cascade | kotlc

15. The Black Swan's Hideout

 They found the cave.

June led Silveny to land on the ledge outside the entrance. Keefe tightened his grip on her waist as they swooped to a stop, and he helped Sophie slide down Silveny's neck to the rock ground. June hopped off, gripping her elemental crystals.

"Okay, the legs are not happy," Keefe complained as he took a few wobbly steps. "Remind me to never take up horseback riding."

June rolled her eyes. "Only idiots like you don't know how to enjoy the view. It was spectacular, what with the ocean waves and this cliff. I have to say, the Black Swan know how to choose their hideouts. First Paris, and now here?"

"How can you talk so easily about the- the Paris incident?" Sophie whispered. Her heart started throbbing again, and both June and Keefe held her up, and she felt herself relax.

"Because we survived, Sophie. Because we're here right now."

"So... I'm guessing we have to go into the scary black caern of doom?" Keefe asked, sighing when Sophie nodded. "Yeah, I was afraid of that. I love that none of us thought to bring a light, either."

"You don't need one," a gravelly voice said from the shadow, making both Keefe and Sophie scream. June giggled amusedly.

"Dude -- that was not cool," Keefe said. A hairy brown dwarf skulked out into the moonlight.

"Actually, that was. Feel free to keep on doing that, I'm pretty sure he peed his pants." She turned to Silveny. "Should I bring her inside?" The dwarf nodded. "Sophie, help me a little. Get her to calm down, I'll seal us in."

"Ok-Okay," Sophie stammered, wishing Silveny could send her some of her calm. But the jittery alicorn was more terrified than she was.

Trust, Sophie told her. Come.

She followed the dwarf towards the cave. June opened her palm and whispered a few words, and three blasts of wind erupted from the three crystals and swirled around the alicorn, encasing her in a ball of wind. Silveny neighed and stretched her wings, which barely fit inside the cavern.

Everyone followed. As soon as they were inside, the dwarf flipped a switch and blue-flamed torches sprang to life all along the rocky walls that curved around them. June flicked her fingers at the cave entrance and the blasts followed, rippling into a sheet of air, fluttering as if it was in a windstorm.

"I was not told there would be three," the dwarf grumbled. "Only two girls and a horse."

"My parents wouldn't let me come alone- wait, two girls?"

"The Black Swan must've known I'd bring my sister," Sophie mumbled. "Unless they want to- do something on her, or-"

"I'll be fine," June promised.

Sophie looked around. As far as she could tell, it was just a normal cave, smaller than the one at Havenfield, even. "Is this... it?"

"Until you eat this." The dwarf handed her a plate with what looked like two cookies on it. A black swan. Written in some sort of icing were the words "THEN LET'S REST."

"Tucked in the branches of your quiet nest," Sophie finished.

"It's a sedative," June said. Her eyes widened. "Wait- I have to take one too?"

The dwarf nodded. "Our leader wishes to see you. He would like to offer you something that will greatly boost your power, but at a cost. He makes it very plain you do not have to accept, though he would prefer it if you do."