DragonLight (42 page)

Labored breathing broke the quiet. The great beast crumpled to the ground as his legs gave out. He rolled on his side and struggled to pull air in and push it out. His skin continued to steam and then to disintegrate. Much as the scale fliers’ bodies turned to powder after death, the evil dragon turned from a solid mass to a mound of dark dust. Not even a rib curved into the air above the vestiges of the vile monster.

The wind picked up and blew the sickening odor away and dispersed the remains of Mot Angra. As the hill diminished, several lumps could be seen in the residue. The lumps moved and walked out of the dragon’s dirt.

A cheer went up among the forces of Paladin as the warriors realized the three sent by Wulder had survived.

Kale squeezed Bardon’s arm so hard he thought it would bruise. “They’re alive. Our champions have lived through death.”

Bardon blinked back new tears as Regidor left his side, running down the slope toward his wife.

Thinking of the many tranquil images of Kale’s face at the old tumanhofer’s home, Bardon asked, “Did you know this is the way it would end?”

She pressed her face against his chest. “This is what I hoped for.” She leaned back and gazed into his eyes.

Their thoughts mingled. Penn, home, too many dragons to count. Bardon kissed her forehead. “Soon, lady of mine. Soon we can take Penn home.”

The roar of the crowd claimed their attention. Two urohms hoisted Toopka and Sittiponder into the air and placed them on their shoulders. Regidor and Gilda walked arm in arm behind them. An impromptu parade of clapping, cheering soldiers streamed behind the heroes as they progressed toward the hill where Paladin stood waiting. The kimens danced among them.

Music broke out. First indistinct and disjointed, but as more of the crowd joined in, the most popular of Wulder’s marching songs echoed throughout the throng. Those who did not wield an instrument sang gustily. When the surge of revelers reached the top, Paladin joined in the celebration, leading them on toward the camp.

It took hours for the joy to expel its last breath in a sigh of contentment and relief. The camp settled down, many of the warriors making the trek to the canyon and the village of Bility.

Bardon looked around the campfire where those he knew best had settled. Paladin gestured to Toopka, and the small doneel came to stand before him.

“You’ve done well, my little friend.”

She nodded.

“Tell me how you came to lead the march that destroyed Mot Angra.”

“You mean why did the others go with me?”

“Yes.”

“They’re all bigger than me, sir. I couldn’t really tell them what to do. And when they said they were coming, too, well, I kind of liked the idea of not going by myself. I knew because Wulder told me that I needed to get that egg into Mot Angra. But He never said I had to go alone.”

Paladin crooked a finger, and Sittiponder approached.

“Why did you decide to stand by Toopka’s side?”

“I could see it was my place. Wulder gave me my sight, and I knew He wouldn’t have done that right before this big thing was going to happen unless He wanted me to be right there to watch after Toopka.”

“Gilda?”

The stately meech disengaged herself from her husband’s arm and came forward. “I went as a representative of the meech.” She looked down at the ground. “Not because we have so much to offer this world, but because this world has offered us refuge.” She lifted her face and looked Paladin directly in the eye. “Before Toopka brought me back with the touch of that egg to my lips, I stood in a place where truth is vivid. To my sorrow, I can’t remember everything revealed to me there. But the promise that I would one day return stays with me.”

Paladin took her hand and kissed it.

Toopka tugged on his sleeve. “It was pretty when the kimen joined us, wasn’t it?”

Paladin scooped her into his arms. “It was spectacular.”

E
PILOGUE

Kale nodded to the far end of the palatial room where Bardon stood, talking with several men. “Do you think Paladin is looking fat?”

Her mother’s peal of laughter caught the attention of everyone in the room.

“Mother,” Kale whispered, “don’t say anything outrageous.” She handed her mother a tiny baby wrapped in pink and took the one in blue.

Lyll smiled at those in attendance and held up her granddaughter as if showing off a prize. Two minor dragons switched places, one following the girl babe to Lyll’s shoulder, the other leapt to Kale’s back, then peered down at the nursing baby boy.

Lyll shooed the protector dragon to one side and proceeded to thump the babe’s little back. “You are the one who’s outrageous. Fat?” Her eyes examined the tallest man in the group with Bardon. “He’s certainly filled out some. Comfortably content, not fat, dear. We became accustomed to his looking wan and gaunt. Now he is healthy, robust.”

Paladin looked up and caught Lyll’s eye. She smiled and nodded. He responded in kind and went back to his conversation.

“Speaking of robust and healthy,” said Lady Lyll, “where is Penn? It’s his third birthday. You’d think he’d be in the middle of things.”

Kale looked around. “There’s no food here.” She let her mind reach out. “Fly says he’s following a servant carrying a platter of daggarts.”

