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And Regidor.
“He’s disappeared as well.”
Concentrate, Bardon. We should be able to find them.
A moment of silence followed.
Both Bardon and Kale began to run as a glimmer of Regidor’s presence pierced the fog of
evil shrouding their surroundings. Past two empty docks and three with swaying black
hulks of ships, the two raced toward the strengthening beacon. They slowed as the sixth
dock came into view. A ship bobbed in the water beside a landing pier. Large crates lined
the plank walkway, stacked in uneven rows. Lights flickered from the portholes in the
side of the foreign vessel.
Kale and Bardon joined Regidor in the shadows between two warehouses. Regidor
mindspoke to them both.
“Dar’s aboard that ship.”
Bardon identified the type of vessel. “Frigate, a high-speed, medium-sized, sailing war
vessel. Too bad we can’t see the flag. But I do know it’s from the Northern Reach.”
Kale surveyed the ship. I don’t feel Dar’s presence. In fact, I don’t detect any occupants.
Regidor nodded. “There’s some kind of shield surrounding it, blocking our perception. I
wonder if we could figure out how to do that. We must try.”
Bardon glanced over at the meech. Kale knew his sentiments matched her own. It wasn’t
the right time to indulge Regidor’s curiosity over the way things worked.
Bardon gave a half grin to Kale and spoke to Regidor.
“Yes, my meech friend. But not now. Now we must figure out how to rescue Sir Dar.”
36
FINDING DAR
At the foot of the gangplank, a sailor sat on a barrel. Another stood guard at the top. The
heavy rain must have driven all hands below. The same rain aided Regidor, Bardon, and
Kale in their stealthy approach. The three conspirators hid behind a huge crate not more
than six feet from the shivering sailor.
“He’s about your size, Kale,” Bardon mindspoke to both.
Regidor scowled at the lehman. “What does that have to do with anything?”
Bardon is going to knock the man out, Kale answered. I’ll put on his coat and sit in his
position, so anyone on board will think the man is still on duty.
“And you know this because you and Bardon think together.” Regidor tilted his head. “I
really want to know why that is. I haven’t found a thing in the books about such a
phenomenon. But I haven’t finished researching.”
The sailor huddled miserably in a large coat, with the collar pulled up around his neck
and an oilcloth hat pulled down over his head.
“And what do we do with the man at the top of the gangplank?” asked the meech.
Bardon pointed to the more alert guard. “Go into his mind, Regidor. Distract him with
images he can’t resist. Right now I would assume that would be a cozy chair by a blazing
hearth with a mug of mulled cider.”
Regidor stared at the man for a moment. “You’re wrong, Bardon. He’d rather be in his
bunk below deck. The man’s been too long at sea to be thinking fireplaces and
comfortable chairs.”
“Can you distract him?”
Regidor snorted. “Leave him to me.”
Kale edged her way back to where the pier joined the land. She stepped out into the open
and approached the first sailor. When the old man noticed her, she projected questions
into his mind.
What’s she doing out on a night like this? Where’s she going? Does she think I’m going
to let her board?
She smiled and nodded at the befuddled man and strolled on by. As the guard turned his
head to follow her movement, Bardon slipped out and grabbed him. With a hand clamped
over the sailor’s mouth, Bardon hauled him to their hiding place. Kale followed on the
lehman’s heels.
Regidor stood in the shadows, his eyes trained on the figure at the top of the gangplank.
Kale wondered what method Regidor had used to trick the man’s mind into thinking
nothing unusual was happening on the dock. Sometimes her friend surprised her with
something so innovative she couldn’t have predicted his actions at all, and she was
supposed to know him better than anyone else. Librettowit said this quality made Regidor
a genius.
The meech dragon had matured in a short time. Was she still supposed to “manage” him?
She didn’t think anyone except Paladin could actually control Regidor. At least he still
listens to me when I reason with him. But he is so much smarter than me, one day my
opinions won’t matter. He’s such a stubborn dragon.
The dragon watched the snared man struggle. With one finger, he touched the captive’s
temple. The sailor passed out.
Bardon held the suddenly limp form. “What did you do?”
“Put him to sleep.”
“Will he wake up?” Bardon’s sharp tone cut through the air.
“Yes, with a headache.”
“Where did you learn to do that?”
“From one of Librettowit’s old books. But I hadn’t tried it until now.”
Kale felt tension surge between the two. Bardon didn’t appreciate the dragon’s
interference. Regidor chafed because he knew he should have consulted the lehman
before he knocked out the sailor.
“Enough,” she said. “We have to get to Dar. Give me the hat and coat.”
She settled on the barrel at the bottom of the gangplank. The man at the top remained
oblivious to any unusual activity. Regidor obviously controlled his thoughts. She
hunched down, assuming the same position as the sailor. She pictured that man in her
mind. They’d left him in a heap behind the crate.
One down, one to go. But how many sailors are between us and Dar, once we board the
ship?
That thought sent a shiver down her spine.
She waited for Regidor and Bardon to approach the second man. This time Bardon would
make the bold advance. Regidor would approach while obscuring the guard’s vision of
him through his talent.
Kale shivered. My feet feel like they’re encased in ice. My cape and the sailor’s coat
should be keeping me warm. I bet the goose bumps are from nerves. Why are they
waiting?
A noise behind her answered the question. Someone had come out on deck. Two men
stood about twelve feet behind her and some distance above her head. She heard the
mumble of voices.
Dar!
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