Night of the Ninth Dragon

by Mary Pope Osborne

  “Ten days ago, enemy invaders came ashore in the distant east, and the king and his knights set out to defend the kingdom and push them back,” the queen said. “After anxious days with no news of the battle, we received word that several bands of the invaders had slipped past the king’s army and were heading toward Camelot. Before they arrived to plunder the castle, I led everyone who was still here to a hill fort hidden in the west. Yesterday I returned with only a few guards.”

  “Why did you come back?” Annie asked.

  The queen sighed. Jack thought she looked as if she might cry. But then she steadied herself and spoke in a strong voice. “Because at the fort, I received terrible news.”

  “What news, Your Majesty?” asked Jack.

  “I will explain,” said the queen. “But first I must take you to a secret place.” Guinevere led them into the Great Hall, the main room of the palace. Beneath the vaulted ceiling, tables and benches were overturned. Broken earthenware platters and moldy crusts of bread littered the floor. Tapestries had been torn from the walls.

  Jack remembered what the Great Hall had been like when he and Annie had attended a celebration there: warm, bright, and filled with music. “What happened?” he asked the queen.

  “The invaders were looking for gold,” she said. “They stole gold candlesticks and goblets from the chapel, and gold plates and bowls from the hall.” The queen led Jack and Annie from the chilly hall into the castle kitchen and pantry. There was no clatter of cooks or scullions at work in the kitchen. No fire burned in the huge stone hearth. The wind whistled through the open windows. A rat scurried across the floor.

  “Whoa,” said Annie, stepping out of the way. Oki barked and squirmed in her arms.

  Without even glancing at the rat, Guinevere led them out of the kitchen, across an inner courtyard, and up a dark stairway.

  “Were Merlin and Morgan scared, too?” asked Jack, climbing after the queen. “Is that why they left?”

  “Oh, no, Merlin and Morgan left with Teddy and Kathleen before word came of the invaders,” Guinevere said. “I believe they know nothing about what has happened to Camelot.”

  “Can you send a message to them, Your Majesty?” asked Annie.

  “I am afraid that is impossible,” the queen said. She took a torch from the wall and hurried down a narrow passageway. Jack and Annie followed her to a heavy wooden door at the end. The queen opened the door and led them into a torch-lit room.

  Inhaling the sweet, woodsy smell of books, Jack recognized the room at once. “Morgan’s library!” he murmured. Shelves covered the walls from floor to ceiling. The shelves were filled with books from all times and places.

  “Fortunately, the thieves were not interested in books,” said the queen. “They did not steal a single one.”

  “Good, I’m glad,” said Jack. Books were more valuable to him than gold.

  “Excuse me, Your Majesty,” said Annie, “but where did Morgan and Merlin go? And Teddy and Kathleen? And why can’t you send word to them?”

  “I’ll explain in a moment,” said the queen. She crossed the room and opened another heavy wooden door. Damp, fragrant air rushed in from a lush garden surrounded by tall stone walls.

  “The answers to all your questions are here,” said Queen Guinevere, “in Morgan le Fay’s secret garden.”

  “Oh, wow…a secret garden,” whispered Annie. She put Oki down and unhooked his leash, and the puppy dashed into the lush greenery.

  Guinevere led Jack and Annie through the doorway and into the walled garden. As they followed her down a stone path, they passed tangles of cream-colored lilies, butter-yellow daffodils, blue periwinkles, and pale-pink roses.

  “From her plants, Morgan makes inks and paints for the books of our scribes,” explained Guinevere, “and dyes for the wool of the castle weavers.”

  “Cool,” said Annie.

  Guinevere pointed to raised earth beds in the center of the garden. “She grows flowers and herbs for healing everyday illnesses and injuries,” she said.

  “Like what?” asked Jack.

  “Nettles for a cold,” said Guinevere, “and mint for headaches.” She pointed to a fishpond surrounded by yellow-green grasses and white flowers. “Lemon-grass for fever, and yarrow to stop bleeding.”

  Jack shivered. The air felt tingly and alive. Why did he imagine they were being watched? Did he hear breathing? Whispering? The flutter of wings? Or was it just the wind blowing through the garden?

