The Silken Key

Prologue Part 1

Tabitha kept ahead of the others with long strides despite the pale brown rock crumbling and sliding beneath her feet. While the other four complained, she kept her silence and listened to what was ahead. They doubt me, she thought, but they will see soon enough.

"I think she's taking us for fools," said Tomba, his long, wavy blonde hair sticking to his chubby face.

"I want to go to the lumber mill. There are lots of small places where we can play Carrot," said red-haired Leesha.

"Carrot's a game for babies," scoffed Milo the Brave (as he liked to call himself). "I want to play Dungeon Slayer."

"We can't decide what we're going to play until we know where we're going," Tomba whined. "Tabitha, where are we going? Just tell us!"

Tabitha said nothing. The sun was not yet at its full height, but already the heat was reflecting off the rocky hillside. The young halfling made her way up the slope, which got steeper until she had to lean forward and scramble on her hands and the balls of her feet.

"I told you," said Leesha. "She's leading us off to nowhere. Just like last time."

"Well there's no point turning around now," Hattie replied, though it was clear from her voice she wished they could. "Would you even know the way back if we did?"

The five hobbit children had been walking for miles. Or at least, that was what it felt like. It was further than they usually wandered from the village. None of their parents would be happy if they knew.

Tabitha kept her silence. She had promised them an exciting discovery and she would make sure they got it.

When she reached the top of the slope, Tabitha stopped and waited for the others to catch up. A warm, gentle breeze blew some of her hair into her face but she didn't lift a hand to brush it away. She just stared down at the small ravine which ran both ways to her left and right. There was an opening in the side just in front of her.

The others caught up and stopped, all of them breathing heavily, especially Tomba.

"It's just another cave!" Milo yelled angrily. "What's special about this one, Tabitha?"

"It's not just another cave." Hattie sounded more weary and disappointed than ever. "It's the same cave she brought us to last time."

"It can't be," said Leesha. "We didn't come this way last time."

"No, look at it." Hattie pointed to the top of the entrance. "It's got that pointy downwards rock I saw last time. It is the same one."

Tabitha turned her head. Her face was straight and serious now. "Hattie's right. It is the same one. I want to show you something inside."

The other four followed her down a narrow and treacherous path to the cave. The bright sun outside made the inside of the cave seem dark and foreboding. All of them except Tabitha looked at each other as if they were expecting one of the others to give a good reason why they should turn around and go back.

"I feel so lost," Leesha whined. "This definitely isn't the same way we came last time! We went in a totally different direction."

Milo snorted and laughed. "What are you saying, Leesha? That the cave moved by magic?"

The others chuckled and Leesha scowled. Tabitha did not react. She simply walked calmly into the dark mouth of the hillside. The other halflings hesitated behind her. She knew that they were afraid. That was because they were still thinking like children. To do what she needed to do here, she needed to be wiser than them. Wiser even than her parents.