'Yes… well…' Laurana coughed uncomfortably, perhaps swallowing a laugh. 'I think we'd better hurry if we intend to continue.'
Derek's hands slowly unclenched as he struggled for control. With a grim glance at the oblivious kender, he turned and squinted into the growing darkness, then continued up the cliff face, practically jerking the rest of us along in his wake.
Fortunately, we hadn't far to go.
'Well, what do you know?' Derek breathed up ahead of me. Scrambling over a jagged crag, he disappeared from sight. Frowning, I forced my reluctant muscles to move faster. When I reached the spot where I'd last seen him, I stopped and caught my breath.
We'd found the cave.
And it was beyond all imaginings. Walls, ceiling, and floor were made of ice smooth as glass. Though the cave should have been pitch-black, a rainbow of muted colors glowed from inside the glassy surfaces, colors I'd never seen in my whole life danced on the bleak, black-and-whiteness of the glacier. I stood rooted to the spot.
'Raggart, what is it?' Laurana pushed past me to climb onto the ledge. 'Oh, my!' she gasped. 'It's beautiful!'
'It's also magical,' Elistan said uneasily, as we helped him onto the ledge. Tas and Sturm followed. 'And of the Black Robes, I believe.'
'What does that mean?' the Render asked.
'I'm afraid it means we're probably not alone up here,' Sturmsaid grimly. 'Someone possessed of very powerful-and evil magic created this effect.'
'I know some very powerful magic-users,' Tas chimed in. 'There's Raistlin-have you heard of him?' he asked me, not waiting for an answer. 'Then there's Fizban, although he's not very powerful,' the kender's brow wrinkled, 'or alive for that matter.'
Derek glanced at Tasslehoff as he would an irritating fly. 'We can't afford to rest here, then,' he said decisively. 'This could be that dragon's lair, for all we know!'
'I don't think so, Derek, this cave's too small. Besides, we're exhausted!' Laurana said wearily. 'What good will we be if we're too tired to defend ourselves should the need arise?'
But I was scarcely aware of their debate. Inside my head a question went round and round, louder with each revolution. Elistan had not indicated that he was a magic-user. Though I knew what the answer would be, I had to ask my question aloud.
'How does he know the effect is magical?' I asked, pointing to the old man.
Laurana shrugged, unconcerned. 'Elistan is a true cleric of Paladine. His god has told him that this place is created by magic.' She turned to Elistan. 'Do you think it's safe to rest here for a while?'
I looked into the calm, though weary face of one who claimed to be a true cleric. I saw his love for Laurana- for everyone-and I began to dare to believe.
'I think it safe to rest for a few moments, but then I think we should press on, as Derek suggests,' Elistan said diplomatically.
Derek snorted derisively at his partial victory. Refusing the walrus blubber I offered him, he began to pace about the cave. Laurana, on the other hand, calmly laid down a skin and curled up like a kitten to nap in what precious time there was.
I divided the remainder of our blubber between the other three and myself. Sturm stood alone, chewing absently on his, watching Derek pace.
Elistan found a distant comer and assumed a meditative pose. Was he praying to Paladine-or some false god instead? I longed for the ability to read minds. If Paladine really did exist and Elistan was his cleric, why didn't he give me a sign?
'If you don't mind my saying so,' Tasslehoff interrupted my thoughts, 'this stuff is awful. Don't get me wrong-I truly appreciate you sharing your food- but do your people really eat this all the time?'
'No,' I said, grinning. 'Sometimes we eat raw fish.'
The kender's small face wrinkled with distaste. 'Really? No spiced potatoes, no dwarf spirits?' He shuddered. 'I guess you can't help being what you are-but I'm glad I was born a kender and not an Ice Folk!'
I did not tell him so, but I was glad as well.
Derek paced till he could stand it no more. 'May we please continue looking for the orb now?' he asked with sarcastic politeness. Laurana jerked awake.
'What?' she mumbled, dazed. 'How long have I been asleep?' With a grimace, she forced herself to her feet.
'Not long enough,' Sturm muttered, giving Derek an irritated glance.
Wincing, Laurana rubbed at the knotted muscles of her lower back. 'Never mind.' She tried to sound energetic. 'Let's see if this cave leads anywhere.'
'It had better,' Derek said pointedly, glaring at me before storming off toward the back of the cave. 'Hurry up, Brightblade.'
Smothering a grin, Sturm clapped me encouragingly on the back and strode after the impatient knight. Assuming his usual, disturbingly serene expression, Elistan gathered his furs closer and joined Laurana.
Thankfully, the cave did lead to a tunnel, though where the tunnel led to was anyone's guess.
We would soon find out.
'You know, I get the feeling we're overlooking something,' Tasslehoff muttered, dashing between us to press his face to the cold, glassy walls. 'I get this creepy feeling we're being watched.'
'You are,' Sturm said, fondly tugging the kender's topknot, 'by me.'
Tasslehoff frowned. 'Make fun if you like, Sturm, but my Uncle Trapspringer says-'
Sturm clapped his hands to his ears and snorted. 'Not an Uncle Trapspringer story!'
Derek's head jerked around. 'Hush!' he snarled. Suddenly his face contorted in surprise. 'Whoa!' The tunnel had ended abruptly in a deep, dark chasm! One foot over the edge, Derek swung his arms wildly to keep from sliding over entirely.
Instinctively, Laurana reached for his out-flung arm, and Sturm grabbed her. Together they pulled the struggling knight back from the edge. Wheezing and panting, he collapsed momentarily in aheap. Then, remembering himself, he struggled to his feet, brush ing off the helping hands.
'Great! Now where do we go?' he demanded.
Laurana frowned. 'I don't see any reason-or way-to cross the chasm. There's nothing but an icy wall on the other side. I guess we'll have to retrace our steps and continue up the cliff face after all,' she finished wearily.
'Not necessarily!' sang out Tasslehoff, whom I must confess I'd forgotten. He was on his knees, tapping on the left wall with his knuckles. Suddenly he looked up at Elistan, reaching for the mace hanging from the cleric's belt. 'May I borrow this?' he asked politely. Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed the mace and smashed it into the icy wall, sending glassy shards flying about the tunnel.
'Tasslehoff, what on Krynn are you doing?' Laurana demanded, reaching out to prevent his next swing. She stopped abrubtly as the kender's blows revealed a hole into another area. Before she could say more, Tasslehoff hopped through the jagged opening.
'Tas, wait!' she cried, hurrying after him.
'Oh, no,' Sturm muttered, as if this scene were nothing new to him. Hitching up his gear, he followed the golden-haired elf. The rest of us hastily followed.
Stepping through the opening, I found the others in a vast room formed of rough-hewn stone blocks. In one corner was stacked a pile of dried peat, ready for burning. In another were huge wooden barrels in neat rows. Weapons and tools hung from racks on the walls. A dilapidated door swung from one hinge on the wall opposite me. We seemed to be in some sort of storeroom-but for whom? A shiver of apprehension raised the hair on my scalp.
'I knew we were overlooking something!' Tasslehoff cried, scurrying about the room in excitement.
Elistan strode up to the kender, his palm outstretched. 'Yes, you were… My mace, please,' he reminded Tas.
'Oh, this?' Tas asked, pulling the mace from his pack, where he'd obviously placed it for safe-keeping. 'Yes, well, I was talking about something else. Listen.'
