22
CROSSING THE VALLEY
Dar hurried down the path. Kale plodded along, with frequent peeks behind her to see if Celisse still followed. Traveling through the woods was easier than Kale had expected. The huge trunks were spaced far apart with only small, scattered plants for underbrush. Towering trees shaded them. Sudden whiffs of air breezed down the path, shaking the leaves, stirring the dirt at their feet, and cooling the travelers. They walked for more than an hour along the wagon path through the trang-a-nog woods.
Ahead of them, Kale saw a sudden end to the forest. Dar halted by the last tree and leaned a shoulder against its smooth, olive-green trunk while he waited for Kale to catch up. Puzzled, she quickened her pace. From where she was, it looked like the path ended abruptly with nothing but blue sky beyond. She came to a standstill beside Dar and stared with wonder.
The trang-a-nog woods grew right up to the edge of a large valley. The land dropped away within feet of the last tree. The wagon trail veered off to the right and followed the edge in a long circuitous route to the bottom of the cliff.
A river ran through the green basin. Outcroppings of great orange and red rocks dotted the gently rolling hills. Flocks of sheep could be seen as clusters of tiny gray splotches. Rock walls made lines from hillside to hillside. Small buildings looked like toys set among the scenery. Here and there a square of cultivated land displayed the darker green of produce not yet harvested or the yellowish tinge that indicated an early crop.
On the other side of the valley, a sheer cliff rose abruptly. At the top, a dark fortress stood sentinel. Beneath the castle walls, halfway down the vertical rock face, a waterfall emerged and plummeted to the base. A mist rose there, obscuring the bottom of the cascade. A generous stream coursed away from the gray rock to join the river many miles distant.
Dar nodded toward the fort. “Is that where Leetu is being held?”
Kale concentrated, but nothing came to her mind. “I don’t know.”
The doneel turned and gave her a searching look. “You’re tired.”
She nodded. She let the pack straps slip from her shoulders and lowered them none too carefully to the ground.
“Kale, I think this sounds like something I’ve already told you today.” A teasing grin spread across Dar’s face. “You have a healing dragon in your pocket.”
She stared at him blankly for a moment. Then she realized what he hinted at and felt stupid for not thinking of it herself.
He rested a hand on her arm. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You aren’t used to having things such as a healing dragon at your disposal.”
Dar took hold of her elbow and guided her to a soft clump of tumpgrass in the shade of a tree.
“Here, sit,” he told her. “I’ll get Gymn out. We’ll lay out the moonbeam cape, and you two can take a nap. I feel like playing a bit on my flute. By the time you awake, you’ll be refreshed and ready for the next part of our journey. And my soul, which I have to admit is a bit distressed, will have regained some peace.”
Dar proceeded to make Kale comfortable, giving her a cup of water from their bottled supply and a biscuit smeared with some of Granny Noon’s purpleberry jam.
Kale finished her snack, curled up on the cape with Gymn nestled against her cheek, and listened to Dar’s mellow tune from the silver flute. Sleep had almost claimed her when she remembered something she wanted to ask the doneel.
“Dar, I heard Granny Noon’s voice.”
The music stopped. “Just now?”
“No. When I was on Celisse’s back. After the attack.”
“What did she say?”
“I was trying to remember just exactly what to say to make sure I got what I wanted. You know, about blocking minds and not getting hurt by wicked thoughts when I tried to find out something. I heard Granny Noon’s voice say, ‘Not the right words, but a heart in the right place.’ I figure she meant that as long as my intentions were to follow Paladin and go the way of Wulder, then if I bungled up the words a bit, it wouldn’t matter.”
“That sounds right.” Dar put his flute back to his lips.
“But I wanted to ask you”—she watched Dar lower his instrument again—“how did I hear her from so far away? Leetu told me there’s a limit to how far you can be from someone and still mindspeak.”
“Granny Noon is a powerful emerlindian. It could be that she spoke to you. But it could also be that the words you heard were very like something she told you, and you remembered them when you needed them. Or…”
“Or?”
“Or Wulder may have answered your questions, and you heard Him in the voice of one you trust.”
Kale sat up. “Wulder mindspeaks!”
Dar laughed. “What’s so amazing about Wulder speaking to one of His creations?”
Kale lay down again, not at all happy that she’d revealed again how much she didn’t know.
“I just didn’t think of Him being around like that. I mean, to talk to, or listen to, or…something.”
“You mean you thought He would be busy, too busy to take note of you.”
“Well, yes.”
Dar played a refrain from the soothing melody he’d started before. When the notes stopped, she held her breath, wondering what he would say.
