41
GOOD NEWS, MOSTLY
Kale and her father walked among the dragons, making their acquaintance and accepting their congratulations at defeating Burner Stox. Everywhere they turned, father and daughter heard the dragons’ sweet wordless songs of victory. Although their o’rant ears could not decipher the words, through mindspeaking the lyrics came across clearly. Kale blushed at the praise leveled at them. Her father just beamed and continued to socialize with the dragons, big and small.
Sir Kemry delighted in introducing those dragons who had been his special friends before his unfortunate period of sleep. He also explained over and over that he had not deserted his comrades, but had been under a spell created by Risto. Most of the dragons understood, but a few were prickly and wanted Sir Kemry to fawn over them a bit before they forgave him.
From a distance, the bisonbeck guards kept an eye on the newcomers to the valley.
“Are they going to attack?” asked Kale.
“No, I don’t think so.” Her father stroked a green minor dragon on his shoulder. “They saw what happened to their leader and are probably not anxious to do battle with two mighty wizards and a ferocious major dragon.
“Dobkin isn’t ferocious. I think he was embarrassed when he accidentally bit the wizard’s head off.”
“Yes, I’m sure you’re right. He only intended to hold her until we could do something. She shouldn’t have hurt him. It was a reflex action on his part, not an intentional decapitation.”
Kale put her hand on her stomach. “Let’s not talk about it.” She gazed off into the surrounding hills. “The ropmas don’t know what to do, do they?”
“No, they don’t,” Sir Kemry agreed. “They’re watching to see what happens. They’re probably fond of the dragons and enjoyed taking care of them. But they’re afraid of the bisonbecks and don’t know what their guards will do in the wake of Stox’s death.”
“What can we expect from Crim Cropper?”
Sir Kemry shrugged and bent to scoop up a red minor dragon. “Hello, fella.” He rubbed under the creature’s chin. “He’s a fire dragon, Kale, rare in the major dragon species, even rarer in this size.”
“I know. How do you think Crim Cropper will get the news?”
Sir Kemry picked up a yellow dragon with his other hand. “What’s your name, little miss?” He tucked the dragon under his chin, then spoke to Kale. “I don’t know. Why are you so interested?”
“She’s his wife. He’ll feel something. Sorrow? Grief?”
“I thought they weren’t on speaking terms. Maybe he’ll feel relief.”
“Father, look.” She nodded toward the woods. A group of bisonbecks made their way from the trees to the place where Dobkin had slain Burner Stox.
“Coming to collect the dead.” Sir Kemry pursed his lips. “That’s probably your answer, Kale. Those bisonbeck soldiers will relay the message to Crim Cropper.”
“Aren’t they part of Stox’s army?”
“Yes, but now there is no ‘Stox’s army,’ so they’ll have to seek employment elsewhere. I doubt Pretender would welcome soldiers who have fought against him.”
“So they’ll join Cropper’s army?”
“If Cropper bothers to expand his army.” Sir Kemry squinted, still watching the movements of the ropmas and bisonbecks. “He’s always been more interested in his experiments and let Stox do all the outside work.”
“He might just send them away?”
“Possibly. And if they can’t be a part of either army, they don’t have any choice but to go abroad. There are wars on other continents that give mercenaries something to do.”
Kale sat in the sweet-smelling grass and allowed the smaller dragons to race over her, chasing one another and singing softly. “This nightmare could be almost over, couldn’t it, Father?”
“No, I don’t think so. Crim Cropper may never come out of his sanctum, but Pretender isn’t going to disappear and leave Amara alone.”
“I choose to be optimistic. We’ve gone from three armies ravaging the countryside to maybe one. That seems to be an improvement.”
“Umm.” Sir Kemry brought his gaze back from a gordon tree grove.
“The ropmas are coming closer.”
“What do you suppose they want?”
“Why don’t you use your talent to find out?”
“Do you really bounce back that quickly?” Kale sighed deeply. “I still feel drained from our encounter with Burner Stox. I’m finding it difficult to communicate with these dragons close at hand, let alone with ropmas a half mile away.”