A side door opened, and a line of uniformed maids bustled in and placed refreshments on a long table covered with a brightly patterned cloth.

“There he is,” said his proud grandmother.

“Where?”

“He just ducked under the table.”

In a minute the servants departed, leaving behind a scrumptious array of food. As soon as the door whisked shut, a little hand appeared, reaching from beneath the tablecloth and patting the serving space.

“Penn!” Kale whispered in exasperation.

Lyll just laughed.

The hand located a plate and pulled it closer to the edge. Fingers stretched and found a brown, crunchy daggart. Fly landed on the wrist of the thief and nipped her boy. Penn dropped his treasure and withdrew his hand. Fly flew under the table, and Kale heard her scold.

Lyll sighed. “Does Penn like being a big brother?”

Kale nodded with a rueful grin. “He says babies should come one at a time. Our babies’ hair is too black. Their eyes are too blue. They smell bad sometimes. They won’t play, and they don’t talk. Yet he absolutely adores them. He is glad they came for his big birthday party.”

“Is there something special he wants?” Grandma had a gleam in her eye. “He wants to see his Uncle Regidor and Aunt Gilda and, of course, Toopka and Uncle Dar.”

“Regidor visits frequently, does he not?”

“Yes, but Sir Dar does not. He felt the wanderlust and took Toopka to tour the world. They’ve been gone quite a long time.”

“They’ve promised to come?”

Kale nodded. “I’m going to sneak Penn a treat before he knocks something off the table or strangles Fly.”

She put the sleeping boy in the wide cradle and scooted over to the table.

“Come out, Penn.”

Sheepishly, her older son emerged. He made an awkward attempt to straighten his party clothes. Kale helped him tuck his shirt in.

“Do you want a daggart?”

“Yes, please.”

“All right. Next time, ask.” She picked up a small plate and, using tongs, selected several small treats.

“Who’s that, Mommy?”

“Where?”

“With Uncle Dar.”

Kale turned to the door where Sir Dar stood with a very winsome young lady doneel. “Oh my, she is pretty. I believe your uncle Dar is, at long last, caught.”

“He’s caught?”

“You can see it in his eye.”

“He’s got something caught in his eye?”

More interested in analyzing the affection between the two newcomers to the party, Kale responded to her inquisitive son without much thought. “He’s enamored.”

“Armored?”

Kale put the plate on the table. “Let’s go meet Uncle Dar’s lady-love.”

She took one of Penn’s hands, but not before the other one had reached back and snatched one of the daggarts.

Kale hurried across the room. “Sir Dar!” She leaned over to kiss him in her favorite spot of soft fur between his ears. “Who is your friend?”

The lady giggled, and the familiar sound shocked Kale. “Toopka?”

The doneel bobbed her lovely head. “It’s me.”

“How did you grow up in two years?”

“Two and a half since we saw you last, although I’ve really been grown for a year now.”

“I don’t understand.” Kale gasped. “You’re the woman in the story you told us. I assumed you were one of the children who witnessed the tragedy.”

“I was that woman. Wulder gave me a gift to carry in my heart and made me a child. The more time passed, the hazier my memory became of what actually happened.”

“You didn’t know what you carried next to your heart?”

“I knew He’d given me a gift, and I thought I had lost it.”

Paladin came from across the room, knelt before Toopka, and kissed both her cheeks. “I am glad to see you well.”

He stood and shook hands with Sir Dar. “I see you are content.”

“Content,”
Kale’s mother whispered in her mind.
“Content seems to be the word of the hour.”

It’s a lovely word, Mother.

“Yes, I agree. The Tomes say, ‘Content as I am is far superior to content as I was or content as I am to be.’”

Bardon and Sir Kemry approached and greeted the old friends.

Bardon smiled down at the couple. “I hardly recognized you, Toopka.”

She giggled.

He pointed a finger at her. “That I recognize.”

Sir Kemry harrumphed. “I finally get to ask my question.” All eyes turned toward him. “Toopka, when did you know what to do with that egg?”

She shook her head. “I never really knew. But as if my steps were ordered, I just kept walking. Sittiponder went with me, but then, he always did. When we got closer to the battlefield, he pulled out his sword. But his old one had been replaced with a gleaming blade. Then kimens collected around me, and I still didn’t know where we were going. But I could hear Wulder’s voice. ‘Go. Do not fear. I go before you. I will open the evil one’s mouth and destroy him.’”

Several of the women who pressed near oohed at that statement.

“Then Gilda came to walk with me, and she’s so big, I thought everything would be all right.

“I heard Wulder laugh. He said, ‘Her size makes you confident? Child, you should see Your Creator in all His glory. Size?’ Then He laughed again, and I felt warm and safe.