  Oki started barking. He bounced up and down, yelping at something in the shrubbery. When Jack and Annie hurried to him, they found a small bronze statue of a dragon.

  Jack laughed. “It’s not a real dragon, Oki,” he said. “It’s just a statue.”

  Annie started to pick up the puppy. But Oki dashed to a patch of pink roses and barked again. Jack and Annie followed him and found a statue carved from pink granite. “Another dragon!” said Annie.

  Oki kept bounding around the garden, yelping at more and more hidden dragon statues: a clay dragon tucked behind clay pots, an emerald dragon hidden among the ivy, a marble dragon between white stones, a silver dragon in tall silvery grass, a glass dragon and a dragon made from seashells in the shadows of the rock wall.

  “Dragons everywhere!” said Jack.

  Annie picked up the puppy and tried to calm him. “Don’t worry, Oki,” she said, “they’re just garden decorations.”

  “No,” the queen said. “These dragons are far more than garden decorations.” She looked very serious. “Perhaps you have heard of King Arthur’s father, Uther Pendragon?”

  “I’ve read about him,” said Jack. “Doesn’t Pendragon mean ‘Chief Dragon’?”

  The queen nodded. “Indeed, it does,” she said. “The emblem on King Uther’s flag and shield was a dragon. And now a dragon adorns Arthur’s flag and shield as well. The dragon is the symbol of the ruler of Camelot.”

  “Got it,” said Annie.

  “Before he died, Uther Pendragon ordered his craftsmen to create nine dragon statues. Each statue was to be made from a different material,” said the queen.

  “And those statues are the ones here in the garden?” said Jack.

  “Yes,” said the queen. “Merlin placed a spell on each of them. As long as the dragons are here in Morgan’s garden, the kingdom’s enchanters can unlock the portals to any of the nine mythical realms of Camelot.”

  “Wow,” said Annie.

  “What are the nine mythical realms?” asked Jack. “We’ve never heard of them.”

  “They are lands that cannot be traveled to directly from mortal worlds,” said the queen. “And actually, you do know about some of them. With Merlin’s help, you have made journeys to four of the mythical realms.” She pointed to the silver dragon in the grass. “That dragon opens the portal to the realm of Timeless Treasures. I believe Merlin sent you there one Christmas.”

  “He did,” said Annie. “That was our mission to find the Water of Memory and Imagination.”

  “And the marble dragon opens the portal to the Land-Behind-the-Clouds,” said Guinevere.

  “Where we met the Ice Wizard!” said Jack.

  “The bronze dragon is the gateway to the realm of the Raven King,” said the queen. “And the sea-shell statue to the realm of the Sea Serpent.”

  “Where we changed into seals,” said Annie.

  “And met Kathleen,” said Jack.

  “There are five realms you have not visited,” said the queen. “Each of the other dragons unlocks a portal to one of them. But the most important dragon is the gold dragon, for it unlocks the portal to the most magical realm of all: the Isle of Avalon. And that is where Morgan and Merlin and Teddy and Kathleen are right now. A fortnight ago, they journeyed to Avalon for a respite.”

  “What’s a respite?” asked Annie.

  “It’s like a vacation, right?” said Jack.

  “Yes, but in this case, a vacation with a bit of magic,” said the queen. “Morgan and Merlin go to Avalon
to rest and renew themselves. There is a vast garden there, filled with the ancient secrets of healing. It is the only place where Morgan can grow plants that mend all wounds.”

  “Cool,” said Annie.

  “So when will they come back to Camelot?” asked Jack.

  The queen sighed. “The ninth statue—the gold dragon—occupies the most important place in the garden,” she said. “There, surrounded by those rosebushes.” She pointed toward clusters of bright yellow roses in the far corner of the garden.

  Jack and Annie hurried over to the rosebushes. But there was no dragon. They looked back at Guinevere. “Um…I don’t see a dragon here,” said Jack.

  “No,” said the queen. “That is because the ninth dragon has been stolen.”

  “Oh, no!” said Annie.

  “When the invaders plundered the castle, they found their way into this garden,” said the queen. “Since they were after gold, the theft of the gold dragon was likely a simple act of greed. But when they took it from its place in the garden, the portal to Avalon closed. Without the ninth dragon, Merlin, Morgan, Teddy, and Kathleen are locked out of Camelot forever.”

