3
UNEXPECTED HELP
On purpose, Sir Bardon and Lady Kale rode right past the burned bower that camouflaged the entrance to Granny Noon’s underground home. They needed to find her quickly, but not at the expense of exposing her dwelling place. The fire had stripped the mountainside of the foliage that would have hidden their entry into the burrow from prying eyes. Filia and Dibl, acting as scouts, guided them to a deep ravine left unscathed by the forest fire.
Kale felt as though she’d been in the saddle for weeks instead of five days. Her soreness and fatigue passed to Bardon through their special bond, and she in turn received an impression of his attitude. His sense of urgency to find Regidor was every bit as keen as hers. He stewed over the inconvenience of being restricted to the ground instead of soaring above the hazardous landscape. In his thoughts, he expressed his frustration by calling the beast under him all manner of derogatory names.
His head turned her way when he became aware that his wife found his tirade amusing. She smiled smugly at Bardon’s chagrin and couldn’t suppress a bubble of mirth. It tickled her each time he realized that she coped with discomfort with less internal griping than he did.
And she always knew what he was thinking. That was one of the beauties of their strong connection. Many times she didn’t have to explain her viewpoint. And his unique way of looking at things popped into her head just before she was about to express total bewilderment over his actions. Her husband outshone her in so many areas, but she was the better rider when it came to horses.
The self-satisfied smirk on her face melted into a warm glow when he winked at her and she heard his next thought. He would never expect her to call an animal a string of unflattering names.
“You are so definitely a lady.”
She blushed and then heard his inward laugh. It settled within her, padding the fierce love she felt for him with a comforting amiability.
Shaking her head, she gestured toward the untouched strip of vegetation. “What happened here?”
“The fire jumped the gorge.”
“Is it safe to leave the horses?”
“If you can convince one of the woodland creatures to stand guard and come get us if there’s trouble.”
She turned her mind to exploring the life around her. The area was sparsely populated. And of those animals she found, not many possessed the intelligence to do her bidding. They’d be willing but would get distracted too easily.
A presence lurked at the edge of her consciousness. She stilled and concentrated. A wolf! The minor dragons caught her delight and chittered.
Hush! she told them. Don’t scare him away.
Cautiously, she approached him with her thoughts.
“Will he help?” asked Bardon.
Shh! I don’t mind your eavesdropping, but he might. He’s nervous.
She closed her eyes and got an impression of the wolf’s surroundings. He lay in the bushes close enough to observe the strangers in his territory.
Would this animal be helpful? Did he know her friend? Kale sent one thought. Granny Noon?
No response. So he didn’t know her by name. Kale tried again, forming an image of the emerlindian in her mind. The old woman’s skin was as dark as coal, her eyes deep brown, and her straight black hair hung almost to the floor. Small and wiry, Granny Noon looked as if she were made only of bone and muscle. But Kale knew from experience that the wise woman had a comforting embrace, gentle and soothing. Granny Noon’s image filled Kale with peace, and she was not surprised when the wolf echoed her reaction.
Aha! The wolf socialized with the emerlindian granny. She called him Brite.
Is she all right? Where is she?
Kale breathed a sigh of relief at his answer.
“She’s in her home,” she said aloud. The communication from the wolf could not be interpreted by Bardon without her assistance. “The fire did little damage below. It moved swiftly over the ground.”
Kale returned her attention to the wolf. After a moment, she expressed her gratitude and dismounted. “Brite says he’ll watch over the horses while they’re hidden here.”
She and Bardon took the horses into the ravine, then unsaddled, tethered, watered, and fed them. The rich greens in the shade of the crevasse not only gave relief to their eyes after the stark mountainside but also filled their nostrils with a pleasant fragrance. Here the horses would remain hidden from unwanted notice. Kale and Bardon would hike back to the entrance of Granny’s home.
Satisfied the horses were safe and comfortable, they climbed again to the ridge. To the best of her ability, Kale determined no one was spying on them. The surrounding mountainside seemed to be deserted of high and low races. Her talent did not reach to the forests covering the other slopes.
The sun beat down on the open area, highlighting the black expanse. She and Bardon must stand out like huge, colorful blotches on the dark backdrop.
“Is the area safe?” asked Bardon. “You’re uneasy.”
Kale scanned the surrounding area, hoping she could see with her eyes any danger that her inner sense did not pick up.
