They bombarded Kale with their names, politely introducing themselves to her and referring to her as the Dragon Keeper. She remembered clearly the name Azalone and connected it with the one she thought might be the leader.
With a dozen kimens in the boat, you’d think we’d be going slower. She studied the small people sitting around her. What are they doing to make us go faster?
She never solved this puzzle and determined to get Regidor to think it through. If anyone could find the answer, he could.
“Azalone?”
“Yes?”
“Do you know what has happened to my friends, Regidor and Bardon? Regidor was with me when the grawligs attacked.”
“Both men went back through your gateway. They returned with many mariones, Wizard Cam Ayronn, and Wizard Lyll Allerion. Lady Allerion sent us to find you.”
“The mariones are not a large enough force to face Risto’s army.”
“More have come. An army under General Lee Ark. Our friends the urohms, led by Lord Brunstetter. Dragons are coming as well. Some through this gigantic gateway. Those who are close enough, fly in.”
They glided downstream for many minutes before Azalone spoke again. “We are close to the field in which your Celisse awaits. You must hurry now to the camp of your comrades. Your mother is injured and requires you and the healing dragon.”
“Injured?” She spun around on her seat, rocking the boat. “How did she get injured?”
“The wound is serious, but not life-threatening. When she heard you had been taken, she rushed out to save you. She charged into a trap, facing Risto and Burner Stox without assistance. Wizard Cam and the meech dragon Regidor soon arrived. It is likely Lady Allerion would have died without their assistance.”
She turned quickly away. Tears stung her eyes, and she found it hard to breathe.
Toopka took her hand and squeezed. “It’ll be all right. You and Gymn can make her well.”
Kale peered ahead, trying to spot the place where they would land. Tayla’s short, muscular body blocked some of the view. Her shoulders strained as she pulled even harder on the oars. Kale sensed the tumanhofer woman wanted to help Kale get to her mother quickly. The woman had done much for a stranger, an o’rant girl who had done nothing for her except expose the servant to danger.
“Taylaminkadot, will you be all right? Do you have someplace to go?”
“I was hoping to go with you, Miss Kale. I’d like to be your servant.”
Kale turned to Azalone. “Can you escort Taylaminkadot to our camp?”
“We will go with her downstream. It is a shorter distance to walk from the lake to your camp.”
“Can you protect her?”
“We will try.”
The boat pushed ashore where the trees thinned to reveal a meadow. Celisse paced over the winter pale grass, wearing a path. The moon reflected off her silver scales. She lifted her head and greeted her rider with a low call.
Kale leapt from the boat, waving good-bye to the others. The minor dragons flew ahead of her. Toopka pumped her little legs to keep up.
After a swift hug around the dragon’s neck, Kale scooped Toopka into her arms and clambered on board. As soon as her knees were snug in the saddle hooks, she gave the signal to fly. Celisse flapped her large wings and vaulted into the night sky.
A cold wind blew in Kale’s face. Not at all partial to frigid temperatures, the minor dragons hid in the moonbeam cape. Kale bent her legs back as far as she could and pulled the cape down over her freezing feet.
From the sky, she could see the sprawling Risto encampment, Bartal Springs Lake, and a camp just forming. Celisse banked and headed for the new settlement of warriors.
Celisse gave the warning. Behind them a dark dragon raced toward them. The smaller dragon flew at a faster speed and would soon catch up. With horror, Kale saw a stream of fire bolt out of the dragon’s mouth.
Kale reached with her mind, trying to send a clear message.
Bardon, Regidor, I need help. Dar, Wizard Cam, can you hear me? I’m being followed. Regidor, I need help. I’m being followed by a fire dragon, and it’s catching up to Celisse. Regidor, can you hear me?
She looked over her shoulder. The dragon was gaining. She couldn’t make out a rider on its back, but she remembered that the twelve fire dragons who had confronted Paladin were riderless. Celisse abruptly banked to the left. The other dragon kept close on her tail. She shot up, flying higher. So did the pursuing dragon, and he spit a blaze as if to say he was annoyed.
Bardon, help! There’s a fire dragon after us.
“I’m on my way, Kale.”
She looked to the south and saw a dragon rise from the small encampment. Another sprang into the air after it. A few seconds later, a third followed. Turning her head, she gasped when she saw how much the fire dragon had gained on them.
Hurry, Celisse!
The fire dragon spewed out flames. The heat of the blaze came close enough that Kale felt the force of it on her back. The next projection singed Celisse’s tail. Celisse screeched and beat her wings harder.
I should be able to do something.
Kale tried to pick up the enemy dragon’s thoughts. When she touched its mind, she backed away from its fury for only a moment before she closed in and sent a message.
You’ve picked the wrong target. Risto will be furious.
The fire dragon faltered, then roared and sent out another flame. But its hesitation gave Celisse enough lead to avoid being hit again.