“I guess you’ve got to get used to not being a slave. When you were a slave, those in authority over you commanded you to get things done without caring much about how you felt and what you wanted. Now that you’ve chosen to be a servant to Paladin, you’ll have many people who look out for your best interest.”
His tune began again. Kale let out the breath she was holding, but she couldn’t relax. Gymn nuzzled her cheek, and she stroked his back.
The problem with what Dar says is this: I didn’t choose to be a servant. While I was a slave, I was commanded to go be a servant. Do the things Dar talks about count for me? I’m serving Paladin because the village council said I have to.
Dar’s serene music and Gymn’s healing touch eased her into a tranquil state. Still, her doubt about being Paladin’s servant buzzed around in her head like a worrisome bee until the monotonous hum lulled her to sleep.
When she opened her eyes, the sun had eased down to the western horizon. Across the valley, it blazed red behind the dark fortress. Dar sat propped against a tree trunk, his eyes closed, a soft snore accenting his breathing.
Hurry! The word popped into Kale’s mind, and she sat up.
“Dar!”
The doneel woke with a start.
Kale stood. She gazed across the darkening valley to the ominous structure on the cliff side. The sun glared around it, making a silhouette of the tall, straight walls. She squinted, unable to turn her focus from the source of an urgent call. “It’s Leetu. She is in that fortress. It’s the stronghold of Wizard Risto. We must get her out.”
“It will take us three days to cross the valley and another two days to climb to the fort.”
“We don’t have that much time.” Kale turned toward the woods. Celisse, come help us.
The riding dragon lumbered out of the trees onto the path and trotted the remaining few yards.
Kale transferred her gaze to Dar. His lips formed an uncompromising straight line. His scowl angered her. Gymn trembled on her shoulder, and she reached up to put a protective hand over the little dragon.
“Celisse is willing to help. I know you don’t trust her, but if we don’t allow her to take us, Leetu will die.”
Dar said nothing.
“Fine,” shouted Kale. She plucked Gymn off her shoulder and bent to place him in his pocket-den. She gathered up her cape and flung it over her shoulders.
“You walk.” She hurled the words at Dar. “I’m riding.” She picked up both of Leetu’s packs and marched to the dragon.
“Stop.”
Kale ignored Dar’s command. She tromped over to the dragon and asked her to lie down, standard procedure for mounting such a large animal. Celisse complied readily, and Kale attached Leetu’s packs to the proper straps at the back of the saddle.
Dar came up to Kale before she could put her foot on Celisse’s leg and give herself a boost up.
“Stop, Kale.” Dar placed a firm hand on her arm. “I agree with you, but stop and think. Calm down. You mustn’t act on emotion alone. You have to plan.”
Kale turned to the doneel, placed her clenched fists on her hips, and stood with her feet far apart.
Dar cocked an eyebrow and blessed her with his most charming smile. “You look like you’re about to challenge me to a round of fisticuffs. We’re on the same side, remember?”
The sparkle in his eye and the appealing wink he gave her undermined her determination to rush off to Leetu’s rescue. She frowned at him.
“Just what is it you agree with?” She growled the question, trying to sound unmoved by his winsome ways.
“We have to get to Leetu quickly, and the only way to do that is on Celisse’s back.”
“We have to trust her,” Kale insisted.
Dar nodded. He went to the dragon’s head and placed a hand on her cheek. Next to her profile, he looked very small indeed. But the huge dragon nodded gently, responding to his touch. The doneel looked deep into the dragon’s slanted eye.
“You know I don’t like this, Celisse. And you understand why.” He patted her and stroked the gray scales of her face. “I’m hoping you will do everything within your power to control your anger should we run into a skirmish with the enemy. I’m not only trusting you with my life, but with the life of this young o’rant girl and the life of a very fine emerlindian warrior.”
In touch with Celisse’s emotions, Kale’s heart swelled with the riding dragon’s desperate need to have another chance. If Celisse could succeed on desire alone, she would do well. She truly desired to serve Paladin and make up for her rash behavior back at the farm.
Kale pressed her lips together, waiting for Dar’s pronouncement. She feared any effort she made to sway the doneel in the dragon’s favor might fail and cause more anguish than good.
He stepped back and again faced Kale. “If Celisse will fly us to the other side of the valley and land not too far from Risto’s fortress, then we will plan how to enter. You said that Risto was expected at the farm tonight. If he is there, then he is not in the castle. We have a better chance of freeing Leetu tonight than at any other foreseeable time.”
