Chapters (22)
Cimorene felt better knowing that the princes would someday be freed, though she had sense enough not to try doing it herself. Since she had not been sent on a quest for the Water of Healing, it was highly unlikely that she would be able to disenchant the princes even if she succeeded in taking the water. And she knew enough about quests and enchantments and the obtaining of things with magical properties to know that she would probably get into a lot of trouble if she tried. So she tucked the matter into the back of her mind and followed Kazul through the stone-filled cavern. She was careful not to step on any of the fallen slabs.
Just outside the entrance to the next cave, Kazul stopped. “This,” she said, “is the King’s Cave. We have to cross it as quickly as we can. Don’t stop in the middle, and don’t say anything while we’re inside. Understand? Good. Come on, then.”
As soon as she stepped inside the cave, Cimorene understood the reason for Kazul’s request for silence. The walls, the ceiling, and the floor were made of dark, shiny stone that multiplied and threw back echoes of even the smallest sound. The soft scraping of Kazul’s scales against the floor sounded like thirty men sawing wood, and the tiny gasp Cimorene gave at the sight and sound of the cave was as loud as if she had shouted. Cimorene went on as quietly and carefully as she could.
Halfway across, she noticed the vibration. It began as a gentle and not unpleasant buzzing in her bones, unrelated to the loud and continually multiplying echoes of her passage, though it, too, grew stronger the farther into the cave she went. Kazul was in front of her now, and she saw the dragon’s tail lash once, as if in pain or anger. Suddenly she remembered Kazul’s description of the aura that made it impossible for most dragons to carry Colin’s Stone, and that this was the place where Colin’s Stone had been found. No wonder Kazul was uncomfortable.
Cimorene found herself wishing she could stop and pay attention to the humming in her bones, but she remembered Kazul’s directions and continued walking. She had nearly reached the exit when she saw a pebble about the size of her thumbnail, made of the same dark, shiny stone as the cavern walls. Kazul had said nothing about picking things up, so Cimorene veered a little to the right and scooped the pebble up as she passed. A moment later she was out of the cave.
“Phew!” said Kazul. “I’m glad that’s over. From here on, it should be easy.”
“Good,” said Cimorene. She dropped the pebble into her pocket to look at more closely later and followed Kazul down the narrow, winding tunnel.