The Quest For Hope

Dragon's Gate: Chapter Fourteen

The air quieted and the rumbling subsided as rocks and dust settled back to the ground. When Elsa opened her eyes, it was dark all around her. She coughed, finding it hard to catch her breath between the dusty air and the rocks pressing against her body. Her ribs ached; the tip of a sharp rock lodged between them, keeping her breath short and laboured.

"Jack? Pabbie? Anna?" She called out breathlessly, hoping someone was near enough to answer.

Mumbles surrounded her.
"I'm over here." Elsa heard a trembling, familiar voice. Elsa could see Anna in her mind, holding back tears.

"I'm here with Anna," Kristoff coughed, putting her at ease. She jumped as someone grabbed her hand, grimacing as the rock poked her further.

"I'm here too, always by your side," Jack said, finding her hand in the darkness. Elsa tried to choke back her tears of relief, but they fell anyway. They were all there. Relief washed over her as she heard the grunts of people freeing themselves.

"Pabbie?" Elsa asked, seeing a soft pulsating light out of the corner of her eye.

"I'm over here," he said, brushing the dirt and dust off his robe. Soft rumbles continued around them as they tried to uncover themselves from the fallen rubble. Sparks of light formed behind her as the trolls relit their wands and torches, illuminating fearful faces and highlighting new cuts and bruises.

With the dust in the air, an illusion of mist hung over them, illuminated by the wands.

"What is that?" She asked, more to herself than anyone. At the other end of the tunnel, away from their group, a light glowed. She pushed the rocks off herself, unconsciously dropping Jack's hand and walking toward the light, kicking the rocks aside carelessly as she strode forward. She tripped, tearing the bottom of her dress and scraping her knees and hands. She bit her lip, attempting to stand up and keep her emotions under control. Hidden holes in the uneven ground trapped her foot, tossing her to the ground again, tearing more of her dress and exposing her green necklace.

"We have a problem, Pabbir," she said with a measured breath. The tension in her voice carried through more clearly than she'd intended. The cave went silent as all eyes focused on her and her necklace.

"Why is your necklace glowing, Elsa?" Jack asked, jumping up with concern. Everyone else took a step back.

"I haven't had time to explain everything," she started, seeing his wide eyes and furrowed brow.

"Oh, my," Pabbie said under his breath, pushing himself to his feet. "This is quite a surprise." He walked toward her, trying to find a reason for its sudden luminescence.

"Is it burning you?" he asked.

"Burning you?" Jack asked. "What is going on?"

"Jack, please don't worry," she said, reaching out for his hand. "This shell is more of a treasure than you knew. But it wasn't a shell that you found in the mountains. It's a scale."

"A scale, like a fish scale?" he asked incredulously.

"Well, more like a dragon scale." Elsa tried to laugh, but her face refused to smile.

"What!" Jack exclaimed. The wall closest to them started to crumble. "What?" he asked again in a hushed voice.

Elsa heard some of the men exhale, and Kristoff gave a low whistle. She felt bad, seeing the confusion on Jack's face, and pulled him closer to explain in secrecy.