They were close enough to the oncoming dragons for Kale to make out who they were. Bardon led the charge on Greer, Brunstetter followed on Foremoore, and Dar brought up the rear on Merlander. Both Bardon and Brunstetter held lances ready to throw. They swept past Kale on either side of Celisse. Kale whipped her head around to see them hurl their weapons at the pursuing fire dragon. Both lances hit their marks. The dragon bellowed. Dar bolted past her, and she saw him swinging a hadwig. The spiked ball soared through the air and hit the fire dragon square on its head. Brunstetter and Bardon turned in a wide circle and prepared to make a second assault. The fire dragon had had enough. With its wings beating an irregular rhythm, it lost altitude.
Foremoore, Greer, and Merlander took up positions to escort Celisse home.
Thank you. Her gratitude went to each dragon and their riders.
“I’m glad you returned to us,” Dar’s voice warmly greeted Kale.
Thank you, Dar. And thanks to you, Bardon. Brunstetter, it is very good to see you! Where’s Regidor?
Bardon answered, “Regidor has been acting strangely. At first I thought he was ashamed because he was unable to protect you from the grawligs and prevent them from hauling you off. But I don’t think that’s really why he’s disappearing all the time. When he shows up again, he’s very morose.”
He could be worried about me. He’s bonded to me.
“You talk to him after you’ve seen your mother. Maybe you can determine what’s wrong with him.”
A thought occurred to Kale, and with it came a pang of apprehension. She kept these thoughts to herself as she speculated. Would Regidor consider joining forces with the beautiful, beguiling Gilda?
They landed in an open field. Brunstetter and Bardon offered to unsaddle the dragons so Dar could take Kale to her mother.
“Celisse’s tail!” Kale ran back to see whether her dragon’s hindquarters had been injured from the one blast of fire that had made a hit. A layer of soot covered the glistening scales, but no real damage had been done. Kale gave the black and silver dragon a hug and followed Dar across the field.
“Is my mother badly injured?” Kale asked as they hurried past mariones, kimens, o’rants, and tumanhofers sleeping on makeshift cots and bedrolls.
“Yes, she was,” said Dar, “but Fenworth and Cam repaired much of the damage. You and Gymn will bring her back to good health, I’m sure.”
They entered a large tent. Kale rushed to the figure lying on a nice bed, took her wrinkled hand, and pressed it to her cheek. Lyll Allerion looked as she had the first time Kale met her in Meiger’s tavern.
“Mother?”
Lyll opened her eyes, and a tired smile traced her lips.
Gymn came out of his pocket-den and hopped onto Lyll’s chest. Kale put one hand on the little dragon, and the other held her mother’s hand.
“I have something to give you, my child.” Lyll fumbled in her bedclothes and pulled out a disk on a chain. “I thought for a minute this afternoon that I had been foolhardy enough to lose my life. If that were to happen, you would be an orphan again. It is my hope that we might rescue Kemry. Take this disk. It will help you identify your father lest Risto try to trick you.”
“I have a disk like that.”
“You do?” The surprise in her mother’s weak voice made Kale smile.
“Granny Noon gave it to me, but she didn’t tell me how it works.”
“Do you have it now? I can show you how it works.”
Kale let go of her mother’s hand and pulled the thong around her neck, lifting the red pouch from beneath the nightgown she still wore. She emptied the coinlike piece of silver into her palm.
Lyll held out her hand. “Give it to me and watch what happens.”
Kale placed the notched disk into Lyll’s palm. At first, nothing happened. Then the shine of the metal grew brighter. As she continued to watch, one of the notches foamed at the cut edges and closed together. When the shine diminished, the coin had only one notch.
Lyll Allerion opened Kale’s fist by gently prying on her clamped fingers. She put the coin back in her daughter’s hand. “When you find your father, the other notch will heal.”
Kale stared at the one-notched disk and slowly closed her fingers over it. She looked up at the tired old woman in the bed.
“You really are my mother,” she whispered.
“Yes, I am. How do you feel about that?”
Tears rolled down Kale’s cheeks. “I don’t know.”
“Are you sorry I am not as beautiful as the other mother you found?”
She shook her head. “No, I always liked you better.”
“Do you think you could love me?”
Kale nodded and threw herself into her mother’s arms. She sobbed for a moment, but a jolt of energy passing through the circle of healing made her jump back. Still holding onto her mother’s arms, Kale looked into the young face of Lyll Allerion.
She giggled. “You’re young again.”
Lyll laughed. “Yes, that was a mighty potent healing. Now I must get up and get dressed. Bardon has been telling me Regidor is having problems. Shall we go see about our friend?”
Kale saw the morning sun peeking through the tent flap. She’d been up all night. But her mother was right. They must talk to Regidor.
“What color should I wear today?” asked Lyll. “Yellow or blue?”
“Yellow,” said Kale. “It’s going to be a bright day.”
“Is it, dear? I predict problems, and thus, yellow is the perfect choice.” She nodded at the dress slung over a chair. “Yellow!” Lyll examined her daughter’s attire. “I do believe you could use a dress as well.”