could go about any of it. Never had so much depended on his every decision. He felt like a man trying to slog through a muddy bog and there was no end in sight. Not only did he have an impossible task to perform, he didn’t even relish the responsibilities he would be taking on if he succeeded. All he wanted to do was to protect the people he cared about, but somehow statecraft and kingships had gotten mixed up in his efforts.
He was staring into the fire long after Vera and Stone had gone to bed. The flames were mesmerizing, their heat intoxicating. He felt like the answers to all his questions were just beyond the flames. He was trying to see them, to look past the dancing tongues of fire to find his destiny, when the door was kicked in and armed men rushed into the little cottage.
Chapter 10
Zollin felt as if the tunnel around him was going to collapse at any minute. He had crawled into the opening that led down into the dwarf caverns, but on his previous visit, the opening had seemed much larger. He had been able to walk through that crevasse, and the rock beneath his feet had been almost like steps. This time he had to pull himself along, hoping that nothing horrible loomed in his path. He didn’t want to think about having to scramble backwards to get out of the cave.
The rock was dry and dusty. Zollin couldn’t help but wonder if he had made a mistake about the dwarf caverns. Nothing seemed familiar. The little flame that danced near his head gave just enough light that Zollin could see what lay in front of him, but not what might be hiding in the darkness. Before, when he’d come down into the cavern with Jute, the cave had seemed warm and friendly, even if many of the dwarves had watched him with a look of wariness. Now, it seemed cold, empty, and almost frightening. He felt like he was trespassing in some ancient tomb, not going to see living, breathing, dwarves.
He wondered if another plague had struck the Yel clan, or perhaps swept through the entire dwarf kingdom. Zollin had been fortunate enough to save the Jaq clan when a strange disease was afflicting them and spreading to the other clans. That act, along with restoring many of the broken bridges in the complex tunnels of the dwarves, had endeared him to the people under the mountains. He couldn’t understand why they would hide themselves from him now, unless something horrible had happened.
Eventually he came out into a larger cavern. He got to his feet and rubbed his aching knees, before feeding more magic into his flame to increase the light. He could see the remnants of the dwarf community: small stools, shards of rock, anvils and forges that were now cold and empty. The once homey looking stalls that lined the larger cavern and served as the homes of the dwarves were now dark. There was no sign of light or life in the cave.
“Hello?” Zollin said, his voice echoing off the stone walls. “Is anyone there?”
He had hoped for a friendly reply, but would have been happy with a guarded warning from the deep-voiced dwarves. Even silence would have been better than what his question elicited from the mysterious caverns. It was a long, blood-chilling hiss, and the sound of something heavy moving in the darkness.
Zollin immediately let his magical senses flow out into the dark space. Soon he could feel every nook and crevasse in the cavern. Unlike the surface, there was nothing living in the large cave, except what Zollin could only describe as a huge snake. It was moving slowly toward him, its body as thick as a wagon wheel. Zollin could only guess at the creature’s length. Most of the snake was coiled in a small alcove, but it slithered out and moved toward Zollin, who let his magical flame go out. He didn’t need to see with his eyes; his magical senses let him feel everything happening in the cave.
He thought about running, but he knew he couldn’t crawl back out of the small tunnel fast enough to escape the huge snake. It was doubtful
He was staring into the fire long after Vera and Stone had gone to bed. The flames were mesmerizing, their heat intoxicating. He felt like the answers to all his questions were just beyond the flames. He was trying to see them, to look past the dancing tongues of fire to find his destiny, when the door was kicked in and armed men rushed into the little cottage.
Chapter 10
Zollin felt as if the tunnel around him was going to collapse at any minute. He had crawled into the opening that led down into the dwarf caverns, but on his previous visit, the opening had seemed much larger. He had been able to walk through that crevasse, and the rock beneath his feet had been almost like steps. This time he had to pull himself along, hoping that nothing horrible loomed in his path. He didn’t want to think about having to scramble backwards to get out of the cave.
The rock was dry and dusty. Zollin couldn’t help but wonder if he had made a mistake about the dwarf caverns. Nothing seemed familiar. The little flame that danced near his head gave just enough light that Zollin could see what lay in front of him, but not what might be hiding in the darkness. Before, when he’d come down into the cavern with Jute, the cave had seemed warm and friendly, even if many of the dwarves had watched him with a look of wariness. Now, it seemed cold, empty, and almost frightening. He felt like he was trespassing in some ancient tomb, not going to see living, breathing, dwarves.
He wondered if another plague had struck the Yel clan, or perhaps swept through the entire dwarf kingdom. Zollin had been fortunate enough to save the Jaq clan when a strange disease was afflicting them and spreading to the other clans. That act, along with restoring many of the broken bridges in the complex tunnels of the dwarves, had endeared him to the people under the mountains. He couldn’t understand why they would hide themselves from him now, unless something horrible had happened.
Eventually he came out into a larger cavern. He got to his feet and rubbed his aching knees, before feeding more magic into his flame to increase the light. He could see the remnants of the dwarf community: small stools, shards of rock, anvils and forges that were now cold and empty. The once homey looking stalls that lined the larger cavern and served as the homes of the dwarves were now dark. There was no sign of light or life in the cave.
“Hello?” Zollin said, his voice echoing off the stone walls. “Is anyone there?”
He had hoped for a friendly reply, but would have been happy with a guarded warning from the deep-voiced dwarves. Even silence would have been better than what his question elicited from the mysterious caverns. It was a long, blood-chilling hiss, and the sound of something heavy moving in the darkness.
Zollin immediately let his magical senses flow out into the dark space. Soon he could feel every nook and crevasse in the cavern. Unlike the surface, there was nothing living in the large cave, except what Zollin could only describe as a huge snake. It was moving slowly toward him, its body as thick as a wagon wheel. Zollin could only guess at the creature’s length. Most of the snake was coiled in a small alcove, but it slithered out and moved toward Zollin, who let his magical flame go out. He didn’t need to see with his eyes; his magical senses let him feel everything happening in the cave.
He thought about running, but he knew he couldn’t crawl back out of the small tunnel fast enough to escape the huge snake. It was doubtful
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