Kale smiled and extended her hand. “Let’s get to know each other.”

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ASSIGNMENTS

Bardon looked around the crowded room and noted the odd appearance of its occupants. Lyll Allerion sat on the arm of the chair her husband sat in. Kale sat on the floor at his feet. Two women, alive with hope and love, bracing like bookends a cold man with no feeling.

Since space was limited, others in the questing party mingled with the sleeping knights, standing next to and sitting beside the unresponsive men. Granny Kye remained at her easel, detached from the others. Jue Seeno presumably listened from the basket next to the artist’s supplies.

I would love to hand over the leadership of this quest to someone else. Bardon sighed. He was obligated to fulfill his responsibilities, and he knew it. I’ll just proceed one item at a time. He paused for a moment, surveying the other worthy leaders in the room. Ah yes, Wulder, I see. Thank You for these people You have assembled for this task. Help me to hand bits of the burden You have placed on my shoulders into the most suitable hands.

“Captain Anton, the wizards have opened the front door. You and your guard will be responsible for patrolling the area. I’m sure there are grawligs interested in what we are doing here. And, of course, there may be more sinister opponents lurking about. Although this fortress seems deserted, it was at one time a stronghold for evil.” He paused to give Ahnek and Toopka a look of warning. Both youngsters nodded their understanding. Bardon turned back to Captain Anton. “I charge your men to hunt for food as well. There should be game on the mountainside.”

The captain nodded.

“Regidor, would it be possible for you to fly out and guide our dragons to this castle?”

“It will take several hours,” Regidor said. “I’ll see to it first thing in the morning.”

Bardon looked at Wizard Fenworth, who had dozed off and taken the form of a scraggly bush. A mouse peeked out from the long tangle of moss that would be his beard if he were awake. When Bardon looked again, the small creature had disappeared. I wonder if that’s Jue Seeno disguised as a mouse. He shook off the distraction.

Since Fenworth was not awake, the squire addressed Wizard Cam. “What can we do to help you discover the remedy to this spell?”

“We could use assistance in the library. If you would designate workers to sort through the books and bring any to us that have to do with wizardry, that would save time and energy. We are particularly interested in tomes pertaining to living organisms and vital processes.”

Bardon nodded. “Taylaminkadot, may I count on you and N’Rae to be in charge of meals?”

“It would be my pleasure, Squire Bardon,” said the tumanhofer.

N’Rae perked up. “I can do that, and I’ll watch after the children.”

Toopka tossed the ring she’d found from one hand to the other. “We don’t need watching after.”

Ahnek said, “Shh!” and stood up. “We’d like to continue our explorations, Squire. We might discover something useful.”

“Fine, Ahnek,” answered Bardon. “That’s a good plan. And when the dragons arrive, I want you to help with taking care of them. Regidor will escort them here, then they will return with their riders to pack our equipment and bring it along. You could be useful there, as well.”

Ahnek beamed as he accepted the responsibility and sat down again.

Holt stirred in his seat beside a stiff knight. “Is there anything you want me to do?”

“Would you rather be assigned to the guard or the library?”

“The guard.”

“Done. You’ll answer to Captain Anton.” Bardon surveyed the group. No one seemed to be eager to add to his instructions. “Any questions? Suggestions?” Most of them gave slight negative shakes of their heads. Of course, Fenworth didn’t respond. Neither did Toopka nor Granny Kye. “Regidor, I believe Taylaminkadot will need your assistance in providing for our evening meal. All right. Let’s get to work.”

They dispersed. Librettowit, with Ahnek guiding his way, led the group down to the library. Captain Anton said they would join the book search, since they wouldn’t be hunting this late in the day. Kale and Bardon followed some distance behind the others.

Kale looked at him askance. “I only counted twenty-five.”

“Twenty-five?”

“People.”

Bardon stopped in his tracks. He took her hand and started back down the hall.

“Where are we going?”

“You need to meet someone. Kale, of all the amazing things we’ve seen, this is quite beyond astonishing.”

He tugged her into the room and over to Granny Kye. There he crouched beside the minneken’s basket, pulling Kale down beside him. “Mistress Seeno, may I have the honor of introducing a special friend to you?”

“In just a minute,” her small voice came to his ears. “If I’m to meet someone new, I’d like to be presentable.”

Bardon grinned, glanced at Kale, and winked.

Don’t use your talent to find out who’s in there. I want this to be a surprise.

“I promise.”

In a minute, the cover of the basket raised slightly.

Bardon said, “Allow me,” and lifted the woven lid.

Jue Seeno appeared, elaborate hat first, with round ears peeking through the velvet brim. Face next, with pointed nose and chin, whiskers quivering, and tiny black eyes inspecting Kale.

“Give me your hand, young man,” she ordered.

Bardon let go of Kale’s hand to offer a platform for Mistress Seeno to stand on. She stepped out with the moonbeam cape swirling about her and one of her most elaborate, colorful belts encircling her waist.