“When we reached Mot Angra and he spoke, I opened my mouth and words came out. I was very surprised when he swallowed us. But inside the darkness, a fresh breeze blew. I could hear singing, and I held Gilda’s and Sittiponder’s hands. Then the darkness fell away like a mist settling on the ground.”

Her eyes opened in earnestness. “I’d do it again. It was so peaceful.” She frowned. “But I think it was wise not to tell me ahead of time what I was expected to do.”

Sir Dar took her hand, raised it to his lips, and kissed it. “Wulder is wise.”

“Did you come for my birthday party?” asked Penn.

“Yes.” Toopka beamed at him.

“Here.” Penn thrust out his hand, offering a daggart with the top licked and one bite gone. “For you. You had a hard time getting here.”

Toopka pulled him into her arms and squeezed him. “We all have a hard time on our journey, Penn. But Wulder gets us to the destination.”

“Is He coming too?” He looked over his shoulder at the banquet table. “Does He eat a lot? You said He was big.”

“He gives more than He takes. It’s the way He is.”

Coming Summer 2009 from Donita K. Paul

A fantastical new tale set in the world of the DragonKeeper chronicles

—a different continent and a different time—

featuring a cast of characters whose adventures will touch your life.

To get a sneak peek, visit
www.dragonkeeper.us
!

G
LOSSARY

Amara (ä´-mä-rä)

Continent surrounded by ocean on three sides.

anvilhead snake

A long, thin snake whose outsized head is supported by thick neck muscles.

bisonbecks (b
´-sen-beks)

Most intelligent of the seven low races. They comprise most of Risto’s army.

bobbin bird

A small thrush.

bridesbark

The dried root of a deciduous tree with aromatic bark.

buzz-stinger

Similar to our bumblebee.

chukkajoop (chuk´-kuh-joop)

A favorite o’rant stew made from beets, onions, and carrots.

cinamacress

A perennial water plant with peppery-flavored leaves and stems.

daggarts (dag´-garts)

A baked treat, a small crunch cake.

doneels (dō´-neelz)

One of the seven high races. These people are furry with bulging eyes, thin black lips, and ears at the top and front of their skulls. A flap of skin covers the ears and twitches, responding to the doneel’s mood. They are small in stature, rarely over three feet tall. Generally are musical and given to wearing flamboyant clothing.

dryfus tree

A small spiny tree.

echo

A leader in the Follower movement.

emerlindians (
´-mer-lin´-dee-inz)

One of the seven high races, emerlindians are born pale with white hair and pale gray eyes. As they age, they darken. One group of emerlindians are slight in stature, the tallest being five feet. Another distinct group are between six and six and a half feet tall.

Followers

A sect of people purporting to follow Wulder more closely than the average citizen.

forms

A regimented set of exercises.

giddinfish

A freshwater food and game fish; usually has a streamlined, speckled body with small scales.

glommytucks (gl
m´-me-t
ks)

Large aquatic birds with a long slender neck and shorter, rounder bills than ducks. Lay large clutches of eggs and are wonderful birds for roasting.

gotza fruit

Edible fruit from a spiny-stemmed cactus.

granny emerlindian

Grannies are male or female, said to be five hundred years old or older, and have darkened to a brown complexion with dark brown hair and eyes.

grawligs (graw´-ligz)

One of seven low races, mountain ogres.

heatherhens

Chickenlike birds having brown plumage with speckled breasts and short tails.

jimmin (j
m-m
n)

Any young animal used for meat. We would say veal, lamb, or spring chicken.

kimens (k
m´-enz)

The smallest of the seven high races. Kimens are elusive, tiny, and fast. Under two feet tall.

kindias (kin´-dee-uhz)

Large land mammals noted for speed, strength, and endurance. Kindias are exceptionally adapted to traveling long distances with great efficiency and to surviving on a diet of nutrient-poor, high-fiber grasses. The shoulders are a foot or more taller than the hindquarters, giving the animal a slanted back.

kitawahdo

Tumanhofer bean soup.

lightrocks

Any of the quartzlike rocks giving off a glow.

listener

One of the levels of the Followers.

mariones (mer´-
-ownz)

One of the seven high races. Mariones are excellent farmers and warriors. They are short and broad, usually muscle-bound rather than corpulent.

meech dragon

The most intelligent of the dragons, capable of speech.

minnekens

A small, mysterious race living in isolation on the Isle of Kye.

moonbeam plant

A three-to four-foot plant having large shiny leaves and round flowers resembling a full moon. The stems are fibrous and used for making invisible cloth.

mumfers

Flowers with small, densely clustered petals.

mullins (m
l´-linz)

Fried doughnut sticks.

o’rants

One of the high races. Five to six feet tall.

parnot (pâr´-n
t)