He choked on the blood filling his mouth. He glared at The Grawl, then shifted his gaze to the pole in his stomach. At last he slumped, and The Grawl carefully laid down the pultah.
He looked at the crowd that came closer. Seventeen schoergats circled him. The two who had hidden before had abandoned any idea of ambushing the stranger. The Grawl smiled at the acquiescence to his superior abilities.
“Who is your leader?” he asked.
They shuffled their feet and looked down.
Torn Shirt finally spoke. “We do not know your name.”
“I have no name. I am The Grawl.” He paused. “Who is your leader?”
A murmur went through the gathering. “The Grawl.”
“I will lead you to the Valley of Dragons, once guarded by Paladin. Now two old men supervise the safety of dozens of dragons, all shapes, all sizes, all ages. You will have your fill of killing. The dragons are your reward for following me.”
He waited. The idea penetrated their thinking. One female cackled, and soon the others joined in.
“We will follow you,” said Torn Shirt. “The Grawl is our leader.”
“So I am. So I am.”
42
Seeking Sage
Hollee hummed a sprightly tune as she followed Wizard Fenworth through the long tunnel that took them from the statue site to the surface.
The old gentleman complained. “If we’d had a dozen tumanhofers to help us, we’d have three of these tunnels operational in the time it’s taken to dig one.”
“One’s enough for now, isn’t it? You’ve had to set up wards to keep villains from discovering our treasure. You wouldn’t want to do that all over the valley.”
“I would. I could. But botheration, I’m getting old.”
Hollee did a cartwheel, and the wizard laughed.
“Tut, tut. Oh dear. I’m not that spry.”
“Maybe your body doesn’t jump and run like it used to, but your brain does.”
“My brain jumps and runs?” He stopped and contemplated the idea. “Hollee, I believe you’re right.”
They continued up the incline, moving toward the spot of sunshine ahead of them.
“Are we going to talk to the dragons now?” Hollee asked.
“Just one, and Hollee, this will please you. Sage is the oldest living dragon. At least the oldest anyone knows about. He is older than I am.”
Hollee’s hushed and awestruck tone revealed her amazement. “No!” She did a somersault in the air and squeaked as she came down. “Really, really?”
Wizard Fenworth nodded seriously. “Really.” He stopped only feet from the exit to the tunnel. “In fact, I believe some ceremony might be in order. Brighten your clothing, Hollee, and try to look a tad more groomed.”
Fenworth stood perfectly still for a moment as his clothes changed from the working robes he had been wearing to his very best wizard attire. His outer robe sparkled with gemmed birds, glittering bushes dotted with colorful flowers, and an embroidered waterfall with shimmering aquamarine threads.
The water looked like it flowed. Hollee watched it pour over his shoulder, down one side of the dark robe, where it ended in a froth at the hem. She came closer to examine the way it rippled and discovered that a river streamed off from the base of the fall. She followed it around to where the water traveled up the wizard’s back to fall again over his shoulder.
Fenworth remained still as his hat transformed to match the magnificence of his robe. Under the outer garment, his drab, light brown tunic changed to a glistening white. The walking stick that he almost always carried let out a brilliant light, and when it faded, her wizard held an intricately carved and polished staff.
“There, there now. I think we’re ready.” He looked down at his little kimen friend. “Tut, tut, Hollee. Is that the best you can do?”
He handed her a comb. She raked it through her flyaway locks, but the result did not please Fenworth.
“If anything, you’re more disheveled than when you began.” He tossed water on her head, and she squealed. She also sparked.
“Oh dear. I forgot about that. Are you hurt?”
She shook her head. Drips of water and sparkles showered around her. “No.”
“Then pat down your hair.”
She obeyed, carefully smoothing the wet tresses to lie flat around her head. With a smile, she peered up at her wizard. “Is that better?”
The fine hair dried in a moment. As each hair lost the weight of moisture, it popped up. In the end, her frizzle-do topknot crowned her head once more.
