B00CGOH3US EBOK Read Online Free PDF Page B

get her bearings. She was amazed at what she found.
    What in the world was this place? The cave was full of…stuff. Besides the medieval weapons, there were hides and tapestries, chests and trunks, bits of furniture piled with plates and goblets, and who knew what else. In the center of the chamber, branches lay stacked in a fire pit, waiting to be lit. Near it, a mound of furs formed an inviting bed to cushion some weary sleeper from the cold stone floor.
    Why did a dragon have all these things? Unless…
    Someone lived here. Someone human.
    Taking a deep breath, Jill called out, "Hello. Anyone here?"
    Her voice echoed, sounding pitiful and distant as it faded away into the darkness beyond the torchlight. No one answered. Guess nobody was home in the bat cave. Well, except for her and the mutant salamander with Ginsu knives for teeth.
    Deciding to put some much needed space between them, she crept further into the cave.
    A small chest caught her eye and she lifted the lid—and almost dropped the sword. A treasure of ancient gold coins and ornate jewels glittered up at her. Running her fingers through the riches, she whistled softly. A tiny fortune at her fingertips.
    A quick glance at the dragon reassured her it hadn't moved. Feeling braver, she decided to move on in the hopes there was another way out. Removing a torch from the wall, Jill ventured deeper into the cave, dragging the heavy sword after her and hopefully leaving the Puff-the-very-real-dragon far, far behind.
    The first chamber opened up into a large cavern, the flickering light revealing damp slate walls from the lightest gray to deep shades of green, blue-black and rust. Slabs of shattered rock covered the cave floor while jagged stones jutted high overhead, waiting to fall. The dangling shards looked like giant serpent's teeth and she couldn't shake the feeling she'd escaped the jaws of one monster only to be thrust into the gapping mouth of another.
    She glanced over her shoulder, reassuring herself that the flesh-and-blood one was still where she left it. The plink-plink of dripping water once again beckoned to her from the back of the cave. Her tongue suddenly felt twice its size and her parched throat constricted, reminding her she'd had nothing to drink since this nightmare started this morning.
    Her bare feet screamed in agony as she stumbled over the jagged rocks. Following the call of trickling water, Jill made her way to the back of the cave to find the polished black surface of a subterranean pool, the meager light of her torch failing to illuminate the fathomless bottom. She wedged the torch into a fissure and knelt at the water's edge, the trusty sword at her side. Rinsing as much dirt off her hands as she could, she cupped the cold water to her mouth.
    With her thirst quenched, she tried to peer into the shadows beyond the pool. If water could get in, maybe there was an opening large enough for her to get out. But first, she had to get past the mammoth rock formations surrounding the water on each side.
    With no flat area to stand on, she edged her way around a large boulder, wedging her fingers into narrow cracks while her feet sought purchase on the slippery rock. A soft, rustling sound unnerved her. Oh, there'd better not be bats in here. One large, demented dragon is about all I can handle right now.
    Reaching for another precarious handhold, her toes slid through the slime growing on the surface and she lost her balance. Wavering by one hand, she grappled desperately for anything to hold onto, crying out as she fell backwards and plunged into the icy water.
    Jill came up gasping for air, the frigid dunking a sudden, disorienting shock. Finally, her feet located the murky bottom and she stood, surprised to find the pool was only thigh deep. She sloshed her way back to the flat rock she'd started from. Hair dripping and the soaked gown clinging to her chilled body, she wrapped her arms around herself and glared at the water lapping the rock