Arleana's Bow (Part 4)

With her crystal’s radiance, Arleana entered the center cave. The four walked closely looking behind them at every distant noise. The tunnel seemed to go on endlessly, but they realized that the path seemed to be well used. Finally they noticed light splashing the walls at the end of the tunnel where it made a sharp right turn.

"Looks like we’ve found Mountain City," Remee said when she noticed the torches along the wall. None were lit. "These people must be very solitary."

Arleana stroked the amulet extinguishing the light and crept ahead. She peaked over the corner and saw that the tunnel led to a narrow, stone stairway. The four climbed the stairs silently until they came to a large fancy doorway that reached to the ceiling of the cave. Suddenly the door creaked slightly open and voices poured in, echoing against the stone walls. The four jumped behind the door as it was swung open the rest of the way.

"No, no, I just thought I heard something down here," a man said as he stumbled through the door. They could tell he was drunk by the way his words were slurred. "I guess not," he mumbled taking one last look around and left.

"What wonderful guards they have here." Remee said as they began to the open door again. Through it they could see the buildings of Mountain City silhouetted against the bright yellow sun. It would have been quite a breath taking scene had they not been trying to avoid the drunken door sentries. Arleana stepped through the door way.

"Who goes there?" The door sentinel who had checked the cave just a moment ago staggered out from the guard house. "What are you doing down here?"

"We came through the cave entrance," Arleana responded.

The sentry stopped and thought over what she had just said. "Oh, okay," he turned and was about to go back into the house but stopped again, "Wait, no one’s s’posed to go through the cave," he said and held his spear forward, "I’m ganna have ta take ya in for questionin."

"No, we were chased in by a dragon you see. It was an accident." Arleana tried to explain but the guard already had his mind set. "I have proof. Do you want to see the proof?"

"Proof?" the sentry thought this over, "Okay, let’s see proof." He dropped his spear foolishly.

"Look my friends clothes were ripped by the dragon’s talons," Arleana said and the guard looked at Chase’s ripped clothing.

"Oh," the sentry said looking him over. He finally decided that it was alright to let them through.

?

"Couldn’t we have stayed just one night?" Remee asked, imagining the soft bed at the last inn they went to as they trudged along a roughly made mountain trail.

"No," Arleana said, "We can’t stay in one place for long, better to keep one step ahead."

"I’m afraid we’re going to have to stop very soon. The day’s almost run out and the horses are exhausted," Chase said patting Dragonsting’s neck.

They settled down for the night in a small curve in the wall that provided a somewhat defense against the strong mountain wind. The horses were tied and bedrolls brought out and the last of the sunlight sunk below the orange horizon.