DragonLight (43 page)

Green fruit like a pear.

peggle-pins

Targets in the game peggledy pin.

pnard potatoes (puh-nard´)

Starchy, edible tuber with pale pink flesh.

pricklebarrel

A large fruit with juicy yellow flesh, a thick prickly brown skin, and a sprout of tough pointed leaves at the top.

razterberry (ras´-ter-bâr-ee)

Small red berries that grow in clusters somewhat like grapes on the sides of mountains. The vines are useful for climbing.

repeat

One of the levels of the Followers.

ribbets (rib´-bits)

Ball game played between two teams, similar to soccer.

schop

A casserole made from pricklebarrel fruit and cheese.

seeker

One of the levels of the Followers.

Sellaran

An extinct bird that legend says was instrumental in the rebellion of Pretender.

stakes

A disease that leaves the victim stiff for weeks after the fever has passed and can recur when the patient becomes overtired. For children, the symptoms pass. In adults, the side effects can last ten to twenty years.

trang-a-nog tree (trăng´-uh-n
g)

A tree with smooth, olive green bark.

tumanhofers (too´-mun-hoff-erz)

One of the seven high races. Short, squat, powerful fighters, though for the most part, they prefer to use their great intellect.

tumport

An infusion of root herbs served hot.

tundra pear tree

An odd tree whose fruit is juicy considering the arid land it grows on.

urohms (ū-rōmz´)

Largest of the seven high races. Gentle giants, well proportioned and very intelligent.

watch

A unit of dragons (like gaggle of geese).

wild yellow dropsies

A wildflower. The stem is long, the flower heavy, and therefore the blossom bows.

Praise for
DragonLight

“Engaging characters, enchanting locales, and perilous creatures await the brave soul who enters the realm of Amara. Donita K. Paul’s DragonKeeper chronicles will surely delight fantasy readers with the kind of story that allows a reader to escape into it, but its powerful message lingers long after the final page is turned.”

—W
AYNE
T
HOMAS
B
ATSON
, author of The Door Within Trilogy

“Donita K. Paul is amazing!
DragonLight
has the allegorical depth to satisfy the most discerning adult seeking spiritual depth, yet it is fun enough to fascinate a child. This book will enthrall, uplift, and, if allowed, change lives—as we are gently drawn to realize that each of us is flawed and must have patience with other flawed believers.”

—H
ANNAH
A
LEXANDER
, author of
Double Blind

“
DragonLight
is a delight, but I wouldn’t expect anything less from the marvelous Donita K. Paul. I heartily recommend her books to all ages who love inspirational fantasy and wonderful creatures. Ms. Paul not only supplies imagination and talent, she provides heart and soul. Another winner!”

—K
ATHRYN
M
ACKEL
, author of
Boost

“Humans and dragons join forces in a quest that leads to a final confrontation with ultimate evil. This is rich, exciting, mythic adventure, told as only Donita K. Paul can tell it. I predict that
DragonLight
will be your favorite book in the DragonKeeper chronicles!”

—J
IM
D
ENNEY
, author of
Battle Before Time
and
Lost in Cydonia

“C. S. Lewis once said, ‘A strict allegory is like a puzzle with a solution. A great romance is like a flower whose smell reminds you of something you can’t quite place. I think the “something” is the whole quality of life as we actually experience it.’ In
DragonLight,
Donita K. Paul captures the haunting fragrance that reminds us of a place we think we’ve visited—or did we only dream it? This book will transport you to a world that captures the whole quality of life, whether it’s the delight of a tiny dragon’s hiccups or the very portal through which we meet the one, true, living God.”

—W
ENDY
L
AWTON
, author of the Daughters of the Faith series

“Donita K. Paul’s vivid imagery and startling plot twists will delight fans, as Kale and Bardon unravel the mysteries behind eerie unmapped villages, a hidden colony of meech dragons, and a dark presence threatening the land of Amara.”

—K
ACY
B
ARNETT
-G
RAMCKOW
, author of The Genesis Trilogy

D
RAGON
L
IGHT

P
UBLISHED BY
W
ATER
B
ROOK
P
RESS

12265 Oracle Boulevard, Suite 200

Colorado Springs, Colorado 80921

A division of Random House Inc.

All Scripture paraphrases are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

The characters and events in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to actual persons or events is coincidental.

Copyright © 2008 by Donita K. Paul

Published in association with the literary agency of Alive Communications Inc., 7680 Goddard Street, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920,
www.alivecommunications.com
.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Published in the United States by WaterBrook Multnomah, an imprint of The Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Random House Inc., New York.

W
ATER
B
ROOK
and its deer design logo are registered trademarks of WaterBrook Press.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Paul, Donita K.

Dragonlight : a novel / Donita K. Paul. — 1st ed.

p. cm.

1. Dragons—Fiction. 2. Religious fiction. I. Title.

PS3616.A94D726 2008

813'.6—dc22

2008006374

www.waterbrookpress.com

eISBN: 978-0-307-44625-1

v3.0