The girl realized after a second glance that the other ice wall seemed different somehow. In addition to letting in more light than could be found anywhere else in the glacier, it had an unusual look to it, as though it wasn't part of the floe.
It's newer, Lynaelle decided. The ice is cleaner, fresher.
Lynaelle didn't realize she'd stopped moving until she felt Torixileos' icy breath on the back of her neck. Suppressing a shudder, she quickly stepped to one side to allow the dragon to enter. It was only then that she realized the white wyrm had been forced to crawl through the passage, snaking along on its belly with his wings furled tightly against his flanks. Once he was through the narrow tunnel and fully into the stone chamber, the dragon rose up again to his full height and peered down at the girl expectantly.
Lynaelle backed away from the creature until she felt the cold hardness of a wall pressing against her, stopping her. She waited there timorously for the beast to give her some indication of what he wanted from her.
'I have sealed the entrance,' Torixileos said, nudging his nose in the direction of the fresh ice. 'You cannot escape.'
Dumbly, Lynaelle nodded, realizing at last why the ice looked so different. The dragon had created a barrier to seal her inside.
'There is now only one way out, and you cannot fly, little morsel. I can keep you here forever.'
With those words, Torixileos bent his head back around to stare balefully right at the girl.
Lynaelle slid down the wall she had pressed herself against, feeling panic rising in her gut again. She began to shake her head, and opened her mouth to protest, but the dragon continued on.
'If you help me get my treasure back, I will let you live. Perhaps I will even take you back outside and set you free. But only if you obey. Will you be good, little morsel?'
Lynaelle found herself nodding emphatically, even as she flinched at the nickname the dragon had chosen to bestow upon her.
'Yes, sir,' she said without thinking. 'I will be good and help you.'
'Yes,' Torixileos said, bobbing his own head up and down, mimicking Lynaelle's eager nodding. 'Help me get my treasure.'
'But how?' the girl asked, confused and curious at the same time. 'Where is your treasure?'
'Come here!' the dragon said, perhaps more loudly than he'd intended.
The whole room vibrated and shook with those words, and Lynaelle cringed again. Fearful that she might anger the beast if she didn't react promptly, Lynaelle scrambled to her feet and followed Torixileos's head as it swiveled around and he began to nuzzle with his nose the opening to a small tunnel on the opposite side of the room. She approached the small egress, which sat about chest-high to her, and waited for the dragon to move aside so she could peer in.
'I caught a thief trying to steal my treasure. I hurt it, but it escaped in there. I am too big to follow. You must bring them back to me.'
Lynaelle recoiled from the small opening upon hearing that she and the dragon were not alone.
'A thief?' she exclaimed, afraid. 'How did it-?'
She snapped her mouth shut when she realized that Torixileos was glaring at her.
'You will bring the thief and my treasure to me!' the dragon said loudly, bringing his head down level with Lynaelle's and staring at her directly. 'You cannot escape, so you must do as I say!'
Again, Lynaelle found herself nodding, desperately trying to appease the fearsome beast before her. Whatever was in the hole, it could not be as dangerous as the angry white wyrm in front of her. She eyed the opening, which was large enough for her to traverse while walking, if she hunched over a bit. It was dark in the passage, and she could not see very far into it at all.
'What kind of thief is it?' she asked, deeming it prudent to learn as much as she could about whatever she was going to have to face before she actually went into the tunnel.
'A nasty orc!' Torixileos roared at her, blasting her off her feet with his chilling breath.
Lynaelle flailed her arms in front of her face, coughing and wheezing as the icy vapors chilled her skin and stung her lungs. She coughed and spit as she rolled over to her knees.
'Please,' she begged, waving an arm to ward off further blasts. 'I can't breathe!'
'You can see the thief from here,' the dragon continued, ignoring Lynaelle's pleas. 'It is wounded, not moving. Drag it back here so that I may eat it.'
Lynaelle struggled to her feet again and moved to peer once more inside the passage, casting one fearful glance at Torixileos as she did so. The dragon was staring into the tunnel with one eye narrowed to a hateful slit. The girl stared into the darkness, but of course she could see nothing down the tunnel.
'It's very dark,' the half-elf said carefully, then quickly added, 'I will need some light to see by,' before the dragon could misinterpret her words as a refusal.
Torixileos merely stared at Lynaelle, as though he could not comprehend what she was trying to say.
'I have no light,' the dragon said at last. 'Perhaps you are not such a good helper at all, and I should just eat you and find another.'
'Wait!' Lynaelle said frantically, backing away and waving her hands in front of herself. 'I can make light!'
The girl had not wanted to give up her secret, that she had magical ability, for she feared it would make the dragon suspicious and more wary of her, limiting her chance to escape. But she had no choice, she realized, and yanked off a glove to begin digging through an inner pocket.
She pulled out a tiny bit of moss, which glowed softly, giving off a pale green hue. Then, after slipping her glove back on, she placed the moss in the palm of her hand and began to cast a spell with it.
Just as quickly as she had begun, Lynaelle stopped again, realizing that Torixileos was rearing back from her, drawing in a deep breath. The half-elf went stark still, not daring to move, as the white wyrm stood poised over her, watching her intently. The dragon appeared ready to blast Lynaelle with his breath, but he did not.
'I do not like wizards,' Torixileos said at last, eyes narrowing. 'They are tricky and use their magic to try to hurt me.' Then he bent low and cocked his head so that one eye was level with Lynaelle's face. His next words were delivered very slowly and deliberately. 'I have eaten many wizards.'
Lynaelle swallowed hard and nodded very gently, her heart pounding in her chest.
She eased her hands down to her sides and said, 'I was only going to make some magical light. So I can see to get your treasure back for you.' When the dragon didn't move, she felt panic rising again. 'I want to be a good helper,' the girl said, trying desperately to sound enthusiastic, 'so you will be pleased with me.'
Torixileos drew his head back.
'Yes,' the creature said, his voice low. 'My treasure. Go and get it now. Make your light, little-morsel, but do not try any tricks, or I will eat you.'
Lynaelle nodded vigorously again and moved toward the opening.
'I promise,' she said.
The girl very slowly and deliberately repositioned the moss in the palm of her hand and began to cast her spell. She mumbled a simple arcane phrase under her breath, nearly tongue-tied by words that at any other time she could have delivered with practiced ease.
Don't often have to cast with a dragon threatening to eat you, she thought as she finished the spell.
The pale green glow of moss transformed into a brighter white glow, like that of a torch, emanating from the glove on Lynaelle's hand. She held it there for a moment, fearful that the dragon might devour her despite her obedience, but when the beast simply blinked in the glow of the magical light, Lynaelle breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Then she turned her attention back to the passage.
Grabbing onto the side of the tunnel, she pulled herself up and stood just inside the opening. With her glowing glove thrust out in front of her, Lynaelle peered deeper into the depths of the passage.
The glitter of many sparkling things shone back at her, and she gasped softly.
The tunnel was not long, perhaps ten paces, and it opened into another chamber, that one also rimed in ice, at the far end. The brilliant shine of coins, jewels, and precious works of art reflected Lynaelle's light.
As Torixileos had promised, an orc lay at the far end of the tunnel, near where the passage opened into the treasure chamber. The creature was sprawled out on its stomach, facing away from Lynaelle. It wore thick fur like armor wrapped around its torso and limbs, kept snug against its body with tied straps of leather. Its back rose and