Sir Kemry laughed. “I’m drained too. I was hoping that your youth provided more resilience.”
“Have you ever run yourself completely dry?”
“No, and I don’t want to. They say it takes an eon to recover.”
Sir Kemry stretched out in the grass beside her. They rested in the camaraderie of the dragons. Kale kept watch as the bisonbecks picked up Stox’s body and carried her away. The ropmas came closer after that but still kept their distance.
Kale tried to count the number of dragons in the vicinity. She couldn’t count the minor dragons. They flitted about, and from a distance, those of the same color could not be distinguished. She counted twenty-eight riding dragons, eleven major dragons, and fifteen fire dragons, who were just a bit smaller than the riding dragons. The rare fire dragons kept to themselves, in their own circle, away from the others.
Her father’s soft snore pleased Kale and eased her tension. She actually enjoyed his company, now that she’d gotten used to some of his peculiar ways. Not nearly as peculiar as Wizard Fenworth. I miss him. I miss Bardon more. I wonder what my husband is doing. Wulder, keep him safe in battle.
Gymn curled around Kale’s neck, and she leaned back in the grass. “The only thing that would make this more ideal would be to have Bardon here as well.” She sighed and slept.
Sir Kemry’s muttering filtered through Kale’s dreams. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. Gymn stretched, unwrapped himself from her neck, and skittered down to sit in her lap. Her father still slept, two green dragons curled on his chest. In his sleep, he smiled.
He sat up so suddenly, Kale started. Alarm rushed through her. “What is it?”
Sir Kemry stood. “Alton and Benrey.” He pointed to the west end of the valley. Under the low-lying cloud cover, two dragons flew toward them.
Her father’s joy swept away the anxiety of only a moment before. Kale rose to her feet and cheered as the dragons landed. The two great beasts lumbered over to where the o’rants stood and took turns stroking Sir Kemry’s head with their chins.
Benrey’s red wings extended behind him as he arched his back, head pointed at the sky. The riding dragon let out a musical warble that sent shivers of delight down Kale’s spine. At the end of Benrey’s exclamation of praise, a column of fire shot from his mouth into the air.
Kale laughed and clapped her hands. Benrey bent his head to look her in the eye and then touched her lightly on the top of her head with his chin.
Sir Kemry stroked the side of Alton’s neck. “I see you’ve been keeping fit.”
The purple and black dragon hummed his pleasure.
“Let’s get down to business, Alton, Benrey.” He nodded at each. “How many of these valley dragons are enslaved to Burner Stox, and how many will follow Paladin?”
He listened for a while to his favorite dragons’ mindspeaking, then turned to his daughter. “How much of that did you get?”
“Your two dragons have headed a movement to keep Wulder apparent in the lives of those in the valley. They’ve introduced those born here to His principles, reminded those who became despondent of His care, and tried to keep rabble-rousers in line.” She frowned at her father. She didn’t like admitting that a gaping hole in her education had just revealed itself. But pretending just wouldn’t work. “I don’t know the story of Wulder saving the dragons from a grave by opening a river of time and letting them go through. So, I didn’t get the references to that.”
Sir Kemry rested a hand on her shoulder. The yellow dragon on his arm leapt over to the back of her. “The important thing is that about three-fourths of the dragons in the valley are predisposed to follow us. They didn’t bond to Burner Stox. Some bonded to their ropma caretakers, but none to the bisonbeck guards.”
“That’s good news!”
“Benrey thinks that the fire dragons, who are the most reluctant to join with any other group, can be persuaded to fight with us as long as one of their kind is their leader.”
“That’s good news.”
“Alton doubts the ropmas will go into battle with us, but he thinks they can be trained to provide off-field assistance.”
“More good news.”
Sir Kemry rubbed the back of his neck with a hand callused by weapons of war. “Burner Stox’s spell, which prohibits flight out of the valley or leaving through the mountain passes, still stands even after her death. Alton and Benrey have searched for over thirty years and never found a way out.”
“Hmm?” Kale looked at the hills rising to mountains around them. “Not such good news.”