“I’m afraid I’ll make an error in judgment and bring evil to Granny Noon’s home. Before this fire, the entire forest camouflaged her front door.”
“What we need is a farsighted bird of prey.”
“Exactly!” Kale scanned the skies with enthusiasm, then wrinkled her brow.
“The fire killed or drove off many of the small animals,” Bardon explained. “The large birds followed them.” He glanced over the sooty skeletons of trees. “And there’s precious little roosting around here.”
Her shoulders drooped.
Bardon turned back to the protected ravine. “We’ll wait until dark.”
The horses nickered nervously.
“One moment, Bardon.” Kale lowered her voice. “The wolf is coming out.”
Bardon came back to stand at her side.
The black nose on a silky tan muzzle poked through the undergrowth. Kale and Bardon breathed softly and did not move. The wolf’s golden eyes peered at them, then he retreated into the bush and moved away.
“Oh, marvelous creature! Thank you.” She started after him. “He’s going to show us a back way into the burrow. No one will see us.”
They followed but at a distance. Brite still didn’t care for their company.
The ravine deepened. The wolf trotted ahead and remained out of sight. Kale trailed him by her sense of his being, knowing his direction without seeing him. Bardon, in tune with his wife’s instincts, kept pace. A mountain spring appeared, and the gorge changed directions, cutting back down the mountain. The wolf quickened his speed.
Bardon helped Kale over crumbling rock terrain. “Not afraid of leaving us behind, is he?”
“He’s hurrying to see Granny Noon. He’s almost forgotten about us.”
They scrambled to catch up.
Kale squeezed Bardon’s arm. “She’s there! He’s seen her.”
They pushed through the last thicket and saw the slight emerlindian stooped over a huge wolf, stroking his head and neck.
Startled, Kale realized Brite had suffered burns in the recent fire. His legs and underbelly displayed patches of pink, scarred skin. Singed fur and bare hide covered one flank.
The wounds had healed much more than one would expect. As Kale watched the wolf and the emerlindian interact, she knew Granny Noon must have found Brite on her doorstep and nursed him back to health.
The wolf pressed his head into the granny’s hand, bouncing on his feet and knocking against her legs.
“Easy, Brite.” Granny Noon giggled. “You’ll push me over.” She looked up and gestured to Kale and Bardon. “Come, I’ve been expecting you.”
Brite backed away and sat on his haunches. With his tongue lolling out, his expressive face looked happy.
Kale ran into Granny Noon’s embrace. “Oh my! You are so tiny.” Kale laughed. “I’d forgotten. Librettowit says emerlindians come in one width and two heights, always lean, but either five feet high or over six.”
Granny Noon’s arms tightened around Kale. “The librarian is right as usual. And I prefer to be shorter. My life in my lovely underground burrows would be complicated by a stretched-out frame.”
Her attention returned to the wolf. She gazed into his eyes for a moment, and then Brite bounded off the way they had come.
“He’ll go now to guard your horses,” she said and leaned back to get a better look at Kale. “You have grown, girl. When I first met you, you were a mere child. Now you’re a woman and married. Seven years? Yes, seven years since you first came to my door.” She patted Kale’s arm.
The seriousness of their mission descended upon Kale. “Granny Noon, we must find Regidor and Gilda.”
The old woman smiled serenely. “Surely finding a meech dragon and his lady should not be so hard. Although Regidor dresses to minimize his more startling features, he does tend to make a stir wherever he goes.”
“And he usually keeps in touch with us,” Kale said. “He drops in to visit. He sends messages. Gifts are delivered from all over the country. Librettowit receives rare books Regidor has stumbled across in his research. But we haven’t heard a thing from him in six weeks.”
Granny Noon tugged Kale gently toward the opening of her abode. “Coming, Bardon?”
“Yes.”
Kale continued, worry lacing her tone, “The last time I saw Gilda she was lethargic and a mere shade of her former self. I feared she would expire before too long. But we’ve found the cure, Granny Noon. And now we can’t find her!”
They passed through earthen tunnels with steps made out of roots, lit by blue lightrocks in lanterns attached to the wall.
“I would think,” said Granny Noon in a deep, soothing voice, “that Regidor would choose to spend the last days with his beloved somewhere safe and secluded.”
“Yes, but where?”
Granny Noon pushed the door to her rooms open. “Perhaps here.”