He looked to the west. The sun had slipped behind the horizon. Only the soft orange glow of sunset edged the cliff top.
“We’ll wait ten minutes more to take advantage of the darkness. We want to get as close as possible.”
The few minutes ticked by torturously, but finally Dar gave the signal. He surprised Kale by allowing her to take the front seat. He situated his small frame behind her.
Once they were in the air, the frustration of having to wait faded away. Dread, however, crept into Kale’s heart. They would probably only have one chance to free Leetu. She didn’t worry about the riding dragon messing up their plan. Rather, she worried that she might do something awkward and give them away. Or she might freeze in terror when Dar needed her to be calm and quick.
She tried to think of the words Granny Noon had given her.
My thoughts belong to me and Wulder.
And Dar says You listen to me, and You talk to me too.
Well, Wulder, I thank You for being interested in what I’m doing. Kale took a deep breath. Please tell me what to do and when, so I don’t mess up.
In Wulder’s service, I search for truth. I’m searching for Leetu, Wulder. And a way to get into that castle. And a way to get out. Don’t forget a way to get out.
I stand under Wulder’s authority. I’m entering into the domain of an evil wizard. Please keep me and Dar and Celisse and Gymn from harm. And Leetu as well.
Celisse soared heavenward. A large yellow moon hung low in the sky. A halo gleamed around it. To the east, stars blinked and glimmered in a stunning array. The beauty of her surroundings almost wiped out the tingle of fear in her heart.
“A little bit of fear is all right,” said Dar. “It keeps you alert and helps you react promptly.”
Kale did not answer. Does he read my mind? He says he doesn’t, but he’s always picking up on what I’m feeling. She waited, expecting the doneel to make a comment. If he denies he can read my mind, I’ll know he was reading my mind. Dar said nothing.
They swooped in a large circle and came to rest in a field beyond a wood at the west side of Risto’s castle.
“Celisse,” said Dar as soon as he and Kale stood on the ground, “you must hide in the trees. You can’t come into the fortress with us, but you must be where we can reach you moments after we get out.”
Kale sensed the riding dragon’s agreement. The rescuers moved stealthily into the cover of the trees.
Dar paused. “Kale, I want you to use your talent to search the area around us. Are there soldiers or guards of any kind nearby?”
Kale relaxed, closed her eyes, and let her mind reach beyond the area where they stood.
“Kimens, there are dozens of kimens all around us.” Kale’s brow furrowed as she sorted through the impressions coming into her mind. “Dar, I know right where Leetu is, a dark, cold room with stone walls. If we get inside that fortress, I can lead us directly to her. Everything is so clear. Earlier today I couldn’t use my talent at all. Now it’s like a fog has lifted. I sense Leetu just as clearly as I can see the moon.”
“Your eyes are closed, and the moon has a haze around it.”
Kale grinned and opened her eyes. She looked at Dar, expecting an explanation from her wise companion in spite of his caustic remark.
Dar rubbed his furry chin with a hand. “The more you exercise your talent, the stronger it gets. This morning you overused it when you healed Celisse with Gymn. On top of all the other mindspeaking, you threw images into the guards’ minds. Add the emotional strain of the circumstances, and you taxed your ability to the point of exhaustion.
“You’ll have to learn to pace yourself. I can’t think of anything more disastrous than to have your talent come to an abrupt stop while we’re engaged in something like escorting Leetu out of Risto’s stronghold.”
“The kimens are coming,” Kale announced.
“I’m not surprised. Ever since the Battle of Ordray, they’ve kept watch on the forces of evil.”
“Can such little people help us?” The kimens appeared too fragile for any type of battle.
Dar laughed. “Oh, yes. For one thing, a kimen can light the way through any dark passages we encounter.”
Kale tilted her head in puzzlement.
“Kale, kimens wear light. They have no clothing other than beams of light they draw to themselves. They control the color of that radiance and can dim it at will.”
“I’ve seen kimens, Dar. They wear soft, fluttering clothing that floats around them and stirs in a breeze. It looks like the gauzy material Granny Noon wrapped our food in.”
“Have you ever touched one?” asked Dar. “Have you ever brushed up against a kimen and felt the texture of his garment?”
“No.”
“It’s neither hot nor cold. It’s not rough or smooth or thick or thin. It’s light, and you can’t feel it with your fingers.”
Kale looked down at her moonbeam cape and remembered Dar tricking her into believing it was made from real moonbeams.
“No, Kale.” His voice interrupted her suspicions. “I’m not teasing. Kimens gather light. A kimen is just what we need to guide us in Risto’s castle.”