Fenworth gave her a wink. “Very much more like a distinguished kimen.”
That sent Hollee off in a fit of giggles. When she could speak, she claimed that kimens didn’t hold being distinguished as a very desirable state.
“True, true,” said Fenworth. “And come to think of it, this valley is heavily populated with kimens as well as dragons. Sage will expect you to look like a kimen.”
“Does he live in a cave or a palace?”
“Cave, under the lake. This valley is where Prince Jayrus lived. He told me about Sage. Sir Beccaroon visited the old dragon while he was here.”
“Under the lake?”
“Yes.”
“We have to go under the lake?”
“Yes.”
“How will we breathe?”
Fenworth wrinkled his brow. “Through your nose or your mouth. I don’t think it matters which means you choose to employ.”
Hollee temporarily gave up her quest for details and skipped beside him as the tall o’rant wizard stretched his legs into a swift march.
The old man whistled a tune, then said, “My, my, it’s good to be out in the sunshine.”
“It is,” agreed Hollee. She decided to have another go at pinning him down on how they would get to where they were going. “But, Wizard Fenworth, is the cave filled with water?”
“No, no, of course not. It is rather wet because that keeps the old dragon’s skin in good condition.”
“So we need to find the entrance to the cave and walk in a tunnel under the lake to find the cave in which Sage resides.”
“Good work, Hollee.”
The kimen grinned. After being with Wizard Fenworth for quite a while now, she knew how he appreciated not ending a sentence with a preposition. It gave her lots of opportunities to say “in which.”
They crested a hill and saw the lake in the distance.
“Where’s the entrance to the cave?” she asked.
“On an island.”
She peered at the small lake and could see trees growing on the other side. “Where’s the island?”
“In the lake, of course.” Fenworth shook his head and looked at her with some concern. “Do you need a nap? Did you eat your breakfast?”
“No. Yes.”
“Try not to ask questions that lead me to believe your brainbox is leaking and in need of restoration. And when we meet Sage, be especially careful not to offend him, because I may have already done so.”
He took off with a swift stride down the grassy knoll.
“You offended him? How?”
“You must stand up straight, and don’t fidget.”
“How could he be mad at you?”
“Remember to say please and thank you and use your handkerchief. Don’t sniff.”
“What did you do?”
“Don’t stare. I daresay, he is probably a sight. An old dragon, very old. Somewhat reddish because in his prime he was a magnificent fire dragon. But old now. Probably wrinkly.”
“I won’t stare. What did you do?”
“And if you get the hiccups, don’t giggle. It’s considered ill-mannered in most circles to laugh and hiccup at the same time.”
“In most circles? I’ve never heard that. Are you sure?”
“Quite.”
Hollee thought about that for a moment, then her mind returned to a possible quarrel between her wizard and the dragon Sage. “Wizard Fenworth?”
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An exasperated sigh puffed out the wizard’s cheeks before he let it expel between his lips. “I built our little project before consulting him, and this is his territory.”
“Oh.”
“Oh, indeed. Completely slipped my mind to take his leave, ask his indulgence, present the situation to him as the head of dragons in this valley. But I’ve thought of it now. Memory is a peculiar thing. Handy when it works. Inconvenient when it doesn’t.”
They waded through knee-high grass, knee-high to the o’rant. The field stretched from the base of the hill to the edge of the lake.
Hollee could no longer see the water. But she didn’t mind pushing the towering blades aside and slipping between them. She wondered if they’d encounter some wild animal. She listened intently but only heard the swish-swish of Fenworth’s robes in the grass.
Perhaps they’d come across lost treasure, something Paladin had dropped while doing his acrobatic stunts on the riding dragons high in the sky. An amulet would be nice. Or something magical. A stone, maybe, that when warmed in your hand would become clear and create a vision within of your loved ones.
The thought occurred to her that maybe Sage had treasure. “Do dragons really have heaps of gold and jewels? And do they sleep on them?”