  “Forever?” breathed Jack.

  “Yes,” said Guinevere. “Avalon is where they are, and Avalon is where they will remain—unless we find the ninth dragon.”

  “We have to find it,” said Annie. “We have to help them all get back!”

  “Yes,” said the queen. “And there is another reason to find the gold statue. I told you that I returned to the castle yesterday after I received terrible news. A messenger came from the east to tell me that King Arthur had been mortally wounded.”

  “Mortally wounded? What does that mean?” Annie asked.

  Oki whined as if he understood.

  Guinevere took a deep breath. “An arrow pierced the king’s armor and plunged deep into his chest, close to his heart. If King Arthur does not journey to Avalon soon, he will die.”

  Jack gasped. He couldn’t believe it.

  “Oh, no,” said Annie.

  “Yes. Right now we have a small supply of healing water from Avalon that is keeping Arthur alive,” said Guinevere. “But it will not last much longer.”

  “What can we do?” said Jack.

  “Your courage and intelligence are legendary in Camelot,” said the queen. “And that is why I sent for you. Will you help me find the gold dragon so the king can journey to Avalon, where Morgan can save his life?”

  “Yes!” said Annie and Jack.

  “Thank you,” said the queen. “He awaits us now.”

  “You mean King Arthur is here?” asked Annie.

  “Yes. Sir Tristan and Sir Lamorak brought him back to Camelot two nights ago,” said Guinevere. “Let us go now and see the king.”

  Oki scampered ahead with the queen as she led the way back through the library and down the passageway to the staircase. When they reached the inner courtyard of the castle, they crossed the cobblestones to a small private chapel. Jack picked up Oki, and the queen tapped on the chapel’s door. The door slowly opened.

  A bearded knight stared at Jack and Annie with dark, tired eyes. He held an iron lance. Another battle-worn knight stepped from the shadows.

  When Oki growled at the two knights, Jack held him tighter. “Quiet,” he whispered.

  “Sir Lamorak, Sir Tristan, Jack and Annie have arrived,” the queen said. “It is time to prepare.”

  Without a word, the two knights bowed to the queen, then strode across the courtyard. Guinevere motioned for Jack and Annie to step inside the candlelit chapel.

  “Thank you for coming, my friends,” a man said in a low, hoarse voice. King Arthur was sitting in a carved wooden chair beneath a stained-glass window. In the flickering candlelight, the king’s rugged, handsome face was very pale.

  Yip! Oki leapt out of Jack’s arms and dashed toward King Arthur.

  “Oki, stay!” said Annie. Before she could grab him, the puppy jumped into the king’s lap.

  “What—what is this?” Arthur stammered. But when the puppy licked his face, the king smiled. “Well! Greetings, little one,” he said. Then he looked up at Jack and Annie. His eyes were clouded with pain.

  “Hail, Your Majesty,” said Jack, bowing.

  “Hail, Your Majesty,” echoed Annie, bowing also. “We’re so sorry to hear you were wounded.”

  “No talk…of that,” the king said, struggling to breathe. “I…will…prevail.”

  The queen stepped forward. “Arthur, rest,” she said. “I will tell them our plan.”

  “No…I must explain,” said the king. He took a deep breath, as if gathering his strength. Then, trembling, he leaned forward. “Deep in the forest lives an old woman…a seer who has a kind heart and the gift of prophecy…an old friend…my nursemaid long ago….Her name is Cafelle….She can help us find the gold dragon.”

  “That sounds good, Your Majesty,” said Annie.

  “Yes…yes…,” the king said. “The tree leaves speak to her…in the wind. Do…you…understand?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” said Annie.

  Jack nodded, but he was a little worried that the king might have lost his mind.

  Guinevere placed a hand on her husband’s shoulder. “When Arthur was a boy, Cafelle told him that the wind speaks to her through the rustling of leaves. In her trances, she listens to the trees, then shares her prophecies in the form of riddles.”

  “That is why we sent…for you,” said King Arthur.

  “We know that you are particularly brilliant at solving riddles,” said Guinevere. “If you can solve the riddle of Cafelle’s prophecy, we can find the gold dragon.”

