speaking to Kale.”
Toopka turned her expressive face to Kale. Her ears twitched. “You’re hungry too, aren’t you? I can go to the kitchen and bring you a tray. There’s all sorts of wonderful food in the pantry.”
With a gloating smile, Regidor waved a finger at her. “Fenworth told you to stay out of the pantry.”
Toopka addressed her adversary, her small fists propped on her hips. “That was to keep me from having too many snacks. Getting food for Kale is different.”
Regidor let go of Kale’s hand and swung his legs toward the floor. She stared at his tail. It protruded from a slit in his neatly sewn trousers and seemed much too big for the meech dragon’s small frame.
With a swish of the awkward tail, Regidor knocked several cushions to the floor as he scooted off the bed. Stepping over them, he headed for the door.
“You’d drop the tray,” he said over his shoulder to Toopka. “You’re way too puny to carry a big tray. I’ll help you.”
Toopka scrambled to catch up, sprinting over the covers and leaping off the end of the bed. As they reached the door, she slipped her hand into the meech dragon’s. With her head tilted, she grinned at him. “Do you smell nordy rolls too?”
“Yes, and Librettowit said there is parnot jelly in the top cupboard.”
“The top? How we gonna get it?”
“You leave that to me. It will take ingenuity.”
The two friends turned the corner into the hall.
9
P ALADIN’S V ISIT
Kale shook her head in disbelief.
A meech dragon is not at all like what I expected.
She noticed Bardon staring at her.
He’s as rude as ever!
She tried to think of something to say. Her mind was still too fuzzy to come up with much of anything.
I wish he’d go away.
She nodded toward the door where Regidor and Toopka had exited. “How old is he?”
Bardon shrugged and stroked his chin with his long fingers. “About five weeks.”
“That’s incredible!”
“No, typical.”
She shook her head. “I used to take care of babies in River Away. Babies do not talk at five weeks. Babies do not walk at five weeks. And he said he taught Toopka her letters.”
“He’s a meech. It’s typical for a meech to mature rapidly.”
Kale flopped back on the bed, suddenly exhausted. She let out a moan.
Bardon moved swiftly to the side of the bed and took her hand. “Are you all right? Should I call Gymn and Fenworth?”
She opened her eyes and frowned at him. “No, I just realized I’m supposed to ‘guide’ Regidor, and he’s probably much smarter than I am.”
Bardon released her hand as suddenly as he’d grabbed it. “More than ‘much smarter.’ He’s a genius. But he’s still just a child. He needs a friend.”
“I can’t do this, Bardon.” She put both hands over her eyes as if she could hide.
“Of
course
you can do it,” he barked at her.
The contrast from the more relaxed tone he’d been using shocked her. He sounded like the Bardon who ordered leecents around at The Hall.
Kale dropped her hands and glared at him. “How can you say that? I don’t have any training. I was a slave. I don’t know anything about anything, and I especially don’t know anything about meech dragons.”
“Librettowit will help you with knowledge.” Bardon paced around the room. “Paladin gave you this job, so you can do it. Wulder will supply the means.”
She wanted to argue, but weariness from her illness cloaked her with despair. A tear escaped and rolled down her cheek. She brushed it away, checking to see if Bardon had noticed. Fortunately, he had stopped next to a large knothole window and stared out.
Kale closed her eyes again, hoping she could sleep. She tried to remember what her dreams for the future had been when she lived in River Away as a village slave. Surely it had been something about growing up and getting married and having a home of her own. She remembered wanting a kitten.
Never had she wanted special
Toopka turned her expressive face to Kale. Her ears twitched. “You’re hungry too, aren’t you? I can go to the kitchen and bring you a tray. There’s all sorts of wonderful food in the pantry.”
With a gloating smile, Regidor waved a finger at her. “Fenworth told you to stay out of the pantry.”
Toopka addressed her adversary, her small fists propped on her hips. “That was to keep me from having too many snacks. Getting food for Kale is different.”
Regidor let go of Kale’s hand and swung his legs toward the floor. She stared at his tail. It protruded from a slit in his neatly sewn trousers and seemed much too big for the meech dragon’s small frame.
With a swish of the awkward tail, Regidor knocked several cushions to the floor as he scooted off the bed. Stepping over them, he headed for the door.
“You’d drop the tray,” he said over his shoulder to Toopka. “You’re way too puny to carry a big tray. I’ll help you.”
Toopka scrambled to catch up, sprinting over the covers and leaping off the end of the bed. As they reached the door, she slipped her hand into the meech dragon’s. With her head tilted, she grinned at him. “Do you smell nordy rolls too?”
“Yes, and Librettowit said there is parnot jelly in the top cupboard.”
“The top? How we gonna get it?”
“You leave that to me. It will take ingenuity.”
The two friends turned the corner into the hall.
9
P ALADIN’S V ISIT
Kale shook her head in disbelief.
A meech dragon is not at all like what I expected.
She noticed Bardon staring at her.
He’s as rude as ever!
She tried to think of something to say. Her mind was still too fuzzy to come up with much of anything.
I wish he’d go away.
She nodded toward the door where Regidor and Toopka had exited. “How old is he?”
Bardon shrugged and stroked his chin with his long fingers. “About five weeks.”
“That’s incredible!”
“No, typical.”
She shook her head. “I used to take care of babies in River Away. Babies do not talk at five weeks. Babies do not walk at five weeks. And he said he taught Toopka her letters.”
“He’s a meech. It’s typical for a meech to mature rapidly.”
Kale flopped back on the bed, suddenly exhausted. She let out a moan.
Bardon moved swiftly to the side of the bed and took her hand. “Are you all right? Should I call Gymn and Fenworth?”
She opened her eyes and frowned at him. “No, I just realized I’m supposed to ‘guide’ Regidor, and he’s probably much smarter than I am.”
Bardon released her hand as suddenly as he’d grabbed it. “More than ‘much smarter.’ He’s a genius. But he’s still just a child. He needs a friend.”
“I can’t do this, Bardon.” She put both hands over her eyes as if she could hide.
“Of
course
you can do it,” he barked at her.
The contrast from the more relaxed tone he’d been using shocked her. He sounded like the Bardon who ordered leecents around at The Hall.
Kale dropped her hands and glared at him. “How can you say that? I don’t have any training. I was a slave. I don’t know anything about anything, and I especially don’t know anything about meech dragons.”
“Librettowit will help you with knowledge.” Bardon paced around the room. “Paladin gave you this job, so you can do it. Wulder will supply the means.”
She wanted to argue, but weariness from her illness cloaked her with despair. A tear escaped and rolled down her cheek. She brushed it away, checking to see if Bardon had noticed. Fortunately, he had stopped next to a large knothole window and stared out.
Kale closed her eyes again, hoping she could sleep. She tried to remember what her dreams for the future had been when she lived in River Away as a village slave. Surely it had been something about growing up and getting married and having a home of her own. She remembered wanting a kitten.
Never had she wanted special
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