Dealing with Dragons - Wrede Patricia Collins - Страница 27

Cimorene skipped backward out of the way. Frowning worriedly, she tossed a pinch of feverfew into the air and recited the verse from the fire-proofing spell in case Kazul should lose control of her flame again. "Maybe you won't need a month to recover, but three days obviously isn't enough," she said to the dragon. "You'd better lie back down before you choke."

"I can't," Kazul said. "I have to warn the King. If the wizards have had dragonsbane for three days already-" She started coughing again and had to stop talking.

"You stay here," Cimorene said in a firm tone. "I'll warn the King."

"Tokoz won't listen to you," Kazul said, but she settled back to the ground. "Roxim will, though. Start with him."

"Roxim?" Cimorene said doubtfully. She was afraid the gray-green dragon would want to go charging out after the wizards as soon as he heard they were up to something.

"He'll listen to you, and the King will listen to him," Kazul said.

"It's not ideal, but it's the best we can do."

"All right, I'll go see Roxim. You stay here and sleep."

"When you get back-" "I'll wake you and tell you what he said," Cimorene promised. "Now, go to sleep."

Kazul smiled slightly and closed her eyes. Cimorene caught up a lamp and almost ran to the exit at the back of the cave. She was afraid that Kazul would think of something else and start talking again, and she didn't think talking would be good for her.

In the tunnel outside, Cimorene paused, trying to remember the directions to Roxim's cave. She had memorized a map in the library that showed most of the twists and turns of the dragon's tunnels, but she knew from experience that in the miles of gray stone corridors it was difficult to keep track of where she was.

"Left, left, fifth right, past the little chamber, right again, on past the iron gate, two lefts to the third cave down," she muttered to herself. "I wish Roxim's cave were closer." Still muttering, she started off.

Though she was being very careful, Cimorene had to backtrack twice during the first part of her trip when a mistake in counting corridors led her to a dead end. When she finally saw the iron gate that led into the Caves of Fire and Night, she sighed in relief. The tricky part was over, and the rest of the trip would be easy. She held her lamp up and quickened her step, hoping to make up some of the time she had lost on her detours. Then, as she reached the bars that blocked the entrance to the Caves of Fire and Night, she stopped short. There was someone sitting on the ground on the other side of the gate.

Cimorene had almost missed seeing him, and no wonder. His clothes, though well cut, were the same dark gray as the stone of the tunnel walls, and he was curled into a lumpy, dejected ball. He looked like a large rock. If he hadn't moved his hand as she passed, Cimorene would never have realized he was alive.

The man on the other side of the bars raised his head, and Cimorene saw with shock that his hair and skin were the same dark, even gray as his clothes. His eyes, too, were gray, and their expression was apologetic.

"Forgive me for startling you," the man said, climbing ponderously to his feet. "I didn't see you coming." He made a stiff, formal bow.

"Who are you?" Cimorene demanded. "And what are you doing in there?"

"I'm a prince," the man said in a gloomy tone, "and I'm reaping the rewards of my folly."

"What folly?"

The prince sighed. "It's a long story."

"Somehow they always seem to be long," Cimorene said. "You haven't come to rescue me from the dragons, have you? Because if you have, I'm not going to let you out of there. I haven't got time to spend an hour arguing today."

"I have no interest whatever in dragons, I assure you," the prince said earnestly. "And if you would let me out, I'd be extremely grateful.

Um, who are you, by the way?"

"Cimorene, princess of the dragon Kazul," Cimorene said. She studied the prince for a moment and decided that he looked trustworthy. "All right, I'll let you out. Turn around and put your fingers in your ears."

"What?" the prince said, looking considerably startled.

"It's part of the spell to open the gate," Cimorene said. She wasn't about to let him overhear the words Kazul had used to unlock the door, even if he did look trustworthy.

The prince shrugged and did as she directed. Quickly, Cimorene recited: 'By night and flame and shining rock Open thou thy hidden lock.

Alberolingarn!"

For an instant nothing happened, and Cimorene was afraid she had not remembered the charm correctly. Then the iron gate swung silently open.

The prince, whose back was to the gate, did not notice. Cimorene touched his shoulder to get his attention, and his eyes widened.

"Oh!" she said as he turned. "You're-you're stone."

"I know," the prince said. "It's part of that long story I mentioned earlier. I haven't gotten used to it yet." He stepped through the gate, and it closed noiselessly behind him.

"I'm afraid I don't have time to listen to stories just now," Cimorene said politely. "I have a rather urgent errand to run, so if you'll excuse me-" "Can't I come with you?"

Cimorene stared at him. "Why do you want to do that?"

The stone prince looked down at his feet with an embarrassed expression.

"Um, well, actually, I'm lost. And you seem to know your way around down here." He glanced hopefully at Cimorene's face, then sighed. "I suppose I can just wander around some more. I'll have to find a way out eventually."

"You'll run into a dragon and get eaten."

"I don't think it will hurt stone," the prince said. He sounded almost cheerful, as if he had only just realized that being made of stone might have some advantages.

"Maybe not, but you're sure to give the dragon indigestion," Cimorene said. "Bother! I don't have time for this!"

"I could wait here if you're coming back this way," the stone prince suggested.

Cimorene brightened, then frowned and shook her head. "No, one of the dragons might need to get into the Caves of Fire and Night, or it might be the turn of those dratted wizards. You can't stay here."

"Then-" "I know! You can wait in the serving room, just off the banquet hall," Cimorene said. "It's close, there's plenty of room, and I know no one's using it today because I checked the schedule for Alianora yesterday. I can take a shortcut out the back to get to Roxim's without losing any more time.

Come on."

"I really appreciate this," the stone prince said as they started off.

"You don't know what it's like, being lost in the dark in these caves."

"How did it happen?" Cimorene asked.

The stone prince's expression became gloomy once more. "It's all that soothsayer's fault," he said.

"Soothsayer?"

"My father didn't think it was appropriate to invite fairies to a prince's christening, so he invited a soothsayer instead," the prince replied. "The soothsayer took one look at me and said that I would grow up to do a great service for a king. I've been stuck with his blasted prophecy ever since."

"It doesn't sound so terrible to me," Cimorene said.

"It wasn't, at first," the stone prince admitted. "I had special tutors in all sorts of interesting things to prepare me for being of great service to a king. My father even sent me to a special school for people who're supposed to do special things."

"Did you do well?"

"I was the top of my class," the stone prince said with a flash of pride.

His face fell again. "That's part of the problem."

"I don't understand," Cimorene said. "This way. And can you walk a little faster, please? I'm in a hurry."

"It's been three years since I graduated, and everyone's still waiting for me to do something spectacular," the stone prince said, lengthening his stride. "The rest of my classmates are already making names for themselves.