The Hidden Crystal

Chapter 7

"You're insane!"

The angry shout echoed around the cave walls, startling Iris awake. The fire had long gone out. Only pitch black surrounded her. That, and the footsteps echoing around the cave. She shrank back against the stone wall, but the footsteps were even, unhesitating. Whoever was coming toward her could see, and there wasn't a flicker of torchlight anywhere. She fumbled for the amulet, pulling it from her dress and clutching it tightly as she hugged her knees to her chest. Maybe it would hide her. Maybe not. She had no idea.

"We've gone over this already."

She knew that voice. That was the stranger - the dragon. He sounded tired and exasperated.

"Yeah, well, we're going to keep going over it until you get some sense through your thick skull," the first voice replied.

"Shut up."

"Don't tell me to shut up!"

"Someone's here, you idiot."

Iris buried her face in her skirt, trembling all over. There was nowhere to run. She couldn't see, and although she could hear the waterfall, trying to escape that way would probably end up with her slipping in the dark and falling into the lake. There were dragons here in the cave. What else might there be lurking in those dark waters?

"They're not here now," the unknown voice said sullenly. "You're just trying to change the subject."

The footsteps were coming closer. Any second now, they would see her.

"This is recent," the familiar deep voice said, stopping right in front of her. Booted feet scuffed across the stone, and the faint whiff of smoke from the dead fire grew stronger. "It wasn't here last night."

Iris held her breath. They didn't see her. Somehow, they didn't see her.

"The ashes are still warm, too," muttered the other man. His voice was on Iris' level. He had to be squatting down inches from where she sat.

"They can't have gone far."

"We don't have time for this. Thanks to somebody delaying our attack, we're behind schedule."

"Fine. You go. Tell everybody what a mess I made. I'll check this out so our position here isn't compromised," the stranger said, his voice thick with sarcasm.

There was a snort of derision, rising above Iris as the other man stood. "And let you get yourself killed? No way. You've taken enough risks lately. Sooner or later, that luck of yours is going to run out."

"Then come on."

The footsteps faded away. Iris listened, her heart pounding in her ears, louder than the crashing of the waterfall, and couldn't hear their voices anymore. She had to get out of here, but there was nowhere to go. Deeper into the cave, in the pitch black, was some kind of dragon lair. Outside the waterfall were two dragons looking for her. The only thing she could do was sit still, clutching tightly to the amulet, and hope it kept her hidden until - until what? Until the dragons came back and went into their lair? Until daybreak?

She very carefully, very slowly exhaled and lifted her face from the skirt. The faint red glow of a single ember was all that remained of the fire. It wasn't bright enough to illuminate anything in the cave. She rested her chin on her knees, staring at that ember, wishing it could tell her what to do. The amulet had protected her, again, but she didn't have much faith in its ability to continue to do so, especially since she had no idea how to use it. Maybe it wasn't even hiding her anymore. The thought made her stomach lurch. If the dragons came back and saw her, she didn't have a chance. If she could sneak back out to the forest, the thick canopy would hide her from any eyes up above - if she could make it that far without being seen.