  “We’ll do our best, Your Majesty,” said Annie.

  “Uh, sure,” said Jack, nodding. “We’ll do our best, Your Majesty.”

  “Good,” said the queen. “Sir Tristan and Sir Lamorak are preparing for our departure.”

  “Cool,” said Jack. He was glad the knights were traveling with them. Hopefully, they could come up with a better plan.

  “Then let us go,” said the king.

  “No, not you, my lord,” Queen Guinevere said. “You should rest here and wait for us to return with the dragon.”

  “But—I…I must go…,” said the king.

  “I fear you should not,” said Guinevere. “I will tell Cafelle—”

  “No, I must go,” the king repeated. “She will share her prophecies only with me.”

  The queen took a deep breath. “Then so be it,” she said. She looked at Jack and Annie. “Please help the king rise.”

  Jack and Annie stepped over to the wounded king. They held his arms as he stood up from the carved wooden chair.

  “Thank you. Let us go forth,” said the king.

  Oki scampered ahead as Jack and Annie helped Arthur out of the chapel. Then the queen slowly led them all across the courtyard toward the gatehouse.

  A rumbling sound came from the stables. Jack turned to see Sir Tristan and Sir Lamorak driving a wooden hay cart across the courtyard. A pair of oxen pulled the four-wheeled cart as it wobbled over the cobblestones.

  Oki rushed forward and barked at the oxen. Annie hurried after the puppy and grabbed him.

  “This is our carriage,” said the queen. “No one will suspect the king is riding in a hay cart.”

  Jack was glad to see the two knights again. But he wondered how such a small, rickety cart could carry all six people. Would he and Annie be walking?

  The oxen came to a halt, and the knights climbed down from the drivers’ bench. Sir Lamorak grabbed tattered cloaks from the back of the cart and handed them to Arthur and Guinevere.

  The queen helped the king pull on his disguise, then traded her green velvet cape for a patched gray cloak with a hood to hide her golden hair.

  “Don your disguises now,” she said to Jack and Annie.

  Sir Tristan handed Jack and Annie two more ragged cloaks. “Thank you,” said Jack. He and Annie pulled the cloaks on over their clothes.

&
nbsp; The two knights helped the king and queen climb onto sheepskins spread over the hay. Sir Tristan handed a leather water flask to Guinevere. Then the knights stepped away.

  Oki barked and squirmed in Annie’s arms as if he was eager to ride in the hay cart, too. “Should he stay in the back with us?” the queen asked Jack and Annie. “Or sit with you while you drive the cart?”

  Drive the cart? Won’t the knights be driving the cart? Jack wondered.

  “Do you really want Jack and me to drive, Your Majesty?” Annie asked.

  “Yes, of course,” said the queen.

  “Cool. Then Oki should ride with you,” said Annie. She placed the puppy in the back of the cart.

  King Arthur was lying in the hay with his eyes closed. “Take care of him, Oki,” whispered Annie.

  The puppy scrambled over to the king and snuggled against him.

  “Okay, let’s go,” said Jack.

  He and Annie climbed up to the drivers’ bench. As Annie picked up the reins, Jack looked at Sir Tristan and Sir Lamorak standing near the gatehouse. The knights must be planning to ride horses alongside the cart, he thought.

  “Hike!” Annie shouted, using a command they’d learned from Alaskan dogsledders.

  “Wait, wait,” said Jack. He looked back at the queen. “Should we wait for Sir Tristan and Sir Lamorak to get their horses, Your Majesty?”

  “No, Jack. We will be traveling alone,” said Guinevere. “If we come across the enemy, they must believe we are a simple family—a poor farm couple traveling with our two children.”

  “Sounds good,” said Annie. Then she called out to the oxen again. “Hike!”

  It’s just us? Jack thought. Just us?

  The oxen took a few steps forward. Their neck yoke was hitched to a wooden pole attached to the front of the cart. As they lumbered over the stones of the courtyard, the cart wobbled along behind them.

  Sir Tristan raised the iron gate that sealed off the main entrance to the castle.

  As the oxen headed across the outer courtyard, Annie waved to the two knights, who silently watched them leave. “See you later!” she called.