Into the Land of the Unicorns by Bruce Coville

Author:Bruce Coville [Coville, Bruce]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, Fiction, Series
Publisher: Bruce Coville
Published: 2018-07-20T04:00:00+00:00

12

DRAGONPATH TO GRIMWOLD

The next morning Lightfoot and the Dimblethum were still a little shaky. However, they both pronounced themselves fit to travel.

“Mind if I come along?” asked the Tinker, as he started to fold up his cart. To Cara’s astonishment, he continued folding until it was about the size of a man’s wallet.

“Convenient sort of a thing, isn’t it?” he said with a smile, slipping the cart into his pocket. “Only real problem I have with it is when I want to get at my tools. Then I have to unfold the silly thing all over again.”

* * *

The Dimblethum came to her while she was standing with Lightfoot, and said, “For what you did, the Dimblethum thanks you. Now the Dimblethum and you are even, each rescuing the other.”

Cara was startled. “I didn’t come get you so we would be even,” she said, somewhat sharply. “I did it because . . . oh, never mind.”

Lightfoot translated her words for the Dimblethum, who looked truly puzzled, and a little hurt. But later he gave Cara a flower, one of the fuzzy purple ones. She tucked it over her ear and wore it for the rest of the day.

* * *

Most of this day was given over to retrieving the amulet. They had to retrace their journey of the day before, and it was late afternoon when they finally reached the area where Cara had hidden it. For a little while they were not able to find the specific tree. Cara was beginning to panic when the Squijum located it, working by scent.

“See, see!” he cried triumphantly. “Can look and find!” Emerging from the hollow tree with the amulet and its broken chain, he crooned to himself, “Hotcha good finder guy!”

That accomplished, they needed to plan what to do next.

“If we press on, we can reach the edge of Dragon Territory tonight,” said Thomas. “That will give us an extra bit of safety if the delvers are still patrolling the area; it is unlikely they will enter Firethroat’s domain.”

“Which makes them smarter than us,” muttered Lightfoot.

* * *

Late in the evening they stopped to rest. The Dimblethum built a small fire while Thomas unfolded his cart. Later, after they had eaten, he asked Cara if she would let him examine the amulet.

“Well, now I see what the fuss is all about,” he said, as he turned it over and over in his hands. “It’s not every day that one of the Queen’s Five turns up out in the open. Would you like me to fix this silly chain?” he asked.

“That would be nice,” said Cara.

“I like fixing things,” he said as he worked. “The world is always breaking, here and there, this way and that. Fix a bit of it, and I feel like I’m helping.”

Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out a ridiculously tiny tool.

“Funny thing about chains,” he said. “They’re everywhere, once you know how to look for them. I like chains.”

When Cara laughed at this, he shook his chest, causing the hundreds of golden links that hung there to sparkle in the firelight.

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