[Aylwen Dreamsong]

"Well, the Wanaparma is obviously not in here." Arethin commented.

Arethin finished exploring the Art room, and to one edge of the chamber was a long, spiral stairwell leading down into the rock. Walking to the exit that would certainly be theirs, Arethin left Jadae and her dusty flute in the dark. Scrambling to catch up to Arethin and the light, Jadae stopped when she felt a cool gust of air blow over her.

"Wait! Hand me the candle for a moment, Arethin!" Jadae cried. Once the candle was in her posession, Jadae wandered towards the eastern wall of the chamber. She could've sworn she felt something!

There, in a rounded, natural corner between the east and south walls, was an air vent-type opening in the rock. Cool, damp air blew through it and into the room.

"It probably leads outside, and we won't find the book out there, for sure." Arethin suggested as Jadae shook her head in a slightly defiant 'No'.

"It probably circulates throughout the caves somehow, a form of air renewal through the caves, and especially the floors not above ground. The caves have to get new air somehow, and this shaft is probably it." Jadae explained, as she examined the shaft.

"Well, what do you want to do about it?" Arethin asked.

"Come now, I know you can fit in here too, so lets go exploring the fun way! You'll never know, it could lead to the book - or even better, the smithy of the mountain!" Jadae exclaimed, and Arethin wondered inwardly about the girl's priorities inside the mountain. Jadae gave Arethin no time to protest, if he had planned to, as she hurriedly bound into the shaft, leaving Arethin in the dark.

~*~

Weapons raised, the two warriors, carefully examined the rest of the barracks. Anuion was ever alert to the slightest noises throughout the chamber. Jack was watchful and wary of the shadows that lurked. Suddenly, a loud roaring sound filled the cave, and dust filled the air, and settled long after the roar had dulled.

"Hey, Jack..." Anuion broke the silence that had consumed the cavern again.

"Yes?"

"We've been locked in." Anuion finished, pointing to the large boulder that covered the way they had come in. Not even Anuion could hear Jack's whispered curses.

"There has to be another way out. Who do you think is doing this to us? They're obviously not friendly!" Jack exclaimed, searching for another exit.

"Better the coldness from a friend than sweetness from an enemy." Anuion replied, and Jack was very tempted to ask what it meant.

Dangling just above them was a sturdy rope ladder, that could be reached by climbing a three-bunk-bed a few rows away from the travelers. It waveres and swayed, as though it had just been climbed.

Foolish people, thought Crystwen, who had just climbed from the rope ladder into the next higher level of the caves. She had entered the small chamber that had, for long years, held the store of weapons for the race of the Ti'Lavan.

~*~

Glancing at the note, Angalos crumpled the parchment and threw it at another shelf of books. The light paper sent the victim books flying into dust.

"Who are you? Where are you?" Angalos cried, his voice bouncing off every wall and every crevace of the wall.

For me to know, and you to not find out... Thought Angalos' persuer, clearly quite pleased with his note.

Angalos wandered towards another stairway, and began to scale up the steps, which led to a kitchen of sorts.

[ March 30, 2003: Message edited by: Aylwen Dreamsong ]

[ March 30, 2003: Message edited by: Aylwen Dreamsong ]