“No.” The wizard abruptly stopped. “Where are you?”
“Down here.” She watched a small snake slither under the hem of Fenworth’s robe.
“Come up here and ride on my shoulder.”
Hollee skimmed up his garments and situated herself comfortably on his shoulder.
He began to walk again. “Why do you want to know about treasure?”
“I’ve never seen a treasure, and I thought it would be interesting.”
“Well, our cavern cathedral is grander than any treasure I’ve ever seen.”
Hollee grinned. “I’m sure it is. And I bet it is grander than any treasure I will ever see.”
“Quite right.”
Hollee bounced on his shoulder. “I see the island now.”
Fenworth said nothing.
“How are we going to get across the water?”
“I don’t like getting my feet wet.”
“I know.”
“By boat or by air.”
“Do you have a boat?”
“Librettowit has the boat.”
“Maybe we should have asked him along.”
“Couldn’t.”
“Why not?”
“A true friend protects a friend from committing social gaffes.”
“Librettowit doesn’t know the proper formalities for conversation with a dragon? I thought he did. It seems like he knows a great deal of things.”
Fenworth was silent.
“What social gaffe would Librettowit fall into?”
“Gloating.”
Hollee thought about it for a while. She didn’t think her wizard appreciated all her questions, and if she put her mind to the clues, she figured she could guess.
They reached the shore of the small lake, and Hollee hopped down. They quietly watched the water lap gently against the grassy bank.
Hollee figured that Wizard Fenworth was working on a plan to cross the water. She was working on the puzzle of Librettowit gloating.
He wouldn’t gloat at something the dragon said, so he must be proud of himself for … what?
Something he said.
Hollee looked up at Fenworth. “Librettowit reminded you when we first got here to seek an audience with Sage, and you didn’t do it.”
He waved a hand in the air. “I had a lot on my mind.”
She nodded. He did. He always did. If she’d known about it, she could have reminded him. Librettowit could have reminded him. Sometimes dealing with incredibly intelligent people took a lot of tact. That was probably why Winkel chose her to accompany the wizard.
She tilted her head back and let the sun warm her face. Even for a kimen, Hollee had untold skill in diplomacy. She decided to gloat and relish her fantastic expertise.
Gazing at a tiny cloud, she gathered words in her mind to define her cleverness. When she felt sufficiently armed, she closed her eyes and thought.
She handled problems with a great deal of sound judgment and discretion. With insight and discernment, she engaged acute perception in employing just the right methods for smoothing out a dispute.
She giggled. What she did was accept each player in the row and let it all blow over. Her job was to be of good cheer. And she excelled at amiability.
Opening her eyes, she saw that Fenworth was halfway to being a mullytawny tree. She grabbed his arm.
“Look, Wizard Fenworth.” She pointed to where the cloud had been some time ago. “Here comes a dragon. Call him down from the sky. Ask him to take you to the island. I could swim.”
The wizard shook off some leaves and glared at her.
“Do you know what you are, Hollee?”
“Amiable,” she answered with a smile.
“I was thinking bossy.”
43
Sage Advice
“Ah!” said Wizard Fenworth as he sighted the dragon flying toward them. “This is a dragon I know. It’s Gus, and she’ll be willing to give us a lift, no doubt.”
Hollee watched the dragon land. She didn’t admit it to her wizard, but the riding dragons made her a bit shy.
The dragon swung her huge head around to stare at the wizard.
“Oh dear, tut, tut.” The wizard shook his head. “Maybe not.”
“Maybe not what?”
“Gus seems a bit peeved with me.” He sighed deeply. “She may not want to accommodate us by giving us a ride to the island.”
“Oh dear,” said Hollee. “Oh dear, oh dear.”
“Perhaps you could speak to her.”
Hollee took a deep breath and swallowed the lump in her throat. “Pardon me, Miss Gus. My name is Hollee, and I come from the Starling Forest.” She waited for a response.
