Part 21 (1/2)
”When will you be back? I'm starving,” Elia said.
”Soon. Don't leave. I'll send food.” Dariel kissed her and headed for the door.
Elia sat down gloomily. ”I need to eat now, and if I don't get anything I'm going to be very grumpy.”
”As an expectant mother should be,” Ermentrude said soothingly. ”I've decided to knit you a baby blanket.”
Elia smiled tentatively. ”Thank you.” She moved to sit at the tiny table with Ermentrude.
”Don't worry, all of my yarn is fireproof.” Ermentrude dug through her bag and pulled out a skein of fluffy white yarn spotted with ash.
Knot hopped on the arm of the chair and purred at Elia. She ignored him. Coyote sat at her feet like a loyal lap dog. Outside the motel, the cats' meowing escalated.
Keelie covered her ears. ”Are you using some kind of elven cat charm?”
”I don't know,” Elia snapped. She ran her hands through her golden curls.
The door suddenly crashed open. ”Goblin attack!” the elven guard cried. ”They've set the motel on fire.”
Everyone leaped to their feet. ”Ermentrude, can you put it out?” Keelie cried.
”I only start fires,” the dragon snapped. ”Get your coats and go outside.”
Elia was already struggling into her cloak. ”I have to pack my ceremonial robes, and my pink gown, too. Keelie, don't forget to get my hairbrush.”
”No time.” Keelie pushed her out the door. Obviously the Lore Master did not teach fire safety to elven kids.
Outside there was chaos. Armed men rushed back and forth in the motel's smoky parking lot and Keelie could hardly see for the choking, acrid gray billows.
She held her sleeve over her face and Elia bent over, coughing. Ermentrude didn't seem to have any trouble breathing smoke, and she helped Elia get away from the motel.
Three figures appeared out of the gray haze and followed them. Keelie turned to confront them, unsure what she could do to defend herself, when she saw that they were armed elves.
”We are to escort you to a place of safety,” one said. His eyes were half-shut against the smoke. A wind arose, clearing the smoke but fanning the flames.
”Why don't we go into town to the Crystal Cup?” Ermentrude suggested. ”It's enclosed and you could defend the doors, and maybe the goblins left some food inside.”
”Maybe I can call on Herne to send a troll out there with us,” Keelie added.
Sean jogged up to them, his chain-mail s.h.i.+rt jingling. ”Dariel sent me to help guard you.”
”Good,” Elia said. ”We're going to the Crystal Cup.”
”Dariel didn't say anything about the Crystal Cup.”
”He forgot my breakfast,” Elia cried. ”He doesn't love me. I'm going to starve, and my clothes will all be burned to ashes.”
”Let's feed the pregnant elf-she's scarier than the goblins,” Keelie said. Behind them, flames flickered from the long, low motel and black smoke billowed up and was pushed back down by the wind.
Ermentrude leaned on her walking stick. ”It smells a bit like gasoline.”
Keelie could only smell smoke. ”If the goblins are trying to smoke us out, where would be the most logical place for us to go?” She spoke softly.
The guard elves leaned in. ”Back to Grey Mantle,” one suggested.
Another nodded. ”Or to the City Hall building. It's st.u.r.dy, all brick.”
Sean eyed Keelie, a smile growing on his face. ”I get what you mean. The roads to those places might hold an ambush, but the way to the Cup won't.”
”Right.” Keelie nodded in Elia's direction. ”Besides the hysterical mother-to-be, we have a dragon on our side. I think we'll be pretty safe, especially with you guys along.”
”Let's hurry then,” Sean said. ”Walk behind the women,” he told the elf warriors. ”I'll take the front.”
Ermentrude went to Elia and put an arm around her shoulders. ”Come on, dear, let's get you something to eat. I'm afraid we'll have to walk.”
”This is the worst trip of my life,” Elia sobbed. ”I want to go home.”
”I understand, dear.”
Keelie stomped after them. She felt the same way, but she wasn't about to whine about it to the world. Warmth for Sean flowed through her. She knew he was doing this as much for her as for Elia.
”Let me give you some relations.h.i.+p advice,” Ermentrude said, glancing back at Keelie. ”I dated an elf once, and they need time to think about things.”
”You dated an elf?” Elia asked in a disbelieving tone.
The dragon chuckled to herself as if she was savoring a sweet memory. ”He was very athletic.”
Keelie didn't want to know.
When they finally reached the abandoned streets of Big Nugget, Keelie tried to ignore the fact that about fifteen cats and at least twenty crows were keeping pace with them. Knot and Coyote walked at either side of Elia, who seemed oblivious of the animals. ”How far to the Crystal Cup?”
”Just a little bit more.” Keelie, Ermentrude, and the elves kept a wary watch for goblins.
At the cafe, Keelie and Elia went inside. The building seemed frail compared to the No-Tell Motel. The cats and crows, dragon and guards stayed outside while Elia hunted frantically for food. There were some old bagels under a gla.s.s dome. Keelie would have loved to have some coffee, but the coffeepot had been destroyed. No other food remained.
Elia sat down with a bagel and sniffed it. ”I guess this is it.
”This is it.”
Outside, the skies darkened and a cloudy sense of doom enveloped Keelie. ”Elia, we need to go. This was a bad idea.”
Elia was reading the menu as she gnawed on the bagel. ”I'm not leaving. I'm eating.”
”We need to leave now.” Keelie grabbed Elia's wrist.
”Not until...” Elia stopped and looked around as if she sensed something was wrong, too. ”I think maybe you're right.”
Keelie heard the discordant jangle and her stomach dropped down to her feet. She was going to have to face a p.i.s.sed-off Peascod and protect Elia.
The floor cracked and splinters flew everywhere. Peascod and several goblins spun upward.