“Mistress Seeno,” said Bardon in a very good imitation of Sir Dar’s cordial manner, “may I introduce Kale Allerion, Dragon Keeper and wizard of The Bogs under Wizard Fenworth?”

The minneken dipped her tiny head, and Kale, kneeling beside Bardon, did her best to curtsy. She inclined the upper half of her body.

“Kale, this is Mistress Jue Seeno of the Isle of Kye.”

“It is an honor to meet you, Mistress,” Kale replied demurely.

Bardon observed the two women inspecting each other without really seeming to. This play of manners occupied much of the time spent at court. He didn’t enjoy it there but found it rather amusing to see Kale perform the art with ease in these unusual circumstances.

Her mother has been training her, as well as Fenworth, Cam, and Librettowit. Good thing too. Who would want a woman around who only knew the crusty behavior of three old men?

Kale’s light laughter flitted through his mind. “There’s Taylaminkadot, too.”

You quit intruding on my thoughts.

“Really, Bardon. Sometimes it is more difficult not to hear what you’re thinking than to listen.” With the introductions over, Bardon moved on to important matters.

“What have you discovered in my absence, Mistress Seeno?”

“That this castle is strangely devoid of active life forms. No cats, bats, rats, or bugs. That there is a level below the cellar that is, to me, inaccessible. That Holt is more fond of N’Rae than he should be.”

As an aside to Kale, Bardon said, “Jue Seeno is N’Rae’s protector.”

Jue Seeno’s eyes narrowed. “Are you going to send that tumanhofer back as soon as the dragons get here?”

“I’ll check with Paladin’s coin, but we may not be forced to expel Bromptotterpindosset from our midst after all.”

“Why is that?”

“Our mapmaker met with enough ‘coincidences’ to be relatively assured of a universal Master’s hand.”

Jue Seeno was speechless, but only for a moment. “Wulder chooses to attract the most irregular people. I certainly wouldn’t have bothered with such a pompous braggart.”

Bardon thought it wise to change the subject. “I trust you will be actively keeping me informed of the things you observe. It’s reassuring to know you’re on duty.”

“Of course. Now if you don’t mind, I must catch up with N’Rae and that scoundrel.”

He placed her on the floor, and instead of rushing out the door, she disappeared through a crack in the wainscoting.

“Shall we go search the library with the others?” Bardon asked.

Kale nodded, and he rose from his crouched position and then gave her his hand to help her rise.

As they passed the ensorcelled form of her sleeping father, she stopped and gazed down at him.

“What are you feeling, Kale?”

She turned and looked into his eyes. The depth of her confused emotions swept through him. With a pull of his hand, he drew her into his arms and for some time just held her.

Do I feel this turmoil so strongly because I, too, have never known my father? Or is it that strange bond between us that always surfaces when we’re together?

“Both, I would think.”

I’m sorry I don’t have words to say that would comfort you.

“It’s all right, Bardon. I think words are highly overrated at times.”

He loosened his hold and looked down at her upturned face. She had particularly lovely eyes.

“Well,” he said, clearing his throat. “Let’s get busy doing something. Um…since words—”

“You just missed a perfectly good opportunity to kiss me.”

The words came into his mind with a wistful tone. He stared at Kale, whose face began to glow with a pink blush.

“You heard that!”

Yes. Sometimes it is more difficult not—

Kale placed her hand on the back of his neck. “Words are highly over—”

She didn’t apply any pressure to bring his head down to hers. Bardon felt the pull from his heart, and his kiss brushed her lips just to taste their sweetness. He pulled back and saw his own astonishment flash in Kale’s eyes. Uncertainty touched his feelings, and he saw the question in her expression. An explosion of delight replaced the trepidation, and Kale’s face lit with pleasure. Contentment followed the joy, and he felt satisfaction bounce back from the young woman in his arms. He began to laugh, and she hugged him.

“You realize,” she said, “that you have brazenly kissed me in front of my father.”

He stiffened and looked down at the sleeping knight, then shrugged. “And Wizard Fenworth. And Granny Kye. And eleven other of Paladin’s knights.”

Bardon squeezed her and then put her away from him. “I did not expect a simple kiss to be so powerful. Kale, we shall have to use a lot of words, overrated or not, before we indulge in…”

Kale widened her eyes, mischief alive in her expression. “I agree.” She giggled. “I want to be courted.”

“Courted?”

“Definitely.”

“And I agree. You deserve to be courted.”

Bardon and Kale left Granny Kye to her portrait of her two sons and Wizard Fenworth to his nap.

“Now,” said Kale as they passed through the hall, “tell me about Jue Seeno. She’s a minneken, right?”

“Right.”

“I want to know it all, Bardon. How is she the emerlindian’s protector? Why is that handsome marione Holt a scoundrel? And there was something about a coin given to you by Paladin.”

“Let’s not go directly to the library. There’re too many people there.”

“Way too many people,” they said in unison and laughed.

Bardon coaxed her toward the front staircase. “Let’s go walk in the garden instead.”

She tilted her head. “To talk?”

“To talk.”