The dragon’s face grew less fierce, and she tilted her head as she examined the small kimen.
Without taking her eyes off Gus, Hollee spoke to Fenworth. “I don’t think I can hear her. I wonder if she can hear me.”
“She can hear you. She hears through her ears. You have to hear through your mind, and it’s her choice whether you hear her or not.” The wizard took off his hat, bunched it into a ball, then shook it out to put it back on. “Well, try again.”
Hollee just looked at him, wondering why he was so fidgety.
He raised his eyebrows and pointed to Gus. “Ask her, and ask politely.”
“Miss Gus,” Hollee began, “we need to seek the ad—”
The ground rumbled beneath her feet. The dragon shook. Hollee turned toward the wizard and found he was shaking too.
“What? What’s happening?” she asked.
Wizard Fenworth’s mouth turned down at the corners. “The confounded beast is laughing at you. You are the first to call her ‘Miss Gus.’ ” Small creatures poured out of his clothing and made their escape, flying, crawling, and slithering away. A couple of lizards cantered off toward the high grass.
“I don’t think you have any visitors left, Wizard Fenworth.”
“Never mind that. Ask her while she’s in a good mood.”
“Miss Gus, we need to consult with the venerable Sage. Would you be so kind as to carry us across to the island?”
Fenworth spoke. “She’s asking why we don’t swim.”
“What should I tell her?”
“The truth.”
“I could swim, Miss Gus, but Wizard Fenworth doesn’t like to get his feet wet.”
Again the ground and everything else shook. Ripples danced across the lake.
Fenworth sighed and sat down right where he had stood on the grassy bank.
“She knows I’m a bog wizard and thinks it hilarious that I don’t like damp feet. I think it’s natural when one lives in a soggy place that one would be extra sensitive to the uncomfortable state of being damp.
There’s nothing absurd about that. Stands to reason if you’ve lived all your life a bit wet most of the time, you’d appreciate dryness more than the average person.”
“Why is she mad at you, sir?”
“She thinks I am at fault for coming here and taking her Prince Jayrus away. Life isn’t as much fun in the valley with him gone.”
Hollee stepped closer to the huge dragon. Gus dipped her head, and Hollee jumped back.
“Miss Gus, Wizard Fenworth did indeed come to ask the dragonkeeper to provide transportation for a very important quest. Prince Jayrus decided to go on that quest, and it was a good thing he did. Do you know he helped save the world? Did you know that he battled dozens of villains? He slew the wicked, he championed the weak, he outsmarted the evil minions of a powerful and wicked slave trader. If he had not vanquished the fiendish foes, all of Chiril would have fallen under a depraved despot.”
Fenworth muttered from where he sat. “He did have some help, you know.”
“Even now, Paladin, your Prince Jayrus, battles an invasion by the iniquitous ruler of Baardack.”
To Gus, Fenworth said, “Iniquitous means ‘bad,’ as in King Odidoddex does things that result in injustice. Like taking farmers’ produce or unfairly taxing the citizens.”
Gus’s head swung around so that she stared off toward the island. Fenworth stood.
“She’s agreed to take us, but she doesn’t have a saddle. We’ll be all right. Just don’t say anything to make her laugh. We’d jiggle right off.”
Fenworth strode over to Gus, stroked the side of her neck and flattered her with words expounding her beautiful colors. She lay down so that the wizard and Hollee could climb aboard. Gus stood, extended her wings, and with a few steps launched into the air.
Hollee leaned against Fenworth’s back and held tight to his wizard robe. She did like to fly. Facing a dragon with its wise eyes and sharp teeth sent shivers down her spine. Standing on the scaly top of one with the wind fluffing up her wild hair did not even raise one goose bump.
They landed on the island in the only place large enough for Gus to set down. Hollee jumped off. Wizard Fenworth hefted one leg over to line up with the other and slid down.