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Walking on trembling legs, she continued to call.  Ardeo!
She stumbled and fell. A gray rock caught her attention. She reached out. Her fingers touched not cold
stone, but Ardeo s leathery skin. Tenderly, she scooped him up and once more got to her feet. Opening
her cape, she placed him in the sling with Gymn.
She didn t think she could go on, but if she didn t, they all would die.
The woods thinned. A field stretched just beyond the last trees. A bisonbeck throng milled over trampled
meadow grass. The fact that this was an army took a minute to sink into Kale s mind.
There isn t anyplace else to go.
She fell out of the last bit of underbrush. Rough hands picked her up.
 It s Kale Allerion, the Dragon Keeper.
 The master will be pleased.
She d fallen into the hands of enemy soldiers, and all Kale could hope was that they had some ointment
to soothe the burning wounds inflicted by the strange animal.
Kale regained consciousness on an elevated canvas cot in a large tent.
 Send for Latho s wife. A deep voice, but Kale felt certain it was a female.
 They say she can deal with this vermin. A different voice, lower than the first, but still having the sound
of a woman.
The rustle of cloth.  I can t wait to get these lizards out of my medic tent. The first voice.  They hiss at
me every time I go near this Dragon Keeper person. Go, now, Urssa. Don t stand there talking. Go get
Latho s wife, Bends.
That s funny. I know a woman named Bends. Leetu Bends. If she were here now, we d be on our
way out of this camp.
Her mind drifted. People moved in the tent. She heard moans but sometimes couldn t tell if the moans
came from her or others. The claw marks from the beast burned. A cold, wet rag draped over her
forehead and hair. Occasionally, someone would come and pour fresh cool water on her head. She tried
not to move. She tried not to cry out.
Kale opened her eyes and stared into the face of a bisonbeck woman.
 She s awake. The woman straightened and gestured to someone.  Come, Bends, take these beasts so
I can tend her wounds. Crim Cropper wants her alive.
Another woman came to the side of the bed. Kale stared at the face. She did look like Leetu Bends.
Kale blinked. No, it was a bisonbeck woman. Someone s wife. The bisonbeck woman named Bends
held a large woven container.
Kale watched her pick up the minor dragons and place them in the basket. She tried to protest. Her
dragons shouldn t be going with this woman. Why didn t they resist?
Again the woman briefly resembled Leetu Bends, and then her features shifted back into the face of a
stranger.
The woman frowned.  There should be a green one somewhere. Have you seen a green one?
 Under that cape, if you can touch it. It burned my hand. But there s a bulge under her tunic.
The dragon gatherer pulled back the moonbeam cape with no trouble and located Gymn.
 You ve got the touch, now, don t you? I m wondering where you picked up a way with dragons and
the ability to handle things like that awful cape.
The woman shrugged and picked up Ardeo.  I lived with Pretender some. This one s dead. You can
toss it in the trash.
 I m not putting that in my trashcan. It ll stink by morning. Crim Cropper sent orders you were to take
care of the dragons. You take care of them. That dead one as well as the live ones.
Tears formed in Kale s eyes and ran down her temples.
The woman hovering over her bent closer. She looked like Leetu Bends and then didn t.
 Hurry up, Bends. I want to go to bed sometime tonight.
 One such as this would have eggs on her. Did you look for a pouch with an egg?
 Didn t I just tell you I couldn t touch her much with the cape burning me and the dragons hissing and
spitting and snapping?
Bends s rough hands poked and patted Kale s clothing.  Here they are. Give me scissors to cut this
cloth.
The other woman handed over the shears, and with a few snips, the eggs were taken from Kale s
beautiful blue scarf and put in the basket.
 Take that cape off her. Take it with you. Can you do that?
 Sure I can. Help me raise her up.
 Do it yourself. I m not touching her till you ve carried that thing away.
The Bends woman pushed Kale onto her side. Searing pain overwhelmed her. The last thing she
remembered was the moonbeam cape being pulled out from under her.
Shadows filled the tent. One lantern shone. Smoke clung to the air. Deep breathing set a rhythm in the
background. Few noises seeped in through the canvas walls. Footsteps. A man s voice in the distance. A
scornful laugh.
Kale s face and scalp burned. Someone had placed her on her stomach with her face over the edge of
the cot. A rolled towel under her chin kept her face from falling forward. The bed was raised a good
distance off the ground. She tried to lift her hands but couldn t. Her wrists were tied to the wooden slats
of the cot. She pulled. The binding held.
 You were clawing your wounds.
Kale gasped.  Regidor?
Black boots appeared before her. A man knelt, a black cape swirling around his bent legs. Regidor s
strangely handsome meech face appeared in her view. He smiled.
 Regidor, how did you get here? Did you come to rescue me?
 You re in no shape to travel, and the roads are clogged with people fleeing the fire, coming to help
extinguish the fire, and going back to their homes now that the fire is under control.
 It is? Under control? How?
 Kale, there is an army of men here. An army belonging to Crim Cropper who were terrified when
Pretender showed up. They have earned the wrath of Lord Ire by pledging their loyalty to Cropper. Face
to face with Cropper s superior, they realized the folly of their ways and jumped to do his bidding. He
ordered them into the burning forest to extinguish the flames.
Kale s mind had wandered away halfway through his explanation.  Is Bardon here? Is he close? Is he
coming?
 No, he s on another mission.
 I need him, Regidor.
 I know.
 Where s Gilda?
 Safe. Where she belongs and safe.
Kale gulped back a moan. The scorching heat of the wounds tormented her.  Regidor, I hurt. Can you
fix it?
Compassion softened the meech dragon s mouth.  No, I m sorry. I can t.
 But I can.
Kale saw a hand rest on Regidor s shoulder. The fingers squeezed, then gave a pat. Regidor stood, and [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]